Fog

It had to happen eventually.
I poked my head out of the companionway this morning and wondered which way I was pointing.
The fog was so thick I couldnt see the neighbouring boats.
It soon started to clear though, and by 8.15am I had this marvelous view as I headed ashore.

Food Chain

It was during the trip a few days ago between Ireland and Wales that we hit upon an idea, a very small idea.
The food chain is a large pyramid with predators and prey, each one does its bit for the eco system. While people panic about vanishing tuna, we decided that maybe tuna aren't the beast we should be worrying about. They are quite a large sea creature, not many others higher than it on the predator list, save for the sharks and humans.
The really important ones, are the small ones.
They supply the backbone to the whole eco system. They prop it all up. If you take them away, then countless species would die out; including many land mammals who depend on fish or fruit de mer as their sole food income. Krill. Small but mighty.

So, I'm thinking of making tshirts. Not save a tuna, save dolphins, stop whaling. No.

Think of the krill.

retainer un retained

Finally, after 8 months of waiting and moving and repairing and surveying again, the mortgage company accepted my new survey and have sent me the final sum of money they were holding back.
Its not a lot of money, but it is this small amount thatb makes a big difference to my winter maintenance programme.
The boat is due out of the water in early october.
Ive got a long list of things on my to-do list.
But first... The southampton boat show.

London to Ireland to Wales in a weekend.

As one who had to deal with the expense of being weather bound this summer, I felt for Kieran the owner of a Twister 28 and a colleague. He had gone off to Ireland for a summer holiday and got weather bound.
Leaving his boat there for a month while he waited for the weather window was turning out expensive.

He enlisted the help of Dick Durham and myself to help him bring his boat back.

We dashed out of the office in London on Friday evening, caught a train from Waterloo to Alton in Hampshire where we picked up Kierans car. Drove to Basingstoke, picked up Dick who was fresh from the Southampton Boatshow. Straight down the motorway to Milford Haven. A little walk around and then in a taxi to the ferry port. The overnight ferry took us to Rosslare. Where we had to leg it to the train, just in time as it was the only train that day. We arrived in Waterford mid morning on Saturday.
A quick walk around the town to stock up on provisions and food for a good old fried breakfast, then we were off down the river to wait for the morning tide out of Dunmore East.

The forecast was looking very dodgy with possible 6's and 7's, but it turned out nice again.



we filled our stomachs with irish fish and chips before we set off at 3.30am from Dunmore East, southern Ireland, bound for Milford Haven in Wales.

this is Kieran the captain and skipper of Cleaver II


the dolphins are a bugger to photograph. meat torpedoes flying out of the water every second, but I couldnt seem to catch them on camera. Still, it was a beautiful sunrise.


not the best point of sail, but gull winging all the way, Cleaver II was very well behaved.


we intercepted a massive pod of dolphins who swam with us for hours and Dick had a better go than me at photographing them.


tea break. biscuits are a must if I am to stay sane at sea.


Kieran is a most splendid cook and prepared us a fantastic Irish beef stew for the journey to Wales.



a rough trip guide.