SV Sancerre

Saturday, June 17, 2023

2023 June 17th Progress on the blog, or lack of it

I am not doing well keeping up to date on the blog this year, many of my starts have been very early followed by long legs and rest days have often been quite busy restocking the boat or resting.

Then on days like today the boat is in constant motion and it is not comfortable to type, organise pictures etc. then there has often been bandwidth issues or no signal at all so the backlog just gets longer. Finally I have had back problems and typing on the saloon table is not good for it.

I'll continue to put up place holder posts as it is the easiest way keep things in sequence and am now including some notes and Facebook posts that tend to be short and often done on the iPad, often at sea.

Eventually I'll come back and fill in the detail but I suspect that the bulk of photos will not get uploaded to Flikr until I get home and have time,

Click here for the trip across the Bristol Channel / Celtic Sea.

2023 June 16th, Days 64 & 65 Fishguard to Milford Haven

Facebook Posts as I crossed St Brides Bay:

"1. A long motor around from Fishguard in reasonable weather but no wind for the first 20 miles then headwinds in a relatively narrow passages so not worth trying to sail. now hot and humid with rain spots. Quite interesting through Ramsey Sound otherwise everything was very straight forward .
No idea what I’ll do next, going along the Welsh coast could put me into a worse position when wind arrives and the N Devon coast is a long way away in likely conditions.
2. Lundy might be an option Sunday or Monday, and it has been on the bucket list for a long time."

Given the likely conditions I decided to use the Ramsey Sound avoiding a long trip outside of Ramsey Island and the off lying "Bishop and Clerks" but to avoid Jack Sound by a shorter diversion outside of Skomer.

To get fair tide through Ramsey Sound and through to Milford I had to leave at 04:20 and fight the adverse tide past Strumble Head, which was stronger than anticipated.

Strumble Head still flashing at 05:30

The tide turned a little earlier than anticipated but I turned south shortly after the tide had turned favourable and was quickly and safely through.

Entering the sound at 09:00 on a very grey day.

About half way through approaching "The Bitches", the narrowest
point in the Sound, tides can run at 6 knots through the Sound
with eddies and over-falls.

The wind which had been light or non existent from the east now set in from the south and it started to rain so I continued mainly under engine across St Brides Bay, only for it to turn ESE as I past Skomer - again a head wind down Broad Sound.

Inevitably I met the fast Ireland Ferry, this time close enough that I
had to take avoiding action as she turned inside the Mid Channel
Rock West Cardinal Buoy - just visible on the left. After the bashing
I took last time I was giving St Ann's Head a wide berth.

In anticipation of easterly winds I went to Sandy Haven Bay where I spent a reasonable night but the following morning I was laying broadside to the waves so, waiting for a favourable wind, I moved to Dale Shelf which was better protected for the next night.

Whilst in the area the Angle lifeboat (actually a relief boat - I later saw the normal one off "The Lizard" getting involved in another rescue, more of which later), the first was to a sailing boat with a failed engine and no wind, the second, as I was leaving, was a medivac from the paddle steamer Waverley.

40 miles in 9 hours

Click here for a note regarding lack of progress on the blog.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

2023 June 14th, Days 62 and 63 Aberdaron Bay to Fishguard.

An 04:00 start into the beginning of the foul north going tide but it would have been a good deal stronger past Bardsey Island and beyond if I had left later.

The engine was off at 04:30 and the Cruising Chute went up shortly after 07:00 with 11 knots of easterly wind.

Half way over I got a call from Aberporth Range Control with full details of a small danger area, I'm not sure why - they could see from AIS that as I was clearly heading well clear but I suspect it was an excuse to repeat on channel 16 an earlier warning that was somewhat less detailed, after plotting out the position given I confirmed I would be well clear - this time on a working channel.

The sailing was very good until about 15 miles out from Fishguard when the wind died to less than five knots so with time marching on and the tide turning foul on went the engine and I anchored at 16:30, NE of Castle Point, well outside of the pretty Lower Harbour, it being full with a number of boats anchored closer in.

The Ireland ferry coming in on Wednesday evening.

A cruise ship arrived early on Thursday morning for the best
part of a day as passengers left and arrived.

After a quite night it was another busy day getting the dinghy out and the engine on to motor across the wide harbour for fuel from a petrol station and supplies from a good Tesco Express next door, the garage Spar shop being a waste of time.

