Hello all followers of the good ship Ella Trout III,

This is the Captain reporting!!  (The crew has been paid off and I now have to ‘DO’ for myself so things are taking a little longer, I’ve also had to find an internet connection)

Ella Trout is back home quietly resting having sailed 3226 miles since leaving Pwllheli on 22^nd May 2008.  We actually arrived home in Pwllheli on 13/07/2008 at 1825hours and 36secs escorted by our welcoming party Brian and Jackie in Topaz. It took 11days, 5½hours from Praia de Vitoria to Pwllheli.

Following on from our last report; after we spotted the south of Ireland the wind began to drop away and for a while it stayed in the north and by early Saturday morning we had shaken all three reefs out and still maintained a good sailing speed.  I know now how the old time sailors new they were near land even when they could not see it because while we were still miles off you could smell the land.  It was a lovely green smell is the only way I can describe it.

Over the last two days of our trip the wind was very variable with 12 hours motoring splitting up three spinnaker sessions as the wind went SW and seemed to be always dead behind us wherever we steered.  The first session was a great success; we put the kite up in a gentle force 2 which raised our speed from 4½ to 6 knots.  Then after an hour or so the wind and the sea started to rise.  Slowly at first, which did not raise concern and I said to Paul we ought to take the spinnaker down soon, then quite suddenly it seemed we had 20 knots over the deck and we started to fly down the waves with this great big sail up. The wind held at this speed and we had a white knuckle ride for a couple of hours before we plucked up the courage to tackle the job of taking the spinnaker down.  Finally, fearing the worst we let the sheet fly but to our delight it came down as good as gold.  Looking at the instruments afterwards they showed our highest speed had been 10.9kts, an exhilarating and successful run!

Following a lull in the wind and a spell on the motor the second spinnaker session started in a similar way.  Filled with the success of our earlier run, when the wind and sea started to rise again we did not worry and settled to enjoy the ride – BIG MISTAKE!  Paul who was helming suddenly found he was out of control and the spinnaker had taken charge and we suffered a spinnaker wipe out.  Basically the boat broaches to (rounds up to windward) and is driven on her side with the boom in the water and the mast near horizontal.  Most alarming if you’re sat on the helm looking vertically downwards at the green sea which was the position Paul found himself in.  More alarming was the site of his life line, one end firmly attached to the boat and the other lying loose on the deck!!  The spinnaker then proceeded to wrap itself round the forestay and the boat stood up in a big tangle.  The situation was complicated by the fact that we did not have much sea room to sort it out as the heading to get the spinnaker behind the mainsail meant we were aiming straight for the Barrels a rather nasty group of rocks on the SE corner of Ireland.  Frantic action accompanied by lots of shouting and rushing about finally got the spinnaker down (undamaged!!) and allowed us to gybe away from the danger. 

I think the lad now views the spinnaker with some suspicion because I did not detect the same enthusiasm when, some time later having had another spell of no wind and motored away from Tuskar Rock and a good way across the Irish Sea, I suggested we put it up again?  ‘Put it up again’ we did and it gave us a glorious gentle ride in a bright sparkling sea all the way to Pwllheli.  Summer sailing as it should be and the crew was very happy.

In these beautiful sunny conditions Brian and Jackie took some lovely pictures of our arrival and I have attached one of the best for you to see.  Brian then led us up the river while Margaret, Sarah and the grand children ran along the edge waving and shouting to us. We decided to go into the marina to tidy and sort the ship after her long voyage before returning her to her permanent mooring and by the time we got in Mags, Sarah and the children were there to greet us again.  It really was a lovely home coming.

Our adventure was not yet quite over, after a days clean up Sarah and the three children spent the day on the boat to help my Brian and I take her round to her permanent mooring in the river. The Harbour Master, an ex merchant navy man, knew all about our trip and seemed impressed with my third place and he has given me a much better berth for a Single Handed 'Atlantic' Sailor.  Unfortunately I could not recover my own mooring warps because somebody else was using them so we had to use the weed laden ones on the new mooring.  A strong westerly wind made a difficult approach and I came in too slowly and the wind quickly drove us back.  'Fortunately', I say that advisedly, we just managed to get the bow line aboard.  Now you have to imagine the scene from the Harbour Masters office looking down on the river: Portly 73 year old Brian with his large floppy hat falling over his eyes and our Atlantic hero (he’s 71) laying over the bow at full stretch hanging on to these green weed laden ropes with Ella Trout streaming behind and moving neither forward nor back.  At the back of the boat Sarah and James were manfully fending ET off the next pile mooring post down the river.  Stale mate ensued for some minutes, would the old boys weaken?  No!  Very slowly we pulled her in and a fifteen minutes wrestling match finally got things under control and the two old guys flopped on the deck soaking wet and plastered with seaweed.  Two cups of tea later and a packet of biscuits, shaky but recovered they got in the dinghy to go back to the marina to get the car. Five minutes heaving on the starter cord finally got through to our two old boys that the outboard wasn't going to start.  Sarah then witnessed these vastly experienced chaps systematically going through each vital function of the motor confident of success.

An hour later they finally rowed ashore and walked.
 
Sarah having watched all this while her other two children played pirates, oblivious of all our trials and tribulations, observed at the dinner table that evening "It was a bit like a boating version of 'Last of the Summer Wine'".  So you see sailing a boat has many facets and can bring you ignominiously down to earth without warning or raise you to the highest elation.

Finally may I say to all my family and friends you have given me such wonderful support which has embellished the trip far more than I would have imagined.  Your emails at sea were eagerly received and those on the supporters’ boat at Plymouth really made my start something I will always remember.  Thank you seems inadequate but I really do thank you all most sincerely for the wonderful support you have given.

Poppa/Dad/Roger