And so, how about a sail?

5 weeks of hard work, worry and toil, taking the boat out of the water, removing and selling the old engine, fitting a new engine and associated stern gear, worrying about whether it would all get done on time, and then whether it would start, whether it would all function correctly, and finally, triumphantly riding around the bay with our brand spanking new engine, purring like a kitten.

So, as you can imagine, we couldn't wait to switch the damn noisy thing off.......

The purpose, of course, is to sail. So, Saturday morning, with the Wales V Australia game on in the bar at 14:30, seemed a perfect opportunity to get out for a few hours of relaxation. Tides would have meant we could not get back in in time for the game, if we ventured out into the Bristol Channel, so we sailed in the bay.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Cardiff Bay"][/caption]

 The Bay, naturally, is very popular at weekends, with boaters of all abilities keen to play. I prefer to get out early, at least you can get an hour or two before it becomes too much effort to concentrate on so many craft. With light winds, we slipped through the water at a leisurely 3 knots or so, sipping tea and coffee whilst Tigger barked aggressively at anyone careless enough to get withing 3 miles of us.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Bay"][/caption]

 We knew many of them, of course, and waved to Chris, Peter, Vince and Neville as they passed by on their own boats, tacking this way and that, and generally enjoying themselves as much as we were.

Clouds of tiny Optomist dinghies joined in the festivities, trainees, some of whom were very young indeed. Starting early seems a great way to learn the ropes.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Optomists"][/caption]

 

There were other boats too, vibrant colours in the early winter sunshine, against the backdrop of Penarth head.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Dinghies and Penarth head"][/caption]

 

It really was very enjoyable, spoiled, only slightly when the engine would not start when we were ready to head in. Louise suspected a misaligned 'O' ring on a filter, and set about fixing it. I thought, 'I wonder if I can sail right back onto our pontoon berth before she gets the engine going?'. It gave me great satisfaction to do just that, although a painful trip when dropping the mainsail blackened my mood somewhat, as did the rugby later.

A lovely day thaough, and, hopefully, after the trials and tribulations of the last few weeks, hopefully we can now say that Ishtar is back to normal.

Sea Trials

Well, not the sea, actually, just Cardiff Bay.

On Sunday we returned to the boat. I removed the steps to see about half an egg cup full of greasy water in the bilge, clearly run through from the cockpit locker where some diesel soaked rags lay. No leaks then!

The warranty card required that we run the engine for 15 minutes at 50% revs, 15 minutes at 75% and 15 minutes flat out. We left the pontoon, still not quite able to grasp the fact that Ishtar now answered the throttle immediately, no 30 second delay whilst the old engine gradually heaved Ishtar into motion.

The movement now was instant. The prop walk, unnoticeable with the Bukh, was clear, and going astern in a controlled manner, choosing your direction was now possible. Off into the bay we went. We ran through the checks, watching the warning lights all along for any problem. None. Running a brand new engine at 3600 revs seemed very harsh, but that was the manufacturers recommendation, so we did it. No sign of any problem, and 6.4 knots, Ishtar's hull speed reached.

We spent another hour running back and forth across the bay. There was a slight squeaking at 2000 revs, which dissappeared above that, which will have to be identified. The ventilator fan, recommended by Beta but missed out by many people we have spoken too, was a lot lounder than we had anticipated. Apart from these minor issues, everything was perfect.

So, engine is in, seems fine. Now we have to put the boat back together. Clean up. Put away all the tools, put back the cushions, food, water and so on. Hopefully, in a week or two, we can be out in the Bristol channel, using Ishtar as she was intended, and this last six weeks will all be behind us.

Launch day

We got to the boat early. Louise tided up, frantically putting tools away. I knocked out some of the blocks holding Ishtar in her cradle and Louise dabbed on some antifoul in the gaps. Then, it was 10:00, and the yard lads approached.....

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Time to go"][/caption]

 

I had not been there when Louise cut and fitted the new packing for the stuffing box, nor when she and Vince had fitted the new through hull fitting. With visions of water flooding into the boat, Ishtar was gently lowered down the ramp into Cardiff bay.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="And in"][/caption]

 

Louise crawled into the engine compartment, and there was an anxious wait until , a few minutes later, she emerged through the cockpit locker with a big grin. 'Completely dry' she said. I could not believe it. I climbed aboard and checked. The tissue paper she had wrapped around all the new fitings and stern gland were bone dry. Louise had done a fantastic job.

