.. and our berth is cloaked in night.
Showing posts with label Pwllheli .. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pwllheli .. Show all posts
Sunday, 23 April 2017
Monday, 24 October 2016
End of the season - back on the hard again !
That's it - that's all there is.
We'll be out of the water by the end of the week and up on sticks in the customary place. Many thanks to those who sailed with us - we slipped more than 600 nm under the keel - and those who helped in so many other ways. Here's to the winter work !
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Weather tracking for 01 and 02 October (27-09-16)
Looking a bit more promising...
... but what's with the sudden northerly? The surface pressure chart for Saturday doesn't seem to indicate it
We need to look a bit further.
... but what's with the sudden northerly? The surface pressure chart for Saturday doesn't seem to indicate it
We need to look a bit further.
Thursday, 22 September 2016
Tracking the sailing for 25 September - Thursday
Not Saturday then.
Surface pressure (top) vs grib derived forecast (bottom) both for sunday
It's still conceavable that the wind speed on Sunday will drop off to something which is sailable, which is what the surface pressure might indicate. If so expect we could expect some fetch from staurday's strong southerly which will be "enhanced" by the change in wind direction.
Oh, and cold.
Final call tomorrow - but it would do no harm to look for jobs to do in the garden over the weekend...
Surface pressure (top) vs grib derived forecast (bottom) both for sunday
It's still conceavable that the wind speed on Sunday will drop off to something which is sailable, which is what the surface pressure might indicate. If so expect we could expect some fetch from staurday's strong southerly which will be "enhanced" by the change in wind direction.
Oh, and cold.
Final call tomorrow - but it would do no harm to look for jobs to do in the garden over the weekend...
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Tracking the sailing for 24 and 25 September - Wednesday - later
Sunday looking more like it might be sailable. Lets see if its confiemd by surface pressure and the 5 day forecast.
Tracking the sailing for 24 and 25 September - Wednesday
Not looking very much better in today's forecast !
Let's see if it improves tomorrow.
Let's see if it improves tomorrow.
Saturday, 3 September 2016
All ships broadcast on the DSC !
If you browse boats on the internet brokerages you may, like us, be curious as to why so many otherwise patently sea worthy vessels are equipped with radio equipment so antiquated it's on a par with a cocoa tin and a peace of string - especially when a modern VHF set equipped with DSC can be had for less than a hundred quid.
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Why bother to upgrade ? Isn't it just more un-necessary tech that you'll never understand or master and just another selling ploy by the manufacturers ?
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Well, yesterday's events convinced me otherwise....
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We set out from Pw at around 1100 on passage for Arklow which we thought would take around 18 hours. The wind was a Force 4 from the south west, so we planned in a series of big tacks to make progress against the wind. Although we didn't seem to be making much western progress, and the seas were quite lumpy to begin with, the track showed the plan was working. At about 1500 UT we came up to Bardsey Sound. We though we were perfectly lined up for one long port tack which would get us through the sound at just the right time and land us at the north cardinal to Arklow Bank, with a bit of motor assistance, at around 0400 this morning.
Literally, when we were heading south to get the transit through the sound the DSC alarm sounded.!
Now this is not an unusual occurrence around there as unfortunately there has been a spate of dive clubs providing some impromptu DSC training with a flood of false alarms - so there is a temptation to ignore it out of hand.
Good move not to ! I've never heard an ALL SHIPS broadcast before, but this was from Hollyhead Coastgaurd {thanks guys} - so we turned up the volume and listened in. GALE WARNING - F8 right in front of us and LATER, right when we would be there.
The track show right where we turned around. At about the time we got back to the fairway buoy the wind suddenly rose to over 20kn, adding extra interest to getting back onto our piled mooring !
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Moral - if you haven't go a DSC radio, get one and listen to them messages.
We'll see you in Arklow before too long, mine's a pint in the Bridge Hotel.
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Why bother to upgrade ? Isn't it just more un-necessary tech that you'll never understand or master and just another selling ploy by the manufacturers ?
*
Well, yesterday's events convinced me otherwise....
