2012 - Faustina II stays near home
I forecast that not one log this year will start with, 'What a glorious season we had!', and I'm not going to spoil that record. But in our case it wasn’t just weather - it was a combination of modest boring illnesses that stopped me getting away, and then the breaking of a brand new timing belt on the boat's engine that happily caused comparatively little damage. OK, the weather didn’t of course help even when we were. at last. in a position to get away.
Ann and I took Faustina II out from our marina base at Portaferry on Monday 13th August and initially we headed down the Narrows towards the sea. But the wind was south-easterly and it was a horrid day and so we turned and retreated into Strangford Lough where we stayed for five days - and five very contented days they were too. F2 may be a blue water yacht but here on the dark waters of the Lough we found some brilliant anchorages. Contact with Alan Leonard, who knows the Lough as well as anyone, pointed us at places that we might never otherwise have considered.
Sadly Strangford Lough puts a lot of people off visiting it when they hear of its tidal streams - particularly in the Narrows. It is true that they run powerfully, reaching 7 knots or more. But entering the lough at that speed is more exhilarating than frightening! And surely no one in his right mind is going to try to enter or leave the lough against the tide. It is also quite true that the lough is full of surprises as the 'pladdies' do have a knack of lying hidden just below the surface. At least most of us now have chart plotters which make 'pladdy' avoidance easy. Much harder in the old days. But despite the tides and the pladdies this is a place to savour. The countryside all around is as beautiful as one could hope for - especially if and when the sun shines. There are sufficient (generally totally empty) anchorages to allow protection from most wind directions and the holding wherever we put our anchor down was simply the best - good sticky mud with a total grip. The anchor goes in easily and stays there.
We anchored variously in a quiet spot off the Quoile River, then near a smart house and jetty north of Island Taggart, and later inside Dunsy Rock (north of Ringhaddy Sound ), and later still in the '13m hole' north of Long Island on the east shore. They were all quiet and provided us with a grandstand view of seals and the varied bird life that abounds in the lough. The winds occasionally blew lustily but the waves never got up and we had worry-free nights. We visited Strangford itself using the useful (but expensive) pontoon where we were visited by a fridge engineer (failed!), had a fine walk around the headland to Castleward Bay, and a great meal in the Cuan.
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Lough cruising was never our intention - but it was great. However we felt that really we should get away if we could and so it was that on Saturday 18th August we headed for the sea again and made a fast passage north to Rathlin Island where we went alongside the pontoon - on the East (shallower) side. This not normally a problem for us with a draft of only 1.5m but there isn't much width to the depth and later we couldn’t dare get away at LW by going around a yacht behind us. No matter, we had long stopped being in a hurry. We had sort of planned to go north round some of the Western Isles to explore gently. However the winds blew from the wrong directions and they also put paid to our back-up plan of going along the north coast to Stroke City. We walked on Rathlin and ate well at the Manor House - both in the dining room and also, the next evening, fish and chips in the bar.
We then made the voyage to Stranraer! Well, the wind was good for that and anyway we had to begin going home because of a planned family visit to the boat. Plan A for them had been a round trip from Bangor to Rathlin, to Portpatrick and then back to Strangford for the North Region raft up at the Quoile YC on Sat 1st September. That already seemed a dumb plan with the forecasters promising horrid weather seemingly forever.
The North Region held a rally at Stranraer marina a year or so ago and so we knew it well. We didn’t however know the town or the surroundings. We walked in the town and climbed the Castle of St. John. a well presented medieval tower house in the town centre. It has along history as a home, a court, a prison, and a military garrison. |
I'm probably wrong but there didn’t seem to be much else to see there but an inspection of the Google hybrid map showed this fine looking park a few miles out of the town. We caught a bus there, and then a longish walk down the drive brought us to the remains of Castle Kennedy and its really attractive walled garden. There are two large lakes and it is permitted to walk fairly freely in the grounds towards Lochinch Castle, the home of Lord and Lady Stair. The park is being recovered to it former glory but this will take some years as young trees mature. It is well worth a visit on a nice day. Inevitably for us the rain set in as we beat a retreat to the road and the bus back to the boat.
On Wednesday 21st August we left Stranraer and Loch Ryan we went around to Portpatrick with a fine westerly wind and in sunny warm weather. That all changed next day as I walked to the light house and back past the golf course - in the rain. On Friday we slipped early and managed a good sail across to Strangford Lough in overcast but dry conditions. We went home for the weekend.
On Monday my daughter Lara with two of her girls and her friend Neal with his girl joined F2 and we went to over Audley's Road for the night, followed by a good walk ashore at Castle Ward the next morning. We then made our way into the lough with a gentle southerly breeze and glided up through Ringhaddy Sound and then across to the '13m hole' where we anchored. An expedition ashore by RIB was not a great success (although it was fun) as we had hoped to explore the 'castle' on the hilltop, but standing crops and thick hedges barred our way. The many seals thereabouts watched us (no doubt with relief) make our way back to the boat.
Then the engine wouldn't start! Nothing. The batteries were fine but the ignition didn’t come on. The wind was due to become fresh from the west and so we sailed across to the Taggart Island anchorage and had a quiet night in shelter there. Next morning we sailed down to Portaferry and with John Murray, the excellent harbour master, standing by with his launch we went into the marina. The crew went off to our cottage by the sea near Cloughy and the brilliant Ian Watson from Andrews Car Electrics in Newtownards came down and soon found that a wire to the ignition was shorting somewhere. We replaced the length of wire under the floor boards and next day also replaced the alternator which he had found to be less than 100% well - and F2 was ready for her crew again. They had had a great time playing in the rock pools but happily came back on board.
We spent several hours on Saturday 1st September doing man o'board drills as Neal was taking his Yachtmaster exam two weeks later. He wanted the practice. Apparently we were observed doing this by James Nixon who was racing at Whiterock - he thought that we might be in trouble and nearly called the coastguard!
The holiday effectively ended when we went that evening to join the North Region rally at the Quoile YC. That was the success that it always is there and we all had a marvellous evening, firstly as guests of our Vice Commodore, Alan Leonard and Elizabeth, and later at the club where another of their superb barbecues was provided for us.
Next day we returned to Portaferry and everyone went home. It hadn't been a very adventurous cruise but one that we all enjoyed far more than we had dared to hope. Indeed it reminded us that the best things are often just around the corner and it's not always essential to go miles to find them.
Next day we returned to Portaferry and everyone went home. It hadn't been a very adventurous cruise but one that we all enjoyed far more than we had dared to hope. Indeed it reminded us that the best things are often just around the corner and it's not always essential to go miles to find them.