Pwllheli Weeks

Two weeks in Pwllheli - a nervous boat lift, a pub on the beach, a thunderstorm on the bikes, a burger that got away, and Welsh fruit cake with friends. Not a bad way to spend early summer.

We'd arrived in Pwllheli after the nightsail, and with the lift booked for Tuesday there was a week to explore. The heatwave was still holding on, so the bikes became our main form of transport.

The Llyn Peninsula by bike

First stop was Porthdinllaen. Rob had been here before last year and really loved the place - Andrea had only seen it from the sea when we anchored nearby. So out with the bikes and we made a full day trip out of it. All around the headland, across the golf course and up to the watch tower. A lively chat with the watch officers, with very interesting facts about the area and the fact that most of this is volunteer driven.

The beach at the "Ty Coch Inn" was packed - school holidays and a heatwave will do that to a beautiful beach. Sadly this year the wonderful turquoise water was brownish due to some algae. The pub more than made up for it though - it's a really cool place.

The weather caught up with us on the way back. A thunderstorm rolled in while we were still on the bikes, so we ducked into a petrol station to wait it out. Didn't help much. We made it back to the boat soaked.

A couple of days later we took the train to Porthmadog with the e-bikes. The coastal railway runs along the south side of the Llyn Peninsula, past Criccieth - a spot we really liked. In Porthmadog we found the heritage steam railway station, and the trains were in immaculate condition. A ride up into the mountains would have been wonderful. If only the cruising budget could stretch that far - it needs to last a few months yet.

So instead we took the bikes and pedalled along Porthmadog Harbour, following the coast through Borth-y-Gest to Black Rock Sands. A long sandy beach with the mountains behind it - we just stood there and looked.

Rob had spent the whole afternoon talking about a gourmet burger he'd spotted earlier. Naturally, when we finally got there, the place was full. Fortunately, "Yr Hen Fecws" turned out to be one of those happy accidents that end up being the better story. The food wasn't just beautifully presented - it was perfectly prepared, everything home-cooked. Cosy place, brilliant service. Much better food than an ordinary burger.

After dinner we cycled across the Cob - the embankment that holds back the estuary - with the mountains glowing in the last light. Then the train back to Pwllheli, bikes and all.

That's why we came

The reason we'd come to Pwllheli was the lift. We'd visited last year for a full rerig, and we knew the marina had a travel hoist - quick and easy, nothing like the big crane we use on the Isle of Man. They do a lunchtime lift and hold, which is exactly what we were after.

Monday was torrential rain, so we were quite happy it was moved to Tuesday. We were quite nervous lifting Lagertha out - she'd been in the water for nearly two years, and on the Isle of Man it's always such a fuss with the big crane. There could have been anything below, and we just hoped it wouldn't be bad. Huge relief when she came out with barely any growth.

For the yard crew it was probably just another Tuesday. For us it was the first time we'd ever seen Lagertha hanging in a travel hoist. They had the slings ready for our over-ten-tonne lady and lifted her out gently. Probably done it a thousand times, but we were amazed how quick and straightforward the whole process was.

With Lagertha hanging in the slings we suddenly had access to the part of the boat we almost never see. It was the moment of truth. Would there be heavy fouling? Damaged antifoul? Worn anodes? Thankfully the copper coat had done its job remarkably well. Apart from replacing the anodes - the sacrificial zinc blocks that protect the underwater metal parts from corrosion - greasing the folding prop, and touching up a few worn patches on the keel, there wasn't much to do. The team let us finish all our work without any pressure before lifting us back in.

Two hours later she was back in the water. We celebrated with coffee in the sunshine - relieved that everything had gone exactly to plan.

Beach walks and boat life

The days between boat jobs had a gentle rhythm. Long walks along the beach to Abererch Sands, laundry days, South Beach in the afternoon sun. We'd planned to be efficient, but Pwllheli in early summer makes that difficult.

And it's not all holiday. There's always work to catch up on - the blog gets written, provisions get planned. The nice bits in between the work, and the work in between the nice bits.

Sunday tea and Woody

Then our friend Claire came for a visit to see the boat and have some Sunday afternoon tea. She came with Shell and their dog Woody, who'd never been on a pontoon or a boat before. But after the first scare he did so well and snuggled down on the sofa while we had a good natter.

Claire introduced us to bara brith - Welsh fruit cake, which tastes brilliant with a bit of butter on it. She also brought us a jar of local honey from Snowdon, which we're saving for a special breakfast somewhere in Spain.

Moving on

We were ready to head on - nearly two weeks in the marina felt long enough, and there's still a long way south. But the weather wasn't playing along. Too much wind most of the time, and all from the south - so we made the most of our time there and got the recommended rig check done. We'd had the full rerig last year, so this was a check-over rather than an overhaul. We're both handy with DIY jobs and computers, but the rig is something we don't want to mess around with. Peace of mind for the passages ahead.

Two weeks had somehow slipped by. Long enough to get the boat ready, long enough to fall into a comfortable routine - and just long enough to start itching for the next passage south.

We packed away Claire's jar of Welsh honey, cast off the lines and pointed Lagertha south once more.