We're doing catch up posts at the moment....so scroll down if you have not been on for a while, there was another post yesterday.
On Sunday we headed off in cold rainy conditions trying to make some headway South. We were heading towards Northern Ireland and wanted to get the Irish Cruising Guide so we rang around and found a chandery near a marina about an hour into our trip which had one. We were getting set to enter the marina when the winds suddenly jumped to 30 knots and the rain increased too. We motored around at the entrance considering our options and when the wind did not drop we decided we did not really need the crusing guide so badly! We headed back south raising the sails and huddling under the dodger for warmth. Not so much later the wind dropped and we had to motor the rest of the way to Arran.
Arran
We spent the next day (Monday) in Arran. Bridget went north on the Island to check out a distillery and a nice valley and Richard and I went south to do a walk to some waterfalls. Tim and Rebekah stayed home to make sure the up to 30 knot winds did not blow Moksha away! It was pretty cold, windy and wet, but we are getting used to that now and had a lovely walk anyway.
Richard in the fairy grove
We checked the weather and Tuesday looked like the best sailing conditions. So early Tuesday morning we weighed anchor and headed off.....into very light winds to start, so motor sailing. After an hour or so the sun came out (yes you read that correctly!) and so did a nice wind - on the beam and off we sped to Northern Ireland. We had a super fast sail with an average of 25 knots of breeze on the beam, giving us an average of about 10 knots of boat speed for most of the trip. Just as we we started getting the anchor over the front of the boat, a big squall came towards us with winds of 30+ and some lovely sideways rain.......we just got the sail cover on in time and make a run for the warmth of the saloon.
Next morning we had a smooth motor into Strangford Lough, a kind of inland sea home to lots of wildlife, particularly birds. We found ourselves a cosy anchorage and then went to explore onshore. We had picked a lovely spot, but although it looked like a town on shore, there was no shop, just a coffee shop/restaurant. The closest town was nearly 3 miles away up a big hill. So we made use of the coffee shop wi-fi and headed back to the boat.
Whiterock
In the morning (Thursday) we headed a bit further south to Killyleagh....on the way we managed to have an encounter with Strangford Lough monster and the boat came to an abrupt stop. It turned out the monster was in the form of a bunch of lobster pots all tied together. It took us over an hour of dinghy manouveres and then Richard in the super thick wetsuit to sort the mess out and get us free.
Richard suits up for the lovely warm Irish waters
Tim and Bridget wrestle the Strangford Lough monster
Once we got to our new anchorage we found a special bonus - a mooring bouy big and strong enough to hold us! Richard and I headed to town for supplies and stumbled across a poster advertising a Chocolate & Fine Food Festival that weekend with a Grand Chocolate Ball to be held on Friday night, in a castle, no less ......back at the boat we passed this information on to a very excited Rebakah (and a perhaps slightly less excited Tim!)
Sunset from our mooring
Next day Bridget, Tim and Rebekah headed for land while Richard and JJ stayed behind to boat baby-sit. Tim and Rebekah explored Belfast including a special tour by an ex-military Catholic cab driver and Bridget went more locally to the Narrows (where the water rushes in an out with the tide at up to 7 knots) and visited a seal rehabilitation centre. All were back at the boat in time for Tim and Rebekah to get dolled up for the Grand Chocolate Ball, which being a black tie event definitely counted Richard and I out......luckily Rebekah had a couple of 'honeymoon' dresses on board and Tim teamed up his wedding kilt with a charity shop jacket....and his deck shoes!
Tim and Rebekah practice for the ball
Apparently a grand time was had at the ball although Tim was disappointed that the 5 course dinner did not include more chocolate and Rebekah that the dance music at the ball was motown! On Saturday, JJ's friend Vibhooti who lives nearby, came sailing with some friends. We seem to have very good luck when we have guests on board and today was no exception - it was mostly sunny and we had a lovely gentle 12 knot breeze - just enough to get up some speed and thrill our guests.
Vibhooti learns the ropes
On Sunday we headed to the Killyleagh Chocolate and Fine Food Festival - what's not to like about a food festival in a castle! Can't say I enjoyed most of the stalls, which were mostly chocolate or alcohol, but there was a great food stall with salads and grilled vegetable skewers and best of all an organic fruit and vegetable stall for topping up our supplies.
Chocolate and Fine Food Festival
Yummy lunch
When we got back to the boat it had been gusting to 30 knots and we had been told that mooring may not hold us in bad weather, so we motored across the other side of the inlet and anchored in a nice protected spot for the night. Being as some folks had missed the Chocolate and Fine food festival, we thought some alternative entertainment might be in order.....Bridget went up the mast to attach the stay sail (was too busy to get a photo - sorry Bridget) and JJ and Tim tackled some winch servicing....got lots of photos to make sure we put it back together the right way!
Winch servicing