We'll be in Cardiff by 10:00

That was what we thought. When the alarm went off at 01:45 we were both so tired, it was just a case of get back and rest. Louise made a pot of coffee whilst I pulled up the anchor. By the time I was drinking it, we were underway. Louise on the bows with a torch. This time we definitely would have hit a lobster pot head on, at low tide, with floating line, if she had not been there.

We inched out of Oxwich. No moon, and the lights of Swansea not helping our night vision. I set a course for the West Scarweather buoy and we were on our way, motoring in the last hour of the ebb, awaiting the flood, and the biggest tide of the year to take us to Cardiff.

When the engine cut out at 04:30 I could not believe it. I removed the companionway steps and just stared in disbelief. Why us?

I unscrewed the secondary fuel filter. Empty. Had to be the diesel bug again. I managed to suck some diesel through, and got her running again. When she stopped a second time I took off the primary fuel filter and could see the tell tale black slime. I was heartbroken.

For the next hour, whilst Louise sailed us, I tried a new filter, bypassing the primary filter by connecting the two hoses with a copper pipe, and eventually settled on running the engine from our emergency 5l fuel container.

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

 

We had 5 litres in there. Ishtar's Beta 20HP uses around a litre an hour, so we'd be fine. There was plenty in there to get us back to Cardiff. Except that it drained it less than an hour. I could watch the level drop. Louise clmbed into the cockpit locker and began sucking diesel from the main tank through blocked pipes, using an engine oil sump pump.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Pump it"][/caption]

The diesel we managed to suck through was clearly contaminated, so I filtered it through a tea towel.

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

 

We managed to keep the engine running for a couple of hours like this, but it became clear we were fighting a losing battle trying to get diesel from the main tank. Even when I realised that most of the diesel was being sent back to that tank via the fuel return pipe, and redirected that, it was clear we wouldn't make it.

Louise phoned our friend Vince, who, luckily, was already on his boat, Volition, and had a full Jerry can. He set off immediately. We are so lucky to have such good friends.

When I saw Volition coming towards us, I cut the engine and tried sailing. It was one of those days in the Bristol channel where you sail forwards, but travel backwards. We'd missed the flood, and the tide was ebbing at over 4 knots. Even once we'd had the Jerry can from Vince, it was clear that we'd be better off at anchor.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Vince's diesel"][/caption]

 

We motored over to a small bay in front of Atlantic College. As the anchor hit the bottom and took hold, it violently pulled Ishtar to a stop - the paddle wheel log showed that even in the bay, there was a 3 knot current at anchor.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Volition, Atlantic College"][/caption]

 

We made a cup of tea and got some rest. 4 hours later, we hauled in the anchor and set off under sail, Volition looking lovely in the Autumn sunshine:

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

 

Louise and I were both overtired, and eager to get back to Cardiff, so we left Vince to enjoy the sailing, and motored back. joining other yachts making the most of the Indian summer.

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

 

As the evening fell, we were fortunate to witness a glorious sunset

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Sunset over Sully Island"][/caption]

 

We locked in at 19:15, and by 20:00 we'd left Ishtar - we could clean the mess and sort the diesel bug issue another day. We called in the bar to buy Vince a pint (a minimum, for now) but both knew we needed to get home and an early night. We were home by 10, but it was 10pm, not 10am........

Eventful, but we got home safe and sound.

Dale to Oxwich

Thursday evening had ended calm and sunny. The wind picked up during the night, which made it an unrestful one. It had calmed again by dawn, but was replaced with a thick mist, although that burned off quite quickly.

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

 

I'd been trying to contact Castlemartin Firing Range all week. All I could get was a recorded message which gave the firing details on that particular day. On the way down last year, we'd been directed 12 miles offshore. Vince told me last week that they'd told him 4 miles. When passage planning, using the Bristol Channel tides to best advantage, it's really important to know where you'll be at each hour of the tide.

When we eventually got through to the range (they told us to wait at first as the guy with the information was 'in the shower'), they told us we'd have to stay just 1.5 miles away from the coast between Linney head and St Govan's head. This was no problem, and would allow us to leave a couple of hours later than if we had to go 12 miles out.

I can only assume that the differing distances offshore are determined by the type of ammunition being used. Anyway, we made our plan, and decided to leave at 11:00 hours.

It can get lumpy in Southerly winds as the ebb lets the water out of the Haven, and today was to be no different. Waves crashed onto Sheep Island as we headed out towards the Turbot Bank

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

The sea soon calmed, and was a pleasant slight-moderate as we headed SouthEast, straight into the wind. We contacted the range, confirmed our plan with them over the VHF and they were happy. We then settled into our long motor towards Oxwich, with 2 hour watches, both of us taking turns to rest after a sleepless night before.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Off watch"][/caption]

 

As we headed across Carmarthen Bay (no dolphins) and then past the Helwick bank, I realised we'd be later than I'd planned reaching Oxwich. That would mean anchoring in the dark, which was no problem, but, with no moon, picking our way between the lobster pots near Oxwich point and in the bay would be difficult. Still, too late to do anything about it now.

I was joined by some strange birds. The behaved like normal herring gulls, but had odd grey patches near the bill. Not sure what they were, but they looked lovely against the autumnal skies.

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

 

We got to Oxwich around 20:15, totally dark, apart from the bright lights of the Oxwich Bay Hotel, which made spotting lobster pots in the dark even harder. Louise stood in the bows with a torch and we avoided incident. We dropped the anchor and had a bite to eat. With the alarm set for 01:45, it was to be a short night. For the second neight in a row, neither of us slept well, so it was two very tired members of Ishtar's crew who climbed from out bunks in the wee small hours. Still, we'd be back in Cardiff by 09:30, and could rest all day!

Heading back

The weather looked reasonable, although the wind, SE, was in the wrong direction for a trip from Dale to Cardiff. Still, having a boat on a swinging mooring 90 niles away as October starts leads to some apprehension, so we made the plan to bring Ishtar back.

Our friend Sheila kindly offered to give us a lift to Dale, obviating the need for another trip down to pick up outr own car. Sheila and Vince really are a lovely couple, and have been very kind to us in the 4 years we've known them.

When we got to Dale, the tide was way out, 7.7m high was the biggest spring tide of the year at Dale. From the beach, it looked like Ishtar was aground (arrowed)

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

 

We had a lovely lunch in the Griffin, and took Sheila to Martin's Haven for a short walk. When we returned, it was time to get the tender and head out to Ishtar, leaving Sheila to drive back.

We quickly dismantled our mooring, and then did the same with Sheila and Vince's

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

 

All that was left was to take Ishtar ashore and tie up our fixed dinghy - we'd have to return next week with a trailer to pick that up. The sun was setting a lovely Golden red as we tied up on the pontoon in front of the Griffin, 20 odd feet of water now lying over the mud we'd seen just a few hours ago.

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

We returned to the floating pontoon and retired for the night.