Monday, September 2nd
Once again, the initial idea was to go to Howth, a port near Dublin, to meet our friend Kevin Cardiff, president of our association (the JRA), and then get organized.
And once again, the now famous “dynamic decision making” leads to other plans.
Our deadline is September 5th, because the next day I have to meet my wife Gina at Dublin airport, where Bruno also has to meet his wife Véronique. They both have decided to do us the honor of coming to spend a few days with us.
Thanks to some happy sailing initiatives, such as skipping some stopovers, thanks to the good weather conditions that allowed us to sail faster than expected, and no doubt thanks to the pessimism of my estimates, we are no less than four days ahead of schedule.
Less than 40 miles separate us from our destination, and we have a few errands to do before leaving Arklow. We cast off at around 11:00, knowing that the lack of wind will force us to sail under engine anyway, without detours, for this fairly short leg.
The wind is absent, but not the rain: we set sail in oilskins and hoods, for the first rainy day of our trip.
Arriving near Howth, I contact the harbor master who informs us that they are unable to accommodate us, due to draft and low tidal coefficient. They have had several problems with groundings during the day.
Our alternatives are the marina of Dun Laoghaire, a little further south in Dublin Bay, and that of Malahide, a little further north.
Kevin, called for the occasion, immediately recommends that we come to Malahide where there is plenty of space for us. Malahide is also Kevin’s place of residence, and the place where he keeps his boat Yvonne (incidentally, He named his boat after his wife !).
It is 8:30 p.m. and night has fallen when we arrive at the visitors’ pontoon. Electric torches in hand, Kevin is already waiting for us there, accompanied by Alan Mullholland, an intrepid character who had just crossed the Atlantic on a small 6.50m junk of his own making, Wave Rover 2, to take part in the Dublin parade.
Alan is a man full of life, energetic and smiling, hero of his own YouTube channel where he publishes his adventures, from his first tour of the Atlantic with a Contessa 6.50, then the construction of his second boat Wave Rover II and his second crossing of the Atlantic (check his YouTube channel !). For me, who has been a subscriber to his channel for a long time, I met that evening a sort of untouchable idol … Yet Alan is a simple, jovial and available man, and a joyful friendship quickly sets in between him and our crew.
The first part of our trip has just come to an end.
A new page of our little adventure opens!