Due to northerly winds and now high winds, we have spent the last week first in Aberystwyth marina and now in Pwllheli marina. The forecast for the next two days are for 20knot plus winds so the plan is to stay till Saturday and then head back down to New Quay.
The sail up to Pwllheli was actually a plan to sail to Caernarfon. Although the sailing was great with ideal winds for the direction we wanted to go, there was a big swell making the ride uncomfortable. Discretion being the greater part of valour, I decided to divert.
Due to northerly winds and a storm we are back in Aberystwyth but before then had a lovely day sailing with another friend.
Rosie joined me for a day on the boat, we had variable winds so ended up motoring back but we also saw some dolphins and did some fishing.
Unfortunately the uncomfortable swell at anchor in New Quay was making Ffion sick so when a storm blew in, we moved to Aberystwyth for some shelter. We are taking the opportunity to do some chores ashore and on the boat.
We have been to Ffions parents house and the field where she keeps her horses and taken some drone footage, done laundry, helped with the shop VAT return, fixed a friends computer, sorted backups on Ffions phone, tablet and computer to free space, been shopping etc.
We will stay here a few more days as we have appointments at the optician and then decide what’s next. We may sail to North Wales or may return to New Quay.
After a week away in Milford Haven and Skomer Island we are back in New Quay. The forecast for the next few days is for a heat wave and little wind so the plan is to do some swimming and some jobs.
Some of the highlights of the last week include: Dolphins, Puffins, Seals and Pysgod Wibbly Wobbly (Welsh for Jelly fish). We also did a lock to get into and out of Milford Haven marina and travelled through Ramsey Sound with 7-8 knots of current, surrounded by whirlpools. Much of the trip was done under motor as we have been becalmed more often than not but that’s a good excuse for loud music and listening to Ffion’s singing.
Today we are off ashore to do a few jobs at home and do some driving plus we need to resupply.
Finally managed to do the second part revealing what I chose to do (even though you all probably already know due to John’s blog. Haha 🤣
After thinking about the pros and cons of going back to Lady Cindy with John & Dotty and speaking to my friends and family I made the decision to return 🙂
On Wednesday 7th John and Dotty came over to the house to help me with some jobs up in the field. Poor Dotty was also given a hair cut by myself but I am far from being a dog groomer. Haha 😂
On Thursday we returned to Lady Cindy but due to not being aboard for some time I was a little bit wobbly but I quickly got my sea legs back. We chose to just relax so that I could take time getting used to being aboard again.
On Monday we needed to go ashore to New Quay to get some more things for our trip and that’s when I went for an unintentional paddle. Haha 😂On approaching the Dock on the tender I offered to get into the shallow water to pull the tender closer to the steps because I was wearing shorts and John was wearing trousers so I took my shoes and sock off, stepped out into the water and then fell over. Haha 😂 I’m glad it was a warm day because I didn’t get too cold but I did walk around New Quay dripping. Haha 😂
When we returned to Lady Cindy I climbed aboard, lost my grip on the shoes I was carrying and one of them fell overboard so John kindly went to get it with the tender because it had started floating away. Haha 😂
We planned to start making our way to Ireland on Monday but due to the change in weather we’ve ended up in Milford Haven for a couple of nights.On our journey we saw some dolphins which was amazing. They were swimming alongside the boat, changing sides, jumping out of the water and a variety of different things. We even saw a cow and a calf which was absolutely beautiful, the calf always stayed very close to its mother’s side.
Also on our travels we also saw some puffins which was amazing, they were diving under the water and they flew very close to the surface of the water. We decided to give them a new name of f**king chuffing puffins which has now stuck so everytime one of us mentions puffins the other one of us says “those f**king chuffing puffins.
We decided to take a trip over to Ireland for a few days, it would be my longest passage so far and first night sail on Lady Cindy. We set of with light winds but they were Westerly, the forecast was for North Westerly. The winds were variable but light so we motorsailed intermittently in the hope the winds would pick up. Overnight we had good wind but in the morning, just past Fishguard they died completely so on went the engine again.
We named this one curly because it had a curl in the tip of it’s fin
Dolphins escorting us away from New Quay
I checked the updated wind forecast and it was obvious we were not going to be able to cross in the very light winds so decided to divert around St David’s Head to Milford Haven and reassess.
In the distance I saw what looked like a half sunk boat drifting, I diverted to investigate and found a stand up paddle board, a radio call to the Coastguard revealed they had one reported missing the previous day that matched the description. They contacted the owners, who contacted us, and arranged for them to collect when we reached anchorage.
We took the cut through Ramsey Sound but got caught out by the tidal race so had to pick up a mooring bouy to wait for the tide to turn. While there the paddleboard owners came to collect it an a trip boat skipper helped get it ashore. A quick Google search showed it was a very expensive board so no doubt they were pleased to get it back.
After the wait, we had good winds all the way into Milford Haven and Dale anchorage. And saw lots of dolphins and Puffins on the way.
Today we have had a chill out day but have been out in the tender fishing and caught some Pollock and found a nice beach for a barbecue later. Also done a few jobs on the boat.
I am still anchored in New Quay, braved a passing storm at anchor and have been deciding on what to do this winter.
The Atlantic storm passed to the South through the English Channel but any Northerly winds can whip up a big swell in New Quay. I watched the forecast carefully in case it veered North, set a kedge anchor to hold the boat close to the waves and rode it out knowing it would be less than 24 hours to pass. It was a bit rolly and the main anchor slipped a few meters but the kedge caught it and we held in place. We survived 💪. I was awake most of the night and ready to move out to sea if needed.
