Okay, if you’re looking at the photos look at them in reverse order as when I select them (no matter in which order) they embed in reverse chronological order).
Well the third mate agreed not to blot my logbook as long as she was carried around on a palanquin. I said I would see what I could arrange.
We set off with 3 other yachts from Peel harbour on the first lowering of the flap gate of the morning (09:30). The westerly winds would be gusting 20kts from the west and I was expecting continued 1-2m waves. However, the wind was expected to ameliorate by the afternoon. It was only a 6.5 hour passage so we should get into Portpatrick harbour by 16:00.
Weather conditions were better than the day before with ninja squalls (we had one later in the day where the wind went from 10kts to 30kts) luckily I had reefed the sails in before it hit. The 3rd mate stared at me with her beady eyes thinking “Yes, but you should have reefed more in”.
I called the Harbour Master at Portpatrick on passage and he confirmed that there were 3 berths available on the wall and to stick close into Half Tide Rock in the entrance so as not to run aground. The pilot books are particularly cautious about the entry to Portpatrick Harbour with phrases such as ‘entrance strewn with rocks…a tricky entry…don’t attempt in strong onshore winds’..mmmm.
On approach, the leading marks were spotted and lined up - the cross tide making the angle of approach somewhat jaunty with fairly big waves at the outer entrance. But we quickly popped through and closed in on the buoy marking Half Tide Rock and swung to port once we were passed it and on into the inner harbour.
The Harbour Master was there to greet us and take our lines. Sulaire secure, the 3rd mate demanded her payback. So up the harbour wall we went and strolled along the coast to Dunskey Castle. Back at the boat we settled in for the night amongst the squeaking of Guillimots nesting in the harbour wall…night…night!
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