Boat show sales? Boat show sails!

Tuesday 18 April

We were ready to set off at HW slack, and of course made a perfect exit, while no one was watching. Skipper helmed me downriver, to take in the scenery he’d missed on the way up, and once in the bay hoisted the main while the wind was on the nose. Rounding Hook Head and the lighthouse, he unfurled my gennaker and staysail, and we all enjoyed a wonderful reach at six knots in eight knots of wind. The scenery along this stretch of coast is fairly tame, but all the better in the sunshine and when viewed from a flat sea.
We made good time for the recommended approach to Kilmore Quay, and picked up the transit, with the seabed clearly visible at low water. Mate suffered a sudden nosebleed while setting up my ropes and fenders for mooring. Disappointingly, when we got close to the entrance, we found it blocked by a large fishing vessel on each wall, and had to turn back out, Mate muttering about having to remove all my ropes and fenders, as Skipper decided on an anchorage in the lee of Great Saltee instead. A grey seal came by to check us out, as news from home was caught up with: a snap General Election has been called.