*
We set out from Pw at around 1100 on passage for Arklow which we thought would take around 18 hours. The wind was a Force 4 from the south west, so we planned in a series of big tacks to make progress against the wind. Although we didn't seem to be making much western progress, and the seas were quite lumpy to begin with, the track showed the plan was working. At about 1500 UT we came up to Bardsey Sound. We though we were perfectly lined up for one long port tack which would get us through the sound at just the right time and land us at the north cardinal to Arklow Bank, with a bit of motor assistance, at around 0400 this morning.
Literally, when we were heading south to get the transit through the sound the DSC alarm sounded.!
Now this is not an unusual occurrence around there as unfortunately there has been a spate of dive clubs providing some impromptu DSC training with a flood of false alarms - so there is a temptation to ignore it out of hand.
Good move not to ! I've never heard an ALL SHIPS broadcast before, but this was from Hollyhead Coastgaurd {thanks guys} - so we turned up the volume and listened in. GALE WARNING - F8 right in front of us and LATER, right when we would be there.
The track show right where we turned around. At about the time we got back to the fairway buoy the wind suddenly rose to over 20kn, adding extra interest to getting back onto our piled mooring !
*
Moral - if you haven't go a DSC radio, get one and listen to them messages.
We'll see you in Arklow before too long, mine's a pint in the Bridge Hotel.
Monday, 15 August 2016
Heel ho!
Interesting yesterday to see the crew of this racing boat praticising traditional skills to reduce their draught, as they came in at what seemed to be more or less low water.
Imporessive team work, quick thinking and determination. To the doubtors and sneer mongers - when was the last time you climbed out on the the boom when the boat was moving ?
Let's hope they made it without encountering anything hard, such as the sandy bottom of the channel!
Sunday, 7 August 2016
Drying out time
Regular readers will remember that drying out a long keel boat against a wall has featured before on this blog.
Although this boat is local, I don't know the name but the crew made a splendid job of drying her out. They chose a spot where the bottom was both fairly flat and solid and were leaning in to the wall by a generous amount.
I'll be making a note of the location, in case we ever want to use it.
Although this boat is local, I don't know the name but the crew made a splendid job of drying her out. They chose a spot where the bottom was both fairly flat and solid and were leaning in to the wall by a generous amount.
I'll be making a note of the location, in case we ever want to use it.
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Slipways of the World #5 - Pwllheli Marina
Beware of speed boats and jet ski drivers which launch from here into a constricted basin, then roar off in a fit of excitement, without even thinking of the other water users. nearby..
Be especially careful at the fuel berth, which is in the path of destruction.
Thursday, 31 March 2016
Lights and shapes at night
Whilst on our mooring on Saturday night this boat came down up the channel and was showing these lights:
At the time the weather was a bit excitable, so I was interested to see who was operating at that time on a stormy Satruday night !
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Would you know what it was doing without reaching for a book or a set of flash cards ?
To clarify the photo a bit, the white light on the left is a fixed light on the shore side and the lower, brighter white light turned out to be obscuring another red light above it.
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Seeing lights in context, at night, makes them so much easier to understand and then recall later.
At the time the weather was a bit excitable, so I was interested to see who was operating at that time on a stormy Satruday night !
*
Would you know what it was doing without reaching for a book or a set of flash cards ?
To clarify the photo a bit, the white light on the left is a fixed light on the shore side and the lower, brighter white light turned out to be obscuring another red light above it.
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Seeing lights in context, at night, makes them so much easier to understand and then recall later.
Sunday, 23 August 2015
The Pontoon Bar at Pwllheli
Nice selection of drinks at reasonable prices, delicious fresh food and great company.
We've enjoyed two Saturday nights on the go, and it's a good thing its not too far to row back to Annabella - especially with the tide with us !
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Great food and drink and a warm welcome for yachtsmen - who could have
thought of that in Pwllheli ? Our best wishes to young team behind it -
you can count on our support as often as possible...
Sunday, 26 July 2015
Not very nice here this morning!
Pretty grim here on board. No sailing and no work on deck - working out out how to get off...
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