Ishtar

Manorbier and Castlemartin ranges were firing. We radioed the coastguard, wary of the fact that Manorbier request traffic stays 12 miles offshore. Gave them a Lat and long 12 miles out and they said that would be fine, and we could then head Northwest into Milford.

With the long detour in mind, we set off, upping anchor at 06:30 on a beautiful hot, still summer’s morning:

Sunrise, Oxwich

Leaving behind the other boats at anchor, we set off. We’d covered nearly 60 miles the previous day, and this one looked like being similar.

Oxwich

We’d expected dolphins, I’d seen them every time I’ve crossed Carmarthen bay. What I didn’t expect was a tired stowaway, fresh, I assume, from a long trip up from Africa.

Stowaway

A dolphin

Another dolphin

And, a dolphin

Guess what?

We reached the position agreed with the coastguard and I turned Northwest, intending to skirt just inside the Turbot bank, staying the requested 2 miles to the West of Linney head.

After about 20 minutes, Castlemartin radioed us. They requested that they could give us a new heading (they wanted us to go further West before turning NW). We agreed and they altered our heading twice more before thanking us for co-operating.

Even with the detour and lack of wind, we still made good time, and passed crow rock before the tide turned against us, edging into Milford Haven about 17:00. Louise wanted to pick up some provisions, so we tied off on the Mackeral stage.

Ishtar at Milford

Yes, she does have different colours in her anti-slip paint. Louise is slowly repainting her, a bit at a time. Met a nice chap there called Andrew, with a Cornish Lugger, 100 years old, and in very good nick.

After picking up some basics for a nice curry, we set off down the haven to Dale. We were soon picking up the mooring lines, switching the engine off and enjoying a bottle of wine.

Dale

….and the first part of our trip to Dale for the summer. We’d had two weekend dive trips in the cold, preparing the mooring, so it was time to sail Ishtar West for the summer.

We picked a week when Louise finished her shifts on a Thursday – that would give us four days sailing. Two days to Dale, and two days enjoying Pembrokeshire before we sail back.

Louise turned up at 10:15 – I’d stayed on Ishtar and had a couple of beers with Friends the night before. Louise took her across to the locks.

Leaving Cardiff

With the wind in the West, we stemmed the last of the tide as we headed past Lavernock point. It was neaps, so there was not a lot. Nice and easy, on a Starboard tack off down towards Watchet, Louise retired after her nightshift and I enjoyed the peace and quiet, away from the noise and people whinging!

There were regular radio calls from a survey vessel off the Vale of Glamorgan, but little other traffic.

Survey Vessel

Foreland Point

Looking at the clock, and our speed, i realise that we might make Lundy, rather than our planned Oxwich. We’d arrive after dark. I spoke with Louise, now risen, and she loved the idea. Rather than crossing the channel, then, we’d stay on the English side.

Exmoor mists

as we entered one of the dense fog banks, we soon realised we would be very late getting to Lundy, against the tide, in the fog, in the dark. As if to aid us in our decision, the wind dropped to almost zero, and everything dripped in the damp air.

Cold, wet and miserable

Neither of us fancied many more hours of it, so we headed back across the channel, catching the last of teh evening sun as we approached Oxwich, leaving the fog behind.

Approaching Oxwich, late evening

Anchored at the second attempt and Louise cooked a Thai Green curry with Pasta. Tired, and with a start at 06:30, we set the bed up around 22:00.

aboard Ishtar for me this year. Louise had taken her out on New year’s day, but with the Caribbean, moving house, sorting the moorings and replacing the alternator, first time out for me personally.

Only a jaunt ’round Cardiff bay, dodging water taxis and three trip RIBS intent on churning up the water as much as possible. Wind largely Northely, gusting to a F5 from a F2. No great fun, but nice to be out, run teh engine, shake out the cobwebs.

3.6nm covered. Just over 1500 more to do if we are to rival last year……

Towards the end of last year we had decided to take a mooring at Dale.

http://www.vbdata.co.uk/Blog/?p=318

The intention was to finish the mooring before the winter chilled the water, but that never happened. A Caribbean holiday and moving house further delayed things, but we had to get on and finish the moorings if we were to use them this year. Our friends Sheila and Vince, of Alana were also taking a mooring there.

The design was as follows:

Mooring design

The idea was to get as much weight on the seabed as I could, subject to the constraints that I must be able to transport the components 90 miles, and then float them out from the bottom of a slip to my mooring.

Components:

3 x 4cwt concrete blocks. Just manageable by 2 men, 32mm chain embedded and galvanised pipe through the chain within each block as strengthening.

12m x 32mm ‘Ground chain’. weight (est) 7cwt.

10m x 12mm riser chain.

1 x swivel, to stop the chain winding itself into a knot

1 x 2ft diameter head buoy.

3m x 12mm chain to attach to boat as a tail.

Pickup buoy

3m floating rope as second tail.

