We were up early to check forecasts to make sure our weather window was really open. All looked good with a SW F4/5 forecast.

Ready by 8am we called up the harbour control for the next bridge opening, only to be told that they might not be able to do an opening this morning! The problem being that they had a rule that they couldn't open between 8 and 9:30 due to rush hour...... and then at 9:30 it couldn't be guarenteed that the flap gate would be open as its automatically controlled by the water level over it. Oh well we may be staying a few more days after all.....

Cue an hour of sitting around and then Harbour control called us up at 9:20 to tell us to be ready for 9:30. Hurray! The only request was to go slowly over the flap gate so as not to trigger it - if the lights started flashing then reverse sharpish.

All went well and out into Douglas Bay to find it lovely and flat building hopes for the sail to come. Unfortunately we were too close to the wind to sail so motored off with main up.

As we got to the south east corner of Man, the seas built a bit but nothing too bad. Further round off the Calf of Man (pictured above) still not too bad. But that didn't last long and we were soon plugging through lumpy waves and the wind had kindly veered around and was still on the nose. And it was now a F6 gusting F7 - not forecast!!!!!!! Despite 2 stugeron last night I felt very blurgh but luckily held onto my breakfast (porridge - goes up as easy as it goes down).

An hour out of Ardglass the wind picked up to a constant F7 gusting F8, (and for several minutes F9!!) and with a mayday in progress a few miles north (was a false alarm) our nerves were jangled. We left dropping the main as long as possible to get into some shelter but Colin still got several waves worth of soaking as he went forward. Luckily the wind direction was such that Ardglass harbour gave us shelter and the marina entry was calm giving us time to prep lines and fenders. Along the pontoon was easy as we were gently blown on.

Colin then had a BOB incident - Boot Over Board - catching it on a mooring line it landed in the briny and he just plucked it out before it sank.