We arrived in campbeltown about 8.00pm tonight, got tied up & started chatting to the harbour master on the pontoon, as we walked along a rib about 6m ish with about 5 folk aboard pulls away from the pontoon, we stop to chat to the engineer who's just got the flooded none starting 125 mariner 2 stroke going for them, whilst educating them on how the warm up leaver works cos its their first trip out. "Where they off to" I ask, "Ireland" comes the reply I'm like "now? tonight? like that?" they all have lifejackets of sorts but dressed for a walk in the park, the helm is in jeans & a teeshirt. The engineer says their sweating about fuel too they used 80 ltrs to get here & not sure they have enough to get back. We had just come from Ardrossan & it was a touch lumpy round the bottom of Arran and we couldnt see the mull until we were within 7 or 8 miles not awful conditions but not flat calm clear day either. We were all sat with our vhfs on waiting for the mayday & the lifeboat launch but fortunately they arrived back under their own steam about 10.00pm obviously decided against it & off to find accommodation for the night I guess before another attempt tomorrow no doubt.
Its only 30 miles but its pretty open & some strong tides to contend with not realy a getting to know the boat trip.
Yeh my guess is they got to the bottom of the mull and decided to err on the safe side & come back. They left at 10.00am sunday & seemed to make it ok as no shouts on the radio & no chat about a missing rib when we arrived at Ballycastle at 7.30pm on Saturday. First thing the harbour master asked us as we tied up was "have you seen a speedboat on your way across?"apparently another one heading for Scotland, Must be the season for it!
Probably no worse than the 100s of sibs across the channel every month though
Probably no worse than the 100s of sibs across the channel every month though
It's 11Nm from Scotland to Ireland. My antecedents used to do it in rowboats whenever there was a barney brewing. We scoot back and forth all the time. We don't always bother the harbourmaster with our plans either.
Just today, someone asked me if the B.A. were likely to feature in a forthcoming trip I'm planning...
It's 11Nm from Scotland to Ireland. My antecedents used to do it in rowboats whenever there was a barney brewing. We scoot back and forth all the time. We don't always bother the harbourmaster with our plans either.
Just today, someone asked me if the B.A. were likely to feature in a forthcoming trip I'm planning...
"Only if they have a bird in the air that day!"
Shame about the Darwin awards as that’s why we are in this predicament in the first place….. a couple of generations ago teenagers were taking to skies to head off the Luftwaffe now you need more kit they had to go out in a boat a few miles
What did my grandfathers risk their lives and loose their pals for
a couple of generations ago teenagers were taking to skies to head off the Luftwaffe now you need more kit they had to go out in a boat a few miles
What did my grandfathers risk their lives and loose their pals for
To a degree I concur, but then, they WERE fighting for the very existence of the reality that we know and hold dear - not the right to fkk up and call the RNLI. IMO there's a balance. We should feel the need to push the limits, but it's good to know where the limits might be
I'm usually of the opinion of let folk get on with it & they are usually fine but I did think the crew leaving Campbelltown were an incident waiting to happen & probably reflected this years urge to buy boats instead of foreign holidays. They obviously didnt know the boat & weren't dressed for the occasion. The engineer had to explain how to use the warm up lever to clear out the rich running two stroke he'd just had to get running for them. We had just come in & while it wasnt dog rough it wasnt flat calm either. They had been offered an overnight stay on a local yacht which they initially refused but obviously returned later to take up the offer, probably a wise move but the fact it was offered in the first place showed the concern for their safety.
It all ended well & hopefully there a bit wiser afterwards
