Talora Chasing Tides

Vessel Name: Talora
Vessel Make/Model: Sadler 29 Deluxe!
Hailing Port: Shotley Marina England
Crew: Ray and Mary Nash
01 September 2017
31 August 2017 | Shotley, Ipswich
28 August 2017 | Eastbourne
28 August 2017 | Brighton Marina
28 August 2017 | Haslar Marina, Portsmouth
23 August 2017 | Cowes, Isle of Wight
22 August 2017 | Weymouth
14 August 2017 | Padstow
14 August 2017 | Padstow
08 August 2017 | Dale a Bay, Milford Haven
28 July 2017 | Ardglass
28 July 2017 | Ardglass
28 July 2017 | Bangor
28 July 2017 | Bangor
27 July 2017 | Ballycastle
27 July 2017 | Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
Recent Blog Posts
01 September 2017

Home and Together again

It's been a long three months and we missed the dogs dreadfully. Robyn, Ethan and Josh, between them, did a marvellous job of looking after the house and dogs which meant we did not need to worry about them......thanks guys!

31 August 2017 | Shotley, Ipswich

Coming home

We were so excited to get into the lock at Shotley, our home port. Our adventure almost over. This photo was taken by Dad.

30 August 2017 | Shotley

Leg 38 Ramsgate to Shotley, finally home!

So, at 1430 yesterday afternoon we make it into the lock at Shotley to a very noisy reception as the lock keeper let off the siren to signal our arrival, fantastic! My Mum and Dad surprised us by being at the lock to greet us, perfect, as did Brian, our Day Skipper Instructor, and his wife Ann. I had [...]

28 August 2017 | Ramsgate

Leg 37 Eastbourne to Dover which turned out to be Ramsgate!

Sunday 27th August and yet another glorious day. Steve and Hailey had left at 6am to go south back to Cowes. We left the berth at 7.30am to enter the Eastbourne lock at 8am. It was busy. We were in the lock with 9 other boat!

28 August 2017 | Eastbourne

Leg 36 Brighton to Eastbourne

Got up early leaving the boys in bed to nip to the supermarket to stock up on provisions. After a bacon butty breakfast, we said goodbye to Josh at the bus stop; he was heading back to Norwich on the train. We would have loved to have him with us for longer but we're grateful he had made the effort [...]

28 August 2017 | Brighton Marina

Leg 35 Portsmouth to Brighton

We woke up at 5.30am to the most beautiful sunshine over Portsmouth. It was going to be a lovely day. With Josh on board, it was lovely to have his company and with a very slight sea it was the perfect trip. Before we left the harbour we took one last trip past the Queen Elizabeth. Leaving the harbour, [...]

Leg 19 Port Ellen to Ballycastle, Northern Island!

27 July 2017 | Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
Pat and John, ha ha, you are not the first to notice the food and drink theme to this blog and, prepare yourselves, as there will be many more to come!
Today was to be our next big test! Crossing from Scotland to Northern Ireland, a distance of only 28 miles but where the Atlantic meets the Irish Sea, an expanse of open water known for its big swells and difficult conditions. We needed to get this one right! Having spent hours studying the charts and tidal streams as well as the weather to try to work out the best time to cross, we decided to go for it. The most stressful and depressing thing about this trip has definitely been the weather conditions. It really does not pay to look more than two days ahead at the weather because it's so changeable, particular in Scotland it seems.
Leaving at five thirty am was a struggle, probably not helped by the Whisky from yesterday and, as predicted as we headed into open water the swells came. The wind was blowing from the West so we were able to sail some of the way and could see Rathlin Island in the distance. The autohelm, which had struggled previously gave up the ghost, blowing a couple of fuses and eventually making a horrible electrical smell, of wanting to experience another fire on board, Ray disconnected it all.
Once we got use to the motion of the Atlantic swells the crossing was fine, until we reached the Westerly point of Rathlin Island. As we approached the point we could see the notorious turbulent water caused by a merge of tidal streams and eddies ahead up to a mile off the shore, even though we planned and timed it right, had we not it would have been far worse conditions. At this point we considered shelter in Church Bay pontoons on Rathlin Island, as when we hit it it was as if the water around us was boiling short choppy waves coming from all directions, a seriously confused seaway that through us about Scary at first but within ten minutes we could seen the edge of the turbulence, it ended almost as soon as it had begun... very strange. We crossed the Rathlin Sound with Ballycastle still an hour away in the distance. We had done it!
Ray was so excited to have reached Ireland, he called his Auntie Jean, who is eighty five and lives in County Antrim, north of Belfast, before we had even reached the harbour!
Ballycastle is a lovely, small but sheltered Marina. We arrived at ten thirty in lovely sunshine. Unlike normal people who would have taken the rest of the day to recover, we went straight to the fast ferry terminal and got back on a fast ferry back to Rathlin Island, to visit the sea bird colony. The ferry journey was followed by a thirty minute white knuckle ride on Berts Puffin Bus. Bert, who must have been in his eighties, was driving a bus which must have been also in its eighties, from one end of the island to the other. The road was only a single track around hairpin bends with stunning views high up above the harbour but with shear drops from cliff tops to sea level, it was terrifying but exciting at the same time. At the sea bird colony, there were literally millions of birds all competing for their own space on two enormous rocky outcrops. The noise and the smell was amazing! We also got to explore and learn about the history of the upside down lighthouse, where the light is at the bottom, which also stands at this point of the island.
On returning to the mainland, we enjoyed fish and chips and, just in case we did not feel we had our quota of rain for the day, the heavens opened and we were trapped once again under a picnic table brolly in the torrential rain. We are starting to love this weather and would really quite miss it... not! With screaming children, soggy dogs and people bravely continuing to eat their fish and chips whilst getting wet, all around us, we sat tight until the storm passed.
In the evening, and between showers, we took a walk into the town. What a fantastic long sandy beach we found with so many people enjoying the evening sunshine. Another great but long day. I think I'm going to enjoy Ireland.
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