4 Kidneys and a Wonky Leg

An early start of 6am for a long passage of 63 miles. The day started wet as we motored out from the marina waving good morning to the chaps on the Border Control Vessel moored nearby. Out round Island Davaar with it’s lighthouse winking goodbye, we turned south and soon had the sails up with the wind on a close reach. As we made our way south the wind slowly backed, (it should have been veering) and after 20 miles we were heading, off course, toward Lock Ryan and Stranraer. Reluctantly we lowered the sails, the wind was dying anyway, and motored, now headed in the right direction. We passed a couple of pods of dolphins, which paid no interest in us and just passed by.

There were very few boats about other than when we passed Port Patrick, where we saw a yacht go in to Port Patrick and another passed us going the opposite way. The tide by now was against us in a big way, inevitable on a 12 hour journey. Passing Crammag Lighthouse the sea got rough, surprising as there had been no wind for the last 2 hours. We were being tossed around all over the place, and it got worse as we headed for the Mull of Galloway. Then the engine coughed, I knew what it was straight away, the rough conditions had stirred the tanks and the filter had water and muck in it. Cleaning the filter, brought back memories of my first hip dislocation which happened in similar conditions and doing the very same task. I was very careful!

Once done and the engine restarted, we continued on round into Luce Bay where there was a short patch of very fast flowing water, 5 knots against us, reminiscent of going round St Aldhelms point on a spring tide.

Then all of a sudden it was calm and protected from the Irish sea swell, we motored up to Maryport and anchored off the beach there in the lea of a sandbank.

We went to bed soon after supper, the boat rocking a bit from a slight swell. It had been a long day and would be another long one tomorrow.

The Wessex Kidney Patients Association is a charity that helps patients and their families deal with the upheaval caused by Kidney disease. If you enjoy reading our blog please consider giving to this cause . Many thanks Louise & Martin