chance of a lifetime "King's Ametyst"

HeidiHeidi

Copper, if you're reading this - hope you're doing ok!

I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering how you're getting on and keeping everything crossed that you got all of your bad luck incidents out of the way early on.

Fair (and safe) sailing to you wherever you are.

copper12

Having had time in inishbofin to plan ahead I left for broad haven where I took a visitor mooring after tying up to the pier I managed to get a lift into the nearest town for diesel then moved onto the mooring
Next morning left towards killebegs I also had a plan for Teelin’Aran island’ and around Gola the wind being as it was I made good time and decided to Anchor behind Inishsirrer as this seemed the safest place for the night .
Boy was I wrong
In front of me I had a detailed plan printed a satellite photo and a coerce to steer leading lights I picked up just after rounding the head they would lead me in off to the right there’s a small harbour I had all this identified about a hundred meters from where I was to drop anchor the boat slowed then stopped then spun around I had got caught up in a sunken salmon net
By the time I had figured out what had happened I was on the boulders
No matter what I tried I could not get off .
Next mooring with luck and hard work I managed to get her off Anchored where I should have the night before and spent the most of the day doing some repairs
The pictures tell the rest .
I am now in Greencastle Lough Foyle

Pete67

Copper, as a fellow sailor that last update makes for difficult reading, but nevertheless, very glad you are OK. Keep safe.

pedroeibar1

I refrained from commenting on this until now as I’m in a difficult position because I’ve sailed with Copper on my boat. Seeing Ceo on the rocks ………….

Very early on in this restoration it was obvious that Copper had no idea about sailing so I PM’d him and invited him out for a sail. Typical of Irish weather on the assigned day it was not pleasant, but he had made the trip (quite a long one just to go for a sail) so we set off, reefed down and furled jib, staying in relatively sheltered waters. He was put on the helm at the outset and took to it like a duck to water, got the ‘feel’ of the boat immediately, saw what closing the slot could achieve, using the traveller or mainsheet, (and at times both!). In all my years of sailing I have met just a handful of real ‘naturals’ - one was a girlfriend of many years ago who sat a horse really well and had a really light touch, another was a pilot and another was Copper, all just ‘sensed’ what was going on. And I enjoyed his company. He just had the feel. Maybe it was his dyslexia, whatever, I don’t know. He also can fix things, he is tactile when it comes to sorting things out, a huge advantage. There is no point in recommending ‘book learning’ – it’s not going to work.

That said, Copper, you need to realise that you are not in a race. You have no time limit, other than a self-imposed one, to get back to your mooring in Cork. Forget time limits, if you have to get back just leave the boat in Strangford, DL, Dunmore East, wherever. I’ve done lots of passages, and back in that day I did – when solo or with a newbie crew - my utmost to avoid sailing near land at night. I stayed off until I could see where I was going and if unsure I had the sea-room and daylight time to find out. Alternatively I got in early and moored up in comfort.

Salmon nets are a common occurrence all along the west coast. Legal or illegal, they have been and will be there to capture the inexperienced. Yes it was bad luck to be snagged, but you should not have put yourself in that position. Nor did Ceo deserve to be beached on rocks. You were very very lucky yet again. The images of those rocks and the way Ceo is heeled over - a couple of feet either way and she was gone. Please don’t push it, or her, too hard. Slow down, sleep at night, see where you are going. It a cruise, not a race. All of us – particularly the raggies – want you to succeed so please stay safe.
Best,
P.

spaceHopper

Copper,
This could so easily has ended badly, most of your mishaps are from going in in the dark, yes you've learned a lot but you only get one big mistake then it's over. Half the distances you are covering and be in early, always aim for a mooring, or a harbour wall.

Also watch the weather the board could take a pounding and who knows what else is broken but hasn't show up.

copper12

Thanks’ for your comments
Most indeed all of you are right in a way
I am indeed very lucky
I am now in Skerries having left ardglaas
I had hoped to make either Howth or Dun Laoghaire
licensing to updates on the vhf I decided early to head into Skerries tied up to the pier and got a taxi to go and get diesel
As I am now sailing with either one or two reefs in; and a storm sail.
So the routine now is up and off early and by noon; I would have a fair idea witch harbour I will make by six o’clock
I would have a plan for a couple before and after the one I was aiming for

thanks again

pedroeibar1

Thanks for the update Copper, that’s great news. If the wind stays south westerly (blowing stink here in the Kingdom at the mom) I’d be inclined to take a course inside the banks down the coast – if you go outside there can be some nasty seas rolling off them. The right tide is critical for going around the corner in a S Westerly and unless I had great visibility I’d stay outside the Saltees.
Best of luck with the last legs,
P.

