MAY 2009 TRIP TO CARLINGFORD
AND NEWRY CANAL
With the Skerries Sailing Club annual race to Carlingford
starting at 10:00 on Saturday 2nd May some of the canal trippers joined
the race while others made their different ways to Carlingford Marina
for Saturday night. Early Sunday morning, 07:00, eight boats
sailed out of the Marina aiming to be at the Victorial Lock for 08:00.
Ciaran the lock-keeper and his crew were on hand to give us all a
welcome and help us setting into the relatively strange environment of
a ship's lock. It was a beautiful sunny morning and by 10:00
we had all made our ways to the Albert Basin just behind the Quays
shopping centre in Newry. In spite of the odd shower of rain
the newly arrived "boat people" explored the local amenities ... and
one another's boats. The presence of cruising members of
other Co. Dublin clubs enhanced the visit giving it what one person
called an "international flavour".
There was a bit of a damper on proceedings on Sunday evening as news of
approaching bad winds for Bank Holiday Monday filtered through.
Visitors to Blue Air kindly offered to ferry Katie to the
train so she could return to Skerries and drive back to Carlingford to
pick up those who would leave their boats there for collection at a
later date. The bigger cruisers ventured out past the
Hellyhunter and seemed to cope well with the strong winds as they
headed back south. Carlingford Sailing Club very kindly
provided visitors' moorings for the stranded Skerries boats.
Others on the side-line of the whole venture generously
offered to drive crews back to Skerries.
It was a great few days where the attractions of racing and cruising
came together to make a wonderful mix that was good for the spirit.
