Love Sailing

The winter had been wet and windy with almost no dry days and not much winter work done until the last week of January when I fitted Elektra’s new altered bow roller to hold her new 10kg Rocna anchor. Elektra was pulled out for a new coat of anti-fouling on the 28th of February for what was meant to be a few days but the weather stopped re-launch until 11th March, when Elektra went back up Carne Creek to her winter mooring. After that I spent dry days getting her ready for the season and I moved her down river to her seasonal swing mooring on the 10th of April.

I had a day sail on the 14th and we went away for our first weekend on the 18-21st (this weekend to find out what we had forgotten). If was a cold start to the season and only 3 day sails from then to mid May when we had our 2nd weekend. Then when Vicki was away I sailed Elektra to Fowey alone for the SSOA Rally 24-27th May, having engine problems Elektra was left in Fowey for the week and I sailed her home myself on 31st. This passage turned out to be very windy, northwest force 6! Elektra sailed the 24.5nm in just over 4.5hrs with 2 reefs in the genoa and no main, Vicki then joined me aboard for our first warm sunny weather this season. We had the time but the weather just didn’t settle down for the summer, a few nice days and then the wind and rain would return!

We sailed to Scilly on the 24th of June but it was very cold for the time of year (12-14C), we had the cabin heater on most evenings. We returned to the mainland on the 1st of July.

And so this weather continued, we didn’t really get any great summer weather until the end of July, beginning of August. Looking at the forecast I suggested going around the Lizard Point into Mount’s Bay, with little wind and later a wind from the north, seemed like a good idea. We anchored overnight in Coverack, Mullion Cove and at St Michael’s Mount for 3 nights, this was summer, before having to head home to avoid the next southwesterly blow.

By mid August we had only been aboard for one whole week when we went to Scilly, the rest of the sailing had been 3-4 days or day sailing, the season just never settled down into summer. By the end of August I was determined to get a fortnight aboard, the forecast looked good so we sailed east to Fowey, Cawsands, Salcombe for 3 days then west to the Yealm River for 2 days, then west Polgwyn Cove, Precuil River and home before the next strong winds, 12 days, not quite a fortnight but a nice holiday just the same. One last sail to Fowey bought our port hopping to an end mid September. Then another week aboard locally over the first week of October bought our cruising to an end this season, one last day sail and the season was over. Elektra came out of the water for jobs ashore on the 18th of October at Gweek.

“Summer, what summer?”,some might say, but the numbers don’t seem to show a bad summers sailing! It has been our best ever season, the numbers are, we were aboard 87 days, and 59 nights of which 40 nights were at anchor, the new Rocna had proved its worth. We had sailed for 53 days and logged 802nm, over 200nm more than last season and 77nm more than our last best season.

After my day sail on Tuesday 1st of October Vicki and I decided to spend the last few days of good weather aboard until Friday. We didn’t get away until late and after dropping the mooring with a forecast of northeastly force 3-4 we found there wasn’t any wind to sail by, so just motored on NNE across Falmouth Bay and into the Precuil River, dropping anchor at 1630hrs having logged 6.5nm. The wind did pick up over night but we were very sheltered.

Thursday was like a nice summers day and after brunch while Vicki did a little more cross stitch in the cockpit, I got busy cleaning the decks and freeboard. After which I relaxed in the cockpit sunshine. We retired down below as the sun went down and played Scrabble and opened a bottle of red. The evening being on the chilly side because of the time of year, I started up the cabin heater and we got cosy.

By Friday the forecast had changed and it suggested a wet and windy Saturday (south-southeast gale) followed by a dry Sunday with more rain set to come in on Monday and Tuesday. We decided to stay aboard over the weekend, but we would move down river to Place and better shelter from the gale. We needed to move early due to the tide, so motored Elektra to Place around 0900hrs and dropped anchor in close to the south and west bank. Here Elektra would be dry 2hrs either side and aground 3hrs either side of low water (you can’t drag anchor if aground). We put up her cockpit encloser and after she took ground and before the water had gone, we went via our tender to St Mawes for shopping and a pub lunch. When we returned some hours later we were both ready for a rest. The wind picked up around dark and it started to rain, I ran the cabin heater to warm us up the wind howled but Elektra was very sheltered and we had a good night.