copper12

More drama
After spending the night on the mooring and expecting bad weather over the next few days I headed for either Howth or Dun Laoghaire to tie up
After passing lamba island with plenty of time I decided to head for Dun Laoghaire and since I could not make out the north cardinal buoy off the burn fort bank rather than taking the longer rout across the shipping channel I went to the south cardinal buoy off the Burfort bank opposite Kish lighthouse
So straight across the channel; opposite the lighthouse I turned for Dun Laoghaire this is where the excitement starts
Looking into the cabin there was steam or smoke everywhere; i cut the engine had a quick look around and jumped below to see what was going on it turned out that a hose had split just behind doubly clip
So back up on top I dropped the mainsail and storm jib another look around by this time the wind had dropped to nothing; so I wasn’t going nowhere so after a scramble for tools I repaired the hose about ten minuets’ or less
I had not gone a mile towards Dun Laoghaire when there was more steam this time when I pushed back on the throttle the engine stopped; now I was in trouble I tried to start the engine a couple of times to no avail .
So with no other choice I dropped the anchor and contacted the Dublin coastguard and informed them of my situation since I was out of the shipping channel I said I would try and get the engine started and would keep them informed
Finally after a half hour I managed to get the engine started; and tried to lift the anchored not for the life of me could I get it off the bottom I had anchored in 25 meters of water so after 15 minuets’ I gave up and cut it louse and headed for the harbour keeping the coastguard informed every fifteen minuets’
Got into the harbour and grabbed the first berth that I could see if I slowed the engine down she shuttered and was liable to cut out
So for the last five or six hours I have been trying to determine what went wrong striped water pumps heat exchangers hoses and checked the thermostat this I left out as I have known them to operate when tested only too fail as soon as you put it back in; cleaned and flushed out everything I could not find anything out of place so put everything back together and started the engine up and ran her on high reeves for over an hour and a half with no problems so it must have been the thermostat stuck in the closed position so I will run her again tomorrow and take it from there
Standing in the rain eating pot noodles while waiting for an engine to overheat isn’t the best way to spend a bank holiday Monday
Jasus I couldn’t make it up if I tried

fergal.b

Are you trying to give me another heart attack or did you upset Neptune and Poseidon in some way, keep safe it's always good to see your name posting try and keep it that way.




.

pedroeibar1

Hi Copper,
Glad you are safe! Thanks for keeping us updated. There is a car-breakers yard at the end of the West Pier in DL and they would have a selection of hoses should you need a replacement one (or two). I’ll be in Dun Laoghaire area tomorrow morning and free until one – ish so if you need a hand/lift give me a shout by PM with your mobile number and I'll arrange to meet..
P.

spaceHopper

Do you have AIS?

copper12

no AIS spaceHopper



Evening all
Having been tinkering with the engine all day repairing the leeks that I left after me during the repair no point in fixing them there and then only to have to take them apart if I could not sort out the problem
Having run the engine now on high revs then low as it’s the speed of the engine determines how much water flows true the heat exchanger it did not over heat
Under load it may be a different storey but it’s looking good
It may well have been a stuck thermostat that caused the engine to overheat
It’s been blowing between 35 and 40 knots in the harbour not making it easy to work on the boat
All is good for tomorrow I might make it to Wicklow or arklow if all goes well
Thanks for the offer pedrow much appreciated

copper12

I made to Arklow yesterday hoping to continue on today
The forecast up until Sunday isn’t good so I have opted to head home and leave ceo na marra in the fisherman’s marina god is good for next week

pedroeibar1

Good call Copper.

copper12

Evening all
Being back home for the last few days it looks as if it could be another week before the weather turns for the better.
It’s just as well I did not hang around arklow; as I got an infection’ that has left my left hand badly swollen.
This is from the arklow river while the pontoon and the harbour berths are fine; the river is like an open sewer.
With raw sewage floating along’ when I tied up to the pontoon on the river the rope were slimy after a few minuets’ even the locals have modified there mooring boys’ in order to have there pick up buoys’ in buckets attached to the top of the mooring.
.
I have the chart plotter back up and running it was the battery that burnt out of the other one; so I had to purchase the latest navionic + for android.
I have made out a number of plans’ for when I leave ark low heading towards either Ross lair or Kilmore Quay.
Outside the Glass Gorman bank from here I can either go thru the Rusk channel and make my way between the wexford bar and the long bank and onto Ross lair or outside the long bank and inside the blackwaterbank and Lucifer bank to round holdens bed or stay outside the Blackwaterbank and the Lucifer bank until I reach Lucifer south cardinal buoy; and head towards the south long buoy keeping it just to port and make my way towards Ross lair if I have the time and the tide and the weather I can change my coerce and go onto Kilmore quay. I will have them on both the chartplotter and maps along with waypoints .
I will wait for some settled weather before I head back as once I get around the corner I will have a lot more options’ as to the weather

