Pwllheli

 We enjoyed being at Neyland and the Bristol Channel Old Gaffers put a lot of effort into making the gathering a success. Most of the rest of the fleet was going to Southern Ireland in preparation for further festivities in Dublin at the weekend. Sadly Bonita will have to miss this as I need to go home for a few days for Felicity and Wills wedding and a bit of grandparenting. 

The winds remain persistently from the north. On Sunday morning Jerry and I, after much discussion of likely and possible combinations of wind and tide,  decided to leave at first light to avoid deteriorating weather.  With a spring tide behind us we soon passed the islands off SW Wales which are important bird sanctuaries and are surrounded by complicated swirling tides. Things slowed down considerably once the tide was against us.  

However, after 24 hr at sea we watched the sun come up behind the mountains of Snowdonia and entered the little port of Pwllheli. My friend Geoff who is studying Welsh tells me this should be pronounced by pressing the tongue against the back of the teeth. I tried this but it still didnt come out right. In a packed marina we were allocated a berth in a tight corner surrounded by many considerably more valuable boats. Fortunately, despite a strong ( northerly) crosswind, with Jerry on the warps we managed to get into the berth without damage. And there Bonita stays for a few days, surrounded by white plastic until we hope we will be able to rejoin the gaffers further north.