and so the adventure continues...

Slipstream, in Arklow since her arrival from the Scilly Islands at the beginning of July, welcomed the arrival of Billy C (skipper), Baines (ex comms) and the cabin girl to release her back to England (or close…Wales) for the start of the three peaks yacht race.

First to arrive was Bill, whose duties involved victualling (Aldi), fender washing (!) and rope-locker reorganisation (…who says he doesn’t have a busy life?), next was Baines. Billy and Baines set off to refuel Slipstream, an interesting venture in so far as the tank was subterranean and so invisible…fortunately Mr Gaffney the fuelman appeared with piping, flowmeter and pump. Following refuelling the excitement in Arklow involved Guinness, more Guinness, food in Christy’s and more Guinness, Aldi red wine (made us realise we’d not drunk enough Guinness to drink Aldi red wine) and then early to bed in anticipation of a 5 am start.

5 was early but bright and windy. No one else up and a nice start out past a family of windturbines. Fine fresh sailing until the wind died and we motored on keen to have a look at the Caernarfon bar (or Baines was until he discovered Bill meant a sand bar!!)

Caernaerfon was lovely, but one beer in one bar was sufficient to persuade the crew to spend the night on the mooring (but in fact it almost took the whole night to secure the mooring buoy and almost cost the boat hook).

So a fine supper was prepared by the Captain and cabin wench and another early night (before another early start…this is meant to be fun!)

In the photo Billy’s finger is helpfully pointing to our first hill…Snowdon

Breakages: the asymmetric spinnaker boom rope…always chafes and did so reliably again after two hours…bugger, in fact  double bugger

(almost lost a boat hook)