We're back

[ishtar]

We made it! Ishtar is now on her temporary mooring at Llangwm in Milford Haven. Louise and I got back to Bridgend a few hours ago. Pics and vids to follow, along with tales of brave adventure, sea dragons and seeing the water fall of the edge of the Earth!

Small coal to most experienced sailors, I'm sure, but a huge sense of achievement for Louise and I.

[ishtar]

We locked out at 10:30. Right on the top of the tide. We'd been told to leave 2 hours before high, but Louise had been on nights, and came straight to the boat at 10. As soon as we got out of the wrach channel, she went off to her bunk, leaving me with the long slow drag towards Swansea, in the rain, with little wind.

[ishtar]

We stayed outside the Nash bank, and used the tide as much as possible. A bit of wind and we touched 10.2 knots SOG, keeping a good average of 7 knots. I kept the engine running most of the time - I wanted to try and make Oxwich if possible, before the tide turned foul. It was turning as we passed Pwll Du head. This was not the only head to appear, as the late afternoon brightened up and 'Why didn't you wake me?' echoed across the bay:

[ishtar]

A beautiful anchorage at Oxwich. Fished away the evening, but they wouldn't even take a prawn from my curry. Got a text from Allan aboard Chausey, nee Cobby Girl. He was at Clovelly, surrounded by dolphins. I told him about the curried prawn repelling fish, and how I may have invented a new shark repellant, but he didn't respond. I guess he was tired.

[ishtar]

Up and about early. The complete lack of wind concerned me, so we tried to punch the last of the flood. Hard going off The Worm's head:



It was a beautiful day, far too nice to be worried about crossing Carmarthen bay by a certain time, but I was, until Louise spotted the Dolphins.



They were with us on and off for several hours, two adults and two calves. I am convinced the adults were teaching the calves to ride the bow wave.



Off St Govan's head, a much larger group appeared, maybe 15. I'm sure there were porpoise travelling with them. As usual, the dolphins seemed playful, and curious of Ishtar, but the much smaller porpoise, if they were, stayed away. I've never seen porpoise and dolphin in the sa,e pod before. Very odd.

[ishtar]

I even tried putting the spinnaker up, to no avail:



Actually, it was rigged as an attempt to get air in through the hatch and down below. It was so hot and there was little shade, so we did half hour watches. It was nice and cool after I rigged the sleeping bag like this.

I'd made a big mistake. Even though I had two hours of ebb left, I didn't realise the tide runs East for the last two hours of the Ebb as you approach Milford. By the time we reached Crow rock, off Linney head, I was doing 1.7 knots SOG, with the tide about to pick up. I really was concerned that we would have to anchor off and wait for 6 hours, but as we crossed into Freshwater West, the speed increased, and we charged into Milford at the start of the flood up the ruiver:

[ishtar]

Under the Cleddau bridge and up several miles of beautiful unspoilt river (see later)



We could relax.

Well, Louise could. I still had to sort out our mooring, so started attaching bouys and seizing shackles as we navigated the Cleddau.



When we got to the old mooring, there was no line coming off it to tie on too, and it was running very fast. I dropped a lassoo over the buoy and made Ishtar fast. Three times I tried to pull myself along a line to dive on the buoy. I was exhausted, but did manage to dive and attach a line to the mooring block. We'd be ok for the night. I waited for slack, which was exactly at high water, and made a plan to dive and attach the new chain at the next slack in the morning.

[ishtar]

I dived as soon as it was slack, cut off the old bouy and Hawser. Pulled the line stright up and down and lowered the new chain. Down into the mud and my torch failed. I attached the shackle and seized it by feel. Came up happy. We have to leave the mooring as we found it, so I handed up the old buoy for Louise to clean. Happy!

[ishtar]

Mooring secured, we set off down the river, to do some exploring. The river is quite easy to navigate, and is 20m deep in places, but once you get down to Pembroke dock, it's a different place entirely. The thrust from this tug, nosing the tanker in to the jstty, caught us, and we were a long way off.



Some avoid the tankers like the plague, others, less so:

[ishtar]

Within about 5 miles in Milford, there are probably a dozen anchorages, for varying wind directions, 2 marinas, a pub with it's own pontoon, and a number of other small pontoons for lunch stops or overnight stays.

This is at Gelliswick:



and this was at Dale, where we met Ian and Laurie.



We'd met them earlier at the fuel pontoon in Milford marina. They were off on a jolly to the Scillies and beyond, on a 5 week sabbatical from their wives. Based at Watchet, we promised we'd have a beer with them when they got back. They sailed for Padstow at midnight. Keep your eyes out for a 32ft Sadler, 'Rondo' on your travels, Allan.

[ishtar]

Or, you bilge keelers could just haul out anywhere up the river:

[ishtar]

Whilst leaving Dale, we were 'attacked' by extras from the new Robin Hood film, being shot out at Freshwater west:



And back up the river again to peaceful Llangwm:

[ishtar]

Ishtar on her mooring:



We've only been away four days - it seems much longer.

[ishtar]

Videos:

Dolphins:

[ishtar]

More dolphins:

[ishtar]

We didn't motor all the time:

[Matt]

Nice account as usual guys - Looks lovely.

[ishtar]

We went back to the boat on Thursday afternoon. Went down the river and through Milford with the ebb. Moored up for the night at Dale pontoon. We were due in St Davids for a diving weekend on Friday night, so got up early and went ashore around the corner in Castlebeach bay.




Took a walk up to Dale Fort and took some more pictures of Ishtar:

[ishtar]

There was no room in the tender, so one of us was forced to swim ashore:



heh, he.

One of us decided to go skinny dipping, and , being only just 08:00, there was no chance of being caught.

[Picture deleted]

Voices were heard from the coast path, and someone had to get out of the water and dressed very quickly. 60 (we counted them) students appeared on the beach, doing a biological survey. It was funny.

[ishtar]

A quick breakfast and we motored across the Haven to Sandy Haven. Dropped anchor again and explored another beach:




A short sweet visit. we timed our journey back up the river to reach the pontoon outside the Jolly sailor pub for lunch. There was just enough water, on the rising tide, but another yacht had moored in the middle of the hammerhead, and we could not moor. we could have rafted up, but didn't want to without asking, and there was nobody aboard, so headed back up the river to our mooring, and off to St Davids, diving.

Thoughts on Milford - lots of places to go and plenty of mooring spots/anchorages in a short distance. Decent sailing in the lower haven, but wind too variable and the river too twisty at the top end to sail properly.

Loving it.