Captain's Log
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An Irishman, Scotsman and Englishman went to Wales...
Thursday 8th July 2010
Rent-a-crew arrived and we were gone. Goodbye Crosshaven, goodbye RCYC and goodbye Ireland. We were a crew of 7 on the short hop across to Milford Haven, and with the mizzen and staysail hoisted we were topping 10kts at times. I know what you’re thinking, but no, no one even thought of joining the highly select chunder club on this trip.
As we arrived in Milford the Atlantic swell grew and Halcyon rolled beam onto the waves, and after a quick chat with the ever friendly MH Coastguard we were cleared up the west channel to Dale Shelf Anchorage, where we slept, dined, listened to England lose 4-1 to Germany. Now I am English and wasn’t following the world cup hugely, but to the 3 Irish guys and Colin [the guy who likes milkshakes from Scotland] this didn’t come as a huge surprise. They were more than happy to tell Amanda and I the score right up until final time... I personally lost interest after about 5 minutes! Rib in water, lines and fenders ready and we shot up to Milford Marina with the tide and after a bit of banter with the other boats waiting for freeflow we were back. Pierhead being as friendly as ever as we came in.
Andrew met us for dinner that evening at Marthas and the guys were on the 7am train to Cardiff the following morning with Colin heading back to Moi on the evening flight to Glasgow... And then there were two. I quite like it being just Amanda and I on the boat, but crikey can she find places to hide – not that she runs away from me and hides you understand...
I have had to hire another hostess for the next couple of months as we’re going to be fairly busy on our next trek to Oban this weekend. My friend Sean is standing in as first mate for now and the ‘wouldn’t say boo to a goose’ Joelle joined us the same day... time to bring her out of her shell me thinks! Her new name ‘Bootie’ isn’t perhaps quite what you think... after an introductory drink at the Harbourmasters we were told how her father is French and lives in Marseille... lots of boutique shops in Marseille... Boutique is too long... Hence Bootie is more apt... Makes sense I guess.
The reason for us being in Milford Haven is the 2010 Seafair Haven Festival. For the first weekend we headed off to Tenby anchoring in the bay. Unfortunately the next morning the Generator [whom I have shown so much love and attention to] decided not to work and overheat. Cue engineering head. Impeller – OK. Coolant – Not bad... this went on for a while and although Andrew and guests still came aboard I was only able to take them the short trip to anchor at Caldey Island. Without the generator we are unable to use the oven [black heating box in the Pink room] or use many of the other features including many of the 230v sockets. Generator still not working at 2pm and a f8 just being forecast from the SW so I decided to shoot off back to Milford to fix the generator and ride out the wind. Sunday’s daysail was cancelled unfortunately, but seeing the driving wind and rain while we were alongside made me realise although I felt bad for letting Andrew and guests down, I was probably doing them and their stomachs a favour in the long run, as I’m sure it would have been a very bumpy day!
Inshore passage on the way back, catching the last of the tide, and going inside turbot bank we had a small race against a challenge 72 and small moody yacht. Needless to say halcyon ate them up easily with Port control and the coastguard being very chatty on the way in... Halcyon never seems to be unable to attract attention. We followed La Racouvrance in on freeflow coming alongside with bootie throwing the bowline... she’s definitely got some sailors blood in there somewhere! Nigel and Mark from Nielsen’s came a day later to help fix the generator and help fix some leaks. Genset fixed and we’re ready for Friday’s charter with Andrew and guests and Saturdays Parade of sail from Neyland.
We will be leaving here for Oban this coming weekend doing a series of daysails with Andrew and friends up the Irish sea... let’s hope for some good wind from the south, dolphins, sunshine and some exquisite cuisine coming from the galley form Amanda...
So we’re all a very happy crew, and it has been brilliant to have so many people coming to admire Halcyon while we have been in Milford, and having met two more cadets from her days at Warsash, I am very sure she has some secrets yet to be revealed, inlets to explore and still more people to impress.
Happy Sailing...
Simon