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Showing posts from July, 2017

Another poem from our friend Susan O'Toole.

GOOSE By the wobble of the "Goose!" In the shudder of the rudder & the shadow of the stern. A mug of tea & bolt hole for a wee while... Then Topside, to watch the World's wild dance of molecules, move with the sea.  "Goose" on side sail, strokes this cool curve of rolling moon, rocking In the arms of the Ocean, coming in & out of view passing in time & space,  bearing off the falling wind into the sails.

A few pics of trip so far.

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Leaving Kinsale Leaving Kinsale Le Skipper Old Head of Kinsale Lighthouse Leaving Dunmore early morning Hook Head lighthouse going into Dunmore East Again leaving Dunmore early morning. Tuskar Rock Skipper turns French for a day hence avec Le Beret noir Goose in Arklow
And so we head for Kinsale. A popular staging post for boats from all over the world and a pretty town with lots of goings on.  Our start was early (5.15am) somewhat delayed my Marks last minute ablutions before departure but necessary to ensure a comfortable passage! As we left Dunmore East  Lir (The Celtic god of the seas) was indeed smiling on us. We were treated to a spectacular sunrise over Hook Head and escorted out of the inlet by a school of dolphins...a good omen heralding a day that was to be our best sail yet. The wind was to the north west force 3 occasionally 4, though more often  2 and we were close hauled in full sail. This is a point of sail loved by Goose, occasionally dipping her rail in the waves in a gust and finding her groove for good jaunt across the south coast. The wind did drop at times and we resorted to motor sailing but this was short lived. At one point the Skipper was dozing below when the crew cut the engine to test if there was suffic...
Our arrival in Dunmore was late enough and by the time we had tied up it was almost 21.00.  So with little energy for preparing a meal we ventured a short distance to feast on the gastronomic delicacies of the local Spar  (sandwiches and crisps!) followed by a pint in the local tavern. Mark who did not avail of his ration of rum returned to the boat with cream crackers and tomato soup for his own private feast.  This proved to be the low point of our stay in beautiful Dunmore...next morning our mood was lifted when we phoned to Harbour Master to register our arrival and seek assistance in securing the services of a competent diesel engineer...he was cheerful and pleasant beyond expectation (it was 9.00 on a Sunday morning!) and advised us that David the Harbour Operative would be with us at 10.00 and that Eddie the engineer would be with us by 11.00. We were surrounded by a group who had cruised in company from Wales for the weekend  The four yachts ahead of us had ...

Off Again

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And what a wedding.... 💐💐 But we're off again. The Skipper (myself) headed down on to Arklow on Wednesday evening and managed to squeeze in a haircut in the barbers quarter ...sample the temptations of the forbidden aisle in Dunnes Stores (territory forbidden by our quartermaster on account of its more expensive though 'fresh' scones) and generally make things shipshape for the crews arrival on the Friday. They duly arrived with, barely containable excitement at the prospect of another night in lovely Arklow. It was indeed a evening full of revelries and jollity rounded off by a game of 25 a cup of tea and we were safe in our bunks by 10.00 pm A Danish boat left just ahead of us at 7.30 headed for Kilmore Quay and on across Biscay to the Canaries....but we had greater adventures in store...we'd got wind there was a brand new TurboJet90 hand dryer in the Dunmore East shower block...our anticipation of closer inspection was unprecedented....sod the Canaries......

Step we gayly on we go ...... bound for Míde's wedding

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So we left you all in Lovely Arklow some weeks past. Due to circumstances beyond our control we were forced to temporarily abandon ship there for a few weeks and scuttle down to Dingle for the wedding of our skipper's youngest daughter Míde and Limerick's own Adam. But not before I penned a wee ditty in honour of our attempts to get there under sail. I'm not allowed to sing it under wife's orders but should you wish to amuse yourselves the chorus goes something along the lines of Lannigan' s ball. Three men set out from Belfast town A mate from Skib and one from Tipp The cap'n born near Sailortown Goose painted on their trusty ship For Dingle they did set their sail Across the treacherous water To see the lad from Limerick hail Marry the skipper's daughter CHORUS Five long nights in Arklow town Much longer than we ought'er Five long nights just messin' around Dreamin' on the water The womenfolk had said their byes And through th...