RI13 – One team’s story

[landlord]

Excellent write up, amazed you've got the energy. You've got me interested for next year !

[Boatnomad]

Originally Posted by Gentiana

That Paul, is some report ! Thank you so much for filing. Especially with regards to the time of posting.

A vivid tale of the day. I am sure appreciated by many.

So did those into Galway stop over to shelter ?

G

+1 Great report-a TESTING day!!

[Exe treme]

Firstly, huge respect to you and all the teams participating in the Round Ireland 2013.

I am hooked by your daily reports, and wonder how you can find time and energy to write them when mentally and physically exhausted, especially in the conditions you describe.

Wishing you all good luck and safe passage for the remaining legs.

[two stroke mick]

I was reviewing the RB4 dvd today and I thought I saw top hat in that event too?

[ShinyShoe]

Always thought those long legs down the top and west were gonna hurt! I'd have stopped at Galway (or Kinvara if you want a crazy Irish welcome!) to split the journey up.

What happens now that everyone's all spread about? This is where a couple of rest days would have been handy to let people catch up...
(Hinting for a future year in case I'm daft enough to do it!!)

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by shinyshoe

always thought those long legs down the top and west were gonna hurt! I'd have stopped at galway (or kinvara if you want a crazy irish welcome!) to split the journey up.

What happens now that everyone's all spread about? This is where a couple of rest days would have been handy to let people catch up...
(hinting for a future year in case i'm daft enough to do it!!)

+1

[tonymac]

Adding my thanks also Paul for the great write-ups. Really interesting. The West is always testing and perhaps the long legs are demanding too much. Hope everyone is ok and respect to all.

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Great stories and v interesting. Just led the ashes, back there tomorrow. It's tough just like the RI entrants but I'm ok.

Respect to all involved.

[Paul Glatzel]

Some photos at last - you do not need a facebook account to viewhttps://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=29985a1688 these



Paul

[Boatnomad]

Great shot's
Weather's a bit all over the place at the moment

[Paul Glatzel]

Day 6: Fenit to Dingle

The days starts with elements of the group in different places. Blue J confirms retirement on the Aran Islands leaving Oban to transit alone from there. The Galway group are seeking fuel and the other party on the Aran Islands will be seeking to passage to Fenit too.

The question for those at the briefing is whether to stay at Fenit where the Irish hospitality is exceptional (thanks JP) or to transit the short distance to Dingle where facilities are far more plentiful – particularly when many issues need fixing on boats. The coastguard is contacted for a weather update (force 4 S in our area of interest) so the vote is taken to go. Before we go as ever we call in the passage and boat details then depart.

The refueling commences and as ever is hugely efficient with the fuel guys supplying 2 x petrol boats and 1 x diesel boats at any one time. As wewait to depart there is rain and very limited vis but little wind. We are led by a local RIB Calypso through the sound out of Tralee Bay and then south west along the massive cliffs with many waterfalls – very impressive. We get the sun breaking through and it is beautiful. As we round the headland the wind picks up and the conditions are rougher but nothing serious and we head along into Dingle. As we enter we are joined by a large Redbay which intends transiting with us to Crosshaven.

Alongside at Dingle Marina and we moor, sort fuel and boats and disperse. A 0900 meeting at the Suzuki tent is agreed.

We start to sample Dingle which is clearly very much the tourists idea of the perfect old irish village/town and is pretty but busy. The flip side is it has plenty of resources for us and some fab food. All on Top Hat decamp to a B&B for a treat.

The weather is worsening and we see white water in the harbour and the wind is very strong Oban arrive from the Aran Islands but hit a wave at the entrance to the harbour causing boat damage so sadly are having to pull out.

We understand the Galway and Aran groups of three boats are transiting and hope they are doing okay. We learn later that the Option4/Black Hawk/Top Cat group sought shelter in a bay just short of the headland before Fenit are are anchored and camping for the night.

Hugo’s Galway group arrive in Fenit late but safe after a very rough crossing.


