Love Sailing

After strong west winds during the weekend, Mondays forecast was for NW force 3/SW4/SW4-5.

The plan was to go back to Dartmouth and pick up Vicki’s prescription, and camping gaz refill and a bottle of rum. We left early knowing the tide stream would be against but motoring anyway, it didn’t really matter. It took us 1.75hrs to cover the 12nm back to Dartmouth. I went off to get the supplies and Vicki got breakfast really, too early for all the shops so l had to hang around until they opened, then l found out the camping shop did sell camping gaz in our size and the off licence wouldn’t opened until 1100hrs, so it was just the prescription l could pick up. Back to Elektra for breakfast. After that we got ready to leave, l wanted to get to Start Point by 1315hrs as l didn’t want wind against tide there!

We cast off at 1035hrs, while Vicki was motoring Elektra back down the river to the sea l pulled up the main with a reef. Then set the genoa off the entrance and we sailed along at about 5kts until we got further out and the wind died away and our speed to 2.5kts. So l started the engine and rolled away the genoa. Motoring towards Start Point l passed a racing yacht with storm sails just coasting along, almost dead in the water. Looked odd with nobody visible, l wondered if they were sleeping after a night sail.

Motoring on we passed Start Point ahead of schedule at 1210hrs and briefly we could sail again. But somehow it always seems to happen the wind turned onto the noise again! And we continued on motoring to Pawle Point. With the new heading towards Bolt Head, we started motor sailing, so instead of turning into Salcombe we continued on passage to Plymouth. Not wanting to slow l continued motor sailing from Bolt Head way point to Plymouth east way point. The forecast was for the wind to pick up in the evening and it did about an hour before Plymouth east WP, by which time l had two reefs in the main and the genoa. Hard on the wind pushing on with the engine to get to the WP, l was really pleased to be able to bear away in towards Shag WP and stop the engine at last.

From Shag l sailed Elektra though the east side of the breakwater and across Plymouth Sound and though the Bridge and then started her engine again to motor into and dropped anchor in Barn Pool. Elektra had logged 45.5nm in 8.75hrs.

Having been limited to a week at a time aboard, this had always hampered going to far from home, once we were 3 day sails from home we would always turn back. Although we had been to Dartmouth twice before it had been aboard our last “Gala” and we hadn’t got past Salcombe with “Elektra” in the last nine seasons.

So coming out of Dartmouth and turning north along the coast was a new experience in new waters for us. There seemed a nice wind when we exited the Dart and to start with we were sailing at about 5kts but then the wind died away and l started her engine again. Motoring up the coast towards Berry Head, the wind filled in again and l unrolled the genoa and stopped the engine.

From there we had a great sail, passing in close to Berry Head and then turning towards Torquay, with the big wheel a nice land mark to aim for.

Having called up the harbour master and asked for a visitor berth, we motored in and moored up to V pontoon having logged 12nm in 2.75hrs.

We spent 3 nights there, met friend for a drink on the Friday evening and other friends for dinner another evening and watched the air show which was on over the whole weekend.

After a horrible 24hrs anchored in Cawsands, wet, windy and rolly! The electronics company had got hold of me to say Garmin hadn’t posted the units until Friday before the bank holiday weekend and they weren’t expecting them before Thursday. So we said we would carry on east and arrange something on our return west in about a week.

The forecast for Wednesday was westerly force 4 gusting 6. We thought that looked less wind than the last 2 sailing days. The plan was to sail to Salcombe, l thought about 4hrs away. I pulled up the anchor about 0610hrs and Vicki motored Elektra out of Cawsands while l stowed the anchor, cleaned the deck and did the first log entry. There didn’t seem much wind as we headed across Plymouth Sound towards Bolt Head, but only 10mins later l had stopped Elektra’s engine and logging 5kts on just her genoa. Things hotted up by the time we passed the Mew Stone off the  Yealm River, Elektra was logging 5.5-6.5kts SOG, the sea was big and rolling in from the southwest even with the westerly wind.

With in 2hrs of leaving,  l had decided with this southwest swell and Salcombe halfway through the ebb tide, l didn’t fancy going in the entrance, so had decided to carry on to Dartmouth.

