Alcyone
regular
Reged: 09/04/2008
Posts: 432
Loc: Bridgend, Wales, UK
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Well, we finally got the boat into the water on Friday (Thanks, Graham for the pics). The previous owner John very kindly drove up from Dorset on Saturday and off we went. Got the sails up and had an hour or so on the bay. I was very concerned with how manoeuverable Ishtar would be and was extremely surprised that she can turn around in almost her own length. John put her into a very tight spot on the pontoon at Cardiff yacht club and left us to it.
After a curry and a few (too many) beers on Saturday night, I thought we may as well try her on our own on Sunday. I had intended to just motor around, getting used to how she felt, but when we got out we just thought, why not?
We then switched the engine off and sailed back and fore across the bay, tacking upwind and then running down wind. Main sail only at first and then we got more confident and put the foresail up. Burgee flying too!
It got too busy then, so we left it. About 5pm we couldn't resist and went out for another couple of hours, just sailing with huge grins on our faces. Even managed to put her back on the pontoon!
Might not sound a lot to some of you experienced guys, but we were stunned that we could do this. We've never been on our own on a yacht before. I was surprised how much the dinghy sailing we did last year helped. I really didn't think it was worthwhile at the time, but the basic principles gave us the confidence to try it.
I'm away until Thursday, but itching to get back out.
Still loads that we want to do, and the 'wanted' list involves us selling the house to pay for it all, but we've decided that the main thing now is learning to sail and enjoy it. A lot of the work is cosmetic and can wait.
Edited by Alcyone (09/06/2008 08:37)
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chrishelen
regular
Reged: 07/01/2007
Posts: 1178
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Well done,great feeling when the wind picks up and the sheets creak and off you go,sunday morning was perfect for you.see you on the water,
Chris,(Rose)
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Alcyone
regular
Reged: 09/04/2008
Posts: 432
Loc: Bridgend, Wales, UK
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Yes, definitely, and anyone else who is about. Louise will be on the boat swabbing the decks on so on this week, so go and say hello if you are around.
BTW, we are looking for a non-inflatable tender that we can leave on the shore. Any condition, as long as it is saveable, and cheap. If anyone has one or knows for one, drop us aline.
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Mike_S
regular
Reged: 10/05/2007
Posts: 349
Loc: Penarth, Cardiff
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Congrats, I thought you must've made it in when we got there Saturday and you weren't in the compound anymore. We probably whizzed past at some point on Saturday whilst taking friends' kids on the treasure hunt round the bay (gave that up after 2hrs and only one page of questions answered!). Had planned to be out Sunday as well but the 40th birthday we went to the night before put paid to that ! 
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graham
regular
Reged: 16/05/2001
Posts: 6051
Loc: South Wales
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Glad to hear you enjoyed the first sail and had perfect weather for it.
Im sure we will see you on the water but doubt we could keep up. 
--------------------
http://banjocoronado25.blogspot.com/
All Hardwood used in Banjos restoration comes from sustainable sources. Usually the Boat Club Skip :-)
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Alcyone
regular
Reged: 09/04/2008
Posts: 432
Loc: Bridgend, Wales, UK
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Mike_S: Treasure hunt. That explains a lot. We couldn't work out quite why there seemed to be so many boats zipping about all over the place. Don't worry about us missing you. There was another chap out there on a yacht shouting 'Martin' at us from 10 yards away who we also missed, apparently. We were in full scale panic mode and not really concentrating, looking for friends.....
Graham, you are probably correct. The wind and our skills ensured that we were tearing about the place. At times, i swear we must have been doing nearly one whole knot. It took us 8 minutes to pass one aeration point.....
There was also a short space of time on Sunday between 10:04 and 10:05 when we felt we actually had control over where we were headed as well.
Which was nice.
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Sunbeam_Matt
regular
Reged: 23/04/2007
Posts: 53
Loc: Newport, UK
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I saw Ishtar on the weekend. She was sailing along in the Bay nicely and passed us a few times and I did think she was a nice looking boat. I remembered her from this forum and thought 'hey theres Ishtar. Me and the wife were doing some training on Tiger II a Bavaria 37. We will probably be about Saturday morning and then off to Portishead Quays Marina later in the day.
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pi_pi
regular
Reged: 07/04/2008
Posts: 19
Loc: Cardiff
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wey hey, I saw you too! You kept passing me (I am the junk rig Pi Pi, no.62) - looking good!
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was Coro
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Alcyone
regular
Reged: 09/04/2008
Posts: 432
Loc: Bridgend, Wales, UK
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Thanks for the nice comments, although I'm not sure we were passing anyone on purpose! I think I remember the junk, and I'm sure Louise pointed out the Tiger bay training boat.
Now that she's on the water, I'm desperate to get some time in sailing her, but I'd promised a mate to do a few days diving down West this week, then again this weekend, then we're off to Oban to do our day skipper on the 20th, so she'll be tied up a lot when she should be out.
Anyway, we're out tonight I think. There's a few people going to be doing man overboard practice, so we're hopping to do a bit more learning.
Can't wait to get back from Scotland and start learning her ways proper.
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Alcyone
regular
Reged: 09/04/2008
Posts: 432
Loc: Bridgend, Wales, UK
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Quote:
wey hey, I saw you too! You kept passing me (I am the junk rig Pi Pi, no.62) - looking good!
Nice to meet you last night. Not a great deal of time, unfortunately, but we'll have a pint at some point!
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