tcm
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Longjohnsadler invited me and parahandy to his boat, and ahem once I was able to get away, the only flight that nite was to Dublin. So I had to rent a car and wham across Ireland which takes 2hr 30 mins if you start at 10pm on a Wednesday night.
Ljs's boat is a Sadler 34 based in County Mayo, in the northwest of Ireland. If you look at an outline of Ireland the west coast has two lumps on it around the middle, the northerly lump being part of County Mayo, the southerly being part of Galway. The bay in between is Clew Bay, and that’s where ljs’s mooring is.
Thursday: Howling gale. Eventually we went off the boat into town, mooched about and had some Guinness, and lunch. Forecast not a lot better for Friday, tho maybe more SSW instead of W
Friday. Still a fairly howling bit of wind, probly down to f5-6. Ljs recommends we have a go at getting to Clare island, tho it will be a lot of tackity tack to get there. We go out into a fair old bit of sea. Well, actualy the Atlantic really, in a F6-7 and get going on the tacking out of the bay. The viz isn't great and ljs says that if we miss Clare Island we could try the next one along. Ooh, what's that next one called? "Long Island." Ah.
We spent an hour or so tacking across but getting nowhere much. Then the radar dome flew off bosh into the sea and by the time we got round to rescue it, it had sunk. Not a very excelent bit of Mob but then the tests are usually with floating things like fenders, and trying to rescue a radar dome is probably nearly as hard as rescuing a spanner set. Back into port.
Into town to buy a saw and a dustbin, which i bodged around to make a cover and para expertly hoiked up the mast to attach. The radar doesn't work but it's protected from rain a bit. I bet with a bit more bodging it could allow the radar to spin. Maybe.
Saturday. Bit of rain and a lot more wind. We go into town to get a busted bit of gib furler welded, have more guinness.
Back on board we have noticed amongst other things that there's lot of ferrying of people to a very small island just 200 yards away. It's a residential sailing school, they hackaround the bay, and the rescue boat whizzes up to invite us round to their bar that night. Excellent.
The Legend of The Fish Pie:
Para made a gigantic fish pie, which took several hours to prepare and was very fab, and a bit bigger than Cow Pie. He had to buy a pie dish for it as well, which only just fitted in the oven. That's about as far as the legend goes, but it does mean the pie is Legendary.
After the Pie, dinghy to sailing school and we'e offered free dinnner which was jolly nice of them. Except we can't eat a thing. Later, paraa and i managd to cram in a bit of apple crumble.
It is last wekened of the season for the club, so they had fancy dress. Have a lookat http://www.gisc.ie/
Main problem of the day was then overcome - we had forgotten to buy baked beans. No bakd beans means a rubish breakfast, so i asked to buy some beans. They only had giant catering tins but i bought it anyway. 5 euros, not bad.
Sunday. Fourth full day on this boat and we finally go somewhere, with fair wind to goosewing to Clare Island, all very nice and picturesque. http://www.anu.ie/clareisland/welcome.htm
The community centre is actually mainly a pub, open from 3pm on Sunday. So lots of Guinness and pool until 6pm, then back the boat for Fray Bentos pie each, and then back to the pub for more Guinness and so forth. I managed to cadge some eggs this time, no shops.
Monday morning the wind is back in the south west blowing 30knots already and forecast to F10 this evening, erk. Quick breakfast yet still including lots of grease, and bomb off downwind.
Ljs not feeling too well and considers that he probably had a Bad Pie. Nothing to do with the 6 or so guinnesses, bottels of wine, rum and coke, and Grand Marnier chasers. No.
Fantastic sail back in ovr 30 knots of wind, splooshy breaking waves around us, and even the flippin mooring area back home is strewn around with white water.
With the huge amount of Guineess, breakfast, pies, boatfixing and a bit of sailing i have probly forgotten the best bits. Thanks to LJS anyway for excellent trip, and to para for good company and (especially) for the Pie.
Ljs's boat is a Sadler 34 based in County Mayo, in the northwest of Ireland. If you look at an outline of Ireland the west coast has two lumps on it around the middle, the northerly lump being part of County Mayo, the southerly being part of Galway. The bay in between is Clew Bay, and that’s where ljs’s mooring is.
Thursday: Howling gale. Eventually we went off the boat into town, mooched about and had some Guinness, and lunch. Forecast not a lot better for Friday, tho maybe more SSW instead of W
Friday. Still a fairly howling bit of wind, probly down to f5-6. Ljs recommends we have a go at getting to Clare island, tho it will be a lot of tackity tack to get there. We go out into a fair old bit of sea. Well, actualy the Atlantic really, in a F6-7 and get going on the tacking out of the bay. The viz isn't great and ljs says that if we miss Clare Island we could try the next one along. Ooh, what's that next one called? "Long Island." Ah.
We spent an hour or so tacking across but getting nowhere much. Then the radar dome flew off bosh into the sea and by the time we got round to rescue it, it had sunk. Not a very excelent bit of Mob but then the tests are usually with floating things like fenders, and trying to rescue a radar dome is probably nearly as hard as rescuing a spanner set. Back into port.
Into town to buy a saw and a dustbin, which i bodged around to make a cover and para expertly hoiked up the mast to attach. The radar doesn't work but it's protected from rain a bit. I bet with a bit more bodging it could allow the radar to spin. Maybe.
Saturday. Bit of rain and a lot more wind. We go into town to get a busted bit of gib furler welded, have more guinness.
Back on board we have noticed amongst other things that there's lot of ferrying of people to a very small island just 200 yards away. It's a residential sailing school, they hackaround the bay, and the rescue boat whizzes up to invite us round to their bar that night. Excellent.
The Legend of The Fish Pie:
Para made a gigantic fish pie, which took several hours to prepare and was very fab, and a bit bigger than Cow Pie. He had to buy a pie dish for it as well, which only just fitted in the oven. That's about as far as the legend goes, but it does mean the pie is Legendary.
After the Pie, dinghy to sailing school and we'e offered free dinnner which was jolly nice of them. Except we can't eat a thing. Later, paraa and i managd to cram in a bit of apple crumble.
It is last wekened of the season for the club, so they had fancy dress. Have a lookat http://www.gisc.ie/
Main problem of the day was then overcome - we had forgotten to buy baked beans. No bakd beans means a rubish breakfast, so i asked to buy some beans. They only had giant catering tins but i bought it anyway. 5 euros, not bad.
Sunday. Fourth full day on this boat and we finally go somewhere, with fair wind to goosewing to Clare Island, all very nice and picturesque. http://www.anu.ie/clareisland/welcome.htm
The community centre is actually mainly a pub, open from 3pm on Sunday. So lots of Guinness and pool until 6pm, then back the boat for Fray Bentos pie each, and then back to the pub for more Guinness and so forth. I managed to cadge some eggs this time, no shops.
Monday morning the wind is back in the south west blowing 30knots already and forecast to F10 this evening, erk. Quick breakfast yet still including lots of grease, and bomb off downwind.
Ljs not feeling too well and considers that he probably had a Bad Pie. Nothing to do with the 6 or so guinnesses, bottels of wine, rum and coke, and Grand Marnier chasers. No.
Fantastic sail back in ovr 30 knots of wind, splooshy breaking waves around us, and even the flippin mooring area back home is strewn around with white water.
With the huge amount of Guineess, breakfast, pies, boatfixing and a bit of sailing i have probly forgotten the best bits. Thanks to LJS anyway for excellent trip, and to para for good company and (especially) for the Pie.
