Spotted these whilst in Dale last week.
[caption id="attachment_204" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="When the summer time is gone......"]
[/caption]The cold, dark nights won't be long, now.
Louise had do do a night shift but we could squeeze in a couple more days after that. So we did. Change of clothes, and back aboard Ishtar and down the river again.
[caption id="attachment_201" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="This morning's wet clothes drying in the afternoon sun"]
[/caption]A lovely afternoon, and I really enjoyed tacking, fighting wind and tide to get to Dale. Took the best part of seven hours to sail when I could have motored it in three, but we are both still enjoying every moment with the sails up, and the haven is lovely.
[caption id="attachment_215" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Stack rock fort"]
[/caption]We were headed for Castlebeach and a quiet night, but checked out the pontoon at Dale. Martyn and Sarah, aboard Hera of Cardiff and Gary, and his boat Renegade were there. Good company, so we tied up.
Took Tigger ashore and a brief jaunt up a hill behind Dale. Tigger chased his first rabbit. I think he was relieved that it ran away, I have no idea what whimpering wreck he would have been if it had taken him on.
Back to the pontoon, for some beers with new friends. Met John from Neyland, aboard his Snapdragon 'Zebedee' and a couple from St Davids on their Nicholson 38. A very friendy place, Dale pontoon.
Martyn was stalking the pontoon, boathook in hand with a 3ft piece of line and a hook, determined to get a Grey Mullet. He did too, got 2 in fact.
The following morning, we'd hoped to get out to Skomer, but the forecast was bad, and it was already blowing a Southerly, force5. Gary cooked the mullet in olive oil and herbs de provence, served with fresh vegetables and herbs from his garden.
[caption id="attachment_200" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Gary, Renegade and herbs."]
[/caption]I was stunned how good the fish was, and how well it was cooked.
Louise and I had to get back, so we told the others we were heading up river. They'd come too. There followed a cracking sail from Dale to Llangwm. Louise sailed Ishtar all the way alone, and did a very good job. First time, and we almost picked up the mooring without starting the engine had a rogue gust not appeared.
[caption id="attachment_199" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Martyn and Sarah, aboard Hera, near Neyland"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_203" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Renegade, and a tender that deserves that name"]
[/caption]Gary took Renegade past us and did a beautiful job of sailing upwind and against a 3 knot tide back to our mooring, had the tender not decided to catch itself on another mooring.
Tea and Penguin biscuits enjoyed by all before Louise and I headed back to Bridgend. Enjoyed by all, apart from Tigger, that is, who feels that all of the penguins on the boat belong to him, and were not really for sharing.
Gary, Martyn and Sarah were to spend the night anchored at Llangwm, Louise and I both wish we were still there with them. Nice to make new friends.