We were seeing speeds of as much as 8.5kts at times, the tiller pilot couldn’t cope, so alot of the time l had to helm. Once past Salcombe the swell died away a bit but the wind was still blowing, 26-30kts! I had kept well south of the land from Bolt Tail to Start Point and it looked like l was sailing into the path  of a oncoming ship as we neared Start Point, but with a jibe and some adjustment to the sail, l showed her my intentions to keep clear. I expected Skerries Bank to be breaking white, but the sea had calmed down by then, even if the wind was still blowing!

On along beside the Skerries Bank and even when we turned towards Dartmouth the wind was still good into the Dart entrance. We were there by 1200hrs and started the engine having logged 34nm plus another 2nm to get moored to a pontoon by 1230hrs. I say what a passage, one to go down in my memories as to why we love to sail!

With another strong wind warning, skippers at the pontoon party were discussing what time each were leaving! The forecast of westerly force 4-5 and southwest 5-7 later. Most skippers were going east but Rob and Mandy wanted to go back southwest to Falmouth.

We were also going east to Cawsands and we were the first to cast off at 0610hrs. While Vicki motored Elektra south out of Fowey entrance l coiled the lines and retreaved the fenders and took over the helm from Vicki as we exited. I set up the tiller pilot and set course for Udder Buoy our first way point. Which we  passed at 0650hrs, the sea was moderate but not enough wind to sail by, so we continued to motor. By 0730hrs we were motor sailing to help stop the rolling. And 10 minutes later l had stopped the engine.

From there the sailing was very good with the occasional surfing waves and  seeing 6-7kts on the plotter. With the wind increasing after 0830hrs my last full entry in the log, the log got a little sketchy as l couldn’t leave the helm anymore. But Vicki jotted down that we passed Rame Head at 0917hrs. Vicki had to come out into the cockpit to the helm so l could pull the genoa though as we jibed onto a port tack to turn into Plymouth Sound. By this time the sea was very rough, but the jibe went well and we headed for and passed Day Stone buoy at 0950hrs. As we turned towards Cawsands the wind disappeared very quickly, we rolled the sail and motored in dropping anchor 4hrs after casting off in Fowey having logged 20nm.

Rob and Mandy motor sailed Sununu back to Falmouth over the same time period. Kevin also planning to head west stayed in Fowey for a few more days in his Sadler 26. But everyone else coming east to Plymouth area enjoyed the same good sailing. Afterwards on our WhatsApp group we seemed to all have enjoyed ourselves. I suggested another song for the pontoon party’s “rocking rolling riding” lol 😆

Vicki had a doctor appointment in Truro at 1530, we were hoping to get aboard and away from Gillan by 1900hrs, but l think we were wishing!

We had hoped to get away before the strong winds forecasted for Saturday 24th, but by the time we did get aboard it was 1930hrs and it took us another hour to stow everything by which time we both wanted a rest. The forecast for Saturday was westerly force 4-5 increasing south westerly force 6-7 later.

We had a Sadler Rally in Fowey to get to and so we planned to get away first light. The wind howled all night and l couldn’t sleep, so at 0400hrs before the alarm went off, l got out and got Elektra ready to leave. I told Vicki to stay put. Without starting the engine, l dropped the mooring at 0445hrs before first light, pulled out the genoa and set off for Fowey. With the tiller pilot in control, l started pulling out fenders and lines for later in Fowey and before the wind gets up! At times Elektra was logging 5.5kt sailing away from the sheltered shore, l was thinking this could get quite nasty later, but as the miles slipped by the wind didn’t get any stronger, in fact it seem to get less.

We had stayed off the Dodman Point because l expected to see overfalls with wind against tide and after turning towards Fowey the wind seemed to improve for a couple of miles. But once we started to cross St Austell Bay the wind dropped off again to 6-8kts. It was at this point in lumpy swells and only logging 2.5kts, l decided it was time to start the engine and motor. We motored past Cannis Buoy at 1005hrs and moored up next to Rob and Mandy at 1030hrs having logged 24nm.

After the end of the easterly winds we could finally move Elektra out onto her seasonal mooring in Gillan Harbour. With plans of getting away again from Friday evening, so over high water l moved Elektra out onto her mooring. It was a lovely day and l thought l would go for a sail.

With a forecast of north westerly 4, and the wind blowing from the west inside the creek. I pulled up the main with a reef and sailed off the mooring leaving the dinghy on the mooring for later. As l turned Elektra northeast around Carcock east cardinal off Gillan Harbour l set a reefed genoa. Leaving the tiller pilot in control l set the sails and after one gust rolled a little more genoa in. I had noticed the electronics had decided to work today and l was playing with them unaware that a modern similar size yacht was passing Elektra to windward. I can’t have that l thought and took the helm from the pilot, game on!

