Go west Young man go West.

It’s Thursday August 18/2016.

We’ve had a quiet night. The tide was in and high so we hoisted the life raft up on the main halyard and swung it over onto the shore and then placed it into boot of the little red car. The car had been recently serviced and they even fixed the boot door so that it actually opened! Bonus!! Got the raft in and had breakfast sorted out trip to the West and then went off to Longraide? Dropped off the raft and then to Kilmore Quay for a crab sandwich. Didn’t get one as all the crab was being send to France. Hmmm thought they were partial to frog? Had a messy Prawn roll instead and Sally had Tuna.

Headed off to Wexford to visit Patricia noticed the brakes had gotten a little soft continued driving, brakes got softer! Hmmm something wrong I suspected. Kept driving lots of room between us and who ever was in front of us! Pumping peddle no longer works!! Now know something is wrong!!! Begin to use hand brake. ( Hand Brake is that leaver thingy that’s between the front seats usually behind the gear shift which is the knobby thing in front of the hand brake that is used to shift gears on a manual transmission car and also an automatic car. The difference between being, a clutch operated with the left foot whether or not the steering wheel is on the left or right side of the vehicle!) Also a hand brake or in some makes of cars called a parking brake operated by leaver or foot is a mechanically operated brake. The leaver is connected to a cable running to the rear wheels that when operated applies the rear brakes thus slowing and stopping the vehicles when the hydraulic or air systems (Air Brakes systems on Large trucks and Busses) malfunctions. Now if the cable also breaks your in the deeeeep doodoo!!!!  The little red car also had a 5 speeder transmission so lots of gear options, And since we were in the middle of nowhere for all intent and purpose and since it wasn’t the first time I’ve experienced a dysfunctional brake system we continued very very carefully on our way.

We arrived safely at the nursing home had a short visit and then back on the road to New Ross. Of course my dear wife as we were leaving mentioned to her mother that we were driving around with no brakes!! We discussed this on the drive back to the boat! We made it safely back to the yard.

Friday August 19/16 We awoke to a howling Gale and very heavy rain with a Very High Spring Tide so high in fact that we stepped down onto the pier side instead of up 4 steps! There was so much water running that there was a Very Large waterfall cascading down to the River. Noisy or what even I heard it!

 We traded the Little Red Car for the bosses jeep and away we went to Wexford and then up the Super highway to Dublin and the Super Duper highway out to Galway then some city roads in Galway then onto some not so super-duper roads then some not so super roads then onto some 1 ½ laners then the one laners with a ditch on both sides then onto a laneway and finally onto a track then we arrived at Uncle D’s House in the West!

The house is literally at the end of the road and the end of the known world. Next stop would be Lake Melville Labrador! No chance of seeing it though as we were enjoying some more Irish summer weather! Alan and Heather were already there. Parked the jeep and had a grand visit while sitting in the bay window with a peat fire burning merrily at our backs and a glass of whiskey in our hand and a Gale blowing in off the North Atlantic rattling the triple pane windows. A fine night indeed. We even found time for some dinner. Heather and Alan went for a swimm reminded me of something I heard or read about Mad dogs and English men. I had a nap!

Sat. August 20/16. Awoke to the sounds and smell of a cooked Breakfast! Whoooppie!! Ate that and then we all jumped into the jeep and off to Clifton we did go. Had a walk about and some rain and a pint. Purchased a fiberglass repair kit and returned to the House. Lahing Rain again.

Sun. Aug 21/16. Up early. Girls heard about market in Roundstone so of course we had to go. Alan refused. I couldn’t!! Nice drive but wet and miserable weather. Poor market. I went to café and did some writing. Girls found me. I drove home. Stopped on way to pick Black berries. 7 pounds worth! Alan had gone off and picked mussels. We had them for dinner. Sally Heather and Alan played Catan I read my book.

Mon. Aug.,22/16. Decided good day to drive back to New Ross. Dry and overcast but warm enough to fix the boat. So we did and then we all headed off. Us in the Jeep and A&H in the camper Van. They had to go into Clifton for something so we left ahead of them and got a geo cache at the Allcock and Brown memorial. ( Allcock and Brown were the first to fly across the Atlantic in 1919. They landed in a bog here next to the Marconi experimental radio station). We then drove to Yes it’s Keohes’ for lunch with H&A then a long drive back to the Boat Yard where we arrived at about 2030 to a closed gate! Managed to get in and had pasta for dinner the blissfull sleep.

Belfast to Dublin and ?

Tuesday August 09 2016.

0630ish Up and away. A very quick trip across and out of Belfast Lough. A Broad reach all the way! Then we had a broad reach all the way down the coast to St. Johns Bay. We reached there early so then had to suffer wind against tide conditions Reefs in and out but we still maintained better than 6 k nots through the very lumpy seas that did Sally in. We eventually got out of that and were arriving at Howth when the racing fleets were returning to the harbour. Blowing about 20 knots. We decided to reduce sail as we were in the roadstead Got the 130 furled, tried to start the engine! It started then quit, Started ran and quit! Shore getting closer!!! Started ran and quit!!!!!! Now We’re getting a little concerned, Opened the throttle turned the key and instant 2100 RPM and,,,,,,,,,yup still running, Phew!!!!! Slowed it down a bit put it in gear CLUNK! And motored into the club saw an opening on the hammerhead and grabbed it. Arrival was about 2130.Celebratory libation!!! Days run for 94 miles = 13 hours 30 minute. You can do the math to figure out our average speed!

Wed Aug 10 to Fri. Aug. 12/16.

