We met at Cardiff yacht club on the Monday morning. Huw was taking Camelot, Steve was taking Coracle, his Moody 27
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Camelot and Coracle"]
[/caption]And Carl, with crew Gareth, was taking Samson, as the dive boat:
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Samson, skipper Carl"]
[/caption]We locked out at 08:30, under blue skies and light winds
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Leaving Cardiff"]
[/caption]We punched the last of the flood and then settled into a gentle sail to Ilfracombe with the ebb, flying cruising chutes and then motoring as the winds failed.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Cruising"]
[/caption]As we neared Ilfracombe, our stop for the night, the weather closed in, miserable and grey, with a heavy drizzle. We were an hour early for our moorings, and struggled to tie up to wait for the incoming tide.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Grounded"]
[/caption]We eventually tied up in the inner harbour. Fish and chips ashore, followed by a couple of pints in a quiet Ilfracombe Yacht club was followed by a good night's rest.
We were joined by a couple of other divers, Seamus and Darren, workmates of Huw, in the morning,. We set off for Lundy in blustery conditions, wind F5-6, Westerly, and gradually bashed our way through big Atlantic swells, Samson suffering more than the two yachts as we headed Westwards into the strong winds. Carl had mentioned a filter blockage on the way to Ilfracombe and encountered the same problem in the swells half way across. Changing the filter was unpleasant to say the least, given the conditions.
Three and a half hours later and we were at the anchorage on Lundy, a a calm and peaceful haven, water flat and blue - a huge contrast to the white water and swells we'd encountered on the way over.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Lundy anchorage"]
[/caption]We quickly kitted up for a dive on the coaster 'Robert', which sank in 1974. Only three of us fancied the dive - the others were still recovering after the lumpy crossing and fuel problems. I really enjoyed the dive, although a few problems with my scuba gear meant that it was shorter than I'd planned. The visibility was also less than expected, with a heavy plankton bloom in progress.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Diving the 'Robert'"]
[/caption]After the dive, Samson's engine again cut out. A third filter was blocked. When we saw it, filled with black slime, a couple of us quickly realised that the dreaded Diesel bug had struck again. I was particularly concerned, given that this was the dive cover boat, and we were 20 miles or so offshore. The weather was not improving, either, so a rough pasage back to Cardiff was certain. We added some diesel treatment and headed back to the mooring.
A quick jaunt up the steep incline to the Marisco Tavern was organised, with the obligatory stop half way for pictures of their boats taken by proud owners. The walk back, at 23:30, in a light drizzle, strong winds and virtual pitch blackness was interesting.
A couple more dives the following day, at 'Gannet Bay' and the Robert again (The West side and tips of the Island were undiveable in the rough weather). The visibility was even less, at around 4m, but I did spot a tiny fish, living, it seemed, inside a jellyfish:
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Fish with Jellyfish"]
[/caption]It kept darting inside the jellyfish as I tried to take pictures, but you may be able to make it out just behind the jellyfish in the above picture.
All too soon it was time to return to Ilfracombe. The flood started at 17:30, so we'd have wind with tide for the trip. As the three boats prepared to leave, I was again spellbound by Lundy's beauty
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Leaving Lundy"]
[/caption]The best sail I've had this year then followed, with a dead run back to Ilfracombe in a Westerly Force 6. Steve's 27ft Moody rode the waves superbly, as the island faded in the evening sun.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Eastwards"]
[/caption]Huw followed in Camelot, his Contessa 28
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Camelot"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Camelot"]
[/caption][caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Camelot"]
[/caption]We arrived at Ilfracombe just after 22:00, exhilerated, and very tired. Quickly tied up in the outer harbour, and, with our depature time of 02:30 hrs fast approaching, headed for our bunks.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Ilfracombe"]
[/caption]Steve and I rose and slipped our mooring lines just after 02:30. Heavy rain as we climbed out innto the cockpit quickly stopping. I was surprised at the 20 knot Westerly winds as we inched our way out of the harbour in the blackness - the forecast was for a Force 3-4, rather than a 5. As we turned to head ENE, an easy 2m swell lifted and lowered us, Foreland point light blinking, ever closer as the dark gave way to an early dawn after 03:30.
By 05:30 the flood was well under way and the sun was up. Coracle was sailing along at 6 knots over ground under Genoa alone. Steve was happy for me to head below for an hour's sleep as we headed for Cardiff.
An hour later, I awoke to find myself in mid air, having been thrown across the saloon. I climbed out into the cockpit to find much larger waves, some breaking, as did the one that struck us and caused my flight. We were crossing from the English to the Welsh side of the Channel, and the swells, aided by 4 days of winds at Force 5-7, were up to 4m.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Mid Channel"]
[/caption]The car transporter that we had been close to when the diesel bug hit us at Portishead was the only other boat we saw as we headed up channel.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Car Transporter"]
[/caption]Before long we were locking in at Cardiff, and heading our separate ways. The diving was less exciting than I'd expected, but I'm very keen to return when better weather allows a proper look at Lundy's underwater scenery. The sailing was challenging, but very enjoyable, and the company very good indeed.