When I got out on Saturday, it was very windy and tipping it down with rain, but we were snug aboard Elektra. What was interesting, was Ekektra was facing down wind because she was so sheltered under the tree line that the wind was eddying back on her from the north. We had brunch and washed up, by which time it had stopped raining and I went ashore in the dinghy for a walk before the tide went out. After my walk Elektra grounded and dried out again, the wind continued to blow, because of the time of year the sun never came up over the tree line until after midday. The forecast had changed again for Sunday, now they were saying rain, with dry for about 3hrs in the afternoon before more rain. But also with a calmer morning the wind was set to increase from the southwest in the afternoon. It was looking like now we would get wet going home on Sunday.

On Sunday morning it was still raining, I pulled on my waterproofs and rowed the dinghy ashore to empty the rainwater, then lifted it onto its davits. Then together Vicki and I took down the cockpit encloser (it was wet so left it rolled up in the cockpit), I pulled up the anchor at 0920hrs and Vicki motored Elektra north out of Place as I stowed the anchor, when I got back to the cockpit I took the helm and Vicki went back down below. I countinued to motor Elektra west-southwest out of St Mawes and then south-southwest across Falmouth Bay. The visiblity was 1-2nm and the wind was south force 3-4 and Elektra was punching into lumpy southerly swell of 4-5ft, I fitted her tiller pilot so I could leave the helm and wipe my specks and keep a lookout for pot markers. It wasn,t the best day to be out in a boat! The more south we went the less lumpy the swell become as we closed on the weather shore, until it was almost nothing in the entrance to Gillan Harbour. But still too lumpy to lower the dinghy from its davits, so we motored in and I lowered the dinghy and detached lines in more shelter of the harbour. Once done I took the helm and motored Elektra back out onto her mooring. It was still raining and as I sorted stuff out in the cockpit, Vicki started making brunch. Once I was back into the cabin we had brunch and the heavens oppened and it tipped down with rain and it rained and rained! We were OK in the cabin, eating, then washing up and packing up gear but would this rain ever stop? In the end it did and I pulled on my waterproofs again and fitted the outboard on the dinghy, the sea had turned brown with mud run off from the land.

We loaded up the gear and headed into St Anthony, before we reached the beach it started raining again! With the tide being out, I got as close as I could and the pulled the dinghy to the shore via its painter and Vicki got out and started walking slowly across the levels and up the beach as I grabbed a few bags to carry across the level and up the beach to get the dinghy trolly. Back down the beach and across the levels, I pulled the dinghy onto the trolly and pulled as far as I could but had to stop to drain the rainwater out as it was very heavy! So opened the dinghy bung and I grabbed more bags to carry up the beach. Then I got the pick-up and lowed the gear and Vicki got in. Back down the beach to pull the dinghy across the flats until I had to rest. I carried the remaining bags and cockpit encloser up the beach and into the pick up before going back down the beach to pull the dinghy to the top of the beach, I ask you who needs to go to a gym!

We were glad to get home, what an end to the sailing season!

With a few days of nice weather coming up,  it looked like sailing again but Vicki couldn’t because of an appointment. So l planned a day out on my own.

I needed to leave St Anthony beach before 0930hrs due to a falling tide. Going out in the dinghy into the sun it was difficult to see. Once out and aboard Elektra, l expected to have some baling out to do after the reasent rain! We still had a fresh water leak but it has slowed down, so one of the sealing jobs l had done, had worked partly but l still had the bale out some water! The water tank on the other hand had stopped leaking, it had proved to be the spare tank outlet cap even though the manufacturer said it wouldn’t be. I had asked for a new cap but they were slow about getting back to me, so l used a waterproof sealant inside the cap before refitting it and this had stopped the leak.

