Where has the summer gone?

It is now the beginning of september and I have not made an entry since the first charter of the season back in may.  In my defence, there has been a lot happening and the summer seems to have flown by.  That said, all that activity should have given me something to report!

There have really been 2 main themes to the season: racing and chartering.  I shall deal with the racing separately as the season is not quite over.  However, I have probably finished chartering for the year.  I should have been out yesterday, but with a near gale in the forecast I cancelled.

Casting my mind back to earlier in the season, over the weekend of 9/10 Jul I took some friends on a circumnavigation of Anglesey.  The weather was fine and the winds light, which set the scene for a very pleasant weekend.  We caught the tide around the north of the Island with the intention of anchoring for lunch in Lligwy bay which is a beautiful beach just north of Moelfre.  Unfortuantely, the windlass decided this was the time to stop working and, after a 30 minute faff, we moved on, having a leisurely lunch under sail.  We made the swellies about 20 minutes after high water slack and sailed on to Victoria Dock, Caernarfon and a night in the marina with a fabulous chinese meal in Foos, just beside the dock.

The next day we were up early to cross Caernarfon bar before the ebb set in, so as to avoid any wind over tide.  In the event the wind was very light and the sea benign.  Shortly afterwards we found ourselves in company with a pod of dolphins.  However, they, like us, clearly thought it far too early and did not stop to play as they sometimes do.  We anchored for lunch just off Rhosneigr and returned to Holyhead, passing close in to South Stack to get the best view of the wildlife.  We were back on the pontoon by 1600, having covered 78 nautical miles and had a lovely weekend.

As it happens, the next charter was the following weekend.  A family of 4 just wanted to do as much sailing as possible.  The wind was much fresher than the previous weekend and indeed, we brought the whole thing forward 24 hours to avoid the strong winds forecast for the sunday.  We day-sailed round the north of the Island both days, seeking flatter water, and made it as far as Puffin Island on the second day before returning.  We covered 88 nautical miles in the 2 days and managed 8kts across Red Wharf Bay.

The next time out was with family and friends on 2 Aug.  It was a lovely day and we spent the afternoon making our way up to the Skerries lagoon - a 'secret' anchorage, where the provisions for the lighthouse used to be offloaded.

Well that's where some of the summer went.  At least I've caught up a little.