Love Sailing

Now into our 9th day aboard, the plan was to sail back to the Falmouth area. The forecast was NE force 3-4, then becoming E4 in the west. The tidal stream wouldn’t be with us until midday but as its a long passage we pulled up the anchor early.

Without a working depth sounder, we could only use the chart plotter as a guide to depth when we arrived last evening, we anchored in the 5m contour line and with a 4.5m high water had use nearly all the 40m of 8mm anchor chain. I have found out in the past, if anchored in depth of over 8m l need to use the windless to bring the chain and anchor back aboard. This was one of those days, normally pulling the chain up hand over hand, it’s a very quick process but using the windless is slow going with 40m of chain out as the chain has to cleared from the deck at the same time as its winched up. I knew when the anchor pulled out of the bottom as it suddenly got easier to turn the windless. The anchor had set well because it came up with a hole lot of sandy/mud stuck to it, so l plunged it up and down a bit to clear while Vicki got Elektra under way.

It was 0700hrs when l wrote in the log and 10mins later we were rounding Daystone and setting chart plotter for St Anthony WP 33nm to the west. I had pulled up the main sail while Vicki motored to Daystone and once turned onto track l set her genoa and stopped the engine. And went below to get the tiller pilot. Once set up Vicki went down below and slept a bit longer, leaving me to play with the sails. The wind was almost dead behind and l found the best speed was goose winged which l ran with for the next 3hrs on calm seas. By which time we had covered 10nm. But with the sea starting a swell and Elektra rolling bit, it was safer to lower the main and just sail on her genoa.

But by 1110 the wind had died away and we had started motoring in a rolling corkscrew sea. We could only motor at 4kts as the rolling motion was too much if going faster.

By 1310hrs an onshore breeze had developed from the south and we had started motor sailing to ease the rolling and by 1325, l had pulled the mainsail back up and we were sailing again, having stopped the engine. From there until 1600hrs when we got to our WP it was great sailing. By 1630hrs we had dropped anchor in the Precuil River having logged 37nm. Not the fastest passage but at least we sailed most of the way.

The evening was lovely in the cockpit, l was sleepy.

We had bought Elektra in November 2016 when she was 32 years old. Since then we had steadily been updating her. She came with Stowe instruments which were mainly working when we bought her but had slowly packed up one at a time since then. Last winter l had Elektra pulled out of the water for work ashore and new Garmin electronics was one of the jobs. The boat yard had arranged with “PR Systems” of Plymouth to do the work because the boat yard had found them reliable. I was happy as, l hadn’t found anyone reliable!

I bought a new Garmin sail pack early in 2024 and a 9″ Garmin chart plotter off the Internet in September 24 and Keith from PR Systems had fitted the System by the end of November 2024. But obviously it was quite a few more months before l could try the new electronics out. The first test was when l left the boat yard at Gweek at first light on the 31st of March 2025. Nothing was really working except the chart plotter which l used to guide Elektra back down the channel, the depth would have been nice but we didn’t run aground so all was good. The depth started working once we got into 6ft of water under the keel.

So a long story short, in the main the new instruments hadn’t worked all season so far except for one weekend when for some reason they worked fine. I had decided it was a connection issue and wanted PR Systems to look at it. They wanted power, so, we agreed l would sail Elektra to them to look at to save them travelling time.

I found Keith a nice man and got on with him well, and as arranged he arrived at 0930hrs on Thursday with a youngster. Once l had shown Keith what was needed, Vicki and l went for showers and to Jolly Jack’s for breakfast. Afterwards l went back to Elektra to peg out the towels from showers. Keith was on the phone to Garmin as apparently the controller boxes where faulty. When he got off the phone, he told me, Garmin had agreed to replace both control boxes under warranty and pay Keith’s travelling to our mooring in Gillan to fit.

After that Vicki and l got a taxi to and from supermarket and by 1350hrs we were casting off and leaving Mayflower Marina. We were off to find an anchorage. We looked at Barn Pool, but it didn’t look sheltered there and so we sailed over to Jenny Cliff but it didn’t look sheltered there either at which point we decided to sail back to Cellar Bay in the Yealm River Entrance. Elektra was only sailing on her genoa as we didn’t think we were going far but sailing along beside was a 30ft Moody with full genoa and one reef in her mainsail and Elektra was holding her own. Next time l looked Elektra was pulling away! At Cawsands there were a lot of anchored boats, so we decided to take a closer look, and motored Elektra into a space between the anchored craft and from out of nowhere a motor boat appears and dropped anchor, and so we had to move to another space before dropping.

