It was late when I got to the boat, I had been aboard about 1hr when Sarah rang to say she was passing Menai Bridge and would be soon at the slip. Mercifully there was brief lull in the rain when I took the dinghy to pick her up from the Gazelle but it was a black and wild night. I had thought of catching the night tide but it was too late now, no gear was stowed and it would be a hard beat in the dark with wind over tide kicking up a short steep sea. So we opened some wine and caught up on each others news.

Forecast: E or NE 4 or 5 increasing 5-6 later sea state slight to moderate becoming rough. Outlook: E 4-5 occasionally 6 backing NE 5-6
11.36: With a NE blowing 20-25 knots we slipped the mooring and once clear hoisted the small working jib and took 2 reefs in the main and started beating up the Menai Straits past Gallows Point, and Beaumaris.
14.40: Through Puffin Sound and abeam of Dinmor buoy I reset the log and set a course of 330° compass for Isle of Man. There are plenty of whitecaps but the seas reasonable, there are no other boats about.
18.40: 16 miles out, we were cracking along but the wind had eased somewhat so I have changed up from the small jib to the no 3 Genoa.
19.49: The wind increasing again so back to the small jib.
20.50: Time to turn on the navigation lights and also switch to night rules- harnesses and safety lines on at all times now. Plotted position made us 21 miles from Port St Mary. We should be seeing the Calf of Man light but it is a bit hazy.
22.43: Within sight of Calf of Man light.
24.20: I have had a short nap, Sarah has enjoyed her first night watch, alone in the cockpit, with the wind, waves and moon for company. The wind has upped again and is gusting to 30 knots. The GPS agrees with my plotted position 7 miles off Port St Mary. We are right on course.
02.05: After handing the sails outside the harbour we motor in. The Pilot is not wrong about the strong tidal set across the entrance. We pick up a vacant mooring, we did need a couple of goes in the dark with a strong wind. There is quite a swell running into the harbour.
We have run 61 miles in 14hrs and 40 minutes.

A lovely bright but windy morning and I puzzle over the pilot to work out a time to leave to get the tides right by the Calf of Man. We plan to visit Port Erin which will offer shelter in these prevailing Easterlies.
10.55: Slip the mooring and motor out from the harbour. Once clear I hoist the main with 2 reefs and the small jib. We have 20-25 knots of wind across the deck as we run down the coast towards the Calf of Man.
11.50: We pass through Calf sound between Thailsa rock and Kitterland. We have hit it right and have a calm passage.
12.48: Pick up a mooring in Port Erin after beating in to the bay.
After inflating the dinghy we go ashore, walk on the beach and along the cliffs, eat ice creams and fish and chips and wash it down with some delightful Manx beer.

Forecast: There is a small craft warning NE 6-7 increasing Gale 8
11.10: We slip the mooring with 3 reefs in the main and the small jib and sail out of the bay and tack northwards up the coast.
13.35: We are back on the mooring having decided that to push on to Peel was not on in the circumstances.

Forecast: Cyclonic 4-5 occasionally 6 becoming SW4-5.
07.08: We time our departure so as to be between Chicken Rock and the Calf of Man at slack water. Slip the mooring with 2 reefs in the main and the small jib. It is very cloudy and the weather looks a little threatening.
08.00: Chicken Rock is abeam to starboard, we are close reaching with about 15 - 20 knots of wind. This would be a hell of a place with the overfalls running, the steel grey sky lends a sense of foreboding to the scene. We set a course for home.
09.00: The wind has increased and with it the size of the seas, lots of breaking crests.
11.01: We alter course to pass well astern of a trawler, nice to see someone else out in these seas.
13.59: The wind has veered and on the same course we are now close hauled.
16.13: We are in sight of the Anglesey coast and the wind dies completely so we hand the sails and begin motoring.
19.07: Through Puffin sound still under motor.
21.30: Abeam of Gallows point and the motor decides it has had enough, it is still running but has lost all power. Fortunately there is very little tide so we are safe to drift as little as long as we keep a careful eye on the situation. A quick examination of the engine yields no clues. I inflate the dinghy lash it to the side of the boat, mount the outboard and under its power we have some forward momentum and steerage way.
Dam - the outboard splutters to a stop, it is out of fuel, no matter we have some wind back so hoist the sails. It is now dark so we are short tacking up the channel back to our mooring.
23.05: We are fast to the mooring 66 miles and 16 hours out from Port Erin

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