Birthday Boy.

It was my 65th birthday on the 19th of July and so, it being 65, we had a bit of a "bash" in Dingle.

A friend, Bernie, was with us that night and we started with a meal at Global Village - which was simply superb.  It is at times like this that you recognize how great Dingle is for food.  Anyway, I'll not bore you with the details because after popping into the "Droichead" to hear Eoin Duignan on the pipes for a few minutes, I met Breda and her mum going into the Courthouse Bar.  Here we had Damien Mullan and Donagh Hennesey playing away.  So, we had the birthday cake in the pub, with a small gang of us, including Helen O'Brien.

                                                                             Riggers

 Last week the riggers came to Dingle and Jill asked them to report on our boat - which they did.  It'll cost quiet a bit to replace the rigging, but it has not been done for 16 years and so could do with changing sometime.  So here are Bill and his son Gavin doing the check.


                                                           Overnight Sailing

Sam, our friend from Glasgow, who is now a qualified and experienced Yachtmaster.  He had flown over to Kerry Airport for 4 days of fun and sailing and we took the opportunity to do our first  overnight out at sea with him and Breda. Watches were organised and good food. Out on the way to  Skellig Michael we saw masses of seabirds including two Sooty Shearwater in with hundreds of Manx Shearwater. We all commented on the confused  chop and swell as we sailed out into the Atlantic.

 

Crosher after being horribly sick, resting in the central bunk!  We turned back towards Slea Head and spent the rest of the journey watching moonlight waters and phosphorescence and hearing the guillemots calling. It  was truly magical.

Dawn over Castlemaine. Calm seas, twelve knots of breeze. Autopilot, Sausage and beans with Breda's tomatoes. Malt loaf and blueberry muffins.  Coffee. A steady sail into Ventry, just for the view and then,  the wind became southerly,  a brisk series of tacks back to Dingle Harbour entrance. Back in Dingle for ten thirty with a strong wind forecast  for after midday. Safe home.

                                                         Winch Services (how to do it)
 The riggers pointed out that the winches were in a "terrible state. On a boat like this everything should work smoothly!" The next day Sam, Jill and Breda set about the winches. Once you know this is not a mega job. Once you know. Except that after the service there was  squeak on one winch and a groan on the other. Fortunately we had Sam and he fixed them both.

 Another squeak at low revs is on the brush anode on the prop. Still not sure how to adjust this.

 Two days earlier the mains electric failed to supply. Kilian, the extra marina manager, became hero for the day identifying our corroded mains plug connector as the culprit. No supplier found in town John O'Connor came up with a plug which Kilian fitted. By five pm all was restored.
Thank heaven for the Sams Johns and Kilians.
 

Here we are with our newest member of crew, Caroline with Jill.

Another one with Breda and Tony

Breda's cousin from London , Rosa.

Sunshine at last.

A Sail in the Sunshine - with 3 new recruits !

It was the first time we had been out for nearly four weeks. I was getting desperate - but, there were conditions which were manageable.  There was a strong northerly blowing but the sea was very calm on the south-side of the Dingle peninsula.  So, taking our three new-comers along with our normal two, we set off. And we had a fine day's sail with a reefed main and furled genoa.  Unfortunately, we did not see many citations - just Fungi and one harbor porpoise.  It ofter is fairly quiet at this time of the year.
But we did get out for a spin.  Needless to say, three days later we had gales and rain once again.