Wind and Fire

Fire at sea is a frightening event, partly because there is nowhere to run away to.  Yesterday, as the boat rolled wildly in a squall, I dropped a teabag onto the stove and invented a new form of Lapsang Souchong (no, it's not worth trying).  However, I have to admit that it was a very tiny fire, so it was a bit of a storm on a teacup......

We enjoyed a very fast sail from Dun Laoghaire to Ardglass with wild, cold, squally winds.  We tried out the new working jib, flat cut for heavy weather and set on an inner forestay.  It worked well, giving us 7+ knots over the water for lots of the time.  We close and beam reached in winds of about force 4/5 but which sometimes dropped to about force 2, leaving us slatting in the cross-seas, and then gusted up to force 8, briefly overpowering our single reef.

And so to the gentle town of Ardglass and the cosy marina.

Ardglass Marina
A big advantage of cruising at this time of year is that there is plenty of space everywhere, such as in marinas and anchorages.  The disadvantage is that it is difficult to wear enough layers of clothing to keep warm!

Comments

  1. Unknown3 May 2018 at 23:59

    Hi Doug and Rosie - looks like you are enjoying the adventure in spite of fire and the fury of the sea!
    It has been very cold in Weir Quay too - I turned my heating off but five days later succumbed and turned it back on.
    The good news is that the weather seems to be getting better, so I hope it’s going to warm up for you too.
    Bluebells abound at last but Gerald says that the farming cycle is seven weeks behind usual schedule!
    I am going for a session at Apple to learn how to edit videos after which I will send my version of you leaving WQ.
    Pat xx
    As expected you are missed!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rosie Hinge4 May 2018 at 01:39

    Thanks for your kind sentiments. The weather is indeed getting a bit warmer and we are shivering less today. We're off to Strangford Lough next, leaving to catch the prodigious tide (6 knots +) into the narrows leading to the lough at 12:00 midday.
    And we miss you as well!

    ReplyDelete

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