We lef the crane and, with the help of a few friends, pulled Ishtar along the pontoon on ropes, tying her up ready to start commisioning the engine.



Next job. Prime the engine. I had diesel in the fuel pipe after the primary filter (water separator with glass bowl) but, try as I might, I could not get a clear flow of diesel at the secondary filter, lots of air. We spent an hour, trying with the hand operated lever on the fuel lift pump to no avail.

Eventually, I resorted to using our old oil sump pump, connected it to the end of the fuel pipe and a few quick pumps relulted in the unmistakeable bubbling of air, clearly coming from the primary filter O ring.

Rather than mess about (the filter had ony done about 20 hours) Louise replaced the filter and O rings, top and bottom. Within 2 minutes, I had a clear flow of diesel, first at the secondary filter, then at the injector pump. It was now or never.

I'd been so used to turning the key on the Bukh for 20 seconds or more, I didn't realise the engine had started immediately. It was a strange moment. We'd done it. It was in, no leaks, and purring away like a dream.

The warranty checklist required we checked for leaks, adjusted the gear linkeage to ensure the clutch was not slipping, run the engine on the pontoon for 20 minutes and then go for sea trials. We worked through the list, still expecting to find the inevitable things we'd missed or done wrongly. Couldn't find any.

Eventually I stood on the pontoon and asked Louise to slip it into forward gear, and then just into astern. The boat eased forward and then back, perfectly. I panicked slightly when I heard a loud squeaking noise, until I realised it was Louise, giggliing like a 5 year old, a huge smile on her face.

I climbed aboard, let loose the mooring lines and set off to our own pontoon berth. The travel on the throttle was around half what it was on the Bukh, and we had around twice the power, so I had  no idea we were speeding along at 5 knots, creating quite a wake. The last time I had tested the Bukh, we could barely reach 4 knots flat out.

It was brilliant. A lot of friends were there on Saturday afternoon, and other boats had been launched too. It felt great, motoring up between the pontoons, people cheering, waving and clapping at us, and we both felt very proud that we had done all the work ourselves (with a fair bit of help from my father and friends, of course).

Not much left to do now.

We had six days left before launch, to fit the prop, run in the new electrical cables and fuel lines, mount the console, fit the through hull fitting for the water intake and a 'few other bits and pieces'. We'd do it easily.

Then work intervened, and I ended up spending most of the week in Bristol, leaving a huge amount of pressure on Louise. She coped admirably, above and beyond every other woman I know, working night shifts before returning to the boatyard for an hour or two, sleeping in the car before continuing her work. I would never have managed without her.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Hero"][/caption]

 

I'd cut and pinned all the new engine cables, Louise fitted all the connectors and connected the system up. Lights on, and engine live first time! The tricky bit was fitting 3 x 50mm cables into the '1-2-all' switch, but Louise did a lovely job.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Tight fit"][/caption]

Our friend Vince came to the rescue as well, fitting the new water intake

 



And doing a beautiful job of splicing in a piece of teak to our rubbing strake, which repleced a rotted piece. Thanks Vince.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Vince, repairing our rubbing strake"][/caption]

 

With the boat out of the water, security was an important issue. It was vital to ensure that anyone intent on breaking into the boat and stealing our new engine was kept at bay:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Beware of the dog"][/caption]

 

We gradually ticked off the jobs, with me doing little bits whenever I could. I broke three De Walt 'Extreme' bits drilling a hole in the prop shaft for a split pin. A simple job, still took nearly 2 hours:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Prop shaft hole"][/caption]

And on with the prop:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="prop"][/caption]

 

Then, suddenly, it was late on Friday evening. Ishtar was being launched at 10:00 on Saturday morning. There were tools and mess everywhere. The fuel lines had still not been fitted, and we'd completely forgotten the through hull fitting for the speed log was leaking, and needed a dab more sikaflex. Louise quickly did it, and picked up a curry on her way home. She'd not slept for 36 hours.

And in with the new.

The new Engine is a Beta 20HP, 3 cylinder engine running at a max 3600rpm. Louise picked it up from the factory in Gloucester.