The scores on the doors:

Dingle – 13 boats

Top Cat, Option 4 and Black Hawk in a bay near Fenit

Baby Blue – on a trailer with mounts fixed and probably by trailer straight to Crosshaven

Ribquest (Hugo), Linley Swan and Kalish in Fenit

Mash II – retired due to injury
Cetus – retired
Taw – retired damage to boat
Oban - retired damage to boat

Paul



Current leg

Distance travelled: 40 miles (ish)
Fuel used: 130 litres

Cumulative

Distance travelled: 996 miles
Fuel used: 2857 litres

[Pottsy]

Well done Paul for keeping the posts going in such tiring and challenging times.

Your reports read a bit like the expoilts of the ill fated Spanish Armada. They too took on the challenge of the West coast of Ireland on their run back to Spain and took a hell of a battering, losing many ships on the way to storms.

You have already past many of the places where their ships went down or sought shelter.

On the brighter note, all ribs and crews are safe and seemed to have experienced a better welcome than the poor Spainish sailors, many of them were robbed or killed by locals (not all, before I get lynched on here )

Anyway enough of the history lesson and back to history in the making.

Its a pity the challenge hasnt allowed more time to enjoy the coastline more and what it has to offer. It seems to be a constants battle of punching in the miles. Maybe thats why its called a "challenge" rather than a "tour".

Well done to all for making it this far and good luck for the rest of the passage.

Pottsy

PS Looks very bad out there today (Friday), looks like a 7+ in Donegal bay.

[Paul Glatzel]

Day 7: Dingle to Crosshaven

As we leave to punch into a force 10 .....

Only joking! We are in port today due to the wind.

Top Cat, Option 4 and Black Hawk are here along with the three that went to Fenit last night that are being trailed the short distance. I wont steal Mike's (Black Hawk) thunder (literally) but suffice to say that groups experience will go down in the annuals of ribbing legends. They are the nicest most self sufficient group of guys you could ever wish to meet - Bear Grylls/Ray Mears meets Scrapyard Challenge!!

Hopefully it wont rain today but who cares - lets go see Ireland!!!

Paul

[Andre]

Hello Paul

super posts and I have managed to follow you on Marine Tracking

I do hope HMS puts this to print as it will make excellent reading with photos

Enjoy the rest of the RI and keep the posts coming

[Daibheid]

Originally Posted by Paul Glatzel

Day 7: Dingle to Crosshaven

As we leave to punch into a force 10 .....

Only joking! We are in port today due to the wind.

Paul

About time you took a breather - great posts and pix

[wavelength]

but suffice to say that groups experience will go down in the annuals of ribbing legends. They are the nicest most self sufficient group of guys you could ever wish to meet - Bear Grylls/Ray Mears meets Scrapyard Challenge!!

Yep brilliant guys local to me, couldn't wish for better company on or off the water. And, whatever has befallen them thru this trip, I bet Terry was grinning throughout
Paul- brilliant reports, make me feel that I'm there but also glad that I'm not!

[whisper]

Originally Posted by Paul Glatzel

Baby Blue – on a trailer with mounts fixed and probably by trailer straight to Crosshaven

Go Team Baby Blue

[Adam M-S]

'Yep brilliant guys local to me, couldn't wish for better company on or off the water. And, whatever has befallen them thru this trip, I bet Terry was grinning throughout '

Was fortunate enough to be adopted by them until my back forced retirement at Killybegs. Fantastic group of guys and brilliant company. Hopefully we can keep in touch with them.

Adam.

[Paul Glatzel]

Andre - I think we can safely say that it will form part of a bumper issue at some future point irrespective of how the next few days go! Paul

[Paul Glatzel]

Verb: Dongle

Definition: To spend too long in Dingle, to eat and drink too much, to enjoy too much hospitality, to pay too much to B&Bs, to see too many damn tourists, to get a B&B Irish Breakfast* with ONE SMALL sausage, to want to RIB

Use: “I’m just dongled”


Photos:

1) Team Pink Panther working hard to repair their Seaswift Highfield RIB due the breakages - none bar a nav bulb
2) Dingle is clearly the secret testing facility for Ullman as they test their new range of children’s shock mitigation seating

• We know what a proper Irish Breakfast looks like!


So we are in Dingle for another day and we are all chomping to get away. It is such a tough call in terms of whether to go or not but the forecast information is not good for today but far better for tomorrow so fingers crossed.