getting her home was going to prove more of a trial than i'd hoped.christmas was coming up and i wanted her back beforehand,but we had to have a good window of weather.although a fairly sound boat,being tied up in howth so long she was bound to be leaky from drying out and with a 30 hour steam ahead i wasnt taking any chances.our first problems came while the owner hugh was moving her around the harbour.it was late evening and we were putting her back in tier after having the bottom checked.she wouldnt go ahead,only astern,and as we drifted down between the moored yachts i heard him calling the lifeboat out even though we were still in the harbour and i could see it only 200 yards away.luckily the propellor fowled a mooring and stopped us drifting onto the break water.a man on the quay was shouting to see if we needed help but we'd half solved the problem by then and limped her back into tier,busting out of the mooring and cancelling the lifeboat as we went.i flew home.
on the first attempt to get her home,my mate julian flew over with me ,we met with hugh and went for a few pints to settle the nerves.didnt help that the song'into the danger zone'came on twice while we had our first pint.we set off in the evening after getting some grub for the trip,but we didnt get far,the revs wouldnt go up on the engine,there was a problem with the fuel pump and
it would take us forever to get home,so we turned back had a weekend on the beer in temple bar and flew home again
christmas came and went and it wasnt till the end of january that the weather let up for another go.my then bosses,spencer and dinks came for the ride,hugh wouldnt be coming as he was bringing his other boat north to be scrapped at the same time,so it was just us.
i'll never forget that night,neither will spencer and dinks.we broke down 20 miles or so off,it was the most sickening feeling.the weather had turned out to be much worst than forecast,and as the engine faded and died 5 mile northeast of the kish bank we knew it wasnt going to start again.we'd rolled all the way out,rolled like a pig, at one stage a tub of flares broke loose and the 2 lads unable to stop themselves sliding around the wheelhouse floor were joined by 30 flares rolling about with their lids coming off.the toilet door fell off too.
but when we broke down apart from the wind and sea,it just went quiet.the lads tried their damndest to clear the fuel filters below,but they were choked and even with fresh ones on, the batteries were too weak to get her going again,so i called the lifeboat.we were on a lee shore now,an unfamiliar shore in an unfamiliar boat and unsure of how fast we were drifting.needless to say when i saw the lifeboats flashing blue and white light an hour later,my heart lifted a bit.they towed us back to howth ,doing a great job even when the tow rope parted coming in through the harbour gaps,the coxwain,with his big spitfire pilot moustache,had little time to spare and sh
ot back reconnecting the tow and dragging us into the busom of howth harbour and safety.it was about 2 in the morning now,the lads were soaked from head to foot in diesel,the boat was a mess,we were fed up cold,and somewhat shaken up so we turned in on the wheelhouse floor to try and sleep.at 6 the next morning they got up,went to the airport and flew home,i dont blame them.
on the first attempt to get her home,my mate julian flew over with me ,we met with hugh and went for a few pints to settle the nerves.didnt help that the song'into the danger zone'came on twice while we had our first pint.we set off in the evening after getting some grub for the trip,but we didnt get far,the revs wouldnt go up on the engine,there was a problem with the fuel pump and
it would take us forever to get home,so we turned back had a weekend on the beer in temple bar and flew home againchristmas came and went and it wasnt till the end of january that the weather let up for another go.my then bosses,spencer and dinks came for the ride,hugh wouldnt be coming as he was bringing his other boat north to be scrapped at the same time,so it was just us.
i'll never forget that night,neither will spencer and dinks.we broke down 20 miles or so off,it was the most sickening feeling.the weather had turned out to be much worst than forecast,and as the engine faded and died 5 mile northeast of the kish bank we knew it wasnt going to start again.we'd rolled all the way out,rolled like a pig, at one stage a tub of flares broke loose and the 2 lads unable to stop themselves sliding around the wheelhouse floor were joined by 30 flares rolling about with their lids coming off.the toilet door fell off too.
but when we broke down apart from the wind and sea,it just went quiet.the lads tried their damndest to clear the fuel filters below,but they were choked and even with fresh ones on, the batteries were too weak to get her going again,so i called the lifeboat.we were on a lee shore now,an unfamiliar shore in an unfamiliar boat and unsure of how fast we were drifting.needless to say when i saw the lifeboats flashing blue and white light an hour later,my heart lifted a bit.they towed us back to howth ,doing a great job even when the tow rope parted coming in through the harbour gaps,the coxwain,with his big spitfire pilot moustache,had little time to spare and sh
ot back reconnecting the tow and dragging us into the busom of howth harbour and safety.it was about 2 in the morning now,the lads were soaked from head to foot in diesel,the boat was a mess,we were fed up cold,and somewhat shaken up so we turned in on the wheelhouse floor to try and sleep.at 6 the next morning they got up,went to the airport and flew home,i dont blame them.
No comments:
Post a Comment