Tuesday 1 June 2010 Aberystwyth N520 24.532’ W0040 05.236’

The plan was to depart Fishguard at 0400 hours to make the midday tidal window at Aberystwyth. The forecast promised SE Force 3 to 4 winds with rain becoming NW, maybe 4 or 5. At dusk, as we turned, in it was quiet – a glassy calm with no wind. We were awaken in the middle of the night by wind howling in the rigging and rain hammering on the deck; Alcyone was surging around on her anchor with the chain grinding in the roller. Alarms at 0400 got us out of our bunks, briefly, to decide to let out more chain and abort the planned departure – it was horrible on deck.

By mid morning, however, despite the forecast, the wind had died down to a gentle breeze and the sea flattened. The rain stopped. Although grey and overcast, visibility was reasonable and hence we set out for Aberystwyth. The passage was uneventful but grey and dull with occasional watery sunshine trying to get through the cloud. Wind was light initially increasing up to 10 knots from the NW but then dying away again to the evening when the cloud cleared and we enjoyed wonderful evening sunshine, lighting up the seafront of Aberystwyth and headlands, mountains and estuaries beyond.

Once again we rigged George W and this time with the benefit of time with the Instruction Book he (it must be a ‘he’) steered for 2 or 3 hours faultlessly. When the wind died away he could no longer cope and was let off watch.

Somehow suspecting that Aberystwyth Marina would not be manned 24 hours a day, a booking was made by mobile phone. And instructions given on how to make the entrance – rather than using the official leading lights, using the local preference for the cardinal mark being kept in line with the lamppost with the orange band. The Pilot Book and Almanac warned of dangers in the entrance; clearly there is limited water depth which is why we were waiting out at sea for an hour or so but also there are significant wave action in the entrance. Waves hitting the south breakwater are diffracted around the breakwater end to run down the inside breakwater face. Coming in with limited clearance under the keel to then become aware of waves breaking almost alongside (OK it was calm evening and the waves were only 2 or 3 feet high) is disconcerting. In strong onshore winds it would be nightmarish!

To add to the fun, the marina berth allocation did not follow the normal pattern of each pontoon being given a letter designation and each berth a number; in Aberystwyth each berth is numbered. Hence we are in berth 66. This makes it very difficult to find the berth on first arrival as there are no clues as to where you might be supposed to go. However, our efforts were rewarded with a berth alongside another Contessa 32, ‘Barefoot Contessa’.