Baltimore Rally

 

Just outside of Baltimore is Hegarty's boat yard, where the AK Ilen is being restored. This boat was built in 1926 at the Baltimore boatyard, before it left for the Falkland Isalnds, where is spent most of its working life. It was brought back to Ireland 1997.

 

http://www.ilen.ie/what-we-do-2/ilen/

 

 

 

 

 

The Baltimore Rally was a great success and every credit to those who organised it. The weather remained generally very good, in fact it didn't rain once during our two week stay in Ireland. It is a fantastic sailing venue and everyone very friendly and helpful. As well as great sailing, there was also a very full social programme.

 

http://www.baltimore.ie/

 

There are two good slips, one is in the harbour and the other is used by the RoRo ferry but they are steep and although clean, are best used near high water. There was plenty of place to leave trailers near the old railway station. A new toilet block has been built next to the harbour, including showers, which cost 3 euros in tokens, available from the harbour master. There is a floating pontoon in the harbour but this gets very busy with RIBs, we used this for some nights and cost 10 euros per night. We also anchored in The Cove, near the low water line, for two nights. We spent another night on the pontoon on Sherkin Island, you pay at the hotel. Although this was quite busy during the day with day trippers in RIBs, it soon quietened down in the evening. The harbour master managed to remain calm, as at times it looked quite stressful time with so many boats in the harbour.

 

http://www.atlanticboat.ie/

 

http://www.visitmyharbour.com/harbours/east-and-south-of-ireland/baltimore/

 

http://www.sherkinisland.eu/

 

Baltimore was quite busy and not everyone paid much attention to the double yellow lines but we found we didn't need to use the car and left it in the main car park, which is free.

 

Taking the boat over to Ireland was quite easy. We used the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin and got a 20% discount with Stena as we were AA members, although I don't think this is a regular offer. Officially you are not allowed to carry flares (dangerous cargo) and only a small amount of fuel. We did take passports and SSR documentation but these were never checked. Both our car insurance and AA relay were covered in Ireland. On leaving Dublin Port the easiest route is to take the M50 tunnel, which cost 10 euros during peak times and 3 euros, evenings and weekends, there is a pay booth for this, so you can pay cash. However, you have to then take the M50 motorway which you need to pay electronically, which I did on a iPhone and credit card and we were told that they do chase UK drivers who do not pay. The road network down to Cork was excellent but these are toll roads and you'll need to be prepared to pay 1.90 euros on two occasions. There are wide lay-bys on the road and we filled up with diesel soon after leaving the M50. There were no actual services once you are away from Dublin. The road out from Cork to Baltimore is fine but does narrow for the last part once through Skibbereen. It is worth filling up with fuel for both the car and boat here (there is a shop in Baltimore but no fuel), there is a large garage on the left once you are through the narrow centre part of the town.

 

The return drive is just as simple until you leave the M50 tunnel and pay booth. We needed terminal 2 and this was a left junction straight after the pay booth, it is easy to miss and then you would end up in the centre of Dublin. To help avoid this, it is advisable to use the far left lane at the pay booth.

Guide to The Lake District

 

Anyone coming up to the Lake District would find this guide very useful. It is very different from the usual small format Cicerone guide. This is hard backed and A4 size, the drawings and information are very similar to Wainwright's original guides. The book is part coffee table and part guide book and certainly a source of inspiration. However, it does seem currently out of print but can be found on line from S/H dealers.

 

The Amazon River

 

As you head south on Coniston and pass Peel Island you will arrive at Nibthwaite. From here the River Crake continues to flow and further 8km south and onto where is enters the sea at Greenodd. In Swallows and Amazons this is also the real location of the River Amazon and Octopus Lagoon. It is easy to explore in a canoe or small boat.

 

The link below will take you further and show the course of the river to Allan Tarn. It might be possible to complete this trip in a Dabber when the level of the lake is high but not recommend in a larger boat. Judge for yourself.

 

http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?42029-An-Evening-On-Coniston-And-The-Crake

 

The Winkle Brigg is owned by another club member, it has all the style and design of a much larger boat but is produced in a smaller package.

 

http://www.winklebrig.org/

Coniston Rally - 1 to 3 July

 

The weather forecast did not look great for the weekend and certainly the conditions on Saturday provided all those who went out with a "sporting" sail. Although some boats tried a mainsail, these were soon put away, leaving jib and mizzen the standard rig for the day. However, by early afternoon the wind gusts continued to rise and everyone returned to the club before the really heavy rain arrived.

 

Although the rain did not totally stop for the evening BBQ, it did ease enough for everyone to sit outside and show a resilient attitude.

Sunday dawned with much lighter winds and even a touch of sunshine, which meant everyone could get out, either sailing down for lunch at Brown Howe, or landing on Peel Island. Alan produced a Lancashire Hot Pot, which he cooked in a plastic bag just by adding cold water, true magic! There was also a treasure hunt, looking for anagrams of famous nautical people.



Sea Anchor - A smaller version

I sold the previous one on ebay and bought the next size down, which seems far more manageable. This size is aimed at boats up to 20 feet, while the other was for boats up to 25 feet - but I think the designer was thinking of a yacht/fishing boat, rather than a light weight boat, such as a Drascombe. The test will come when I try and use it on a windy day.

 

The wind did pick up later.

Mizzen Mast Step

Over time the mast step for the mizzen wears, in extreme cases all the way through. The continual movement of the mizzen mast will slowly wear through the GRP, this must be a particular problem for a boat which is kept on a mooring. Even the mast support will contribute this erosion, as the boat is trailed.

To prevent this becoming a problem I decided to clean the socket and then add a small amount of resin and tissue. Finally a used a thin piece of polypropylene to prevent wear of the actual GRP. This was held in place with a small amount of glue and held down by the mast support while it dried. The final picture was taken before the mast support was put in place.