A typical summer's weekend sailing

Louise couldn't make it, so I was on my own. Well, Tigger was there, naturally. Arrived at Dale at 09:00, 7.6m tide at the top of the slip. Unloaded the car, pumped the dinghy and got absolutely soaked in the Northwesterly Force 6 blowing on the way out through the moorings. This is August, so of course the weather is awful.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Lovely weather"][/caption]

Of course it doesn't look that bad in the photo. It never does, does it? Tigger was distinctly unimpressed.

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

Firstly, Get the boat in order. Checked the oil after the oil change last time. Fine. Refitted the winches - Louise had taken them to be rechromed, they look lovely. Also spot the new winch handle after someone had made an offering to Neptune with one last time out.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Rechromed winch and handle"][/caption]

Quite odd. The way they worked was different. The sheets still wound around the winches, and they worked fine, but the new chrome seemed to alter the way the lines fed into and out of the winches. Oh well. I'm sure there's a reason for that.

My good lady has taken to fishing. In a big way. Strange for a vegetarian, and cries of 'I'm sorry' as she despatches her catches reminds one of the native Americans, offering up prayers for their brothers as they kill wild deer and buffalo. Does it work with Mackerel? One can only presume so.

Anyway, she had wanted me to rig up an anchor we could use for fishing in slightly deeper water - our main anchor was all chain, and was far too heavy. I duly did so and that was installed, too.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Fisherwoman's anchor"][/caption]

 

Jobs done, I sailed the mile or so around into Castlebeach bay. Shelter from the Northelies for the night, and a chance to take Tigger ashore. He likes beaches. Ah, the other downside to August. Boats everywhere. I could not get to my usual anchorage, so tried closer in under the cliffs.  Our Delta anchor dragged for the first time, and when retrieved, it was clear why - thick kelp.

Sorry, Tigger. Back to the mooring, and no beach. Three times I tried to pick up the lines. Ishtar has a high freeboard, and teh bow whips around very quickly in any wind. Finally I managed it, only to drop the boat hook over the side.

Leave it, or unmoor, try and manoeuver between the other yachts in this wind and pick it up with the small boat hook? Well, I'd never know if I could do it unless I tried. I did, and it worked. I really was in smug mode, and put Ishtar back on her mooring first time. I may not have crossed the Atlantic, I have single handedly picked up my own boat hook with another. What's my prize?

Great start to the weekend. Still, the sunset was lovely, as it almost always is.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Dale Sunset"][/caption]

The Perseid meteor shower was due. I went on deck at 22:00, after a Jalferezi, with a bottle of wine and sat, staring into the starry darkness for an hour. They were supposed to be visible at a rate of 60-80 per hour. I saw 2, but that's not to say I was not chuffed. I've always loved them, and seen them many times. They will, of course, be on show over Dale many years after I won't be. A beautiful evening.

With the wind still strong Northerlies on Saturday, I left the mooring at 07:00 and headed up the river Cleddau with the tide. Intent on getting as far as our old stamping ground last year, Llangwm. The, ahem, blue skies and strong sunshine overhead.......

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Rain?"][/caption]

 

It was still lovely, and the upper reaches of the Cleddau were far more peaceful than the lower Haven. I reached Llangwm around 10:00 - a usual run of around 3 hours from Dale. The new tennant on Tom's mooring looking very pretty, bobbing in the tide. Her owner, Laurie, nowhere about, unfortunately.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Tom's mooring"][/caption]

 I borrowed a mooring, took Tigger ashore, filled some bottles of water and sat on a bench, looking out at the sunlight sparkling on the water.

I rowed back out to Ishtar, just in time to see this attractive little vessel pass by. I complimented her owner and Tigger barked at him. Barqued?

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

 

The tide was now ebbing strongly. I raised the main, sailed off the mooring, unfurled the Genoa and set off after her, frantically adjusting sail for the fickle winds of the upper Cleddau. At one stage I had to wear round to avoid a sand bank, thinking of Jack Aubrey cursing at unseaworthy vessels as I did so, from the Patrick O'Brien novels and films.