We spent in Howth as the weather was just miserable outside. So we made new friends of another Canadian boat that was there and reacquainted with old friends. Did some Geo Caches and generally took life easy. Changed the fuel filter. Had a tough time as my fancy dandy rubber filter wrench didn’t! It kept slipping!!! Baahhh tried a bigger one it did the same thing double baaaahhh! I finally got it to turn and removed it. Spilled a little diesel into the bilge triple baaaghhhh! Then I couldn’t get the new one to spin on. This is supposed to be simple right? Called to Sally and asked for assistance Sally trried and muttered a couple of expletives and then viola it started and I finished tightening it up. Then I bled the system and got the engine running so far so good. Shut it down, waited a minute or day or so. Turned the key and vroooom, moooorv! !@#$#@^&*(%$#^&%$#@!@#$% Baaaaagggghhhhh Humbug!!!!! Started it again and,,,,,,,,,, Vrrrrroooooommm, Vrrroooomm and so far crossed fingers toes eyes arms and legs and it’s still running.

 Had a 10 euro Curry dinner including a pint with about 20 people Great fun!

Friday Aug 12/16 0700.

Up. Wide eyed and Bushy tailed! You all believe that right? Well we were really. Helen came over as Sally in a drunken stupor the night before had promised to cut her hair! Maybe it wasn’t Sally in the stupor just my wonky hearing you choose. Anyhow back at the ranch Helen did show up so Sally borrowed my scissors and clip clip Helen looked like me! Well not quite. But her hair was cut and she seemed happy. We got away at 1015 and motored over to Dun Laogharie.

Dun Laogharie is the premier Marina in Dublin and is presently half empty or half full depending on one’s point of view. No problem parking anywhere you want. We decided we would go to the National Yacht Club. Got in the way of the Optimist fleet and watched as a couple of them went upside down. Great fun! Went on to the pontoon and Sally went off to ask permission. We were not granted it so then had to leave and go to the above mentioned Marina.

Sally called Karen her cousin in law(if there is such a thing). Agreed to meet us that night for a pint. We went for a short walk about and captured an elusive cache. Had dinner on board and then up to 40 foot!(Witherspoons). Too many pints later we returned to the boat.

Sat. Aug. 13/16. Up not bushy tailed! Made arrangements to meet and have a coffee with Adrian and Sandra. They showed up around 1230 so went for a walk to the end of the East Pier and back then had lunch on the boat and returned to 40 foot to meet nephew Ben and his pals for a pint. One later everyone dispersed and we went home to kalinka1.

Sun. Aug 14/16. 0700.

Had to leave. So we did. Had a good motor sail down to Arklow with no problems and nothing special to report. We arrived at 1130 motored in checked out the new pontoon in the fishing Harbour. Didn’t like that so went to the long pontoon. Lots of room so we took some. Got secured, Harbour master Assistant and daughter arrived. After a long conversation we wandered up to the Mall! Free internet don’t you know! Went walk about then back to the boat and an early dinner and night.

Monday August 15/16 0600 Up, weather, tea. Weather good to go today. NOT good tomorrow! So off we went against the tide. Still made 6 knots! Tide turned and we flew down the East coast of Ireland to Rosslaire where we bumped into Wind against Tide! Oh boy just what we needed! Bumpy rooly bangy and not nicy! But it only lasted about ½ hour we rounded Consore point (named after Conor the sore sport). Sped along with the rising tide and slipped into Kilmore Quay with 6 inches under the keel at about 1430. Found an empty finger and bobs your uncle we’re here.! John and Carol showed up and we had tea and ate dinner on their boat. We wee to tired to go sailing with them.

Tuesday Aug. 16/16 0650.

Rolled out of the bunk. Tricky to do because no sides to the bunk to roll off. One has to kind crunchie sideways into a ball kind of shape then turn about 180*then back out on your stomach legs first and when they touch the ground/sole you can stand up and your out. Sometimes your partner gets rude bits too near their face.

So after all that tea is made, the phone rings, Heather and Allen are at the gates! Sally lepped out (she had nothing in the way) bounded into the galley, fired it up tossed on the rashers fried up some eggs made some toast and we had breakfast on board. H&A also brought the new drive shaft for the duogen.

They had bought a new to them camper van and were on their way out to the west for a holliday. We got the tour. Neat. Will probably get one when I’m old. They left. We did boat stuff went for a walk shared an order of fish and chips. Adrian (Sally’s brother) made arrangements to pick us up and drive us into his place for dinner and then return us later. So that’s what we did.

Wed. Aug 17/16.

Checked the tide times figured 1030 was the time to leave for New Ross. Called John and Carol to see if they would like to join us. Well didn’t get a chance to hang up the phone and they were getting on board! We left at 1115 on a dull grey day. (Lots of these dull grey days this year) A little lumpy with what little wind we had was right on the nose. (Lots of this, this year also). Rounded the hook and wonders of wonders we could sail so we did for about an hour then we were in the tricky part of the river and it was raining.(Lots of this also this year). So then we motored up to the New Ross boat yard(Our winter Home) where we received a customary warm welcome. Michael lent us his jeep to drive J&C into town to meet Collin their son, who then drove them home. We returned to the yard and too many glasses of red later went back on board and slept the sleep of the innocent.

This completes the sailing bit of this years journey. But there is more to the story. You’ll just have to wait until we’ve lived it.

Stats: 1028 miles sailed. 156.4 hours on engine. 32 ports. 312.8 ltrs diesel, 70 gal of water 76 pints(between 2 of us) 3 bottles of whiskey, 2 bottles of gin and two bottles of rum. 270 pots of tea, 3 jars of coffee 25lbs spuds 20 lbs onions (red and yellow) 12 lbs carrots and other assorted veggies and stuff. 20 litres of gas for outboard motor 17kg of propane. 1 broken duogen.