With the marina cill not being opened until 0700 hours, it was going to be a close run thing to get across the Caernarfon Bar before the water got too shallow. The tide runs fast here, so no time to waste, the channel changes regularly but the navigation bouys are resited often.
A stroke of luck in that a few crews had met the harbour master in the pub the night before and persuaded him to open the cill earlier at 0630. Happy days, a bit more leeway, just needing to identify the channel.
All went well and we were soon motor sailing in the light morning breeze, the screecher sail gently aiding our progress. Lou was on helm, I was inside making a cuppa when there was a loud bang, Lou watched me as I searched in vain for the source of the noise, then suddenly said, ” What’s happened to the sail?” I was just about to say ” You’re luffing again ” when I saw through the window that there was no sail!! How can there be no sail, it was there a second ago. Rushing on deck I found it having a wash in the sea. I dragged it back on board and straight into the forward locker. The pulley at the masthead had shattered, letting the head of the sail go.
that will be another trip up the mast and new pulleys. We were lucky none of the ropes or the sail got caught in the propeller.
The wind got lighter as the day wore on but at the end of the Lleyn Peninsular the sea got choppy then rough, and as we were passing Bardsey Island there was a graunching sound and the whole boat shuddered, what the hell, depth guage 28 metres, chartplotter, no obstructions, We cut the engine and raised the drive leg, nothing. Although we didn’t see anything we can only assume we hit a partially submerged object. It left us a bit jittery for the rest of the journey, anchoring up off Aberdaron beach for the night.
We had hoped to go to Pwllheli marina but they had no berths available, Aberystwyth doesn’t answer the phone at weekends, Fishguard is only an Anchorage, and the whole of Cardigan bay is a firing range. Bit of a yachting desert really.
Next stop Fishguard.
4 Kidneys and a Wonky Leg 