Provisum Mora

The weather was closing in again so we were uncertain about when we might get away. A call from the Harbour Master, suggesting we may have to move to anchor because of the volume of fishing boats in for the festival, reinforced it was high time we moved on...but the weather wasn't in our favour.   The HM, Cormac Mc Ginley (a fine Donegal name...but its owner sang out in a lilting Cork accent) decided instead to move us to another berth along the pontoon. When asked what dues we owed he declared it

'force majeure'....a big fat zero! His generosity was duly rewarded with a bottle of Bushmills and after hearing his plans for restoring a fine sailing vessel to visit distant shores on his retirement we bade him adieu and headed back to Goose. 

The night was a blustery one with the wind howling in our rigging, but it dawned fair. With the heat of the sun on our backs we found our spirits  and confidence lifted and decided to make a dash for Dingle (well, a twelve hour dash!). So off we flew!  The swell grew as we moved from the shelter of Bere Island and even more as we reached the open water outside the Bull, scene of our 'little incident' a few days earlier. 

Having purchased a new fitting for our tiller pilot the crew were determined to give it a lash. And quelle surprise it worked a treat. Goose was sailing all on her own leaving time for us to busy ourselves with all the never ending tasks onboard...instead we dozed!

All of a sudden there was a hideous sound from the engine! Panic! We were snarled on a lobster pot. Getting rope wrapped around the prop is a sailor's nightmare. Mark took the engine controls. The Skipper took the boathook. Neil 'Cougsteau' Mc Quillan hunted for his wetsuit. Luckily we managed to free ourselves and Neil didn't have to go into the briny us (or rather, to his certain death as the hull smashed against his skull in the 2 metre swell!).

Calypso...sorry ...Goose danced on once more. Can you imagine another call to the lifeboat from almost exactly the same location!!! The disgrace of it was too hideous to contemplate!  The lesson is plain though. A lookout is necessary at all times in inshore waters, especially when the tiller pilot is engaged. Still we were safe and better still...the wind was fair enough to sail, close hauled, towards Lemon Rock inside the Skelligs.  Goose was in flight and all was well with the world. After a short time, in truth probably 2 or 3 hours the wind backed. Too close for us to make it past the point and with insufficient time for us to tack up the cone, the iron topsail was hoisted once more and we motor sailed all the way to Dingle. 

We really have been slogging it out. Weather, fuel problems the Skipper's nose and swells so big as to make sailing a chore rather that a delight have left us weary and depleted. As we approached Dingle the Skipper asked the crew to consider leaving Goose in Dingle over winter to pick up on our circumnavigation in the spring?  We would have the energy and time to complete in comfort and could plan for shorter passages and hopefully have better weather. The decision was unanimous we would leave Goose in Dingle,  though our feelings were ambiguous. We had hoped to make it all the way round this year so there was some disappointment. But we had formed a good team, the Skipper and the 'odd couple' would live to sail another day!  We had raised nearly £1,600 for charity and could raise more next year, perhaps for the RNLI IN Castletownbere? Our wives would be free of us for 3 or 4 weeks again next year! And most importantly we would have time to seek sponsorship, perhaps from Michelin, for the publication or our 'Guide to the Hand Dryers of Ireland's Coastal Counties'.  Seems like it's the best thing to do!

Peter at Dingle marina worked a way to allow us stay till spring (berths are at a premium with a long waiting list) and a yard in Valentia would allow us lift out for antifouling in April. And all for less than it would cost at home. The Quartermaster, quick as a flash (for normal people this is about the speed of a feint glimmer!) applied the €-£ conversation rates and celebrated by treating the good people of Dingle to one of his nimble hornpipes. The good people of Dingle were not impressed. He might just as well have been doing handstands underwater!

So it's farewell for now from Goose and her motley crew. And it's farewell to Dingle till the Spring, where the women are handsome and the men dress as dolphins and swim about for the tourists!