pedroeibar1

Hi Copper,
It’s been a long time since I did that trip and rarely made calls into any of the harbours, so I’m behind the times – hopefully others are more up-to-date and will comment.
We always buoy-hopped down the coast, ticking them off as we went. Rosslare was (still is?) an inhospitable place due to ferry and trawler traffic that we avoided – I’ve been in there only once, when I gave up after a long hammering on trying to beat against wind and tide at ‘the corner’. Kilmore Quay we never went into as there was little depth and it is not an easy harbour to enter.
Were I to do the trip single-handed from Arklow south, I’d go for sea room at the Tuskar. I’d stay outside the Tuskar and go south as far as the Coningbeg and then turn in for Dunmore East. There are too many rocks / foul ground around the Saltees. If you have the time, the passage upriver from Dunmore East to Waterford is a pretty trip (but keep an eye out for salmon nets!).
I know it is shorter to take an inside passage at the corner but I would be very reluctant to do it on my own under sail and never at night. Getting the tide right and having good weather are critical to make it around that corner safely, it can be a very unpleasant place in adverse conditions. Any chance one of the family could come along as an extra pair of hands?

copper12

Thanks for the input Pedro
Having looked again at the notes I have made and taking into account the wind and tides.
I might well take your advise and stay outside everything.
The wind and tides are with me from Monday so Sunday evening I will head for arklow.
Local knowledge; my best option would be to leave arklow harbour an hour before high tide.
This should allow me to be at the Glass Gorman no2 buoy at high tide.
A coerce of 185 magnetic.
Will leave me outside the banks if I hold this coerce it lead me towards tusker and I should pass it leaving it two miles starboard. from there I can either head for St Patrick’s bridge or go around the saltee’s; or as you suggested’ if I have the time head for Dunmore east.
High tide arklow for Monday is 05.35 so an early start.
All of mine would get sea sick in the bath
The weeks break has done me the world of good I even had time for a bit of fly fishing.

pedroeibar1

Hi Copper,
The ‘outside all’ course is obligatory in bad weather, poor visibility or darkness. The inshore passage is shorter but you really need to know exactly where you are at all times and there is no space for error on the Patrick’s Bridge route – there is very foul ground both off Kilmore and off the north end of the N Saltee. Also in favour of the inside passage is that it can be calmer than out at the Coningbeg, where wind/tide can create some nasty conditions (as encountered by the yacht that lost a crew overboard last week!).

For the inshore passage my old ICC book says after rounding Tuskar first clear South Rock Buoy and then make good a course to come to a quarter of a mile S of Carnsore Point which will lead clear south of the Bailies Bank, then head for the gap north of N Saltee. When rounding Tuskar give it a wide berth as at some stages of the tides they set onto it.

Beautiful fish, did you catch him on one of your own tied creations?
Safe passage, don’t push it too hard
P

copper12

The water being so low I tied up a few flies
Below is the one he took first fish this year

copper12

Arrived in arklow to a surprise
The original owener,s son who bought her in Poland was working on his boat tyed up alongside ceo na marra he is now in his sixties when he was fourteen he learnt to sail with his father and brother and sailed her all over the east and south coast
He could not believe his eyes last weekend when he walked onto the pontoon
I left arklow this mooring at 5am hoping to make the most of the tides there was no wind what so ever
5knt was the most I had for the day but I got the tides right and managed to make it helvic in dungarven

spaceHopper

copper12 wrote: »

Arrived in arklow to a surprise
The original owener,s son who bought her in Poland was working on his boat tyed up alongside ceo na marra he is now in his sixties when he was fourteen he learnt to sail with his father and brother and sailed her all over the east and south coast
He could not believe his eyes last weekend when he walked onto the pontoon
I left arklow this mooring at 5am hoping to make the most of the tides there was no wind what so ever
5knt was the most I had for the day but I got the tides right and managed to make it helvic in dungarven

Good surprises are OK it's the washing up on rocks that's not

copper12

Evening all
Finally arrived back in chrosshaven and Coe na Mara is back on her mooring
I left helvic this mooring at 5am and got into chrosshaven just after lunchtime
She who must be obeyed collected me and all the gear from the boat so all is well
I will leave it a week or two before I decide on how I am going to repair the damage done; when I got grounded

HeidiHeidi

Wow, what an achievement!

