This Thursday...

We start our move down to wales. Hopefully finishing on Sunday morning in time for a day sail. As we mentioned before we're moving to Pembrokeshire part-time, after simply deciding it is a wonderful place. (And we get more use out of Shoestring) The photo above is of the view from the livingroom window and below is looking up the garden at the Cow Shed. All getting very excited now!

Great new website

I can't remember where I found this site, but I've got hooked in a slightly geeky way to watching shipping traffic around the UK coast.

It is an online AIS repeater, showing the movements of ships carrying AIS transmitters.

In absence of the funds to buy an AIS radar for Shoestring just yet, I'll see how this works on the Milford Haven on my laptop as a yard-stick test.

Have a look at www.shipais.com

Grumpy skippers

I've finally got around to watching Three Men in Another Boat, starring Griff Rhys Jones, Dara O'Brian and Rory McGrath.

Its a great comedy-documentary about their adventure on Griff's classic yacht, Undina. as it sails from London to Cowes to join, Jospehine, Undina's sister ship.

As I watched Griff explaining nautical terms and sailing conventions to his inexperienced crew I saw many similarities in how I had been this summer with my 'new' crew.

'No, not like that', 'Yes I CAN see that big ship', 'Mind that BOUY!' and many other such essential Skipper shouting phrases that I realise Griff and I have in common.

Grumpy and stressed skippers aside, there was lots of lovely sailing sequences an amusing fly-by from the Dover Coastguard and a good look over what Griff's lovely yacht can do.

Undina is 'almost' lovely enough to turn my head from Shoestring, MW found it rather funny when Dara, comparing Undina to a newer Beneteau, said how cramped she was, if he'd only ever been on a wooden folkboat, Undia would have looked like a palace!

I have to agree with Griff's sentiment. 'Proper boats' are made from wood, the new ones with bathrooms, double cabins and kitchens are more like 'plastic shower cubicles with a pole attached'. -But still, all yachts are lovely!

You ca still catch Three Men in Another Boat on BBC iplayer for a few days.

Lack of news...

Mum in the forepeak, note the new Solva Pottery mugs. :0)

Since our last trip down to Shoestring, at the end of August, i've simply not had time to post any entries! Sorry!

We had a quick weekend away, with Mum and Shaun. Got in a good 1/2 day sail, and then explored more of Pembrokeshire. Shaun loved his surfing lesson with me on Broad Haven.

Still more leaks popping up in Shoestring's cabin roof... I may take drastic measures and epoxy everything!

Oddly, after our last post on feeling like 'Semi-Locals', and odder still since nearly a month has past from our last visit. Everything is going to change!

From the 1st October we're moving to Pembrokeshire! We're renting a wonderful converted barn in the Preseli mountains, only a half hour drive from Shoestring!

This also means that we'll be also living in London, as we both have work commitments, so our aim is to have a one week in London and one week in Pembrokeshire basis.

While in Wales, MW will be working on his handmade bicycle wheels -www.michael-ward.net and i'll be continuing to develop my design projects.

It also means we can fit more sailing in!