Mooring Trials and Tribulatrions

Well continuing on. John Carol and Marcus didn’t actually come on Monday but Tuesday afternoon I guess I should have read the log before starting to type! Which reminds me, How many of you reading this remember or know what a typewriter is or was?

I can tell you that an underwood full size makes a grand attention getter when it is flung with great force across a room full of nerdowells and misfits because the keys stuck on line 33 of a 34 line report in quintuplet.

So back to the story After all was said and done on Tuesday. Sally and I decided to hang around on Wed. and had a very nice late lunch at Reggies roof eatery of Mussels and chips. Reggie was actually a Viking King who made Waterford his own and walled the town and his own personal tower still stands and is today the Viking museum.

We finally finally left Waterford at 0dark30 on Thurs June 16/16 made our way down the Barrow made a right turn at Dunmore East and headed West to Youghall (Yaw”l)  At 0640 we turned the engine off(hoping it starts later) Unfurled the Genoa and had a Great Sail to to Yaw’l. We arrived at approx. 1200 made our way into the harbour with a keen lookout for the two public free mooring balls. Never to be found and made our way to the anchorage behind Ferry point not to be confused with fairy point which is another place for another time and audience.

So we got there, found the perfect mooring ball, made ready. Ok we thought we made ready everything looked all right, Sally had the boat hook for the pick up. I was in total control at the wheel, we were making the perfect with the tide approach up wind. Wowzer Sally got caught up getting over the dingy which was tied on deck, The current was faster than I thought and there we were quicker than you could say Oh Salamander with the pickup float sliding down the port side of the boat and the mooring float nowhere to be seen Then quick as a wink into neutral just in case and we came to a sudden stop! Still can’t see the float but have the pendant floating pick it up and attach to cleat. Now what I asked myself and Sally too. I know put the dink in the water and see if we can see the ball. The tide now is flooding at about 6 knots. Get the dink in slide down the boat and can see something pink under the water up against the skeg. Must be the ball. Only problem the line to the weight runs under the hull. I say to myself. Self if we can push that down so it pops out the other side we’re ok. Ha! (not funny ha just ha Loki is funning with us ha. I huffed and I huffed and couldn’t push it away so quit.

Then I figured we weren’t going anywhere any way we’ll just wait for the tide to turn and then the pressure will be the opposite way and we might just might slip free. Got back on board had a cup of tea. Went to the head and then,,,,,Trumpets other assorted horns violins and other strings Pipes and an organ Sally said we’re free. And we were. So then because we were secured to a stern cleat we had to get the line up to the bow. After much discussion we got out the spare Spinnaker line ran it through the eye on the mooring made one end fast to a bow cleat popped it of the stern cleat and the bow swung around and we used a winch to pull us up to the ball and re secured our selves. Then we had a celebratory drink got squared away had dinner and went to bed!