There was a little swell movement in the anchorage, possibly more than we would normally put up with, but Vicki didn’t want to go any further. Out of the 12 or so craft anchored there when we arrived only 3 where still there as darkness came in. It was a little rolly overnight, but it didn’t keep me awake.

We enjoyed the next day off in the Yealm River, while l arranged berth in Mayflower Marina for Elektra on Thursday.

Being a member of the CA, l could get 50% off one night every month, that was quite a saving off the full price of £41 per night.

I emailed Keith of PR Systems to say we were now in Plymouth area they had already agreed to do the work but we hadn’t fixed the day. We agreed on Thursday.

And so on Wednesday about an hour before low water we cast off at 1300hrs and slowly motored Elektra out of the Yealm River and once clear of the entrance set the genoa alone towards Mayflower Marina only 7-8nm away. There wasn’t any hurry and in the lovely weather, it was nice to be just doodling along. At 1500hrs l got on the VHF ch80 to the marina. Bit of a slight panic as l didn’t know the exact layout of the marina when the reply was “your on B26, fenders and lines to starboard” But zooming the chart plotter, l could see the layout and so Vicki motored Elektra slowly in the right direction will l got busy doing the lines and fenders. The marina guy was there to take lines as we arrived.

Since we last went in a marina, back in 2018, Vicki has become less able. I used to do the engine when mooring and Vicki would do the lines and fenders. But we the reverse roles, we were both very thankful of the marina help when we arrived.

The marina guy, handed me the marina guide, and we sorted Elektra out before going for showers and into the office to pay.

With water available from a hose, it was to big an opportunity to miss, and so l filled up her water tank! But with the free shore power, l didn’t hook up, because Elektra’s solar charging system does all her needs.

After my shower l was sitting drinking a pint in “Jolly Jack’s” waiting for Vicki to get back from her shower. And Keith emailed to say the marina guys will take your lines when you get here. I replied “all done, l am having a pint in Jolly Jack’s. We agreed time tomorrow for them to start work.

Next day we were planning to get to the Yealm River, the forecast was for the east winds to pick up from midday, so we planned to get away first light. We needed to get to Plymouth for PR Systems who fitted  Elektra’s new Garmin electronics during the winter, to get them working properly. It was more a case of getting there than enjoying the passage.

I got out at 0500hrs and rowed the dinghy over to a visitor pontoon and emptied the rain water from the night. Then back to Elektra and lift dinghy onto her davits. And get Elektra ready to leave. Vicki stayed in the bunk and l cast off at 0540hrs, motoring Elektra out of Fowey there wasn’t any wind, and so turning east we continued to motor passing “Udder Buoy” at 0620hrs and setting chart plotter for the Mew Stone of the Yealm River and letting the tiller pilot steer, we passed Rame Head at 0836hrs with 5nm left to go. I dropped anchor at Cellar Bay inside the entrance to the Yealm River at 1000hrs to let the tide slow a little in the River before making our way in.

Vicki cooked brunch which we ate before moving in at 1200hrs. Moored to a pontoon by 1220hrs we went for showers, after which we enjoyed the lovely sunny weather in Elektra’s cockpit  for the rest of the day. And l slept away some of the afternoon.

In the morning it was raining hard and blowing hard from the East when we got out. The forecast was for it to clear and for the wind to ease.

Our plan was to leave the Precuil River in the late afternoon and head east. The forecast proved to be true and by 1100hrs we were packing away the cockpit enclosure and getting ready to leave.

I pulled up the anchor at 1330hrs and Vicki motored Elektra out of the Precuil River while l pulled up the main with one reef. Started sailing after the moorings out of St Mawes. Turned south out the east side of the Carrick Roads, our best heading after passing St Anthony light house was south-southeast. It soon became clear we needed more sail, so l shook out the reef and pulled up the full main. It was good sailing and after about 3-4nm on that heading we tacked and headed towards the Dodman Point 10nm away. As l said the forecast proved to be right. After the first hour of that tack the wind began to ease and Elektra got slower until we had to start motor sailing up to the Dodman. The Dodman had overfalls, this was only the second time we had ever seen them here even though they are marked on the charts.

