The Cruising Chronicles
On a cold, foggy Thursday morning in June, CHRISTO with her compliment of two, myself and our vice-commodore, Rosemary Cadogan, dropped her lines in Dún Laoghaire destined for the Isle of Arran, Scotland. Accompanied by Seahouse captained by David Lawlor and her crew of two, both vessels ventured out into the pea soaper of Dublin Bay. Our 06:00 departure accompanied by fair winds guaranteed favourable tides for the voyage north, however with a visibility less than 50 metres both vessels tentatively motored north into Dublin Bay and the challenge of VTS in the fog. Our passage entailed a quick transit however VTS had different plans. Due to excessive traffic and thick fog we were held south of the channel for 45 minutes before clear transit was granted and we continued onto the Bailey. Rounding the Bailey brought the wind from a favourable angle and allowed for the raising of the main and unfurling of the Code D. Continuing on our heading we battled the fog only clearing it when Lambay Island was off our port quarter presenting us with beautiful blue skies and comfortable cruising winds to carry us to our destination.
Slicing through the waters at 9 knots brought to mind all the reasons why I love to sail. With glorious winds the world was perfect however perfection is fleeting and just as we were settling into a comfortable rhythm the first of many niggles appeared which were to clumitivtly put paid to our plans. Being short crewed requires certain tools which are essential for a safe comfortable passage foremost being the autopilot. North of Rockabill the sea state started to build and with it a warning messages appeared on the autopilot as it battled the raising sea state.
Low voltage messages on the autopilot were quickly followed by depth readings under a meter and the radar decided it had enough and shutdown. This was of great concern as it was unknown what other systems were affected and if the systems would survive the day let alone the next 300 hundred miles. We sailed on into the unknown with a certain foreboding however other than the electronics CHRISTO was lapping up the miles until we were treated to a loud bang and a sudden deceleration. The new halyard for the code had let go dumping the whole 150 square meters of sail into the Irish Sea. With Rosemary at the helm I quickly rushed forward to heave the water logged sail aboard before it fouled on the rudders or prop. With my well known history of mishaps with rudders I was worried disaster would strike for a forth time therefore all my energies were thrown into the recovery.
After an exhausting 15 minutes of frantically heaving the Code D aboard I fell back into the cockpit aware our progress would be significantly hobbled without the driving force of a large foresail. Missing the tide would add an additional five hours to an already exhausting passage however the loss of the code would reduce our progress by at least 3 knots per hour. The practicalities of sailing to the Isle of Arran with a crew of two, unreliable electronics and without our powerhouse now became untenable. We therefore had to explore our options at least for one night so we could made remedial repairs. Based on our position and the tides Ardglass made for the best port of call.
Ardglass is a pleasant fishing port with a comfortable welcoming marina only accessible with a favourable tide, ideal to make the necessary repairs before continuing our voyage north. Once we were securely tied up exhaustion won over and an early night was called leaving the repairs to the following morning.
Friday morning brought an early start to scour through the extensive technical areas onboard CHRISTO. Armed with a phase tester and head torch I ventured into her bowls for many a frustrating hour locating the source of my woes. Crawling back and forth excreting myself between the bow and the stern the source of the problem was finally isolated to a single connection on the autopilot control head. Only time and seas would confirm my electronics issue where behind me so I looked to the broken halyard. Seeing my new halyard was frayed through by the shackle I had to revert to the backup halyard which required rerouting the line back to the cockpit through the deck combing. By the time these tasks had been completed the tide had once again escaped us and another evening in Ardglass was required.
Our six day Scottish trip was now reduced to four with many miles to sail. Still unsure the technical issues were behind us it was decided to air on the side of caution and Peel on the Isle of Man was selected as our alternative. On two previous occasions the NYC Cruising Group had set its sights on the Isle of Man and on both occasions the weather had conspired against us. Now with Scotland unattainable we set out sights on the Isle of Man. With wonderful southerly winds and cooperating electronics we enjoyed a pleasant reach to Peel arriving a half hour prior to the gate giving us time to settle CHRISTO and prep for entry into the marina.
Peel was exceptionally welcoming and proved a delight. After an evening meal onboard and a pleasant walk around the castle we enjoyed a pint or two in a locals establishment. The next morning allowed us time to explore Peel in greater detail. Rosemary ventured off for a swim on the local beach while I ventured off to another local pub to sample a pint or several of Hawkstone, Jeremy Clarkson’s home brew. Sunday in Peel is a quiet day however it has loads of charm and is a pleasant location to relax and plan for the return to Dún Laoghaire.
CHRISTO, with a draft of two meters, rests on the bottom until 30 minutes after the gate at which time there is just enough water to make for open water therefore at 08:00 on Monday CHRISTO once again ventured out into the Irish Sea for her 77 nautical mile journey home. Rounding the outer harbour wall we were greeted with large confused seas and 20 gusting 27 knot winds blowing from the direction of our destination, Dún Laoghaire. With no choice but to battle on we motoring for the next 17 hours into these unpleasant conditions entering Dún Laoghaire Harbour at 22:30 the winds were now blowing a sustained 27 knots from the West making accessing CHRISTO berth an impossibility. Armed with every fender in my arsenal and a good amount of luck we entered the marina and ventured to the West side of the marina in the hopes of finding a hammerhead which the Westerly winds would blow CHRISTO onto utilising the wind rather than trying to fight them. As luck would have it we did locate a hammerhead on the outer extremes of the marina just large enough to accommodate CHRISTO and within meters of Seahorse who had just arrived back an hour before us from her successful voyage to Scotland. So with the aid of David on the hammerhead, Rosemary on the midship line and me quietly panicking at the helm I blasted ahead counting on the Westerly winds to push us onto the hammerhead. With a fair amount of panic and winds building even further CHRISTO finally came to rest along side. The addition of every mooring line aboard finally allowed for the engine to be shutdown, the totally useless thrusters stowed and the panic to subside.
Despite it all a great success.
Author: Andrew Collins
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