[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Expensive"]
[/caption]There was nobody about that I knew, but it's nice to give Tigger a bit of time playing on the beach - sailing itself bores him quite a bit, but beaches, sticks, sand and water get his attention nicely.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Tigger"]
[/caption]The following morning I set off up the Haven. The forecast was for 5s and 6s, but getting better in a day or two. I'd planned to anchor overnight at Crow Pool, Pennar Gut, and had a lovely sail up past the tankers waiting to empty or fill up.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Tanker"]
[/caption]I sailed up past Milford, almost to Neyland before switching on the engine and heading for the narrow entrance to Pennar Gut. The wind was quite strong from the West now, and, as I dropped anchor, after circling to survey the depth, I was concerned the anchor might drag.
After half an hour I gave the engine a burst astern. Solid, with a nice bounce back on the chain - seemed like a secure anchorage indeed. A small ferry left the Power station pontoon and headed out into the main Haven
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Power station ferry"]
[/caption]As the tide fell, however, I realised there was a problem with the anchorage I hadn't forseen earlier. I try and take Tigger ashore each morning and evening. With the falling tide, the 'beach' appeared to be mainly thick mud. Not fancying that, I decided to abandon, and head back to Dale. I pulled the anchor up and quickly saw that the thick mud extended out to where I was anchored, explaining the firmness I'd felt when testing it.
I stopped at Milford, taking Tigger ashore and calling in Tesco's for a bottle of Sauvingon blanc before heading back to our mooring as the sun dipped towards the horizon.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Setting sun"]
[/caption]I received news that an old college friend, Dave would be visiting the following day, and met him on the pontoon at 11:00. We both agreed that 'pottering about the haven' and discussing old times would be preferable to a hard day's sail outside the Haven. We set off passing Castlebeach and Monk's Haven before anchoring at Langoar bay, Sandy Haven.
Dave was keen to display his expert fishing skills, and kitted up whilst I prepared a lunch of some ciabattas, tomatoes, onions and goat's cheese. After lunch it didn't take long for Dave to demonstrate his prowess.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Dave Black"]
[/caption]It may be difficult to see from the picture, but he'd caught a slipper limpet, still attached to its rock. There are few people I know skilled enough to entice a slipper limpet to chase a spinning lure, but Dave managed it. He returned it unharmed to the deep. He later returned the lure unharmed to the deep as well. He didn't seem bothered, since he hadn't bought it. Before leaving, we went for a walk to Westdale beach, where we briefly spied some fox cubs we'd been told about, and also spotted their parent, presumably out hunting for a late meal for them.
A lovely day.
