Back to Pwllheli

We returned to Pwllheli on the 30th to re-charge batteries and fill up with fuel and water for the next leg around the Lleyn Peninsular. 

On the 31^st  the skipper and I caught the train from Pwllheli to Criccieth. Having spent so much time at sea we were very sensitive to the sounds and smells of the land and it was not long before we headed off out of the town, to the peace and tranquillity of the cliff top.  The scenery was stunning.  Mountains, lush green grass and a sparkling sea all set before us.  A Buzzard flew along the coast and hovered in front of us while we ate our packed lunch on the cliff top, but just like the gannets and the puffins, he flew off the minute I got my camera out!  Fortunately for me Herbert the Heron,  a resident in Pwllheli Marina, felt sorry for me and did what herons do best - stood still!

28th May Pwllheli to Porthmadog

 

Once the repairs to the heads were finished, we left Pwllheli late afternoon on the 28th May and sailed east to Porthmadog.   

Once a great sea port that saw ships transport local slate to all parts of the world, Porthmadog now has a small drying harbour that is best entered two hours either side of high water.   At the mouth of the channel, the sand bar is subject to change and strong on shore winds can create a dangerous sea that makes entry to the harbour impossible.   For our visit, the sea was slight but the sand bar had moved considerably, so we ignored the GPS and followed the channel marker buoys that guided us safely in.

Set between Criccieth and Harlech castles, with the Snowdonia National Park as a backdrop, the entry channel is very beautiful. 

 We moored alongside the harbour wall as indicated by the harbour master.   Within a short time we had secured the boat and set off for the Yacht Club showers.    The Madoc Yacht Club is one of the friendliest clubs we have visited so far.    The members were so welcoming that we did not return to Moonshadow until midnight.   By this time the Yacht had started to settle on the muddy bottom and although she was slightly leaning to port, we were not unduly worried. 

However, an hour after getting into bed, there was a sudden lurch and things flew from one side of the cabin to the other and the boat heeled over at an alarming angle, sending us sliding to the bottom of our bed!  With difficulty Tony and I climbed out of bed and up into the cockpit.  Moonshadow has two keels and one of them had sunk deep into the mud causing the boat to roll over so far that it was frightening.   We climbed up to the gunwale of the yacht and collected our thoughts.  We could see the other keel was out of the water by a foot.  Only her lines ashore and the mud was stopped her from lying completely on her side.  It was around 0130hrs and the world had gone to bed.   For about an hour we sat on the side of the boat playing I spy and amused ourselves watching hundreds of little crabs scurrying around on the mud as the last of tide disappeared.    It was then that it started to rain!   Already cold, we knew we had no alternative but to get off Moonshadow and seek shelter.  Tony and I slid down the side of the yacht and sunk up to our ankles in mud.  We climbed up the harbour wall and made our way to the yacht club showers, where we spent the rest of the night sitting on a window ledge.  It was just before six when Moonies mast began to lift and we knew she would be ok.  As soon as we were fully afloat, we moved her to a pontoon by the yacht club.   On further inspection by the harbour master, a deep trough was discovered on the sea bed.  We had just been unlucky that Moonshadow settled with one keel over the edge of the trough. 

There was a silver lining to the dark cloud – when we jumped off Moonshadow into the mud, Tony spotted a huge amount of nylon rope wrapped around the propeller and was able to remove it before it caused serious damage!

The remainder of our stay was fantastic.   Everyone was so friendly and we have promised we will visit again on our way back. 

 

 

The wonderful mountains of North Wales

After three nights spent in Aberystwyth due windy weather, we finally got the forecast we wanted to proceed to Pwllhelli.  A force 4/5 occasionally 6 with a north northwest wind was not the best weather, especially wind over tide, but with a slight to moderate sea it was the best we could hope for. 

We decided to leave early morning before the afternoon offshore winds added to the picture.  Two Irish boats that had also been waiting for better weather made the same decision and we all left together to catch the early morning tide.

However, once out in Cardigan Bay the most wind we encountered was a 19 knots, so it was a better journey than expected.  Initially  the wind indicator whizzed around and there was not enough wind to fill the sails, but mid journey the wind got up and we had a brilliant sail. 

