A short sail on a windy Friday

Louise on nights again, so we set off at 10:00. She got a couple of hours kip in the car and we reached Llangwm around 11:30. Our first trip out to Ishtar in 'Tom' our adopted tender. I didn't realise before this why tenders are called 'tender', but this one certainly is.

Windy with broken cloud. We set off down the river. Tried to sail, but the wind seems very variable in the upper Cleddau, so we motored downstream, towards the bridge.

I wanted to buy a detailed chart of the river, so we headed towards the pontoon outside Kelpies:

Louise took us in. I was concerned about the depth, but we had 6m under us about 20 mins before low tide on a big spring tide (6.9m), so plenty of depth.

The pontoon is in the bottom left of this photo, near the South Western extremity of the moored boats which belong to Pembroke Haven yacht club. The Cleddau bridge is also visible, plus the entrance to Neyland yacht haven in the North West of the  photo.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.704002,-4.935651&spn=0.012527,0.027509&t=h&z=15

Kelpies is next to the yacht club - that was closed, so we will have to call in again for a visit. Time was against us as we were due in St Davids to meet friends for a diving weekend at 18:00, so we headed back under the bridge and up the river:

 A big tide, and the entrance to Neyland yacht Haven and the Dale sailing fuel pontoon looked very low indeed:

No beer at the Jolly sailor either. This lovely pub with good food is accessible to us (1.4m keel) when there is water at the foot of the old wooden pier in the left of this photo. Not today then.

The Jolly sailor and old pier can be seen in the Google map above, to the east of the Cleddau bridge on the North side of the river.

It was a nice day so we got the mainsail out and shut the engine off. A fair bit of sail adjustment and gybing, so we decided not to use the Genoa as well. Sailing up river in a restricted channel being complicated enough without it.

As we got up near Rudders boatyard:

Our topping lift became caught in the port side spreader. Louise frantically gybed back and fore whilst I untangled it, losing my hat over the side in the wind. A young family in an Avon Rib saw the disaster, picked up the hat and brilliantly manouevred alongside as Louise held course. First time I've ever got a hat back that way.

We passed Lawrenny yacht haven on the East side of the river. There is a walk up along the river from there where can be found wimberries and marsh samphire, for those in the know.

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ancient/wild-food-entry.php?term=Marsh%20Samphire

 http://www.hgca.com/minisite_manager.output/3392/3392/Farmhouse%20Breakfast%20Week/2009/Cinnamon%20Toast%20with%20Wimberries.mspx?minisiteId=12

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.717511,-4.88029&spn=0.012523,0.027509&t=h&z=15

Sailing up the river is great fun, and it really makes me feel a link to the mariners of the past as they carried lime, culm and grains up and down the Cleddau, without being able to switch on the inboard if they got it wrong. Boats that Louise and I are now diving on as 100 year old shipwrecks, elsewhere in Pembrokeshire.

Back to our mooring at the beautiful Llangwm. Louise got in the tender, intent on cleaning off the last of the Cardiff scum from Ishtar:

Before anyone makes any rude remarks, Tigger is from Barry.

Half an hour later, and back ashore. Only a short trip, four hours or so, but well enjoyed by all, including the ageing Tom, and Tigger.:

Diving on Saturday, and a quick spin up the river by car on Sunday, where we spied this lovely vessel, in the strong winds and driving rain:

Short midweek trip

Louise finished work at 10am, after a night shift and we drove to Llangwm.

Started the engine and motored off downstream with the ebb, doing an easy 5 knots, past tankers, ferries, and a huge cruise ship anchored in the haven, the Deutschland:

We fancied a night at anchor, but settled for the pontoon at Dale - seemed nice and easy. Met a couple with a Mirage 27, from Cardiff Bay Yacht club.

An early morning start, just after a heavy thunderstorm and we sailed the short hop over to Castlebeach and dropped the anchor. Louise pumped the dinghy and we rowed ashore.

There are lovely walks to St Anne's head and to Dale. Both gave stunning views of the bay, and of Ishtar at anchor:

Back aboard and another short sail across to Longoar bay, near Sandy Haven. Ashore again:

Back up the river towards Llangwm. We'd hoped to call at the Jolly Sailor at Neyland for lunch, timed the depth just right, but there was another boat there, tied up in the middle of the hammerhead and we could not moor, so we headed for Llangwm. An hour later we tied Ishtar up. Short and sweet.

Hello world!

Welcome to the Blog of Ishtar, a Cobra 850 28ft Sailing yacht based in Cardiff Bay



We've just moved Ishtar to a mooring in the river Cleddau, a few miles up river from Miford Haven. Hoping to do some exploration of the Pembrokeshire national park. Sailing wise, that is, we've dived the coast down here for 20 years.

The trip down:

We left Cardiff at the top of a 12.2m tide - Louise went below as she'd been on nights and I motor sailed us, past the outside of the Nash and Scarweather sands, touching 10 knots speed over ground with wind and engine. The day brightened after a wet start.

The remaining wind vanished and we anchored off Oxwich bay, for an evening of curry and fishing. The former was more successful than the latter.

The next day we set off early, punching the last of the flood as we headed West. We were joined by common dolphin, playing in the bow wave and seemingly, teaching their young the rules:

 A short video:



Some chop off St Govan's and punching the tide again off Freshwater West, but we finally made Milford around 17:00. Delighted.

Up the river, past Milford, Pembroke and Neyland and under the Cleddau bridge:

Navigating the upper Cleddau was easy, with the help of the invaluable 'Sea guide to Pembrokeshire' by Tom Bennett, published by Imray, ISBN 978 085288 99 0

We arrived at our temporary mooring, Llangwm, and dived to set up our mooring chains:

The upper reaches of the Cleddau are beautiful and unspoilt, and Llangwm is a perfect and peaceful mooring. We are so lucky to be able to 'borrow' a mooring there for the summer.

We are here: