Another Bundeena Adventure

Bundeena
Sat 24 Oct 2009 16:49
Leaving Pwllheli went without a problem. The wind was taking us towards Bardsey Sound, but determined not to have another 3 hour epic, tacked away and watched the Latitude decreasing, but a little bit of west on the longitude. The wind was as always coming from the direction we wanted to go, not wanting to motor all the way a series of tacks staying on the east side of the Irish sea, towards St David's Head we tacked and pushed across to the other side.
 
Forecast after forecast was giving Gale warnings, with winds of Gale 8 severe Gale 9, and the one giving storm force 10. No time to hang around, and motor sailing in 20knots now just of the nose with full main and head, had to make it to Cork Harbour before these promised winds arrived.
 
The wind still SE, waiting for it to go SW and increase we were making good progress. instead of going SW it dropped to less than 10knots, and bundeena was surrounded in thick fog. All the crew up, flares, and fog horn in the cockpit ready, we pushed on. Radar, AIS and the chartplotter were working hard that night. Not looking forward to entering a new port in thick fog, about 5 miles from the entrance to Cork harbour the fog lifted, but only for a moment, and is was back down on us.
 
Not trusting the position of the buoys on the chartplotter we began searching for the lateral marks. Finding the entrance to Crosshaven, we slowly motored in. Finally tired up at about 0120 Sat morning.
 
We were all soaked, the boat down below wet, and that's how it was going to stay, one of the webasto heaters had failed (water in the exhaust). Tired and in need of our beds, we couldn't go without a cup of T, and that then lead to a little night cap with the Jura whisky.
 
A few stats we covered 219 miles (log) in 28hours average 7.8knots
Breakfast 2 eggs and a slice of bread
Lunch Corn beef sandwiches, a snickers bar and a banana
Dinner Spam sandwiches
and lots of liquorish allsorts
 
Had a good lie in this morning, after breakfast and a shower (and fixed the webasto heater as it feeds the skippers cabin). The crew steped ashore for a wonder around Crosshaven, that didn't take long. Crosshaven seems to have more pubs that houses. Chips from the chippy for lunch, then back to the boat for an afternoon snooze.
 
Off to one of the pubs for a Guinness or 2 tonight.