From the Dodman Point the wind died away altogether and we continued under motor and getting into Fowey at 1840hrs having logged 24.5nm

On Saturday with forecast of rain for Sunday, we went to St Mawes for a  pub lunch, it was still lovely weather but the east wind was cold. If we kept out of the wind, it was like a summer’s day.

The dinghy trip to St Mawes was down wind so not to cold, at the “Rising Sun” it was sheltered from the wind and hot, shorts and T shirt. After a nice lunch we went to the co-op for shopping and we had our first ice cream for the year. Then it was back to Elektra, l pulled on a sweat shirt and a fleece and we headed back into the wind, l wasn’t to hot. Once back aboard we enjoyed the sunshine some more until it clouded over and went cold! After that we closed up the cockpit enclosure and went down in the saloon and played Scrabble. The rain started early evening and the wind picked up and by the time we turned in the wind was howling.

After a nice night at anchor we awoke to anchor beautiful day and being lazy in the sunshine seemed a good idea. After brunch and washing up. Out into the cockpit we went, l decided to lift the outboard motor from pushpit to dinghy and fill fuel tank. Afterwards l paddled around looking at Elektra, she wasn’t looking too bad l thought after all my hard work during the winter.

When climbing back aboard and talking to Vicki, l somehow forgot to tie the dinghy on, and l looked around and saw the dinghy drifting away! At first sight it was only about a boat length away but by the time l had pulled off my clothes 2 boat lengths away. At this point l thought l better put a life jacket on as l know of a skipper drowned in Helford River with a similar event. So l grabbed a old manual life jacket (our newer ones auto inflate with contact with water) wasn’t fitting well and had to adjust, all the time the dinghy was getting further away! At this point I should say l like to be hot and hate the cold! Well climbing down the ladder into the cold water took my breath away and it took me a minute to let go. I can swim quite well but the cold was getting to me, and it was showing me down and it didn’t look like I was catching the dinghy either! I turned and looked back at Elektra no l wasn’t going to get back either. At which point l pulled the toggle on the jacket and it inflated almost instantly. With the added support lying on my back l kicked on towards the dinghy and used my arms as best l could. By the time l reached the dinghy it was ashore and l could stand up. It was then another sailor arrived and asked if l was OK. By then l was but it was nice that someone had noticed.

It hadn’t been a long swim but it had sure taken it out of me. I didn’t know how disabling cold water was until today!

Climbing into the dinghy, l rowed back to Elektra at which point Vicki noticed my bloody foot which l must have cut on a rock, so she did first aid while l dried and changed. It was amazing how much warmer the day seemed after getting back aboard.

It was an old life jacket (15years) and the power of it as it inflated had destroyed the zip so it wasn’t possible to be useful again but l don’t think it owes me anything anyway.

Then l spent the rest of the day being lazy in the sunshine

In the evening we played Scrabble, listening to music and ran the heater to warm the cabin up. By bed time my shoulder was hurting, l had obviously strained when swimming after the dinghy. These days one of my joints is giving me pain, l say don’t get old, but as a friend said the alternative isn’t good either!

Now Thursday 8th of May with more time available and Elektra not neaped anymore, we planned another cruise. We wanted to go east to the Plymouth based electronics company that fitted Elektra’s new Garmin instruments during the winter for them to do some work. But the forecast of continuing east winds made it less appealing. It looked like we could get to Fowey on Friday but we would be stuck there until Monday, so instead we decided to sail across Falmouth Bay to the Precuil River and drop anchor and go to Plymouth on Monday.

We got Elektra out of Carne Creek on the high water and motored her out though Gillan Harbour. With east winds and unsure how strong l just set the genoa as Vicki pointed Elektra towards St Mawes. It was obvious the genoa on its own wasn’t enough sail so l when out on deck and let the sail ties go. And pulled the mainsail up to second reef, still not enough l pulled up to first reef, by which time Elektra was logging 4.5kt in a nasty easterly swell, which seemed quite fast enough in the conditions. On towards St Mawes her speed increased to over 5kts at times. Arriving at St Mawes her speed dropped off to 2kts and l rolled away the genoa, lowered and packed the main, Vicki motored Elektra on up the Precuil River to our favourite anchorage.