Then l got Elektra ready to leave, l was going to pull up the mainsail but looking out in Falmouth Bay, l could see white horses so decided not to. It was blowing west out of Gillan Harbour and the forecast was northwesterly force 3-4 increasing 4-5 later. With the wind blowing her out l didn’t bother starting her engine and just attached the dinghy painter to the mooring and let go. By the time l had walked back to the cockpit, Elektra turned around and was heading out to sea on her own! I set all the genoa and taking the helm took her out between Carcroc and the Dennis Head, with my local knowledge it’s what l normally do. Once out into the Helford River Entrance she soon picked up speed to around 5kts. We were heading for Pendennis Point north-northeast of Gillan. It was good sailing and she definitely didn’t need any more sail.

At Pendennis Point she lost the wind a little  and l had a 10min calm patch before she set off again towards St Mawes Castle. She could point a little better and it looked like she would sail past the point but with the out going tide she didn’t. So l tacked her on a west heading towards Falmouth Docks. On this tack Elektra was on her ear, it would have been better if l had reefed her genoa but l couldn’t let go of her tiller to do so! Tacked again just short of the east breakwater, she was now heading north again but as with the first tack the tide was pushing her towards St Just in Roseland.

I wasn’t able to see my passage notes on the chart table and couldn’t remember the tide height or time and the tiller pilot couldn’t cope with Elektra. I knew we were heading towards shallow water and with another yacht coming the same way to windward. And another yacht heading south, l thought it’s all going to be a bit of close sailing in a few minutes, so l decided to go about and head back. What a change the direction makes, everything calmed down the tiller pilot could cope and l could get below to check things out! Elektra was now making about 6kts and it didn’t seem very windy.

Sailing back the tiller pilot could cope and l could rest and write in the log. Sailing south and then south-southwest in a northwesterly wind it was lovely to be out. Before Gillan l started Elektra’s engine before l needed, but continued to sail her on east of Carcroc buoy and into Gillan entrance before pushing the leaver into foreward and rolling away the genoa. Motoring into her mooring and picked up after 13.5nm in 2.75hrs.

We had been aboard 4 lovely sunny days, it had been great but now the forcast had changed to heavy rain at the weekend. We decided it was time to go home, but with the strong east winds of the last few days there would be a big easterly swell running and with our seasonal swing mooring open to east wind we would need to take Elektra up onto her Carne gale proof mooring. The earliest we could get in there was 1730hrs. The tides had been and were still some of the biggest ranges of the year, plus with the high pressure the low tides were lower than perdicted. In the Precuil River the tide on Thursday went out lower than we had ever seen before.

On the Thursday night, when Elektra settled down onto a hard patch of bottom under her starboard keel, we went to bed with a nasty list to port! (In some ways drying out can give calm to a wild night at anchor but it also sometimes has a down side!) But sometime in the early hours she floated off again. When I got out at 0800hrs, I pulled up Elektra’s anchor and let her get blown out into deeper water before dropping anchor again and checking new transits. I like this new Rocna anchor as there isn’t any need for power to set this anchor. We had decided to go down to St Mawes for a pub lunch over low water and didn’t want Elektra to be high and dry on our return later. We lazed around in the hazy sunshine durring the rest of the morning and then at 1230hrs set off down to St Mawes in the dinghy. When we returned to Elektra at 1500hrs she was aground but still had water around her, we climbed aboard and waited half an hour for her to float before getting ready to leave.

At 1605hrs I pulled up her anchor and while I was stowing into the anchor locker, Vicki started to motor her back down the Precuil River, slowly at first because there wasn’t much depth. But we had to put on the power as there was about 1.5kts of incoming tidal stream to push against. There wasn’t much wind and once out past Black Rock a big easterly swell running. We just continued to motor Elektra back to Gillan and on into Carne Creek, picking up her gale proof mooring at 1730hrs having logged 7nm.

On the Sunday evening after the heavy rain over the weekend, l moved Elektra back into Gillan Harbour onto her seasonal swing mooring ready for the next time we could use her. But l have a week of work to do first.

After a lovely summer’s day in Fowey we were going to sail back to our favourite anchorage in the Precuil River to the southwest on Wednesday.

The forecast was for east force 4-5 and east force 4-6 west of the Dodman Point. We knew that the wind had been blowing since we got to Fowey and so knew the sea would be quite big but we thought with plenty of wind it would be a good sail.