Great fun on the way down. I towed my trailer with my ground chain, Vince had his two concrete blocks in his van and his ground chain in his trailer and Louise towed the Rib with our camper van. The RIB trailer got a puncture on the way and wrecked the wheel. Good start.

Arrived at Dale just before low water, drove onto the beach and dropped off the chains and blocks. I attached the head buoys to the chains – it would help with the lifting.

2 hours later we bagan the moving process. Dive, attach lifting bag and fill, tow out to mooring, deflate lifting bag, dive, position, shackle and chain together, repeat. Finished just before 9pm, in time to get some food at the Griffin.

Back on the boat by 8am Saturday, diving to seize all the shackles with wire and fit the risers and buoys. Recovered the RIB just before 12pm.

Very, very tiring, and very cold. Water temperature 9 degrees. Won’t fancy doing this again in a hurry.

Cold, and tired

Now for some sailing.

Turtle, Martinique

A beautiful spot for a beach barbeque as well, Spanish mackeral, roasted, moist with onions and garlic.

Sunset, Martinique

Humpback whale, off Martinique

 Another long day as teh miles stretched away behind our stern. We anchored late again, back on Dominica, at Portsmouth, passing whalewatching boats in the sunset, wondering if they had had the luck we’d had.

Dominica, whale watching boats.

The following morning, as we left the North end of Dominica, there was a change in the weather. It looked as if Dominica was going to be seeing some well needed rain.

Rain, Dominica

Guadeloupe and wet weather.

We’d decided to explore the Western shores of Guadeloupe on the way back, rather than sailing through the Riviere Saliere again. By the time we reached Deshaies, on the North Western point, the weather had closed in completely. Spotted this odd rig, in a very wet harbour.

Guadeloupe, Deshaies

The rain cleared in the early hours and, as we picked our way through a seemingly endless field of lobster pots and fishing lines, the sun inched up.

Leaving Guadeloupe

As the day wore on, it warmed up considerably, and was soon back to normal. Antigua grew in the distance and the wind failed us, leaving us motoring in the heat. The day dragged on, but at last we could see the entrance to English harbour, and Nelson’s dockyard.

Approaching Nelson's dockyard

 

I’d hoped to take Louise for a meal at Antigua yacht club before we left, but the restaurant was clsed, so we ate in a local bar, probably more in keeping with who we are!The following day, we flew home, but not before spotting yet another megayacht just offshore, the strange and wonderful ‘A’.

A

A long day. Wind on the nose and the starboard tack was very uncomfortable into largish waves, so we decided to head SSW, and then, hopefully in the Lee of St Lucia we’d have a smoother tack in. It didn’t happen, so we motored the last 10 miles. Uncomfortable, but it had been a long day.

We were all glad to anchor off Pigeon Island for a swim.

Pigeon Island anchorage

We only stayed an hour before heading round to anchor off Rodney bay Marina. This was the place where the transatlantic racers, the ARC, finished, and there were many boats still flying the burgees. Evidently, it was possible in the past to anchor, gratis, in the middle of the marina, but this is no longer possible. New ownership has seen dredging, with a view to attracting the same superyachts we had seen at Antigua.

A sailing friend (Tom) had told us thta the Caribbean was changing, and soon would be spoiled altogether. he may be right.

Whilst provisioning at Rodney, we saw this square rigger. We hailed her and was told she was the Black Pearl, of Pirates of the Caribbean fame. Later research told us that we had been had, but she was lovely, nevertheless.

Not the Black pearl

The following bay we continued Southwards down the West side of St Lucia. About halfway down, almost hidden from the Sea, is a tiny inlet, Marigot bay. In the past this picturesque anchorage must have been stunning, but, for me, it was overcrowded, and overused. Too many boats, and too many boat boys, constantly trying to sell things.

Boat boy

In sailing to such places, we are, of course, part of the problem, and it always makes me think. We snorkelled and took a mooring buoy for the night. About £15.

Marigot bay

St Lucia, Pitons

 You may just make out the forty foot Catamaran in this picture, for scale:

Soufriere Bay.

I’d been diving on most of the islands we’d visited, but only seen smashed coral and overfished reefs. When our skipper, Mark, mentioned diving here, I wasn’t that keen. I did go in, and the reef was pristine. Very, very pleased, Louise and I had a beautiful 30 minutes, in one of the more picturesque dive locations I’ve visited.

We needed to make up some miles. One of our crew, Emma, was due to fly back to the UK from St Lucia, so we had to get there, and leave enough time to sail back to Antigua for Louise and I to fly home. Long passages are no hardship for me, so sailing 10 hours+ a day, especially with fair winds, blue sea, clear skies and warm weather, was fun.

Martinique was next on our list, although it would be a fleeting visit. On the West side of the island is a large bay,  with shelter all around, and many smaller bays and inlets, as well as the main city, Fort de France.

We stayed in a small shallow bay on the South side. I feared mosquitoes, but there were none.

Martinique anchorageGood winds the following day, as we headed out of the bay and Southwards to St Lucia. Leaving Martinique