.That's what I call a Christmas stocking

Look what Santa brought!

Some books here to get into

The weather in Holyhead

Well, hurricane Ophelia passed through yesterday - it was a tense time for all of us, and perhaps especially for those who couldn't be nearby, not that we could have done anything for the boats on the moorings if we had been.

Overnight the wind speeds were apparently recorded upto 76 knots.

Friend and sometime crew Michael visited the harbour this (Tuesday) morning, luckily he was able to catch a lift on the launch and make good the only problem on our boat, which was the mizzen halyard which had blown loose. When we talked he told me could see 7 headsails plucked out of their roller reefers and blown out. I'm sorry for the damage and the distress caused to other boat owners.

*

Over ten years ago, when I bought my first boat, I asked Jon Crisp, my erstwhile sailing mentor, to look over her. As he left, he said one last thing, "...put a sail tie around the roller reefer, you never know when the wind will pluck it out whilst you're away and things will be bad." I wish I remember as well everything else he'd said and we'd learned, but mostly that he was still with us, to have the opportunity to retail our own tales of sailing and the sea...

New log book on the way:

So - we used up all the store bought log book, so I made us a new one. You can have a look at it here:

http://www.blurb.co.uk/books/8120511-sailing-yacht-annabella-log-book

They are exceptional value if you happen to have a sailing yacht called Annabella - or if you just want to follow our adventures!

Sun versus the bilge pump

The sun has come out and three of the four jobs have been done - replacing the bilge pump.

Now where's the nail brush?

...at last, the new cockpit table

Now, where's the ice and the lemon...

...now with AIS on the deck plotter.

One night last year, on first watch on a murky night, it struck me how much more comfortable it would be to have AIS targets showing on our Garmin deck plotter - rather than just via the remote mic display from our Standard Horizon fixed VHF set.

Garmin deck plotter + Standard Horizon remote microphone for AIS fixed VHF set

Well, of course we could.
 It just took a lot of motivation, a bit of spare time and the helpful reference of Carolyn Sherlock's "Boat Galley" blog, which had helpfully worked out which wire to connect to which and what settings to make..

Overall - took about 30 minutes, and worked 1st time! :-)

Just to confirm "St Davids" is not dangerous - it was just within 1nm of us. I have made a mental note to turn to AIS CPA alarm off in the harbour and on again at sea - maybe a note in the log...

Really pleased and, of course, thanks to CS and the Boat Galley blog.

Success with bread !

Following on from the mixed success on our recent passage from the Isles of Scilly, I think we have fnally cracked the beer bread recipe and produced a loaf not only worth eating, but actually quite nice!

Instructions are:
Preheat oven - our's is a "Nelson" which was set to mid heat which is  6 on the dial, but I don't  know if this relates to gas mark at all. Move shelf to lowest position.
Oil a small bread tin and prepare a small piece of cooking foil.
Mix 1+1/2 mugs of self raising flour with 1 desert spoon sugar and 1/2 spoon of salt in a jug or bowl.
Add a "stubby" (small bottle) of cheap lager and mix thoroughly then pour into tin.
Put tin into warmed over, when it starts ot rise cover with the foil.
We cooked it for 90 minutes then tuned of the over, tipped it out of the tin and put in for another 45 minutes
Timing is the key thing and this works for us but is the subject of experiment.
Cut and guzle with butter and jam, whilst still warm !

10 and 11 July - Postscriptum

After most of the crew took to the road, other Dave helped me take the boat back to her mooring.
We hailed the club launch on VHF channel 37, and they took other Dave off - now he was going his way too.
Katie, the launch driver asked me if I was coming ashore, I said, "No, not quite yet, I'm going to tidy up and straighten out a few things. I'll see you in the bar later."
Well, mid-morning on next day I was woken by someone gently tapping on the portlight with a boat hook. Katie again, " You weren't in the bar last night and thought we'd better check on you..." I'd slept the clock round, but felt happy and secure that the launch crew had been watching over me after all.

There is a a tremendous feeling of satisfaction in skippering a successful passage, even if it is only
600nm. Annabella may not be a big boat, but she went there and came back in the same number of pieces with which she set out and a happy crew.
**
Whose coming next, wherever we're going ?

Sailing is replete with metaphors, but this one will remain with me for a long time. As we came on to the north-south pontoon a seal (small dark spot - middle of the picture) appeared and cruised round, taking an inquisitive interest in everything. I asked someone if they came up to the marina a lot, "...never seen it before." they replied.

10 July - Landfall

Hoorah ! We're back in our home port, 

The boats cam back ok and so did the crew - they're safe and sound and still talking to each other !

What a crew and what a passage !
**
Wihtin a few minutes of this photo we all go went our separate ways,
By night fall were hundreds of miles apart.
Will we meet again ? Watch out for part 2 ?

day 9 - On passage

We were coming up to within on day's passage from  our home port, in calm / flat conditions we passed northwards to the west of Bardsey at a slow pace. In the early hours a light wind came up which helped us ghost along.
As the sun came up the sense of anticipation grew, and drew the cruise to a conclusion by steaming straight through the overfalls and pas the break water.