Beta were very nice to deal with, did us a great price and were very helpful and professional with great communication.

Here's our new engine, sitting in the garage at home.





I was working when the engine was lifted into Ishtar, using a JCB at the club. Louise organised it, with the help of my father.





Our club JCB driver, 'Big ray' did a sterling job of lowering the 100Kg+ engine, gently, into the cabin.





Then she was in. Hopefully, when the propshaft, prop, bearing and so on arrived, the installation would go like a dream......





Meanwhile, there was plenty to get on with. The original Rudder 'shoe', which bolted on to the base of the skeg to support the rudder was made from 3mm stainless stell, and badly pitted. I bought 2 x 10mm 316 stainless plates from a local supplier and, with my father's help, set about welding a new one.





It looks fine. It became clear why the original was made in such thin steel, however, getting all of the angles right in 10mm steel was a pain. In 3mm, you could just bend it to shape. It took 3 visits to the boat, and as many wooden templates to get it right. I think it may last........

I blagged a piece of scrap hardwood from Graham, a mate refitting his boat. Lots of sanding and polishing and it looked like it would make a suitable mount to cover up the hole where the Bukh control panel used to be:





It's quite frightening. managing the project, you break the task down into subtasks, such as the mechanics of fitting the engine, electrics, pipes, running gear and so on. Each of these breaks down further, so, in the scheme of things, making and fitting the new control panel plate was a minor job, as was, say, fitting an air intake fan for the engine room.

The reality, once you break down the project in this way, and add up all of the time required, is completely different to what you originally guesstimate.

Anyway, another small job ticked off:





The day of the fit arrived. Our friend Vince was on hand, and he, together with my father and I, gently slid the engine onto it's new mountings.



Disaster. The front mounting fitted, but the rear was out by 20mm. No idea how that happened. Crouching in the cramped space behind the engine, I could see the engine installation slide, new feet welded up, a new date for fitting, and us missing our agreed launch date with the club. My heart sank.

Then a brainwave. All we had to do was cut the plate bolted to the engine to support the feet slightly and it would work. I was convinced it would. I discussed it with my father, and less than an hour later, we started tightening the engine mountings, ready to take final measuments of the prop shaft for cutting.

Not long after that, we set the workbench up, cut the shaft and fitted the flange. I was starting to feel hopeful.





Tired now, and with just the two of us, we finally slid the engine in, and set about checking the alignment with feeler guages.

[

0.125mm torerance was converted into thousands of an inch. Gradually spinning the adjustable feet up and down, we achieved half the allowable tolerance. We'd check again once she was in the water and had run for an hour or so, but for now, job done.

Planning the installation

When we first started talking about whether we could/should put in a new engine, it was a no brainer that I'd get someone to do it for us. I have little to no experience of engines, prop shafts, bearings, shaft seals and so on. There was just no way I'd be able to take it on. We're trying to do our house up as well, and, after a quiet period, work was picking up too.

A few phonecalls later and the £4k or so cost of a new engine would be doubled, or thereabouts if we had it fitted commercially. That simply was not going to happen. We had barely enough to pay for the engine, having put off our garden wall project until next year. I'd have to do it.

I started thinking. The wiring was OK - I was happy with that. The engine, itself, was held down by 4 engine feet, just nuts and bolts, and was bolted on to th eprop shaft, more nuts and bolts. I knew alingnment with the prop shaft was critical, but the adjustable engine feet made that easier. The more I thought about it, the more I thought that, having failed at nothing I'd ever really put my mind to, I could do it.

We quickly narrowed the engines down to a choice between a Nanni 21HP and a Beta 20HP. There was little in it, both being based on the same Kubota base engine. With the Southampton boat show approaching, however, Beta offered us a 'show only' deal that was far better than we'd hoped for. So Beta it was. We placed the order, removed the old engine and waited.

We'd been told by Beta Marine that we'd likely need a new prop. Looking at the prop shaft, it made sense to replace that as well - it was worn, and initial calculations suggested it was 75mm too short. Order placed.

I then examined the cutlass bearing, what was left of it at least.



Part of it was cracked, and part worn through. The prop shaft moved significantly, so an order was placed to replace the original white metal bearing with a composite one.