I was anchored NE of Castle Point, the fuel station close to the
end of the the long breakwater

A seal hauled out on a semi submerged something attached to
the buoy passed on the way across the harbour.

Aberdaron Bay to Fishguard

Facebook Post, 15th June:

50 miles in twelve and a half hours

Click here for Milford Haven

2023 June 13th, Day 61 Sorrento Bay to Aberdaron Bay, Wales.

Facebook Post 13th June:

The anchor came up at 03:35 and I was underway under engine with less than 3 knots of wind, more worrying was a Thunderstorm heading my way and for half an hour I was keeping radar and AIS watch from below with the odd peak out, especially as I passed close to an anchored merchant ship.

At 04:40 the engine went off and the Cruising Chute went up. The rest of the day I was alternating between sailing in 6 - 9 knot winds and motoring to make the tidal gate at Bardsey Sound, at the end of the day it was 50:50 sailing and motoring but that was not too bad as it was sensible to motor though Bardsey Sound and into the anchorage.

As in 2022 I went out through the off lying banks south of Codling Bank before being taken way south by the tide.

Drilling rig SE of Codling Bank.

This Mayday call from a fishing boat could have had a very nasty end, fire on a small boat is incredibly dangerous to the crew and boat, the Irish coast guard put out an all ships with more than one boat close at hand responding, but iirc the RNLI got there first to find the crew had put the fire out.

17:00 and Bardsey Island is visible on the horizon centre right, the
north going tide now requiring me (or rather the autopilot) to steer
107 degrees to make 85 degrees.

Two hours later and about to enter Bardsey Sound motor sailing.

Aberdaron Bay anchorage at 21:22

Unusually again with a tripping line, left on because I anticipated
at least one more anchorage potentially foul, and it is useful to be
able to see where the anchor is, especially when setting the
anchor alarm - providing you get the length of the line right so
it reasonably close to the anchor without being sunk.

Sorento Bay Dublin to Aberdaron Bay.

66 miles in 17 hours

Click here for Fishguard

2023 June 12th, Day 60 Skerries to Sorrento Bay Dublin

An 04:55 start and an hour later I was, not for the first or last time on this cruise, monitoring a RNLI shout, this one to a vehicle over the harbour wall at Loughshinny, the inshore boat rushed past after a quick launch and was tasked to check that there was no one left in the vehicle - the driver having been got from the water [by the coast guard team?] and sent off to hospital, fortunately there wasn't and at 06:00 she returned to station.

The Skerries Lifeboat returning to station, taken at 06:00 in
low light with the equivalent of a 35mm full frame 600mm lens.

Hitchhiking bird off Lamby Island, I am told it is a very ragged
Adult Male Blackcap

The Skerries to Sorrrento Bay, Dublin.

The route south takes you very close to TSS's at the north and south ends of the Burford Bank, as usual there was a ferry transiting and on a collision course, a call to Dublin Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) established there was no others so I just slowed down and the ferry passed close in front, knowing I would keep out of the way. VTS operations and some Port Authorities (Dover ask for a call) may appreciate a call in similar situations, at least when things are quite as they were at Dublin at 07:00, but many such as Southampton VTS & Portsmouth KHM, would be overwhelmed with calls and information. Port authorities often require a call before entering the port area irrespective of vessel size (e.g. Lowestoft, Blyth and Peterhead).

Dalkey Island with its Martello Tower and other fortifications.
There are a good number of Martello Towers in SE England
but there appears to be more in Ireland, probably a reflection
of the threat of the French inciting rebellion there.

Lifeboat 14-17 is listed as that of Dunmore East but the station
name has been painted out and she is now a relief boat and probably
at Dun Laoghaire (Dublin). The current Dunmore East boat, a new
Shannon class, was active a couple of days later, see next post.

I never understand why people choose to anchor close too others
(me!) when there is plenty of room in the anchorage.

24 miles in four and a half hours.

Click here for the crossing of St Georges Channel.

Sunday, June 11, 2023

2023 June 10th, Days 58 & 59 Ardglass to The Skerries.

Facebook Posts 10th June, evening:

The first time I have needed the galley safety belt at anchor. And the first time I have lost dinner, a rather good home made curry, and after only 2 mouth fulls, 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Next morning I was surprised to see an RAFYC burgee, Luciole was heading north planning to pass through the Caledonian Canal on-route to Norway. Mike was another with a small drone so I got some more aerial shots.