Cork Delivery...

Currently sitting on a bench in the Port of Cork, Ireland, munching on a bacon banquette early on a Saturday morning. Last Wednesday, my Dad came home from work and called me upstairs to let me know there was yachtswomen, Kathy, had called into Dartmouth for shelter from the unassailable conditions found on the south coast last week and was looking for crew for a delivery to Cork for Cork week on her Arcona 370.

I walked down to the Yacht Club to meet her and we got on well, so by 0500 the next morning and a phone call to school later we were slipping the lines and slowly motoring out of the Dart as a crew of now 3. The forecast wasn’t good; we put 3 reefs in the main with full control lines on. We plugged in the Code 4 and off we went. As is turned out there was a bit of over preparation as the effect of the land at start point was protecting the bay of the westerly winds so by the time we reached start point we were up to just 1 reef and the code 3 jib, and we were away!

No-one wanted to spend much more than a couple of minutes down below due to the slamming in the confused sea so food during the first day comprised of prepared sandwiches and chocolate bars! The wind was on the nose as we headed for Plymouth as it would be for the whole duration of the trip. We hugged close to the shoreline to make the best of the now easterly tide and to keep out of the messy sea, however after spending just too long at the Nav table a bout of seasickness was due!

Our upwind slog and constant slamming made cooking impossible and this also made for an awkward first night where little sleep was had and tiredness swept over us and my empty stomach! The nights where hard and as I steered through the night I reflected on what a random turn of events had lead to me sitting here, cold and wet from the spray in the middle of the sea, on my own… nothing however was going to rid the silly smile of satisfaction on my face, it was great sailing, I was missing school and absolutely loving it!

It was a relief to see the sunrise come about and we were treated to glorious conditions as we rounded Lands End and we left the south coast of England and into the Irish Sea. Spending long hours at the wheel driving became childsplay, messing about in the waves, while keeping to course and sailing efficiently of course! I found out that when I concentrate for long periods of time I grind my teeth together, so by day break on the second morning my teeth where dead sore from the long ours at the wheel, making eating even more challenging!

On the second day we managed to get some rest and get some food down us. As we passed into the Irish Sea night slowly came in. We watched the wind slowly increase, and before the light faded we decided to put a reef in the main as the wind was forecast to rise throughout the evening, a very wise decision as it turned out! Not much sleep was to be had again tonight due to the heel and pounding in the waves, however we had all managed to grab some rest the previous day.

As dawn broke Ireland appeared annoyingly on the horizon, I didn’t want it to end! We motored into Cork harbour and where treated to the most amazing coastline with fields running right down to the waterside, idyllic houses, beaches and an incredible fortress of a lighthouse! By 0700 we where packing away the sails and it was all over, it was great to be out with the sea, navigating and practising the skills I will need for my round Britain challenge and it was a thoroughly enjoyable and extremely educational 2 days, 326 mile passage.