Then we turned our attentions to the engine mountings. The original ones, which we sold with the Bukh, were set into two fibreglass plinths, set at an angle., and seen in the above photo. The new engine mountings did not quite fit the pattern, and, by our calculations based on drawings from Beta, were around 30mm too low.

We could ask Beta to modify the engine feet, to fit the old engine mounting position, or try it ourselves.

I came up with a plan. Bolt a 20mm thick steel plate to the original engine mountings, and tap into that for the new mountings. A further 10mm plate, fitted as a spacer, would give us our 30mm raise in height, and a couple of large holes drilled in that would hide the heads of the bolts holding down the bottom plate. I'd use sikaflex 291 marine bonding agent and sealant in addition to the bolts, for extra strength.

Here are the lower, 20mm plates, bolted and sikaflexed down. You may be able to make out the tapped holes for the new engine mounting bolts.



The upper, 10mm plates, being primed. You can see the larger holes which will fit over the bolt heads in the lower plate.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Upper Plates"][/caption]

 

And the upper mounts in position. The holes for the lower plate bolt heads, and clearance holes for the engine mounting bolts to penetrate into the lower plate, just visible.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Mounts"][/caption]

 Hopefully, the following diagram shows what the photos do not:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="350" caption="Diagram"][/caption]

For the electrics, I'd need to manufacture something. The old bukh control panel was larger than the newer, Beta one, and there was a hole in the console that needed covering. I'd also planned to move the water intake. It was positioned behind the engine, necessitating a trip into the cockpit locker to switch the seacock on and off for Louise. I wanted to put it in front of the engine.

Whilst the boat was out, there was also a worn rudder bearing, a pitted rudder 'shoe' and various other jobs, all of which it made sense to tackle whilst the boat was out of the water.

More to follow.

Out with the old....

I'd advertised our old Bukh 10HP on BoatsAndOutboards, with a few words and a link to my own web page with plenty of photos, details on the engine and even a video of it running. Anyone reading this blog could see the mileage we'd done, so the engine must have worked at least a bit.

I still had visions of the old engine being in our garage all winter, stubbornly refusing to sell. In the end, we need not have worried, we had several people interested, and it came down to who could get a deposit to us first. That was Mark, from Worcester. I'd ensured everyone was clear that we felt the engine underpowered for our boat. Mark wanted it for a 24fter, so I was happy.

We picked the worst possible day to remove it, very heavy rain, and we were all soaked by the end of it, covered in diesel and oil too. The day before, I'd disconected all the electric cables and diesel and water pipes. Finally I loosened the flywheel and removed that - must have weighed a good 30kg!

My father and Mark started undoing the engine mountings and I disconnected the throttle and gear cables, and undid the bolts holding the gearbox flange to the prop shaft.

We inserted two longish 6x2" planks and eased the engine up onto them, using them as levers.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240" caption="Heave"][/caption]

 

My father and Mark then pulled on a rope around the engine whilst I pushed from behind, in the engine compartment. Heavy, dirty, oily and wet, but gradually she slid forward into the saloon.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="320" caption="Easy does it"][/caption]

 

Just in time for us, our mate, Allan turned up. With strong ropes secured all around the engine, the four of us managed to lift it out of the boat, and onto a pallet alongside, in the torrential rain. Mark then set about securing it as we lifted it into the trailer. It was late afternoon, just as the rain stopped that I waved him off.

Job done.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Gone!"][/caption]

 

You couldn't recognise the engine room a few days later, once Louise had been in there with her cleaning fluids, potions, unguents and paint!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="240" caption="Shiny"][/caption]

Biting the bullet

We've ordered a new engine.

Ishtar is a sailing boat, and as such, the engine is supposed to take us from our place of mooring, or anchorage, to a point where we can raise the canvas and sail away into the sunset.

The reality of course, is somewhat different. There are times when we simply must get back, for work or other commitments. Times where there is no wind, or times, like earlier on this year, where we just really don't want to be out in rough conditions and a worsening sea state.

Our Bukh 10HP was fine for getting us from our mooring to getting the canvas up, but, we feel, not much use apart from that. In other areas of the UK, or in the Med, we'd be quite happy with the engine, but in the Bristol channel and Pembrokeshire, and the strong tides, we've several times been stuck going nowhere, or backwards. Luckily, we've managed to sail ourselves out of trouble, but may not always be so lucky.