The tidal stream would be with us from 1015-1615hrs and we cast off at 1105hrs, Vicki motored Elektra out of Fowey and l set just her genoa, at first Elektra was logging 5kts which was quite nice but when she slowed to 3.5kts so l pulled up the main with one reef and she picked up speed again to 5kts. From there until we were west of the Dodman the sea increased steadily to moderate/rough and Elektra speed 5-7kts it was great sailing. But off Gull Rock at about 1400hrs the wind just died away, the sails were useless in such sea conditions as Elektra started rolling quite savage in the 3/4 following sea! Only motoring the rest of the passage into shelter could get us out of this sea. It was a long hour into shelter and we were both glad to turn north in past St Anthony light house and calm waters at 1500hrs. We motored into the Precuil River and dropped anchor at 1540hrs having logged 22nm.

The weather forecast was for summer weather this coming week, not that any of the forecasting had been very accurate this season!

Anyway, we planned a few more days aboard. Vicki had an appointment at 1215hrs, so we couldn’t leave until after that but the tide would be out until 1300hrs. We were going to Fowey, along the coast to the northeast of Gillan, the forecast said light easterly winds, we were hoping to be able to sail some of the way but also thought some motoring would be required.

We didn’t waste any time and we were aboard soon after 1300hrs and cast off at 1405hrs. The tidal stream was with us between 1415-2015hrs but we didn’t want to arrive in Fowey after dark (it’s normally a 5hr passage). Vicki motored Elektra as l pulled up her mainsail and set it and the genoa. We continued to motorsail for about 2nm before turning off the engine. For 1.5hrs we sailed but the wind died away and so we started motoring again until the Dodman Point when the wind picked up and l turned the engine off. Then about 3nm later the wind died away again and l started her engine again. On a smooth flat sea Vicki went below to make the bed and with the tiller pilot in control l packed away the mainsail. We motored into Fowey picking up a swing mooring at 1900hrs having logged 23.5nm.

With a few days aboard planned l needed to top up the diesel and water tanks. We would have gone today but Vicki had an appointment on Monday.

I couldn’t get aboard until midday because of the tide time. I launched the dinghy at 1200hrs then carried the 50lts of water in 2 cans and the 30lts of diesel in 3 cans and some other provisions to the dinghy on the waters edge. Once ready l pushed off and started the motor heading out to Elektra, the dinghy was very heavy, so was slow going. Out at Elektra l unloaded the diesel and provisions into her cockpit, then moved to her bow with the water, the first can of water wasn’t a problem as normal l pick up and slide onto the the side deck, Elektra’s toe GRP lip stops it from sliding off. With the second can, a gap opened between the dinghy and Elektra before l managed to get the can aboard and it fell into the gap but l had hold of the handle and didn’t let go! Good job the dinghy is very stable or it might have capsized! Anyway got it aboard on the second try, then  back to the cockpit and climbed aboard myself.

I opened up Elektra and checked for water in the normal places, l had definitely slowed the fresh water leak but it’s still getting in a little, l am hoping over the winter to rebed the chain plates because the mast is coming off for other jobs.

I stowed the provisions l had bought aboard and set to work filling the tanks, l did the water first in case l got diesel on my hands. I have a large funnel aboard just for this job, so l can just pour into the tank via the filler cap on the side deck. Once l had finished, l put the funnel back in its plastic bag and stowed it away. Then same job with the diesel and its funnel, the diesel filler cap is on the side of the cockpit comming.

I then got Elektra ready to go out sailing, the forecast was southwest force 4 becoming west force 4. I left Gillan with just her genoa out but sailing was slow so l pulled up the main with a reef and we headed southeast towards Manacle Buoy but once out if the shelter of the land the tiller pilot couldn’t keep control anymore so l had to pull the main back down again! She had covered 3nm before the tiller pilot was back in control and l was back in the cockpit and could relax!

We sailed on, the apparent wind seemed like southerly, the sea was slight, the weather warm, it was lovely to be out sailing, we continued on this southeast coarse until turning around about 5nm southeast of Manacle Buoy and then set a course northwest for Nare Point. The apparent wind then seemed to be westerly! Elektra had been logging up around 5kts most of the way out  and back and when l picked up her mooring again 3hrs later she had logged 14nm.

