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.
