Swift is backed into her winter home

The crane was booked for Saturday 14th November. All we had to do was be there at 9am. Easier said than done when ten miles of water and gale force winds stood between us and reaching Dunmore East. Hoping for the best, we made plans to sail downriver on the ebbing tide on Friday afternoon in company with Stagefright. All week we watched the forecast anxiously. There was a series of Atlantic depressions rolling in but it looked like there would be one window of opportunity between gales. By Thursday it seemed our luck would hold and we would get to deliver the boats as planned before the next storm hit. Friday dawned ominously calm. The weather system had moved quicker than expected and our window had opened too early. Since high tide was at 3pm there was nothing we could do except hope for the best.
By 4pm we were in Waterford Marina, ready to go. By this time the wind was rising and the rain was coming down hard. As we passed some council workmen on the quays they stared at us in astonishment. Clearly they thought we were nuts to be going out in weather like this. It felt a bit mad to be honest. Once we were out in the estuary there would be no turning back against the tide. We would have to deal with whatever the weather threw at us.
MJ drove down from Dublin and joined myself and Ruth onboard. This was to be Ruth's first time sailing in the dark. In the gloom of the late afternoon we started downriver ahead of Stagefright. Ruth and I sheltered behind the sprayhood while MJ heroically steered the boat into the driving rain. Feeling guilty I offered to swap places as we passed Belview Port and immediately regretted it as the rain stung my face and my hand froze to the tiller. Luckily the river bends south after Cheekpoint so the easterly wind was on our beam which gave us some relief from the freezing wind and rain. As the dusk deepened into night, we cautiously unrolled some headsail to increase our speed. With the help of the 3 knot tide under us we were now doing 8 knots over the ground. Utterly soaked and chilled, Ruth took refuge down below on the engine box while MJ and I strained our eyes for the red and green channel lights. Judging distances was difficult in the dark and both of us had an unfortunate tendency to steer straight for the light but we were making good progress. Behind us we could see the red and green lights of Stagefright, following in our track. Ahead of us the black bulk of Creadan Head loomed against the night sky and then fell swiftly behind us as we rushed on in the dark. The seas were big but not as bad as we had feared which was just as well since we had no option now but to keep going! All the same, we kept ourselves safely harnessed to the boat. Ruth had no harness so we tied her to the spinnaker halyard.
The wind at this stage was a good force 6 but felt less as we were now running downwind. We switched off the engine for a while and let Stagefright catch up with us but it wasn't a night for lingering so we turned it back on and surfed towards the bright lights of Dunmore harbour. As we approached the entrance at full speed we scrambled to furl the headsail and to put out ropes and fenders. It was somewhat calmer inside the harbour but the wind and surge didn't allow us the luxury of circling until we were ready. MJ steered us alongside Orient Express whose crew were luckily still onboard. Giving up on the ropes we simply grabbed their guardrails and held on until we could make her fast. It had been a wild ride downriver taking us only two hours to cover the ten miles. At least the hard part was over now, we hoped.
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Driving into Dunmore East early the next morning we were silenced at the sight of the huge swell rolling into the bay. The wind had swung round to the south overnight and blown hard for hours. The result was a bay of white foam and rollers which were so huge the seabed was exposed far beyond the usual beach line. Spray crashed against the cliffs and Hook Head was obscured by waves rolling past.
In the harbour every trawler in the fleet had taken shelter but even here it was rough. Huge trawlers surged back and forth and up and down as the swell licked around the harbour wall. Ropes as thick as a man's wrist snapped tight to breaking point while the trawlers crushed the timber piers against the concrete walls. Eager to get Swift out of this maelstrom as soon as possible, we got to work taking down her sails and boom, loosening her rigging and generally preparing her for the lift. Stagefright had spent the night on the other side of the harbour and had sustained some damage to her topsides. The boats inside her had broken their shorelines so she had been the sole boat connected to shore on the trot and had scraped a lot of gel coat and rubbing strake off. As our own trot surged back and forth we became aware that our stern cleats were about to be pulled out of the deck by the pressure on the ropes. We quickly retied them to our winches.
Given the swell and the wind which was still strong, lifting the boats out was going to be tricky. We went onboard Stagefright to help David and his crew out. The crane driver skilfully managed to lift the mast out of the boat without damaging anything or injuring anyone, despite the fact that the boat was moving about 3 foot up and down and side to side. Once Stagefright was safely on her trailer it was our turn. David and others helped us to unscrew our rig and hold the mast with ropes as the crane lifted it ashore. Next it was Swift's turn to leave the water for the shelter of land. Back on her trailer for the first time in 7 months we could relax again. Now all we had to do was tie her down and trailer her home to Tramore. David kindly returned to Dunmore in the afternoon to pull Swift to her winter resting ground. It felt sad to finally have to admit our season on Swift was over but it has been a wonderful one. The memories should keep us going until March anyway when we can start all over again!