Our friends who also have a 28ft, similar design to Ishtar, have a 17hp engine, which seems to cope well with the channel. Calculations suggest around 4HP per tonne. Ishtar is 3.5 tonnes probably in excess of 4 tonnes fully laden, suggesting 16-17hp is about right. 10HP seems wrong.

Our friend Tom visited us recently and we went for a sail, He seemed quite happy with Ishtar generally, but his comments on changing the engine made us think, and we started to realise that it was something we would have to do.

This winter we had planned to rebuild our retaining wall at the back of the house. That plan has been shelved until next spring, and the money we had saved to do that (All Louise's night shifts) will now go to wards the new engine.

So, watch this space.

Time for a rest

It's been over 2 years since Ishtar was last on dry land. We'd thought about bringing her out this winter for some new antifoul and a general tidy up, possibly some more major work too if we could find the money. When I mentioned November to our compound master I nearly had to call an ambulance.

It was out for a month now, or wait until March. That was too late, so hasty arrangements were made.

We arrived at the club 08:00 this morning and got Ishtar ready. We'd left our cradle at the club 2 years ago. I found it and reattached a couple of pads. The compound guys turned up at 10, and we eased Ishtar into the hoist.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Ready to lift out"][/caption]

 

The club uses a tractor to move the hoist, and this is attached to a powerful winch when lifting in and out using the club slipway. Up she came.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Lifting out"][/caption]

 

A spot of deft manoeuvring by Ian on the Tractor, and Ishtar was inched backwards towards her cradle:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Nearly there"][/caption]

 Wedges, blocks, and a fair bit of 'Is she standing up straight?' type questions and that was that. Louise started tidying, I started making a list of jobs to be done. As we readied the car to leave, a small black person rushed to the bows, with a 'Have you forgotten something' look on his face!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="All done"][/caption]

Are we sinking?

Twice in the last 15 months we've thought that, and twice it's been the Plastimo flexible water tank housed in the forecabin. When the second one split, 13 months after buying it and one month after the guarantee expired, I decided enough was enough, and fitted a rigid tank.

A plastimo tank, around 70litres, designed for a boat was around £75, fittings extra. A Fiamma one, designed for a camper van was £49.95, fittings included.

These guys really know how to deal with us boating folk........

I removed the old tank, cut away the false floor supporting it in the locker under the forecabion berth and fitted a new floor, sloping to allow the water to drain to a lowest point. Louise painted the locker and I fitted the new tank.

Initially, it was not vented, until we realised that the resultant air lock stopped us from filling it. I then fitted a vent pipe, running it up to just below the deck filler for the main water pipe - figuring any water spilled, even when heeling, would be minimal. Perfect!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The new tank"][/caption]

 

The 'breather pipe'. I ran this from the top of the tank to a high point, near the water intake, just below decks.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Vent pipe"][/caption]

A trip round Flatholm with company

We hadn't planned to go for a sail. The boat was back in Cardiff and we had anticipated a few weeks maintenance. The sun was out, the winds were light and our friend Tom was staying with us. It seemed silly not to go out for a couple of hours.

The racing fleet were in the bay, hardly moving in the light winds. They looked like a photograph, so little movement could be seen. The lock was similar:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Locking out"][/caption]

 

Engine off at the Outer Wrach buoy and we set full sail. With the wind a few points to the West of South West, it was a close haul to clear the West of Flatholm and then run around with the flooding tide. Louise helmed. Tom seemed to be enjoying it.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Louise and Tom"][/caption]

 

The tide was flodding, but was a very small neap. Trying to pass West of Flatholm on a flooding tide, with the wind in the West was quite a task, and the GPS suggested we would not do it without a tack. Tom took the helm and his experience showed. We passed very close to the island before turning East and then back North, around it.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Flatholm from the West"][/caption]

Tom seemed very concerned about the depths, 3 and 4m and so on, and the rips over the Bristol Channel sand banks. Blue water sailors! Never happy with less than 2 miles under the keel. It was interesting to remember back three years, to when Louise and I were exactly the same. Local knowledge has taken away almost all of that fear.

