Aleria's Adventures

Aleria in Kilrush We launched Aleria mid-May but several things delayed bringing her home.  For one, we had her brightwork redone and to do so they removed all the hardware but failed to reinstall it. So when we tried to install the spray hood, we realised there were no fittings. We had to acquire and install a new rail which, fortunately, our sail maker in Galway had enough of in stock to supply us. The snaps are still missing.  Then we had an engine problem. It kept stalling and we couldn't find the spare Racor filters. So we had to order new ones, treat the fuel with diesel bug killer, and then polish the fuel which took a couple more days. It worked! Finally, we were ready to depart from Kilrush. We arrived Saturday, the first day without gale-force winds. It was hot. Never mind that the airflow was going to be northerly for several days which would see us either motoring north or bashing into headwinds, we were taking off. Check and check. I provisioned while Alex inst...

View from the dock at sunset in Kilrush I asked Alex to organise crew for the delivery. I just didn't feel like pushing through on a delivery trip. Cormac and Louise were co-opted for the trip, although Louise would have to bail out at Inishmore as she has to be at work on Monday. Ciaran Murphy, Michael Murphy's son, asked to join the crew. However, he called Friday that he'd had a car accident and would have to bow out.  They departed Friday evening from our house. It was pouring rain and had been for three days due to post-tropical cyclone Sam dumping buckets of rain on us. The plan was to head out on the high spring tide and anchor at Clare Island, then head out early for Kilronan on Inishmore. Depart Inishmore at 10 am sharp the next day (after dropping Louise off to take the ferry) to catch the incoming tide in the Shannon River at 4 pm. Cormac and Alex would take her from Inishmore to Kilrush. Aleria would be hauled Monday and I would drive down to pick them up.  Nau...

Leaving Kilrush at 0530h.  We brought Aleria home from Kilrush over the past few days. We drove down Tuesday, hanked on the sails, provisioned, fill the tanks with water and fuel, cleaned up, then had a nice dinner aboard and early to sleep. Left at dawn to catch the tide, rounded Loop Head with the tide pushing us at about 8 knots, then motored in flat calm arriving in Inishbofin 12 hours later, bypassing Inishmore to take advantage of the calm weather as the forecast was dire for the next day.  We had gale force SE winds and torrential rain overnight but were well protected in Bofin Harbour. The next morning, with near gale and torrential rain forecast, we set out in flat calm and sunshine. There were rain showers all around us but we maintained a personal weather bubble. As it turned out, we were motoring along in the eye of the low-pressure system and arrived exactly at the right time to catch the incoming tide at the half. As we secured the boat on the mooring and got al...