STILL HERE

SWANSEA 12 APRIL 2010
I know it has been a while since the computer and I have made contact, but life can be more hectic than you realise for the retired person supposedly at leisure!
We are now in Swansea, south Wales, after making the dash from Ireland a week or so ago. We tottered from Howth to Arklow, a journey which should have taken about 5 hours and managed to make it a journey of 14 hours. We had looked at the weather maps, got the relevant forecasts, and were expecting the perfect breeze to help us south, but once out of the harbour we were confronted by wind coming exactly the wrong direction and too strong to motor against. So we sailed and sailed and sailed, but only made about 3 miles south in the hour, spending more time going cross wise then downwise on the chart. Lovely day though, even if we did leave the harboutr at 4:30AM. And the engine died again on the approach into Arklow harbour – so a quick turn around and out with the kedge. This time fixed in record time as we wanted to get in before the light failed as it was a bit of a tricky entrance. The only place to stay was alongside the pontoon int the river, and was not very comfortable at all as the scend coming in from the harbour made the boat continually surge back and forth on the warps and fenders, squeaking and squawking as they did so. We found out that yachts are not welcome at Rosslare, our next idea for a stop, and then we looked hard at the forecasts and realised that if we did not make Swansea in the next couple of days we would miss Easter in Oxford as there would not be another chance for days after. So another 4:30 start and we set of the cross the Irish Sea for Milford Haven. Super day, but not enough wind to sail and make the tides, so we motor-sailed the day. Dave’s addition to Harriet the wind vane, called Terry the Tiller, worked a treat. Basically he has adapted an electric autopilot to work on a stubby form of Harriet’s windvane he made. We have been unable to install any other powered autopilot due to the configuration of the steering gear and the size of the boat. So this allows us to use a device made for smaller yachts by using Harriet’s servo gear when there is not enough wind for Harriet by herself. Certainly beats hand steering all day. We made the tides and anchored in a little bay in the entrance to Milford Haven. This was the first test of the new anchor and modified chain locker and all went like clockwork. Next day to Swansea, another motor sail, but lovely and despite trepidations about the entrance into Swansea, made it through the locks and swing bridge to the allocated pontoon with no dramas.
So here we are, surrounded by a modern housing development, right in the middle of the city. Not many yachts, mainly huge power boats, some of which have even been seen to move. Shopping centre a short walk away, as are Tesco and Sainsbury. Dave has relatives here, so we have also been well looked after. Then it was the hire car and the round robin trip to see the family. Wonderful to see the children and little Alex, and we managed to kidnap Damian and Michael to help sort out our computers. We did feed them afterwards so i don’t think they minded too much. So now Dave knows how to get his rugby and cricket on iplayer and I have had my itunes and photos retrieved after they were scrambled when the little man who transferred the stuff from my old computer to the lap top made a mess of it.
We are stuck here till our new dinghy is finished. It was due last week but we find that some parts have not arrived. But time is not wasted, as the launch pad for the kedge is being put on, the deck is getting done and loads more. The sun has been shining and the shorts have been out (shame about the white legs). When we were in Guildford Rachel and I went to get a baby car seat for Alex and at the same time I bought a garden umbrella for the cockpit. Dave was a bit aghast I think, but having experienced the joy of lunch in the cockpit under the umbrella, has been won over. We have a large awning as well, but that is more suitable for very hot places, and can only be used when the boat is at anchor for some time – it is not a device to take up and down every day. The sun is still out today; several days of sunshine in a day is something we have not experienced for years I think. It might be time to think about going head down under the front bunk to find the rest of the summer clothes – don’t want to jinx things though!