Having dropped anchor Vicki put the kettle on we sat down in the cabin and cut a slice of cake. I just glanced at my phone and saw there were 15 emails to read! Back in March an appeal had gone out to Cruising Association SW members asking for volunteers to restart the SW section which had been dormant for a number of years. I had first joined at the beginning of 2021 and for 2 years nothing had happened, in 2023 l asked on the SW Net if anything was happening and was told this is a volunteer association and if l wanted to organise something l was welcome (l knew a bit of what was involved in running events because l had done so for the Hurley Owners Association). By the end of the year l had decided not to renew my membership. But during 2024 decided to rejoin the CA because as l thought we could sail further away from home, the CA became more useful. Long story, short version, l had got myself involved with the running of the CA SW section and become part of the “Team SW” and eventually the co-ordinator, this is why l had 15 emails to read! But if l am honest, l love office work but don’t tell them! Lol

On the evening of the 16th April, I went down to St Anthony, launched the dinghy and motored out to Elektra in Carne Creek and got ready to move her, I had arranged with “Sailaway” to use one of their mooring in Gillan Harbour over night, so I could go for a day sail the following day.

I had thought that having a temporary mooring in Carne Creek would save me having to move Elektra when it was east wind, but I didn’t think the idea though very well! Here I was having to move her on high water just for a day sail.

The next day I needed to launch the dinghy and motor out to Elektra before 1230hrs or the tide would be to low to use the outboard. My wife Vicki was going away for the weekend, so I didn’t want to rush away in the morning. I got down to St Anthony for 1100hrs, but I couldn’t find anywhere to park, with the car park still full of boats and cars in all avalible spaces around the beach, in the end I parked in a passing place at the top of the hill. I had launched the dinghy by 1130hrs and aboard Elektra 10mins later. I got here ready to leave and dropped the mooring at 1215hrs having first tied the dinghy to the mooring.

I was planning to be out the rest of the day, because I wouldn’t be able to take Elektra back into Carne Creek until 1830hrs. There didn’t seem to be much wind, but I don’t mind slow sailing and she was logging 3.5kts going north across the river. As we neared August Rock buoy, I could see 2 yachts about to round the buoy from Falmouth direction, not wanting to get too close I tacked Elektra back southeast towards the Nare Point, Elektra slowed to 2.5kts in this direction. As we closed on the Nare, I tacked Elektra again and we set off towards Falmouth, Elektra slowed some more, so I tacked her again and headed towards the Manacles, there really wasn’t much wind and the easterly chop wasn’t making the sailing very comfortable, now off the Nare the wind seemed to disappear and the slop was making it very uncomfortable! At which point I rolled away the genoa, started her engine and motored back to where we started sailing, this didn’t work and I had soon turned Elektra around and was heading back into Gillan, I picked up the mooring and Elektra had logged just 5nm in 2hrs (and some of that was motoring!) My next problem was it was now 1415hrs and I couldn’t take Elektra back into Carne Creek until 1830hrs, it was a bit of a waste of a day but I did a few jobs while I was waiting.

It seemed like along time later when at last I could take Elektra into Carne Creek, the tide needs to be at a height of 4m or more to get onto the gale proof mooring in Carne Creek, I have a few spots around Gillan Harbour which signal to me, it’s deep enough! Over the years of doing this, I know just how much water Elektra will likely have under her keels, it might only be 25mm sometimes, but floating is floating! This time was one of those times, Elektra was OK over the channel with 0.3-0.5m under her keel but as soon as I turned her towards her mooring, there was very little, knocking her our of gear I walked up onto the bow with the boat hook. The incoming tide stream knocked her off course a little and I couldn’t reach the pickup buoy with the boat hook, and then she went aground! Lol. For 5mins we sit there waiting for the tide to lift her again, I go back into the cockpit and give a little foreward and turn to starboard and Elektra moves just enough for me to hook the pickup buoy. I pull the foreward mooring strop onto the bow cleat and undo the link line then walk back to the cockpit with it in hand. Once there, I can pull the stern bridle onto the aft cleats, job done!