Modern yachts sit on the water, more like sailing dinghies with a cabin than Elektra which sits in the water. Modern yachts tent to be quick because of this fact. And this modern yacht also had carbon racing sails but Elektra wasn’t going let her leave her behind. Over only about 4nm Elektra didn’t let her go and Elektra was pointing so much better as when we got into the Carrick Roads the modern yacht was half a nm downwind. And before she needed to tack south of St Mawes Castle had decided to motor back to Mylor.

Elektra had followed a center cockpit Southerly 42 into the  Carrick Roads which l come from Fowey direction. We both tacked under St Mawes Castle and headed on a starboard tack towards Falmouth Harbour, tacking again by Falmouth Harbour breakwater, the next heading was towards St Just in Roseland, Elektra was pointing well heading for what looked like an anchored work boat, as l got a bit closer l could see it was working on a ships mooring buoy and flying a dive flag, so l gave her good clearance. Afterwards coming hard on the wind again, the Southerly still on the same tack and about 1/4nm ahead sailed quite a bit north of St Just before tacking towards Mylor. Elektra was pointing much better and sailed 3/4nm north of St Just before tacking. That little bit more made all the difference. The Southerly had to tack at the Mylor moorings but Elektra was north of Mylor moorings and could continue on nearly up to the coast before tacking again.

The Southerly couldn’t make it past Turnaware Point on her tack, so decided not to tack again, but started her engine and motored north. Elektra had a good line  and was following her towards Turnaware Buoy. But l wanted to get back to Gillan. So l rolled away the genoa and dropped the mainsail, packed away the main and then pulled out all the genoa and headed back south down the Carrick Roads. Much more sedately than before running on a broad reach south and then south-southwest across Falmouth Bay to Gillan Harbour. I picked up her mooring 3.5hrs after dropping having logged 18nm.

Then to pack up, it took me 1.5hrs to get ready to leave Elektra and by that time the tide had gone out, so it took me longer once ashore.

Vicki thought l was lost when l got home, like l said there’s normally 2 of us to pack up!

Just to prove the weather forecasters can get it right sometimes, the sun shone all day Sunday and we enjoyed it! With the east winds still bringing the cooling eliment, as long as we kept out of the wind the cockpit was a sun trap.

We needed to head back home on Monday, and with high water at 1015hrs and only 4″ depth of clearance under the keel in Carne Creek where Elektra needed to be because of the east winds, meant we needed to leave early. So before the end of the day, I lifted the outboard from the dinghy to the pushpit.

On Monday, I pulled the anchor up at 0735hrs, and Vicki motored Elektra back down the Precuil River and once out past the mooring at St Mawes, I just set the genoa, slow at first in the shelter of St Anthony Head, around 3.5kts we headed for Gillan, things soon hotted up once out of the shelter and Elektra was logging 5.5-5.8kts as we headed across the bay in moderate seas, Vicki said “who needs a mainsail in these condisions?” Not Elektra, that’s for sure!

Ever since buying Elektra and sailing her for the first time back in March 2017, she had impressed me. She can do 3kts though the water in 6kts of wind under full sail, she is a little tender in stronger winds and dosn’t need much sail to perform very well indeed, and fast, she will keep up with many yachts which are much bigger than her. Our last yacht a Hurley 22 was very stiff and it needed to be the top end of a force 5 before putting in the first reef, the problem with her was, in winds of less than force 4 we had to motor her, so her engine was used a lot.

Elektra crossed Falmouth Bay very quickly and we arrived in Gillan early at 0855hrs, I had woked out the earliest we would be able to get her onto her mooring in Carne Creek was 0915hrs, so rolling away her genoa Vicki motored her in slowly up the channel in Carne Creek before turning into wind towards the mooring, still only 0905hrs Elektra runs aground before we get to the mooring buoy. I tell Vicki to keep the engine in forward, all we could do was wait for her to float again, at 0915 bang on the time I had worked out she moved forward and I picked up the buoy up.

Vicki got busy in the cabin packing up and I lowered the dinghy off its davits, and engine from pushpit to dinghy. Once done used the joining line to pull the the stern strop onto her aft cleats. Then I help Vicki with the packing and lifting the bags into the cockpit. Within an hour of arriving on the mooring, we were leaving Elektra by dinghy for the shore and then home in pickup for showers.