The wind picked up as we turned for Cardiff, and Ishtar began to sing, her bow cutting the waves. She's not the fastest, nor the prettiest, by far, but she does make me smile when she bristles and champs, then lurches forward, chasing the wind.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="...and the East"][/caption]

 

A warm Saturday afternoon in late September, and everyone seemd to be enjoying the weather. Tigger was guarding below decks.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Warm"][/caption]

Catastrophe struck as we neared the Outer Wrach buoy! A huge pool of oil in the bilges and the engine would not start. When I remembered I had tightened the alternator belt before leaving, I found that I'd moved the starter motor fractionally. Easily solved and I tighted its loose nut. The huge pool of oil turned out to be water from a leaking cockpit lid, dislodged by our sail, with a thin film of oil over the top, I relaxed.

One of those days when you get back to the pontoon wishing you were still out sailing.

Home to Cardiff

Click pictures to enlarge.

It's mid September. In the UK, this can mean long warm settled days, sadly missed earlier in the year, or violent Atlantic depressions, racing in one after another. Being very busy, and with a list of maintenance items to addrees this winter, we decided to return to Cardiff with Ishtar at the first opportunity.

The weather for the weekend looked good, rain and Force 6 winds on Friday, settling on Saturday with High pressure, sun and Westerly 3s and 4s. Perfect. We decided to remove the head buoy from our mooring, and leave a line attached to the riser chain, dropping that to the sea bed to reduce wear over the winter. Our friend Vince wanted to do likewise on his mooring, and kindly agreed to drive our car back from Dale to Cardiff.

Dale was in a grey mood, overcast, windy and muddy, with a 7.7m tide - the highest, and lowest, I'd ever seen.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Low tide"][/caption]

 

We immediately set about the moorings, scraping kelp and laverbread from the buoys, removing seizing wire and undoing shackles. We were sheltered from the mainly Westerly winds, but not from the driving drizzle.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Winterising the moorings"][/caption]

That took about an hour. Vince and I had coffee and Welsh cakes. Vince liked those, and decided Ishtar would sail faster with less weight, so did his best to ensure we would be unencumbered by excess Welsh Cakes. Thanks, Vince.

Louise wanted to dive before we left, and scrape some of the remaining weed from the hull, again, hopefully speeding our trip.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Smile!"][/caption]

 

It wasn't long before she returned to the surface, reporting that the weed was restricted to the waterline, and we'd removed most of that last week. I took Vince ashore, thanked him for his help and he left. By this time, it was pouring with rain, and the wind was howling in the rigging. The pontoon was empty and Dale seemed like a ghost town as the evening faded.

I checked the weather. The high pressure was still there, but by Monday another low would force it down over France, with strong Southwesterlies forecast for Monday. We'd planned to go to Tenby, then Oxwich, across to Porlock and then to Cardiff. Our thinking was that with the huge tides, we would not make any progress at all when it turned against us, so we'd have to make shorter than usual hops up the channel, waiting on the flood.

I remembered hitting a foul tide approaching Milford a couple of years back and checked our pilot (The excellent Sea guide to Pembrokeshire, by Tom Bennett). The tide turns to run West along South Pembrokeshire and St Govans head two hours before low. That meant an effective 8 hour flood, maybe 9 hours if we punched the last hour before it turned.

Food for thought as we tucked into our curry. The bombay potatoes were mighty hot, just right for a wet autumn evening.

The following morning was sunny, just as forecast with strong Westerlies. We decided to head straight for Oxwich if we could make it, leaving 3 hours before low water at 11:30. We'd hoped to meet friends for a beer at Tenby, but that would have to wait. Coffee and crumpets was followed by a period of stowing everything breakable.

As the time approached, I became much more nervous. The day of rough weather we had encountered after the Ireland trip was till at the back of my mind.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Cast off"][/caption]

 

As we left Dale and turned Southwards heading out of the Haven, I nearly turned back. The swells were huge, and the waves crasheing onto St Anne's head brought back frightening memories. I remembered that it was the height of the ebb, with the biggest tide of the year, the Haven disgorging its entire contents into the Bristol channel, and the oncoming wind. Let's see what it's like at Freshwater West, away from the wind over tide.