As we progressed north the scenery ecame even more wonderful. We promised ourselves we would make more time to visit the area on our return.

Our trip to Pwllehi was to collect parts for the toilet.  Before leaving Portsmouth we  purchased all the spares we thought we would need for the trip, but this was an unexpected problem that meant £60 down the pan!

Photo shows North Wales Landscape

 

 

 

24th May Fishguard to Aberystwyth.

Our first job of the day was to take the dingy ashore to collect red diesel.   We made a daft mistake as we forgot to look at the height of tide and by the time we reached the main harbour there was only a foot of water!  Tony had his best sailing shoes on, I had flip flops, so guess who had to get out of the dingy and tow it ashore!   Having just seen the king of all crabs pass by and knowing jelly fish had been in the vicinity the previous evening, I was very  pleased the water was so crystal clear and the bottom just sand!   There was another incident which I am afraid will be divulged to family members only! 

As we left Fishguard at 1345hrs, the winds were between 16 and 22 knots and with one reef Moonshadow performed very well even with the large swell that was coming from the port bow.  Tony did a good job of helming and although it got a little scary as we passed the headlands where the seas were more confused, we both felt our confidence grow as time went on. 

 We tied up in Aberystwyth  at 1955hrs.   

Photograph shows Moonshadow tied up behind the fuel berth in Aberystwyth.

23rd May - Solva to Fishguard

Once the water had risen sufficiently to lift Moonshadow free of the sandy bottom we set off for Fishguard.  Originally we had planned to cut through Ramsey Sound, but trouble leaving the trot mooring in Solva meant we were later than planned.   The passage through the sound should be made at slack water and although we were only half an hour later than planned, we could see the turbulence at the entrance and decided to take the long way round Ramsey Island.   It meant passing wide of the Bishops and Clerks, a group of rocks west of Ramsey Island, but as the tide was racing us along (reaching ten knots at times) we did not add much to our journey time.  It was a stunning landscape with the perpendicular cliffs of St David's Head and Strumble Head dominating the scene. The puffins were out in force, but again I missed capturing them on camera!

Fishguard is an old fishing village that was used for the setting for the film Under Milk Wood.  As we entered between the breakwaters, lots of jelly fish of all sizes glided past.  We picked up a mooring buoy in the lower harbour and celebrated our arrival with a G and T on the bow of the boat.

Picture shows The Bishops and the Clerks to the west of Ramsey Island

22nd May - Milford Haven to Solva

When we left Milford Haven we planned to pass through Jack Sound into St Brides Bay.  However, the tidal streams were so strong that by the time we checked our way point, we had sailed past the entrance!  We were doing eight knots along Broad Sound, so sat back to enjoy the views of Skomer Island to the west of Milford Haven.  There are many overfalls detailed on the charts around Skomer, but they were mere ripples as we past them.  

 It was just to the north of Skomer that we had our first fly past of puffins.  They are quite shy birds.  Every time we got close enough to photograph them, they flew off!    I have also been trying to capture a shot of the many gannets we see further off shore, but they tease me too.   I wish I had purchased a camera with a zoom lens before we left – it is very frustrating!

Solva is just to the east of St Davids south Wales.  It is a winding inlet, providing shelter for yachts that can take the ground.    The harbour can only be entered 2 ½ hours either side of high water as it dries to a bottom of firm sand.   It was our first experience of drying out, so we were a little apprehensive, however drying out was easy, it was picking up the trot mooring that was difficult!  Moonshadow has a rope cutter fitted to her propeller, to cut up any stray ropes that get wrapped around the prop.  We managed to cut through the lines attached to the trot mooring and the harbour master had to come out and tie them up again!  A little embarrassing, but we gave him a drink for the trouble we had caused him!

Drying out was great.  We were able to climb down the swim ladder onto the sand.  Tony and I  cleaned  Moonshadows bottom and inspected  the through hull fittings and propeller.  

