Cruising Logbook

Friday 7th May 2010,

Took Aventurea over after inspection and sea trial and left Coleraine for Portrush. The entrance here can be very dangerous over the bar, even in N3/4 the waves were high and starting to break, altering course for Portrush with wind and waves on the port bow sent lots of heavy spray over the wheelhouse, almost as bad as 'Starlet' our previous Nelson!

The passage enabled us to try out some of the boat's systems which were new to us. All instruments 'talk' to each other and sometimes it seems they don't listen carefully enough! We entered Portrush and tied to the pontoon against the wall. Judy and I were both very pleased with the boat and she can use her 18 knot cruising speed into a force four

Sat 8th May
After a very cold night we fuelled the boat, paid the mooring fee of £15 and left for the wisky island of Islay 2 1/2 hrs later entered Port Ellen on the S/E corner of Islay after a trouble free passage of 32 miles

A group of 'hooray henries' on a nearby boat said we shouldn't eat ashore at the same time as them, so we had a good meal on the boat before settling down to another very cold night.

David Morgan - April 4th 2010

From Wednesday this week Judy and I shall be sailing our new boat 'Aventurea'  {a Hardy Mariner 26) from N. Ireland to the Western Isles of Scotland, over a period of two weeks, before having her transported down to the Solent. If we can get online we shall keep you informed.