Glengariff and places West.

Glengariff and places West.

Monday July 4/16 Happy Birthday to the Rebellious Americans! Bet you wish you’d stayed one of the colonies now!

I slept in! 0700 again I get up and are nice to the crew and make them their tea. Eventually we get underway for the bottom of Bantry Bay. It is a cold WET foggy day with 20 knots blowing out of the West right into the Bay. Unfurled the 130%, the bow lifted and off we went at 7 knots yahoo the bestes sail so far this year!! Flew down the bay and decided Bantry not protected enough and besides Glengariff had an old house with fantastic gardens. WE screamed into the harbour avoiding all the mussel farms rounded up and secured to a mooring ball.

I’ll now describe how we pick up the balls. First of all, they are not just lying there docile uh,uh, They lie in wait. The crew in this case Sally as she has had extensive training in subduing malcontent mooring balls. The first step is for Sally to get the BIG one piece long boat hook. Place it under a line securing the Zeppelin on the foredeck. If the zeppelin isn’t secured it flies away and is a pain to catch. I degress. Second she goes forward outside the life lines balancing on her toes into the front part of the boat. During all this I am skillfully maneuvering the boat up to ball so as not to disturb it. Third boat hook securely in hand she motions to me to sneak up and when in range she deftly reaches out and snags the ball. Now the fun begins. We’ve got it! Sort of. I stop the boat sort of. Sally is hanging onto the hook attached to the ball which doesn’t want to be attached to. She then has to pass a mooring line through the balls eye. Yup the ball really doesn’t like that so bounces around just out of reach. Sally then has to lie down on the deck half way out under the lifeline boat hook in hand and the with the other hand pass the line through the eye without causing any pain and then scurrying backwards with said hook and line and making the line fast to one of the bow cleats. She then gets to stand up place the hook back in it’s holder. She then gets another line and repeats for the other side of the boat. Meanwhile I’m cheering her on with very good suggestions. Still not sure why she wasn’t listening Oh well I’ll get better!

The next stage. Launching the dinghy.

We untie all the tiedowns. We then loosen the spinnaker halyard and attach it with a snap shackle to a ring on the bridle at the bow of the dinghy. We then put 3 turns on a mast winch and lift the dink from the horizontal to the vertical high enough to clear the life lines. The dinghy is then swung over the side and gently lowered stern first until it is afloat hopefully right side up. The painter is then secured allowing the dinghy to drift backwards until it’s transom is in line with and underneath the outboard motor. Don’t know why it’s call a motor as motors are electric. The we secure the back of the dinghy to the stern of the mother ship. I get in the dink, Sally then hooks the crane to the lifting harness on said misnamed engine, Lifts the engine off it’s mount and lowers it down to me. I then mount and fasten it to the back of the dinghy. Attach the plastic gas can open the choke (actually I think the correct term is to close the choke) pull the starting recoil rope and more times than not it starts! Load the crew and trash and off we go for a wander about town.

As Towns go not much of a wander only one main road lined with Touristy traps etc. I didn’t get trapped. We all returned to the bot had dinner and then I was forced to beat Sally and Dianne at a game of Cribbage not thrones. Then to bed.