Getting ready to leave and the departure

Getting the boat into the water at Carrick meant re-attaching the (first)Forestay.

And then I left Carrickfergus singlehanded - but just across Belfast Lough to Bangor, Shirley raced me by car (I won) and Saturday night was spent relaxing...

The Sendoff Party, 

The Beer flows

And it starts to get silly

Remember the photo at the beginning of this post showing three men struggling to get a clevis pin in? well the next morning I disassembled it and put it back together again with one hand - in the old days every bosun had a handy billy - a 4:1 pulley purchase and blocks, here I use my handy-billy to pull the foresail down really easily. Felt rather pleased with myself!

And then it is time to go, rather hectic and many things left unsaid... to Shirley for her love and patience, her hardwork and her understanding and for everything. It wouldn't have happened without you. My eternal thanks and love to my best friend. (Anyway the weather is so crap I get a get a chance to say goodbye later...)