We had a very comfortable night's sleep as the sandy bottom was perfectly flat.   But guess what?  When we left the next day we cut the lines again!  The rope cutter is a Stripper Propeller Protector from Ambassador Marine in Hampshire – it certainly works,  as the harbour master of Solva found out!

Common dolphins racing Moonshadow!

21st May - Padstow to Milford Haven

With hardly any wind, we set off to Milford Haven under engine.  It was neaps so the tidal streams were negligible and the sea was smooth.  The sky was blue and the sun was warm and we didn't think things could get any better.  However about six miles out of Padstow  we were joined by a huge school of dophins.   They came at the boat from every direction, darting from one side of the bow to the other and jumping in the bow wave.   Just as we thought the last one had passed, we spotted more.   One of the dophins jumped high above the water and flipped over on to his back before re- entry to the water!  Some of them looked as if they were smiling at us as they reared up out of the clear blue sea.     It was a very emotional experience!   The school of common dophins stayed with us for over 35 minutes.    We felt quite sad after they moved on.  However we had four more visits throughout the eleven hour journey.   Three of the schools were small, about 20 to 30 dophins, but we were treated to another very long school.   They seemed happy to ride the bow wave five or six abreast then move on to let another group through.    What a privilege it was to see such beautiful creatures at close quarters.  I managed to capture the dolphins on video but photographing them proved much more difficult!

We arrived in Dale Roads, a pretty bay just inside the main entrance to Milford Haven with smiles as big as Cheshire cats!

Michele being very silly on the Padstow sand!

 

Entrance to Padstow

Tricky entrance to navigate, but Tony and I enjoyed a wonderful walk along the sand!

Padstow

A wonderful Harbour with lots of shops except a greengrocer or butchers shop!  The Rick Stein Cookery School is based here along with Rick Stein's restaurants and his shops selling everything from home wear to clothing and food. 

We passed the shops and paid a visit to the Lobster Hatchery.  It was a very small exhibition, but quite extraordinary research is being carried out at the Hatchery  to ensure the future of lobster stocks for fishermen.  For example introducing pro-biotic's  to the baby lobsters through their food, has improved their survival rates when released into the sea.  We learnt a great deal about lobster, prawn and crab nets.  Each net is cleverly designed to catch one particular species.  They even catch a  yacht if the skipper is not keeping a good look out!

Unimpressed by the prices in Rick's seafood restaurant, Tony celebrated his birthday with fish and chips sitting on the harbour wall! My attempt to make him a chocolate cake was unsuccessful in an oven without a thermostat, so instead, the candles decorated a chocolate fudge cake from the local Spa.   The boat was decorated with fairy lights and cards to set the mood!   

Tony and I stayed in Padstow for three nights, but on the fourth night we anchored outside the lock gates. We wanted to get away before the gates opened the next morning,  to make the most of the tide to our next destination.  

We collected £269 for Help For Heroes in Padstow.  I almost fainted from the heat so had to stop collecting after just three hours.  It was a shame as the place was packed with tourists!  Still every little helps! 

Lands End

On the 17^th May we were up at 5:30am to prepare for the trip from Penzance, around Lands End and up to Padstow. 

The navigation had been completed the day before.  The journey around Lands End needed careful planning as there are three tidal gates to consider and strong tidal streams against you if you get it wrong!  Likewise, there are lock gates at Penzance and Padstow, that open two hours either side of high water, so our timing was critical.  Tony and I decided the best way to check our times were right, was for each of us to work out the times individually and then compare results.  We were within five minutes of each other so were pretty satisfied we had got it right. 

The trip was going to be our most challenging so far.  The North Cornish coast has few harbours of refuge, the Irish sea can be challenging even on a good day and it would also be a long day,  so preparation was essential.   I had cooked a brown beef stew the day before which I reheated before leaving and poured in a wide necked Thermos Flask.   The stew could be poured into two bowls with plastic lids and eaten with a spoon to avoid spills in a rough sea!  One can get fed up with sandwiches and on a cold day a bowl of stew is good for morale!  The homemade bread was sliced, buttered and wrapped and I prepared hot drinks and snacks to keep us going.  After checking the engine and making sure all was secure,  we said our final farewells to Peter, Mandy, Bob and Hazel and set off for Padstow.

