Carrickfergus Sailing Club

Portpatrick Shakedown Cruise

The cruise took place as scheduled last weekend, 14th to 16th May.

The turnout was pleasing with eight yachts making the passage to Portpatrick. 

Lady Grey was first to arrive on the Friday with Brian & Linda McGregor, Jim & Debi Hetherington on board. The wind was light and as a result the engine was started.

We tied up at 1500, the new assistant harbour master wasted no time in extracting the harbour dues. 

Dinner was taken on board and the traditional music afterwards in the Crown was superb.

As we were returning on board around midnight, Aquarius was tying up, crewed by Alan Grundy & Gary McFarlane who had travelled from Strangford, dragging quite a garden of weed with them!

Saturday morning weather looked fine for those sailing from Carrickfergus. 

By 1400 we could see the flotilla on the water and were delighted to welcome another six boats.

“Windmill” was next crewed by David Carson, Tom Hayes, Eddie Ewing, Fred Bell, Paul Eaton and Michelle Charter. Surprisingly I had not met any of Windmill’s crew before despite the fact that they were members of CSC for 20 odd years, same as us!!!! There must be a lesson in this.

“El Torro” Peter Bullick and Rosemary Stevenson had sailed from Bangor.

“Slippi Jin” Commodore Jim Shields, Denise Shields, Michael Beggs and Conor Brown.

“Grover” Davy McAughey, Carol Davey, Benedikt Seilern-Moy, Nichola Seilern-Moy and a very young skipper, Hannah 

Seilern-Moy. (I think she was ten weeks old, and had slept all the way, will obviously make a great skipper.)

“Freebird” New club member Nigel McFarland with his crew Ken Espie and Eddie Magee.

“Midnight Express” Adrian McCallum, Rachel McCallum, Nigel Shaw and Peter Magee.

By 1500 the party was under way!

The afternoon was pleasantly whiled away as some partied on board Aquarius and Windmill,  others sunbathed at the bar tables in front of the Crown.

Dinner was taken in the Crown at times to suit the various crews.

The Saturday night music was worth missing, (I could see he would empty the bar quickly) and we soon headed for the Harbour House where there was supposed to be a Karaoke.

This did not materialise and before you knew it we were in the Downshire Arms.  (This must sound like a pub crawl)

I suspect there was some disco music here judging by the photographs, however by midnight the wind was up and we made our way back to the boats.

A little surge was evident in the harbour so some attention to lines and fenders was required.

However by morning all was quiet and morning papers and breakfast were on the agenda. I believe gin and tonics were on the breakfast menu on one boat.

A lazy morning was spent before boats pulled out at mid-day to return home.

A combination of sailing, motoring and motor-sailing was used to return home. I cannot say who was first home but Lady Grey was definitely last. 

Anyway to summarise the weekend, the weather was fine, the sailing was good and the craic was mighty.

I personally was pleased to meet so many club members who I had not met before. This must be one real benefit in these events.

If there were any prizes to award, first prize would go to “Midnight Express” who actually sailed most or all of the way.

Second prize would go to “Grover” for the boat that travelled farthest!!!!!     

Next prize to Aquarius for the outstanding hospitality, what a party boat!!!!!!

There would be various other prizes which we won’t mention.

Anyway many thanks to all of you who supported this event. Keep the 28th August date free for the Copelands Barbeque where I hope to have another good turn-out and please take plenty of photographs for the photo competition. Also please remember the log competition, deadline for both 30th October.

Pictures attached.

Incidentally, the new harbour master who has been a charter skipper out of Portpatrick for the last three years, reckons he can enter the harbour in his fishing boat which draws 1.8 metres at half an hour either side of low water springs.         Enter on the leading marks until abeam the old lighthouse. Pass the half tide buoy 15 feet off, then stay close to the pier heads on the west side, 10 feet off, this is where the deepest water is to be found apparently!!