TripSailor.com® Sailing Blogs

Wednesday 2nd June 2010

Up at 1000hrs after a nice sleep and had a very leisurely breakfast of toast and coffee. Tried my new vodafone broadband dongle but he signal was too weak to download pages for the weather forecast, Typical! Will move down to Neyland Marina some time today as I could do with stocking up on food stuffs for the next leg. I ring them to book a berth near the outside so that I don’t have to maneuvre into a tight spot. Free wifi down there so will do a big update on the blog and see long range forecast. Can’t get petrol at Neyland, its ten minutes drive away! They suggest I go to a waiting pontoon off Dobb’s Point opposite Neyland entrance on the way. There is a fuel petrol station just up the road.

1350 Departed Dale Bay after a very leisurely morning in glorious sunshine with just a light southerly breeze. Motored out and unfurled the Genoa but not enough wind to sail against the ebbing tide. Going against the tide again, how do I do it! No bother though as its only 5 miles up the entrance past the docks and oil terminals. Spot a ship coming out and decide to head back towards Dale Bay smartly as the deep channel runs very close by and I am not half way across it yet. Probably could have made it but wasnt sure how quick he was approaching and he was still picking up speed. Better safe than sorry in unfamiliar waters. Gave me a good idea of how wide they take the turn for the marks as well. He slipped passed with plenty of water between us and I turned back out again for the far shore and proceeded up the harbour. Some nice little bays the other side. An Irish ferry came out next, quite busy with shipping here, you definately need to stay outside the main deep channels as suggested in the pilot books. Theres plenty of depth for small craft well outside the deep channel so no problem really. Glorious sunshine still and getting very hot. I trundle up the harbour and past the oil terminals where a couple of tankers are being maneuvred by tugs. Four tugs for each tanker, quite an operation. VHF on so that port control can call me if I am unwittingly getting in the way! Just watching and following what the local leisure boats are doing, no problem at all just keep a good watch.

1600hrs after a very slow motor up the harbour taking in the sights and spotting a good anchorage for easterly winds I arrive at the pontoon at Hobb’s Point. Its nearly low water but there is plenty of depth to come alongside. I leave her right on the end to leave room for others but I am the only boat there. I assumed it was the Pembrokeshire Yacht Club pontoon as they are based here. When I ask permission to stay for an hour at the yacht club I am told it is a council pontoon and stay as long as you like but over nighting is not allowed. There are kids jumping off the 20ft quay nearby and having a great time. I put all the instruments away and walk up the road with four 5 litre cans for petrol. Its about a half a mile walk and you pass a Lidl supermarket and then come to a round about with an Asda store and petrol station immediately off it. I put the nozzle in the first can and before I squeeze the trigger realise I have left my wallet on the boat! Damn it…..I trudge back and return twenty minutes later by now hot and sweaty in the heat of the afternoon. The lads were still quay jumping and curious about my boat. I get my petrol and trudge back to the boat again and take ten minutes to relax and cool down.

It was too good an opportunity to miss so I ring the marina and tell them I am running late and will be with them before 1900hrs. I grab my ruck sack and head for the supermarket. An hour later I am back on board with two bags and a bulging ruck sack full of food and veg that will not deteriorate quickly. Coping okay without a fridge but just have to be careful what I buy, any fresh foods have to be eaten within a couple of days or so. The bilge lockers dont keep it as cool as fridge!

When I got back to the boat I noticed the kids quay jumping had gone, some of them were up the road and when I passed them they were explaining to the police why a car that went past them suddenly had a broken side window? I noticed that my cockpit and seats were soaking wet and at first thought it must have been wake from a passing speed boat. No it wasn’t it was water that had run out of kids wetsuits and a big wet bum print on my cockpit cushion confirmed it. No damage was done thankfully but they had also put the engine in gear for me. Good job I locked up and wasnt gone for the day. Little herberts!

Motored across to Neyland Marina through a group of club racing yachts trying to sail against the tide in no wind and taking it very seriously. Tied up at my allocated berth and went ashore to get the gate code and wifi key. Connected the shore power and had dinner down below as the sun goes down behind the hill early here and the marina is in shadow in the evenings. Nice place and lots of boats here, it goes way up the creek as far as you can see and beyond that is an inner marina with a cill. Glad of the shade to cool off and feeling nice and relaxed now the petrol and shopping is out the way. Will think about my options when I see the weather tomorrow.