Watchet Trip, 16-17th September

[Alcyone]

Well, we did it, and survived.
Left Cardiff at 11:00 and followed Banjo with Graham and Craig down past the Ranie bouy, big tides....

The wind failed and we motor sailed down to Blue anchor, lots of floating wood and the odd big scary log. Anchored off for a couple of hours and the wind picked up a bit. Graham and Craig started fishing and their success can be judged by the number of seagulls in a feeding frenzy over Banjo in this picture:

Bit more wind and a lovely sail up to Watchet.

Nearly pranged the stern on the way into the marina, the cross current caught me out, but my fears of last week on not being able to berth Ishtar were unfounded. Lovely spot.

Cod and chips in the Star, washed down with a lovely beer called Betty Swallocks, or something like that. They ran out of it in the end.

Left Watchet at 10: 30 and anchored for a few hours to wait for the tide. Wind dropped to nothing and then picked up on the way back. Banjo headed off towards Weston for, I suspect, another bar draining exercise. We touched 9 knots with the tide on the way back, heading towards Lavernock. Louise fancied a bigger boat when we got to the locks at Cardiff.

Yes, that is a spinnaker pole, bigger than our mast and Ishtar is nearly 29ft!

Fantastic time. Many thanks to Graham and Craig for being there and holding our hands. Nice to catch up with Allan in the bar as well, later, though we didn't have a chance to see his new pride and joy.

Big smiles today.

 

[graham]

Enjoyable few days away,very varied conditions from mist and flat calm to blue sky and force 4.

Ishtar may be a bit quicker under sail than Banjo but we did win the anchor dragging contest in Blue an chor Bay. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Lots of trees fridges etc to negotiate .

Hopefully do something similar again soon.

A clean and tidy cockpit is essential at all times /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Alcyone]

Craig looks decidedly scared there, Graham, mind you, it's a good job you didn't get a close up of me coming through the gate at watchet. I'd have felt terrible if I'd have dented their marina wall.

You'll be busy over the next few weeks salting and freezing all those fish you caught, i expect, /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[graham]

I think Craig was worried about the yacht astern building up to full ramming speed,he kept muttering that "their really going for it this time." /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

PS a fine specimen and not a bad fish as well /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Alcyone]

I'll have a look at the fishing records. I'm not sure what the world record for the smallest dogfish is, but that looks close. Remember the quote from Jaws 'We're gonna need a bigger boat' ...? Well I think you'll be fine as you are.

 

[Mike_S]

Congrats, we've been trying to plan a Watchet trip for over a year now and not made it there yet /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Why is it the decent weather's been during the week when we're at work !! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I drove through the marina at 7.45am today to see 3 small yachts queuing for the locks, all set to go out. It looked to be a millpond out there /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Still, we're hoping to at least take it for a spin round the bay tonight in this unseasonal sunny day we appear to be having. Watch it cloud over by the time I leave work...

 

[Alcyone]

Hi Mike, we were very lucky. OK, no bright blue skies, but the weather was kind enough for us to try it, inexperienced as we are. Too kind for sailing, most of the time.

Have a nice spin tonight, I've got work to catch up on now, for going awol for 2 days......

This weekend might be doable for you though? Weather looks good. Gate opening Sat is late, but it won't be that dark, and you can wait just outside?

 

[sb99]

Enjoy your spin, some of us have to work until 9.30pm so the weather will be great until then.

 

[chrishelen]

One of those small yachts was Wyndsong on his way to Ireland for the week, i coudlnt go cos of work. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Alcyone]

Have you sorted your propshaft, Chris?

 

[chrishelen]

Not yet martin,i am waiting to come out of the water sometime in October, jest my luck,all this good weather and no boat /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif, well done on your trip to sunny Watchet it feels like the other side of the world the first time,well it did for me anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Alcyone]

It is the other side of the world, mun.

And don't stay in the water until October, your fingers will wrinkle.

Actually, it wasn't at all sunny, as the pictures show, but it did seem a long way. Hopefully now a nice trip around the Holms will seem a bit more relaxing. We're looking to both bunk off work on Monday for a sail. At this rate, they'll be repossessing the house soon. Off diving tomorrow afternoon., as well, though it will probably be the last.

 

[Csail]

The boat name looks great.....who did that? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Sailing_Matt]

Congratulations on a safe trip, I noticed Ishtar had gone and was wondering how it was going out there.

 

[Alcyone]

[ QUOTE ]
The boat name looks great.....who did that? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

We had to get them painted on in the end. The ones you did fell off........ /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Seriously, though, we were, and still are delighted with them. Many thanks again.

And cheers Matt. You'll be with us next time?

 

[Mike_S]

[ QUOTE ]
This weekend might be doable for you though? Weather looks good. Gate opening Sat is late, but it won't be that dark, and you can wait just outside?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice idea but we're busy on Saturday night so a weekend away is out of the question. Tomorrow morning will be spent trying to find and fit a new battery though, ours struggled to kick the engine over last night so it's time for a new one. I'm hoping to spend all of Sunday out on the boat though if the weather's kind to us, might be one of the last chances we get to use the boat.

Had a great spin round the bay last night though, it really was flat calm and really nice to just buzz about for half an hour. Bloody seagulls were everywhere though, I'm sure they got fed up of having to take off to avoid the motorboat, it seemed wherever I went, there a flock of them sitting on the water.

 

[Sailing_Matt]

Would love to but jib awaiting repair, could take 4-6 weeks, groan.

Went out for a motor yesterday and through the barrage for the first time with the children and Ellen. No problems and had this massive barge in with us coming back in which took up the whole length of the lock! Only 2 people were manning her. Not a nice prospect to handle in such a confined space.