With the wind in the north and high tide at midday we knew this race was going to be a slow beat to the finish. In contrast to the gales of last week, today's breeze was playfully light and elusive. Despite our request to move the finish line downriver so that we would spend less time fighting tide, course no. 2 was selected, the same as the week before. Resigned to our fate, we joined Stagefright, Orient Express and More Mischief at the start line. White Pearl had not joined us for the last race. With our crew of Morris and Ruth, we decided to change our tacking strategy. Ruth would let off the lazy sheet while Morris pulled in the other sheet and MJ grinded on the winch. This meant the guys were on the high side, their weight in the right place as we heeled over. In the few minutes before the start we practiced a few tacks and chose our approach line. Just before the start gun sounded we realised we would cross the line too early so threw in a 360 degree tack which should have slowed us down just enough. Unfortunately, the lazy sheet snagged on the babystay and the boat stalled. By the time we got ourselves sorted, Stagefright was over the line and heading for the first mark. We joined the other boats in hot pursuit.
Rounding the first mark last we were surprised that no-one else had hoisted their spinnakers. We decided to put ours up anyway as the breeze was manageable and it was our only chance at catching up. With the kite up our speed went up to 5 knots and we began to gain on Orient Express. There is an acceleration zone just upriver of Passage East where the wind seems to funnel down the cliffs. Two years ago we had our spinnaker up in marginal conditions and broached three times before managing to get the boat under control again. This time when the gust hit us I knew what to do and steered us downwind until it passed.
Once past Passage it was an easy run down to the Duncannon mark. We started to unfurl the genoa and to take down the kite as we approached the mark, ready to harden up on the beat as we rounded it. Somehow, the halyard got tangled up with genoa and there was a bit of confusion for a while with sails and ropes everywhere but we finally managed to stow the spinnaker below decks and lower the pole so we could tack before we crashed into the cliffs. As we beat back into the river we were appalled to realise we were actually below the mark we thought we had just rounded. The tide was even stronger than we had feared. More Mischief had somehow succeeded in rounding the mark in their first attempt and had escaped to the shallows on the other side of the river where the current was weaker. After another tack or two Stagefright also managed to pass the mark but we couldn't seem to make it. It felt like sailing in an infinity pool and for a while we wondered would we have to tack back and forth until the tide turned. At least Orient Express was sharing our struggle. After a couple of tacks we noticed that there was a counter current close to the cliffs. We stayed in it as long as we dared until the cliffs were almost within touching distance. Luckily the water is very deep right up to the shore at this point. With the help of the eddy, we finally passed the mark and crossed the river into the shallows below Crooke. Now the problem was to avoid grounding on the mudbanks while staying out of the current. As we short tacked back and forth between the shallows and midriver, the depth at times was only 10cm below our keel. Had we gone aground there was a good chance we'd be stuck there until the tide rose again, in several hours time.
At this point Stagefright and More Mischief were still battling it out at the front of the field while we and Orient Express leapfrogged each other ever closer to the finish line. In the end Stagefright beat More Mischief over the line. Twelve minutes later, Orient Express finished, three minutes and thirty four seconds ahead of us. It had been an enjoyable race despite the endless tacking. At least our crew is well trained in for next season! With the handicaps factored in, we won the race by over 9 minutes. This meant that we had won the series - a fantastic end to an amazing season.

The wind funnelling down the river made walking difficult. Boats pulled and strained against their ropes and the slapping of halyards against masts loudly proclaimed the wind's strength. The word from the Betty Breen was to wait for the VHF forecast at 10am before making a call on the race. Accordingly we all huddled in the smoky warmth of the Betty Breen and listened intently to the disembodied voice. The outlook was bleak. Phrases like "gales in the forenoon" and "pressure falling rapidly" or "very rapidly" were discouraging. The general consensus was to postpone the race till next week. Hopefully the weather gods will be kinder then.

When we left the house in Crooke there wasn't a breath of wind and the river was utterly smooth. It hardly seemed worth leaving the marina but it was decided to motor downriver anyway. By the time we reached Cheekpoint small puffs of wind were ruffling the water on a regular basis so the race got the green light. The start line was moved closer to Passage East and the five boats began their pre-race tango. Thanks to expert advice of Robert, our only crew for the race, Swift was the first boat across the line and managed to stay within the fleet as we tacked downriver. By the time we rounded the dollar marks and started back upriver against the tide, the wind was a good force 4, gusting 5. We hoisted the spinnaker anyway and started to catch up with White Pearl. At one point we clocked 6.5 knots through the water, a record for Swift! We overtook White Pearl and rounded the Duncannon mark as the others approached the finish line. 13 minutes after Stagefright was first over the line, we finished the race, still under spinnaker.