Then l packed away the sails and got Elektra ready to leave. Heading in to St Anthony in the dinghy l came across a chap trying to paddle his dinghy in using one paddle after his engine wouldn’t start, so l gave him a tow back to the beach.

I pulled the dinghy out  and up the beach and carried the empty cans to my pick up and headed for home.

It had been Wednesday when we last left Elektra on her gale proof mooring before the forecasted bad weather. Now on Saturday l had to move her back onto her seasonal mooring before she would become neeped, it was an early tide so l was down at St Anthony beach at first light and launched the dinghy to head out to Elektra, the tide was already turned so l wasted no time getting Elektra ready to leave. I am quite used to seeing very little showing on the sounder. So with 0.0m showing l dropped her gale proof mooring and reversed her out into the channel, once over the channel the sounder was showing 0.3m. So engaging forward she came to a full stop, before heading forward slowly down the channel and out into Gillan Harbour. Even out in Gillan Harbour the sounder was only showing 2,5m under her keel, I was still only motoring her slowly with a paddle border to port and a swimmer to starboard, I was taking care of others on or in the water. When I picked up Elektra’s seasonal mooring, it was my intention to leave her there and head ashore but Falmouth Bay looked so inviting.

So at 0845hrs I attached the dinghy to the mooring, dropped and headed out for a sail in the bay, I just unrolled her genoa. the wind was northerly about force 3, she would have been faster with the mainsail as well but I was being lazy and didn’t want to repack afterwards. We headed east-northeast at 3-4kts SOG, another yacht coming out of the Helford River followed out track but even under full sail didn’t catch up. An hour later I turned her about and headed back to Gillan, sailing in past Carcroc Buoy, I started the engine and rolled away the genoa, the boats were lying across the enterance in a rolly swell, which meant motoring in and turning north to pick-up the mooring, just before the turn I noticed a speed boat coming in far too quickly as per normal (my pet hate, they dont know what havoc they leave in their wake). I don’t know what the skipper thought when I turned Elektra to starboard across his track, cutting him off! I think he was doing about 10kts at the time (the speed limit is 6kts). Mooring Elektra alone in these conditions is a challenge, a rolling deck, a lot of up and down motion when trying to hook the buoy, getting the speed just right before I leave the helm and walk up the side deck with the boat hook to the bow, to be honest I never looked at the speed boat again! I managed to hook first time but on the rolling deck I still managed to skint my knee leaving a bloody mess on the foredeck. Back to the cabin and clean up my leg and a plaster before washing decks. We had logged 8.5nm in 2hrs, it was a quick tidy up and going ashore before the tide went out.

The forecast for the coming few days and over the weekend was poor, with the centre of a Low being in Biscay we would have easterly winds and rain. So we planned to head home before hand. The tide wouldn’t be high enough to get into Carne mooring until 1700hrs, so we went to St Mawes by dinghy for milk from coop and lunch at the Victory Inn. On our return we slowly got Elektra ready to leave, the wind in the Precuil River seemed strong and gusty, I decided to head home across Falmouth Bay on just Elektra’s genoa.

Having motored Elektra back out down the Precuil River and out past St Mawes, the genoa seemed at first to be plenty of sail as Elektra was logging 4.5-5kts SOG against the incoming tide, but once out into Falmouth Bay the wind eased and Elektra slowed. But this was short lived as she moved south away from the shelter of Pendennis Point, by which time SOG had increased to 5kts again. She covered the first 5nm in one hour. Once inside Gillan Harbour we had to stop and lower the dinghy from davits before we could enter Carne Creek. I took the helm to take Elektra in and up the channel with only 0.3-0.5 showing under her keel before Vicki to the helm again and turned Elektra over the bank towards the mooring buoy which I pickup with the boat hook. This mooring hadn’t been used since May and the lines were covered in seaweed which made a mess of the foredeck and cockpit, Elektra was just floating with 0.0 showing on sounder. We set about getting packed up and getting Elektra ready to leave to go ashore, this took an hour. When we were ready we loaded the dinghy and motored ashore to St Anthony beach, unloaded the dinghy into the pickup and headed for home.