We left Penzance in fine sunny weather which stayed with us until we rounded Lands End!  If the weather is very good you can take an inshore passage between the Longships Lighthouse and Lands End, but in less favourable weather, tidal steams are very strong and become unpredictable causing confused seas, so we took an outside passage which proved to be a wise move!   Even out there the long Atlantic swell took its toll and although Moonshadow behaved very well, both Tony and I felt seasick for the first time in our sailing careers!   We gave the stew a miss and snacked on dry biscuits and sipped hot drinks. 

By the time we reached St Ives our stomachs had got adjusted to the swell and we started to feel better.  The clouds started to break and the sun came out.  The rest of the journey passed without incident.

We arrived just outside the Camel Estuary at 1920hrs which was in good time to make it through the lock gates to the inner harbour.   We tied up alongside the harbour wall at 2000. Our stomachs were now able to cope with the beef stew, which we enjoyed in the warm evening sun.

Help For Heroes

Yesterday (15^th May) the citizens of Penzance were very generous and we managed to collect £370 for Help for Heroes.  Thanks go to Penzance Police for counting out the money with us.

 Later in the day we visited the Admiral Benbow a pub just up from the harbour.  The inside of the pub has to be seen to be believed!   Based on a galleon theme, it has lots of little snug seating areas and masses of nautical artifacts.   We met a lovely character who entertained us for far too long!

 On our return to the boat we sat chatting in the warm evening air to Bob and Hazel who were rafted up to us.  Sailing is a very sociable sport.  We have met so many lovely people. 

Tony and I enjoyed our stay in Penzance.  There are no fancy facilities, but there is so much character.   The harbour master is a lovely guy who has been a fund of information during our stay.   We shall certainly come back to this quaint old harbour. 

The photo is of Moonshadow rafted up in Penzance harbour

 

14th Penzance

Today we slept late due to bad weather during the night.  The wind was howling and  the water was slapping the water against the hull making it very hard to sleep.  

The weather was still not great when we awoke this morning although it had stopped raining, so we decided to catch the bus to Lands End.  Whilst there, we met a group of soldiers collecting for the Army Benevolent Fund.   We added to their collection bucket and they kindly donated £10 to Help For Heroes.  They were a great bunch of guys.  It was an honour to meet them.  

Back at the harbour another boat had rafted up to us, making five in all.  It's amazing how many boats they can cram into this little tiny harbour.  It's all very sociable though, especially as we all have to climb over each other's boats to reach the harbour wall! 

Tomorrow we are collecting for Help for Heroes in Penzance.

13th Penzance

The morning was sunny and warm so we decided to enjoyed breakfast out on deck.   During breakfast we spotted a shark swimming past our boat.  He was obviously locked in the harbour with us!   Mr Shark (a young Porbeagle) delighted us with several laps, before the clouds came over and their reflection on the water prevented us from watching any longer.  What an amazing start to the day.

After breakfast we  enjoyed a super walk from Penzance through Newlyn to Mousehole.   On route we stopped to pay our respects at the Penlee Lifeboat Memorial Garden.   It was from here that in 1981 eight men set off in the Solomon Browne  Lifeboat  to go the aid of a stricken vessel the' Union Star' and never returned.   On our arrival in Mousehole the village was bathed in sunlight.  We had our lunch sitting on the rocks before exploring the pretty village with its narrow streets and pretty sandy bottomed harbour dotted with little boats.

On our return to Penzance harbour, Peter and Mandy invited us on board for drinks after which we set off for the 'Turks Head' a pub to be highly recommended.  A very good day!

12th Falmouth to Penzance

Using the ebb tide out of Falmouth (three hours after high water Falmouth)  we sailed down the east side of the Lizard keeping well clear of the Manacles, a group of rocks that have claimed many a vessel. There was little wind so we had to resort to using the engine.   We gave the Lizard Point a three mile clearance to avoid the rocks and tidal race that extend southwards, but  still found ourselves off of Penzance earlier than expected as our passage plan had been based on sailing rather than motoring.  