The Betty Breen caught up with us at Cheekpoint and took us in tow, as we had arranged earlier. The water seal is gone so the less we use the engine the better. Plus travelling at 6 plus knots behind the Betty Breen is much better than struggling upriver against the ebb!

Final results were Swift in first place, then Stagefright, then Orient Express. With only one race left in the league, only 4 points separate Swift, Stagefright and More Mischief so there is all to play for!

The day of the 3rd race on the river started well with the addition of another boat, White Pearl, to the fleet. Since the spring tides were on our side and the slight breeze promised to freshen as the day went on, a longer course was chosen for the race, bringing the fleet past Duncannon and out to the Dollar port and starboard marks. After the dismal results of last week, we were determined to do better. A good start is half the battle and we made several practice runs at the start line between the Betty Breen at anchor and a green channel mark before the 6 minute gun went off. Having decided our best approach we lined up for the start with the other boats and were delighted to be first over the line!

Tacking our way to the first mark, we were soon overtaken by the faster boats but White Pearl graciously kept us company all the way downriver. As we left the shelter of Passage East the wind and swell increased. With full sail up and both Morris and MJ on the rail, Swift was heeled right over, crashing her way through the waves to windward. Rounding the green Dollar mark behind White Pearl, we tacked onto a close fetch to lay the red Dollar mark before bearing away on a broad reach on the home leg. Since we were rolling vigorously from side to side in the swell we delayed raising the spinnaker until the shelter of the riverbanks kicked in and we could be sure of controlling it. At this point White Pearl was a few boat lengths ahead of us and the rest of the fleet were already rounding the Duncannon mark and nearing the finish line. When we raised the kite our speed shot up to over 6 knots and we had an exhilarating ride upriver as far as Arthurstown, overtaking White Pearl in the process.

Dropping the spinnaker and re-raising the genoa, we hardened up onto a fetch and it became a race between ourselves and White Pearl to the finish line. In the end we sailed or rather drifted (in the slackening breeze) over the line a bare 3 seconds before her. Although we finished 20 minutes behind the first boat, Stagefright, thanks to our hard-earned handicap from the week before, on corrected time we won the race by over 12 minutes! Second was Stagefright and third was More Mischief.

Motoring downriver to the start of the second race on Sunday 11th October, there wasn't much conversation among the crew of Swift. Partly because a miserable drizzle dampened our spirits and partly because at 9.30am on a Sunday, it felt too early to be sociable. For this race, we were joined by Ruth and Lloyd who had both sailed with us before. (Morris we had given the day off as he was sailing all day Saturday).

Four boats crossed the start line at Cheekpoint at 11.30am - Orient Express skippered by Frank O'Regan had joined the racing league so at least one boat would not place today. We were determined it wouldn't be us. Unfortunately, the day didn't quite go our way. Unlike the week before, there was a decent breeze which gave us all an enjoyable spinnaker run down river. Swift sailed superbly and we rapidly gained on More Mischief as they goose winged with poled-out genoa ahead of us. By the time we rounded the Duncannon mark and started to beat up river, we were only a few boat lengths behind the rest of the fleet. Unfortunately from this point onwards we fell further and further behind. Like all GK24s, Swift doesn't point particularly high so on each tack we were losing ground to the other boats. To make matters worse the ebb tide was increasing exponentially minute by minute. The nadir of the race for us came when we spent 40 minutes tacking back and forth between the Spider and Arthurstown pier without making any ground upriver! By this time, all the other boats had finished and we decided to retire. We called up the committee boat, the Betty Breen, on channel 13 to announce our intentions but then the wind shifted in our favour and we were able to point upriver. Another 30 minutes of hard work tacking still lay ahead of us before we finally crossed the finish line, almost an hour after the other boats who were waiting for us, rafted up alongside Ballyhack quayside.

Since the tide had several hours to run, it had been agreed we would all stop in Ballyhack for the results and refreshments. Stagefright, More Mischief and Orient Express all finished within 4 minutes of each other and placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. Swift's corrected result was 1 hour 41 minutes, a good half hour after the others, even with our handicap. The only good thing to come from the race, from our point of view, is that our handicap for next week is vastly improved so we may have a chance to win our own bottle of wine!!