You make it sound like you went out for a little day sail

Well done - that was quite the rollercoaster journey, but you got through it in one piece, as did the boat.

What's next? :D (for the sake of my nerves, hopefully some little day sails!)

spaceHopper

copper12 wrote: »

Evening all
Finally arrived back in chrosshaven and Coe na Mara is back on her mooring
I left helvic this mooring at 5am and got into chrosshaven just after lunchtime
She who must be obeyed collected me and all the gear from the boat so all is well
I will leave it a week or two before I decide on how I am going to repair the damage done; when I got grounded

Is there a way we can elevate you to a legend of boards? What next. How do you cover so much ground so fast, what was your average speed?

copper12

Space hopper
Covering ground; luck and timing was on my side.
I left arklow about an hour and a half before high tide arklow.
This I felt would put me at the no2 glass Gorman buoy; just before the tide turns south.
The char plotter was working by then’ and the speed over ground half way down the glass Gorman bank was 9 knots so I had this run all the way to Ross lair
I knew than if I stayed close inshore close to Ross lair and Greenore point; not to close the effect of the coming tide would be negligible’ rounding carnsore point I knew it would be an hour or two before high tide. the hour before and after high tide; the tide is at it’s weakest, so I headed for ST Patrick’s arch; I was still doing 4.5 knots over ground ; going trough ST Patrick’s arch was a bit rough as the tide was still running.
After passing true the arch I knew the south going tide would start’ and lead me towards Dunmore east; after passing hook head there was still enough tide and time left so I went for dungarven.
I am constantly checking the state of the tide when passing lobsterpot markers and would tend to stay closer to shore as the tide is strongest
Also I would take note of the wind direction and he lay of the land as I round a head land
Constantly thinking as to weather the I should head right into the bay and the wind would blow me around the head or would it do the opposite and stop me in my tracks
I sometimes get it right’ sometimes I get it wrong.
The more experience I get I will get it right more often than not

copper12

Finished my journey around Ireland
Chrosshaven to Glandore then onto Crookhaven from there I sailed out passed the Mizen head then between the bull and the Cow Islands off Dursey island up around the Skelligs island and onto Dingle.
From Dingle up true the Blasket sound and headed past Kerry head and loop head and onto Killkee.
Leaving Killkee I headed towards the Aran islands passed Slyne head and onto Inishbofin I spent the day here listening to the Corncrake and doing some minor repairs before heading off in the evening to sail overnight towards Broad haven next day I sailed across Donegal Bay and spent a day and a night anchored in a bay off Inishsirrer then onto Greencastle where due to weather I spent another two days from there across the top of Ireland true Rathlin sound passed Belfast Lough and spent the night in Bangor listening to the sounds of the sash my father wore it must have been the tricolour hanging of the back of Ceo Na Mara; they me feel so welcome.
Next day bright and early; very early I headed south and tied up in Ardglass because of bad weather they don’t take the Euro here either but no welcoming music.:D
Next day I knew I was back in the republic when I had to avoid the lobster pots all the way to Skerries tied up to a mooring for the night before heading for Dun Laoghaire where I spent another two days because of storms then onto Arklow where I left the boat tied up for a week and headed home by bus :rolleyes:
Storm forecast for a week and I had had enough of battling force five and six winds so last Sunday I got dropped off in arklow to collect Ceo Na Mara and finish what I had started on to find a man standing in deep thought looking at Ceo Na Mara; it turned out his father was the original owner who had brought her over from Poland over fifty years ago he was fourteen years old at the time so we had a long chat about where she had been since he last seen her
Next morning at 4.30am I headed off down the east coast passed Ross lair Carnsore point between th Tusker rock true saint Patrick’s arch with the tides and spent the night in a tiny harbour in Helvic at the edge of Dungarven harbour then onto the peoples republic of cork where I tied up at the pontoon in Chrosshaven to off load all me washing feeling very proud of my achievement I could not wait to tell any one who would listen only to have a bloke who helped me tie up say he had just sailed from New Zealand.:eek:

spaceHopper

Saw this on adverts same boat

https://www.adverts.ie/boats/kings-ametyst-sailboat/17957541

pedroeibar1

Due to family reasons Copper has not been afloat/able to use her, hates to see her idle and hence the sale.

beauf

Well hats off, I enjoyed reading the adventure.

spaceHopper

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Due to family reasons Copper has not been afloat/able to use her, hates to see her idle and hence the sale.

That's a real shame he put so much work into it