We had a few hours to wait until the inner harbour lock gate opened, so decided to anchor just outside St Michaels Mount harbour for a lunch stop.  There is a causeway between the castle and mainland that can be crossed on foot at low tide, and we were kept amused by watching visitors who had left it a bit late and were wading through water up to their knees! 

After a hot bowl of soup and some homemade bread, we made our way to the mooring buoys just outside Penzance harbour, to wait for the lock gates to open.   The harbour was packed with old fishing boats and commercial traffic such as the Isles of Scilly cargo vessel, leaving little room for visiting yachts.  However once through the hydraulic gates we were able to raft up to another sailing vessel and the owners, Peter and Mandy, helped us tie up and settle for the night. 

Picture shows St Michaels Mount

Mackerel for Supper!

Yesterday (9^th) the weather let us down again, so I took myself off to visit Pendennis Castle, whilst Tony got on with a few 'man jobs' on the boat. 

Today the weather  forecast was just as bad, so we decided to go up river and anchor.  We found a lovely spot in Channal's Creek.    Trelissick House owned by the National Trust, overlooks the Creek and the lawns sweep down to the water, creating a very grand setting.    We took the dingy ashore on a small pebble beach and cooked mackerel for supper on our trusty billy can.  The wildlife was out in abundance again, but we did not see the seal that was reported to be in the area.  On our return to the yacht, the harbour master arrived to collect his £5 fee, very cheap for a night in such a special place.

Still in Falmouth!

The weather forecast today was for a force 6 /7.  A force 6 is considered to be a yachtsmen's gale, so we decided to stay in the Visitors Marina in Falmouth.  The weather deteriorated last night and we were kept awake by the tide and wind causing water to constantly slap the hull.     We do have a good duvet and heating system on board, so Moonshadow is a very cosy yacht to sleep in at night, but it can be noisy if the current hits the hull of the aft cabin where we sleep.   We were berthed on the outer pontoon to enjoy the views, but this morning decided to moved to an inside berth.   Hopefully it will be a quieter night tonight.

To amuse ourselves we had lunch in the Chain Locker pub and visited the National Maritime Museum.   Exhibits included the first ever Mirror dingy, a canvas canoe similar to the one Blondie Hasler and the Cockleshell Heroes used during World War 2 and the racing dingy that Ben Ainslie sailed to a gold medal at the Olympics. 

Exploring Falmouth

On the 5^th May we awoke to rain so decided to head for a marina in Falmouth.   This gave us the opportunity to use a laundrette and get a rigger on board.   Before we left Portsmouth we had a third reef put in our sail. (This allows us to reduce our sail area in very strong winds)  However the line was not long enough and when the main sail was raised for the first time, the line disappeared out of the cockpit!  We shall be speaking to the rigger at Portsmouth about his mistake, especially as we had to pay out £90 for the rigger at Falmouth to put right it right! 

The last three ports we have been unable to collect for Help for Heroes.  In Plymouth the date that we wanted had already been taken by another charity.  In Fowey we arrived mid week and the place was deserted, so we decided to collect on the journey  back.   In Falmouth the police check was not completed meaning that the street licence was unable to be issued. 

Falmouth is a typical Cornish town, with lots of steep streets, lined with restaurants, bistros and cosy pubs.  We moored up in the Visitors Yacht Haven which is close to the 300 year old Custom House Quay and only a couple of minutes from the main shopping area.   A fish and chip supper rounded off the day.    The 6^thMay was spent in the same marina, carrying out general maintenance and exploring the streets of Falmouth.  As you can see from the photo Tony has found himself a new woman!

Fowey to Falmouth

We left Fowey at 1245hrs to catch the west tide to Falmouth.   The wind (force 5) on the side of the yacht was not the most comfortable ride, especially as it was gusting 27 knots, so we reduced sail to make Moonshadow more manageable.    The wind was quite strong in the entrance to Falmouth, so we took down the sails and put the motor on to ensure a safe entry.   After passing St Anthony's Lighthouse (famous for being the Lighthouse in the children's television series Fraggle Rock) we turned into the Percuil River and picked up a mooring buoy just off St Mawes.    With a strong wind that seemed to change direction every minute, it was a tricky exercise! 

