As we crossed St Bride’s Bay the sun shone warmly and the great colourful balloon of our spinnaker drew us smoothly across the flat water. Ahead of us lay the gap of Jack Sound, the narrow channel between Skomer and Pembrokeshire’s Dale peninsula. Beset with sharp fangs both above and below the water, it is a passage that has earned notoriety. Carol looked at me. ‘Let’s go through under spinnaker.’ I looked back at her. The proposal to hamper our manoeuvrability with a restrictive sail plan between encroaching rocks in an area of eddies and cross currents did not seem initially attractive, but the sun was bright, the tide was fair, and we would be unlikely to have these conditions again. We lined up the transit and began, using the 4 knot tidal current, to sweep us well clear of the Crabstones, Cable Rock, and The Anvil. We emerged level with The Bench, glad to still be pointing the right way before sailing serenely onwards down Broad Sound with the spinnaker billowing strongly. We had done it! Carol and I exchanged a glance and a satisfied sigh of relief.
Sailing the coastline of Wales offers a heady mix of delight and peace combined with a smattering of challenging moments. No matter how often I sail its shores I always find something new to draw me back to accompany the joyful memories of previous trips. Our first adventure was sailing our 22ft E-Boat from Milford Haven to Bardsey Island; after a few years we upgraded to a Southerly 105 ketch, Aurial. Both craft enjoy the advantage of a lifting keel, thereby opening up the possibilities of creek crawling and crossing shallow bars into the drying harbours so common on this west coast.
Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Yachting Monthly.
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Denne historien er fra September 2020-utgaven av Yachting Monthly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
I WAS THE ONLY SAILOR ON OUR FAMILY CHARTER AND IT HAD TO GO WELL
Crystal waters, cliff tombs and sunken outboards lain Willis wanted to ensure plain sailing for his family’s first charter around Turkey's Lycian Coast
HOW IT WORKS SEAWATER PUMP
The water and oil seals on a water pump shaft will eventually wear with time, leading to pump-shaft corrosion or loss of engine oil.
THOUSANDS OF MILES ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN
Floris and Ivar battled severe weather and cross swell to sail from Australia to South Africa, but there were beautiful islands on the way
The secret of yachts with enduring appeal
Fashions come and go, but J-Boats remain a safe choice for great sailing boats, whether you want to own it for ever or sell it
Tragic sinking of Bayesian; Italian prosecutors investigate
The sinking of the Bayesian superyacht in reportedly only 16 minutes and the tragic loss of seven lives has sent a shudder through the sailing community and beyond.
THE ADVENT OF MARINE AI TECHNOLOGY
Fonathon Savill reports on the revolutionary impact artificial intelligence is about to have on all areas of life at sea
IMPROVING SINGLE-LINE REEFING
Martin Watts explains how to reduce the friction on the reefing lines of newer yachts
The secrets of skippering a successful cruise
Setting off on a cruise is easy, but planning a route that keeps your options open and ensures the enjoyment of all on board is more of an art
CRUISING THE KINGDOM OF THE ISLES
Joanna Martin and her husband Mark sail across the Irish Sea to the legendary sea kingdom and to draw the wonderful wildlife there
MOODY DS48
Can a boat built for long-term, long-distance cruising and offering one-level living still deliver an enjoyable sailing experience? Theo Stocker sets sail across the English Channel to find out