An Atlantic storm passing through to the South of me.The worst winds locally were Southerly so not an issue for me in New Quay
I have two options this winter, either sail South to the med or the Canaries in October or shelter in the UK and work on the boat till the Spring and then sail South. I have got a quote from Aberystwyth marina to stay there 6 months from October and I think that is likely to be my choice. Its convenient, I can lift out for maintenance and I can get some boat interior changes done. I may even be able to find work locally to top up my funds.
Ffion has been at home the last few days which has given us both time to step back and consider whether she should come back to stay on the boat for the summer. The decision is….. damn right yes, at least until one of us feels like throwing the other overboard, she is returning today.
After an amazing 2 weeks on Lady Cindy with John and Dotty I needed to go home to sort out some things.
These past 3 weeks have been filled with laughter, singing, chatting, dancing and a whirlwind of emotions. Meeting new people and going to new places has always been very difficult for me due to my autism and anxiety but with the support of John and lots of cuddles from Dotty I managed to do it.
I’ve had so much fun and experienced something I never thought I would. Singing on deck out in the open sea is amazing because I can sing as loudly as I want and no one apart from John can hear me. Dotty is definitely deaf because sleeping through my loud voice is pretty much impossible. Haha 😄
We’ve been swimming in the sea multiple times which was really nice but I definitely need to work on my back flips and front flips off the boat, they reminded me of something you would see on You’ve Been Framed. Haha 😄
I’ve got some serious thinking to do now because John has very kindly said that I can go back to continue the adventure if I want to.
I need to think about my family, my friends and of course my animals that my parents have kindly looked after and cared for while I’ve been gone. If I only had a couple of pets it wouldn’t be too bad but I’ve got 3 dogs, 2 horses and 2 turtles so it’s a lot of work and pressure on my parents.
Only time will tell if I am to continue on this adventure or not but if it doesn’t, I will always remember the amazing times we had and the adventure I never in a million years thought I would go on.
Just to finish I’d like to say a massive massive thank you to John for giving me the opportunity to have this amazing experience, for being so kind, caring, understanding and welcoming.
Finally the winds have returned to more Southerly so we have returned to anchor off New Quay. Aberystwyth marina is lovely and quiet and extremely convenient for on shore facilities, I would highly recommend it to any visiting yacht. We nearly got caught out with the tides on departing, we lost all track out time with cooking and eating burgers with home made rolls. The marina say you can get in 2 hours either side of the high tide, we got out with 1.7m draft 2.5 hours after the high.
We motored all the way due to light headwinds but did manage to get the headsail up for a short time. Ffion provided the entertainment on the way down with her incredible vocal talents belting out numbers, especially from Pink, her favourite band.
New Quay did not dissapoint, providing a beautiful sunset as the RNLI returned to harbour from an exercise. We also had jellyfish and a shoal of small fish around the boat and dolphins in the distance.
Winds for the next week are predicted Southerly so I hope to be here a while.
Well that was a change of plan that no-one expected would happen.
The original plan was to do do some driving with my ex driving instructor one day in preparation for my driving test but then I was offered the amazing opportunity to see the boat and possibly do some sailing.
After speaking about it with my parents and John and thinking about it for a while I finally decided to just go for it.
Getting on a bus is a really scary thing for me especially to go somewhere new on my own and to see someone I haven’t seen for years.
I had mentioned it to my parents but due to my autism and anxiety neither of us actually expected me to go.It’s safe to say that mum was definitely shocked when she came home from work and realised that I had actually gone.
I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help and support of my parents and of course John.
My Dad came with me to the bus stop to make sure that I got on the bus okay and bought a ticket to the correct place.
John suggested that I shared my location with him so that he could see where I was and when to come to meet me at the bus station. This really helped me because I could also see myself getting closer to my destination.
John has and continues to be very caring, always checking that I’m okay and helps me through the times when I get anxious about something.
Due to being around animals all of my life it has also really helped me that Dotty is here, there’s something really calming and relaxing about cuddling a dog and it also reminds me of home.
Dotty and I enjoying a cuddle
I’ve always loved swimming so I’ve been swimming in the sea (not sure if that’s bravery or just because I’m crazy. Haha 😂)
Me having a swim in Aberystwyth
While we were out sailing I also managed to actually catch some mackrell which was a new experience for me and I even learned how to tack (changing the direction of the boat and the sails) which is amazing.
Caught my first fish
We sailed to New Quay and back on the 27th which was lovely, however on the way back I started to feel a bit seasick but I felt much better after going sick and having a good sleep.
On top of all these new experiences we have also managed to fit some driving in. I had never driven to Aberystwyth before this week but I managed to do it with the help, support and guidance of John. I’ve driven in twilight and in the dark which was new to me but we safely arrived to Aberystwyth Marina the 2 times.
About a week later I am still here, we are taking each day at a time and we often check how each other are feeling.
It has been an amazing experience so far and I really hope it continues but even if it doesn’t I will always remember this amazing experience.
For the last week, I have had Ffion living aboard as a guest. We originally planned to take her out for a day or two driving her car to get experience and practice for her driving test. I taught her to drive about 6 or 7 years ago but she failed the test due to mistakes caused by nerves. Since then she has gone through several instructors but she is nervous with strangers and did not continue. I invited her out for a sail as well so plans changed to she would stop over for the weekend. Just over a week later she’s still here 😁. We get along so well so why not?
It has been a great experience for me, not only personally, but for learning to liveaboard with a guest. It’s a tiny cramped space and we need to manage space and resources. I have learned that, with the right person, it is possible, at least in the short term. Longer term? I don’t know, but taking each day at a time with no expectations has worked so far.
We sailed to New Quay and back yesterday in a good wind and higher seas. On the way back, Ffion and Dotty went down for a sleep to settle uneasy tummies.