The wind whistled and howled most of the night but we awoke to a lovely sunny morning and enjoyed another breakfast with stunning views.   After calling the water taxi, we went ashore to visit St Mawes Castle.  This wonderful round castle (one of Henry VIII's defences around the Cornish coastline) is truly delightful.  Situated near the entrance to Falmouth harbour the views are spectacular and the castle is incredibly well preserved for one so exposed.  

Late afternoon we used the incoming tide to explore the Falmouth River.  On the western side there are plenty of Marina's once past the Falmouth Dockyard but leaving them to port (left)  we went  continued up Carrick Roads to Turnaware Point where the river suddenly narrows and becomes very pretty.    Early evening saw Herons and Cormorants lining the shore as we made our way up the Truro River.   Just past a muscle farm the river narrowed,  so we were quite surprised to round a bend and see six large merchant ships moored amidst a cat's cradle of ropes.   A pretty thatched 'Smugglers Cottage' also on the bend of the river, was used as an assembly point for some of the American landing craft that took part in the D-Day landings. 

Once the depth sounder recorded one metre under the keel, we turned around and headed part of the way back down river and tied up on a visitors mooring.   The evening was spent watching a Heron who seemed to have endless patience, stood on the river bank with his head lowered as if about to catch a fish.  Poor thing never caught one!  The only time he moved was to chase a Herring gull away.   I wished I had a zoom angle lens to capture his beautiful markings.  

Plymouth to Fowey

We spent several days in Plymouth due to the weather, but were unable to repair the dingy. Thanks go to our son Stuart, for collecting a new dingy and delivering it to us on his way to the Devonport Naval Base.

On the 3^rd of April we sailed from Plymouth to Fowey.   It was forecast to be a force 4/5 but the sea was quite choppy and we were grateful that we had put drinks in flasks and made up sandwiches in advance.   Making tea in a choppy sea is better than any work out at the gym!   

By the time we moored up in Fowey, the sun had come out and we spent a very pleasant evening sitting outside enjoying the views.  The entrance to Fowey is quite narrow and it is hard to believe that large ships enter the river to collect china clay.  Fowey is the 15^th largest exporting port in the UK,  exporting one million tons of clay a year.  It is a very  pretty port.  Kenneth Graheme (Wind in the Willows) Daphne du Maurier and Sir Authur Quiller Couch have all been inspired by the stunning views. 

The new canvas cockpit enclosure has extended our evenings outside and was well worth the money.    During the night the wind got up again.  The enclosure kept the interior temperature of the boat warmer and 'Windy Miller' our trusty wind generator, whizzed away ensuring adequate battery power to run the fridge, lights and most importantly to start the engine. 

 Although we have a shower on Moonshadow,  we took advantage of the showers at the Yacht club.  This allowed us to preserve water on board to enjoy another night at anchor or on a mooring buoy.  Yacht marinas are very expensive and we plan to use them only when the weather is bad or we need to use the services they provide. 

River Yealm to Plymouth

We left the River Yealm early on the 28^th to make the short passage to Plymouth, to get the dingy fixed.   As we entered Plymouth Sound we spotted a surfaced submarine.  The submariners were smartly lined up on deck, probably enjoying their last glimpses of daylight for some time to come.   Moonshadow sailed past Sir John Rennie's breakwater that took four million tons of materials and 29 years to build and we carried on down the Eastern Channel enjoying the glorious views towards Plymouth Hoe.   It was a clear and sunny morning and we could see Smeatons Tower and the Royal Citadel standing proudly in front of us.   Shortly after passing Mount Battens Breakwater we turned to starboard and tied up in Queen Anne's Battery Marina.   The Marina had every facility (Reflected in the price!) but the showers were very good and it gave us chance to use the launderette, hook up to electricity and recharge all our batteries.

 In the afternoon we enjoyed a walk around the historic Barbican from where the Pilgrim Fathers left for the 'New World' in 1620.   We rounded off the day by meeting Stuart for a meal in the Marina Bistro.