What was a very spur of the moment decision the day before, led me to Deganwy on Sunday 8th May. I calculated that my sailing window (allowing for high and low tides and the gate times) was 14.45 – 18.30. The forecast was light winds, 8kts – 10kts and a sea state of 2: just about perfect for a few hours of unchallenging singlehanded sailing around the bay. Getting off the pontoon presented an unusual challenge. I gently motored sternwards about seven metres and then came to a halt. Grounded. Or silted would be more accurate. Stuck in the silty mud. It was a neap tide, so the high tide wasn’t actually very high and as a result I got silted. I put the engine into a noisy astern and the boat eased out into the wider marina. Good Mood wasn’t the only boat that had to plough its way out into the marina.
I motored downriver, and out into the shipping channel. At the Fairway buoy, with the wind at 8kts, I raised the mainsail and unfurled the genoa and sailed towards Puffin Island. Halfway there, having averaged a steady 5kts, I gybed about and headed for the seamost tip of Great Orme Head. After approx 2nm later the wind just vanished. No amount of retrimming the sails got me moving in any direction, so I put the kettle on, made a brew and had lunch.
The wind didn’t return so after an hour or so of digestion I lowered the mainsail, rolled up the genoa, and motored back to the marina.
Time on the water: 4 hours. Distance covered, 10nm