Started the engine a bit lower down and was panicked momentarily s I passed under the Cleddau bridge at a very strange and worrying noise coming from the engine, until I looked overhead and noticed they were painting the bridge and the noise was coming from their grinders.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Painting the bridge"][/caption]

 

I made my way back to the mooring. A really nice sail. It does make it all seem worth it when that happens. Bad weather, getting soaking wet, the constant maintenance and costs of owning a boat, then, that warm glow at the end of the day when you realise the alternatives, several hours in your local shopping centre and endless DIY, are not for you......

A short sail on Sunday. I'd spotted a small bay between Wtch house point and Great Castle head, watch house bay. Good shelter from the North, and I spotted this fine vessel at anchor there:

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Watch house bay"][/caption]

 

Sailed around the corner into Sandy haven, and tried out the new 'Fisherwoman's anchor' at Langoar bay. It held well, and I took Tigger ashore. He found a stick. He's good at that.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Langoar, Dinghy, Ishtar behind"][/caption]

 

And so, back. Put the boat to bed, bundled all our stuff and took another soaking in the dinghy on the way back. Yes, it's August. Yes, there are too many people about for my liking, the weather is usually rubbish and sailing single handed is hard work, but if you can't enjoy just being out on a boat, in a stunningly beautiful part of the world, there is something wrong with you.

Brilliant!

Tips on choosing an anchorage

1. Don't pick one that the wind blows into.

Should have learned that lesson last year, really. A couple of rough bouncy nights at Porlock would do the trick, you'd have thought......

Weather forecast North or Northwest 2-3 backing West or Southwest 3-4. Louise wanted to go to Caerbwdi. West would be OK, but Southwest meant the wind would get around into the bay. I figured we might tuck in close to the Western edge of the bay, under the low cliffs and avoid it. Wrong.

Left the same time as the Irish ferry and had a pretty good sail up past Skokholm and Skomer, into St Brides Bay. The wind died completely half way across, so I started the engine. After 15 minutes it cut out and would not restart.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Isle of Innishmore, off Skokholm"][/caption]

Louise realised that the Diesel cut off had been left in the 'On' position when we left the boat last time, and she had switched it off instead of the other way around. No problems, I'd just bleed the system, pump the diesel and we'd be on our way.

The fuel lift pump on Ishtar is not powerful. And then some. An hour and a half of pumping left me with a blistered thumb and she still would not start. I'd bled and refilled the fuel system several times on Ishtar's 10HP Bukh, with no problems. This time she would not start. I searched all over the engine and eventually found another bleed point right at the back of the engine, almost hidden by a pipe. 10 minutes later we were on our way.

How else do you learn? You make mistakes, find yourself in a position where you are well outside your comfort zones and solve the problem or give up. The latter is not an option. Very annoying, especially when you fancy a quiet relaxing sail, but these things happen.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Ishtar at Caerbwdi"][/caption]

1/2 an hour later we were at anchor in Caerbwdi. Louise took Tigger ashore, and great fun was had. Then curry was had then beer was had and a glass of wine before retiring.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I like beaches"][/caption]

The wind gradually picked up and backed all night. Being a light sleeper, I was not amused. I knew the Delta anchor was fine, but the banging and snatching was not really what I had in mind. We rose at 06:00 and set off back for Dale.

Louise sailed us back. Some big seas off Skomer as the wind built against the tide. Took Tigger ashore and tried a pint at the Griffin. Even that was miserable. The damp air had put most people off, and sitting in the beer garden in the rain was strangely unappealing. Met another Cardiff yacht club boat, Redeye, on the way back to the mooring. Told him to use Vince's mooring for the night.

Sunday was brighter. I changed the oil - the outstanding maintenance job. Met with Adam, and watermint for a coffee. A chat with Mike, aboard Redeye (a strangely apt name, after the previous night.....)  and a bit of fishing,

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

unsuccessful. Louise painted the cockpit floor with anitslip paint, finishing another job and we set off home in the car, taking Tigger for a walk on the beach before leaving.

Not much fun, really, but all part of the learning process. We don't live in the Med, so bad weather, tides, rain and doing your own maintenance is all part of the fun of owning a boat in UK waters.