This weekend.

[allan]

I fancy heading to St Pierre pill this weekend. Does anyone else fancy a dirty weekend? Well a bit muddy at least! According to the BCYA blue book, it is best to arrive at HW which is Avonmouth +15mins.
Allan

Avonmouth tides.
Sat 3 Mar
HW LW HW LW
01:27 08:09 14:36 21:05
9.3 m 4.2 m 9.3 m 4.1 m
Sun 4 Mar
HW LW HW LW
03:20 09:50 16:08 22:31
9.7 m 3.8 m 10.1 m 3.3 m
Predicted heights are in metres above Chart Datum

[sheila]

Sorry, we'd love to come but have other arrangements for Saturday, You'd better start collecting your BBC points Allan! Got to beat Blight Fryer this year.

[Martyn & Sarah]

will will be there allan frying blight along the way!

[allan]

HW is just before 1500 and it's neap tides. I plan to leave 1000 or 1030, depending on the wind. I've looked on Google earth and I think I can see the way to the pub across the fields. Edwina is under instructions to bring her wellies, the gardening ones, not the sailing ones!
Allan

[Cardiff Yacht Club]

Hi folks, apologies for having to exercise my powers and move this thread, but the reason we try and keep announcements of forthcoming trips in this section is that it cannot be seen by people not logged on. That way, nobody knows that there will be empty cars at the club all weekend.....

[allan]

Some people are just power mad!! Thanks for doing the thinking for me. At least I can life heavy weights!
Wind looks OK for the weekend, I up for the 1000 lock.
Allan

[allan]

A great weekend for almost all of us. Bright Flyer and Chausey left at 1030 on Saturday and had a good sail up to just before the second Severn crossing. We went into the pill via the bridge side of the island. After negotiating our way into the entrance and heading up the east side of the moorings we rafted up to the pontoon.
The only thing the spoils the look of the pill are the electric pylons. If you ignore these, the place is beautiful, completely surrounded by fields. It should be said that there is nothing there. The nearest road is about half a mile away, so the people who sail from there must be really serious about their sailing.
As we are adventurers we headed off, across the fields, over the railway bridge, though the farmyard, past the stables and church, where Martin proved he is a new man and asked directions, then down the road, under the motorway and into the pub. After a couple of beers we did the return journey by torchlight and went to the boats for dinner, not before I had found the last muddy puddle before the pontoon. After eating we got together on Bright flyer for a couple more beers whilst enjoying the warmth from their new stove.
On Sunday I took Lilly for walk and had a look at the entrance of the pill which is just as shown in the Blue book. As I was cleaning my wellies on the pontoon when Lilly decided it would be a really good idea to jump off into the mud! We all found out that a small dog can't walk on mud. Luckily she had her lifejacket on so could be lifted straight out and taken back to the boat for a warm shower.
About an hour before high water we left and sailed back to Cardiff. Both boats opted to just use genoas which was fine for Bright Flyer but Chausey should have had some main to help her head up better. Even so we managed to maintain 7kts though the water most of the way down the shoots. After 4 hours we were back in the lock and then home.
A great weekend, nice place, good sailing and good company. I'm sure even Lilly will be happy to return to St Pierre pill.
Allan

[Viv]

Sounds great Allan, and BBC points too!

[Matt]

Nice one Allan.