Heckler
Well-Known Member
At last, I finally found a 381 Bene and bought her. Have travelled the country looking for the right one.
Jim the previous owner, sailed her from Ardrossan, via Bangor NI, to Holyhead and I was supposed to bring her from HH to P last Tuesday.
Jim and co. got in to HH on Monday night after a force 8 sail from Bangor. The forecast for Tuesday was terrible so I secured her and went home. Wednesday was looking on xcweather and windguru and thought that maybe there was a window coming up for Thursday. I phoned my mate up in P and arranged to meet him Thursday morning in Holyhead to see if we could go.
Wednesday night in HH was horrible, surging back and forth in the marina. Woke up for the forecast, 6 - 7 from the NW. Tim arrived, said xcweather and windguru seemed to say it was possible, getting worse "later" when we should be in Pwllheli.
Tim, v experienced, said he was happy to go, boat was sound and big, it was up to me, I dont do seasick normally and 2 Stugerons make it better. He said it would be lumpy and uncomfortable but once past South Stack it would ease a bit, beam reach across Caernarfon bay and then wind and tide up the chuff thru Bardsey sound for the final leg home.
Decision was to go, bacon butties first to get a good start and chicken soup and sarnies for later with plenty of biccies.
Fully reefed in the harbour, watching big ones coming over the breakwater and we stuck our nose out, 2000 rpm on the donk to make a swift passage and of we went.
Was lumpy and we stood well out (4 miles) from the Stacks, it got lumpier but the autohelm was coping and we were averaging 8 knots, we passed South stack and the tide turned and we really started to move, just an occassional attempt to round up and the windspeed steady at 29 - 30 knots true. Then the vhf started squawking, severe gale force 9 soon. To late now to stem the tide back thru the Stacks race, just press on. wind was holding steady with a few nasty squalls coming thru but Bardsey was getting closer. All the fears about Bardsey sound are warranted, but as Tim said, if you choose your time carefully, its relatively straight forward. Came past the Tripods at the entrance to Bardsey and the seas were very confused and the autopilot was starting to struggle. I took over the helm and was surprised how hard work it was. Finally entered the sound and turned left and all of a sudden all was calm, the tide was still ebbing east and the wind was up our chuff. Amazing how peaceful it seemed with the wind astern and the tide with us. We had started of with 3/4 showing on the fuel guage and it was still showing that, hmm, couldnt dip the tank so got out the spare 5 gallon of diesel and it was calm enough to siphon a couple of gallons in to the main tank, enough to get us to Pwllheli even if the guage was wrong. Put the auto pilot back on and noticed that true wind speed had crept up to 38 knots and we were now surfing at 10 plus knots! The forecast gale was chasing us into Pwllheli. We made the fastest passage across Hells Mouth and from the islands to Pwllheli I have ever done. it was just getting dark as we arrived at P harbour mouth, we got the sails all in and then the strong winds hit, sideways rain etc but we tied up in the marina with no probs and had a well deserved beer. What a sense of exhilaration and acommplishment. Called Holyhead Coastguard and let them know we were in and went to the marina office. They said Holyhead had been checking that we were ok and had we really come from Holyhead in that weather!!
The final part of the story was when I went to pick up the car from Holyhead on Saturday, the marina people were clearing up after the force 10!! that had hit on the Thursday night from the NW, they had a damaged pontoon from the surge and damaged boats from trying to climb the pontoons!!
Stu
Jim the previous owner, sailed her from Ardrossan, via Bangor NI, to Holyhead and I was supposed to bring her from HH to P last Tuesday.
Jim and co. got in to HH on Monday night after a force 8 sail from Bangor. The forecast for Tuesday was terrible so I secured her and went home. Wednesday was looking on xcweather and windguru and thought that maybe there was a window coming up for Thursday. I phoned my mate up in P and arranged to meet him Thursday morning in Holyhead to see if we could go.
Wednesday night in HH was horrible, surging back and forth in the marina. Woke up for the forecast, 6 - 7 from the NW. Tim arrived, said xcweather and windguru seemed to say it was possible, getting worse "later" when we should be in Pwllheli.
Tim, v experienced, said he was happy to go, boat was sound and big, it was up to me, I dont do seasick normally and 2 Stugerons make it better. He said it would be lumpy and uncomfortable but once past South Stack it would ease a bit, beam reach across Caernarfon bay and then wind and tide up the chuff thru Bardsey sound for the final leg home.
Decision was to go, bacon butties first to get a good start and chicken soup and sarnies for later with plenty of biccies.
Fully reefed in the harbour, watching big ones coming over the breakwater and we stuck our nose out, 2000 rpm on the donk to make a swift passage and of we went.
Was lumpy and we stood well out (4 miles) from the Stacks, it got lumpier but the autohelm was coping and we were averaging 8 knots, we passed South stack and the tide turned and we really started to move, just an occassional attempt to round up and the windspeed steady at 29 - 30 knots true. Then the vhf started squawking, severe gale force 9 soon. To late now to stem the tide back thru the Stacks race, just press on. wind was holding steady with a few nasty squalls coming thru but Bardsey was getting closer. All the fears about Bardsey sound are warranted, but as Tim said, if you choose your time carefully, its relatively straight forward. Came past the Tripods at the entrance to Bardsey and the seas were very confused and the autopilot was starting to struggle. I took over the helm and was surprised how hard work it was. Finally entered the sound and turned left and all of a sudden all was calm, the tide was still ebbing east and the wind was up our chuff. Amazing how peaceful it seemed with the wind astern and the tide with us. We had started of with 3/4 showing on the fuel guage and it was still showing that, hmm, couldnt dip the tank so got out the spare 5 gallon of diesel and it was calm enough to siphon a couple of gallons in to the main tank, enough to get us to Pwllheli even if the guage was wrong. Put the auto pilot back on and noticed that true wind speed had crept up to 38 knots and we were now surfing at 10 plus knots! The forecast gale was chasing us into Pwllheli. We made the fastest passage across Hells Mouth and from the islands to Pwllheli I have ever done. it was just getting dark as we arrived at P harbour mouth, we got the sails all in and then the strong winds hit, sideways rain etc but we tied up in the marina with no probs and had a well deserved beer. What a sense of exhilaration and acommplishment. Called Holyhead Coastguard and let them know we were in and went to the marina office. They said Holyhead had been checking that we were ok and had we really come from Holyhead in that weather!!
The final part of the story was when I went to pick up the car from Holyhead on Saturday, the marina people were clearing up after the force 10!! that had hit on the Thursday night from the NW, they had a damaged pontoon from the surge and damaged boats from trying to climb the pontoons!!
Stu
