Stormy Passage to Church Minshull on Saturday 27th April 2019

The Met Office forecast a deep low tracking across our area and WNW winds gusting force 7 to 8 so the captain ordered a tacking course on the outward passage.

His number one (navigating officer and first mate) being a proper old sea dog dispensed with the new fangled electronic navigation aids preferring good old fashioned dead reckoning, using local knowledge and being confident there was plenty of depth of water (which there certainly was).

Arriving there at 13:50 UST (united standard time = BST-1:00) good shelter was found at the Aquaduct Marina where boats were bongling on the quays more than normal.

The return whilst not exactly calm and smooth was a little easier the main hazard being the perilous Radnor Bank (a few have wrecked and been blown to bits on there). But we were safely secured on the lee side of the Old Ship by no later than 16:15 UST, where the crew were allowed to celebrate safe passage with a some appropriately named Storm Ales.

The log records 46 nautical miles at over 11 knots. On Strava that would be 57.87 miles at 14.7 mph which is good because the assembled company doubted anything like that would be possible at 1 pm south park time.

Aqueduct Marina on a nice day (not yesterday)