It calmed off near Crow rock, the swells down to 2m. we were already flying along at 5 and 6 knots under full sail. I could not help wondering at the designers of boats, as Ishtar rose up and over each swell effortlessly, maintaining her speed with the fresh winds. Louise seemed more relaxed, too.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="At Freshwater West"][/caption]

 

Ishtar picked up speed and I began to relax. With the tide running with us for the next 8 hours, we'd make Oxwich an hour before the flood ended, at around 21:00. With Genoa flapping in the lee of the main as the wind veered Westerly, we dropped the main and ran with the wind.

Staying close in to the cliffs to avoid the St Gowan's shoals, I intended to head away from land before we were close to potential rough water at St Govan's head. The ranges were not firing, and we were glad we were not further out:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="St Gowan's shoals"][/caption]

 

Louise went below for some rest and I was alone. We'd left our dog, Tigger, with my mum - he will not do his business on the boat, so if we know we will not be going ashore, we don't take him. As the afternoon eased along, and we left Tenby, and Caldey light in our lee, I could just make out The Worm's Head - the start of the Gower peninsula in the distance. I spent the next few hours enjoying the sail as the wind and swells eased.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Sun and Sea"][/caption]

 

I love that picture. I've taken similar many, many times. Just the sun and the sea. You can't hear the wind, feel the warmth of the sun, nor smell the salt air, hear the birds, but it still makes me smile.

As Louise returned to the deck, we were well past the Worm's head, and Oxwich was just a few miles ahead.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Worm's head, Gower"][/caption]

 

We were soon rounding Oxwich point and bedding in the anchor. The last of the swells dying down as the cool air of September passed over us.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Oxwich"][/caption]

We switched off the engine - we'd been running it for the last few hours to give an extra boost to our speed as the wind died down. 55 nm covered in just 8 hours. A fraction under 7 Knots average speed over ground. Bristol channel tides can be a help, as well as a hindrance.

Louise rustled up some bangers and mash, with tinned peas and broad beans and thick dark gravy. We would be up at around 02:45, so I thought a beer was a bad idea, despite a magnificent day's sailing, after a very nervous start.

I awoke 5 minutes before the alarm, at 02:40. Low tide was at 03:25, and then we would have approximately 6 1/2 hrs to get as far up the coast towards Cardiff as we could. Monday's forecast was now for Force 6-7 with occasional gusts of gale force. If all went well, we would anchor at Fontygary bay, or even Barry, catch a couple of hours sleep before setting off again about 16:30 to sail the last few miles back to Cardiff Bay.

Louise hauled in the anchor. With no moon, it was very difficult picking our way between used and unused mooring buoys before we cleared the bay at Oxwich. We'd have to head for the West Scar cardinal mark, to avoid the Scarweather and Nash sands before heading up the channel. Wind was Westerly about force 3. A bit stronger would have been nice, but we were not complaining.

She punched the marks into the GPS and wanted to skipper the passage on her own. Fine, I thought, and went below to rest, at least until it was light. I stuck my head out a couple of hours later, and we were making great progress, Nash point just visible in the East.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Just before dawn"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Approaching Nash Point"][/caption]

 

I was kept below, with orders not to touch the GPS, nor make any suggestions. Louise wanted to do it all.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Stay down there."][/caption]

 

When I was finally allowed on deck, I asked Louise if we would make Barry or Fontygary bay. 'Cardiff' she replied. The GPS was now showing 9 knots SOG. The tidal prediction for this part of the coast was in excess of 5 knots with the huge tide, and we were using it to great effect, the engine now on as well.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="It's autumn!"][/caption]

Familiar ground, now, as we passed Aberthaw:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Aberthaw"][/caption]

Steepholm, in the distance:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Steepholm Island"][/caption]

Flatholm, closer,

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Flatholm Island"][/caption]

 

The GPS told us that we would easily make Cardiff before the tide turned, and we stormed past the Ranie buoy and Northwards towards Penarth:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Dinghies racing, Penarth"][/caption]

 

We made the 10:15 lock. Almost exactly 7 hours after leaving Oxwich. The GPS showing 55 nm covered. Yesterday was amazing at nearly 7 knots average, this was almost unbelievable, at nearly 8 knots!

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Home"][/caption]

With light winds, clear skies, sun and warmth, we may have made a mistake in leaving Dale so soon, but the split water tank and weedy hull were not the only signs that Ishtar needed some TLC this winter. 15 minutes after locking in, we were tied up on C pontoon, Cardiff Yacht club, and there were plenty of friends about.

Good to be back home.