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On the River Shannon April / May 2013 |
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Log book Ireland April / May 2013
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Thursday 02/05/2013 Clonmacnoise - Meelick - Terryglass Length of boat trip: 4.7 hours Motto of the day: Surprise meetings Again a dry and sunny day starts. The wind has changed to SW as forecasted. The Godwits are feeding close to the jetty and again a pike takes the bait of a fisherman. We then slowly drift down the river accompanied by flocks of waders.
We stop at Silverline to let the mechanic solve a problem with the bilge pump and Brendan is so nice to sew a piece at the canopy which has become lose. We see Fergal working on a boat and come along for a "hello" before going further downstream. Below Banagher we spot two Redshanks and flocks of Curlews.
At Meelick PJ is busy on 40M and we stop for a “hello” before locking down.
I have dawdled and so we arrive just in time for the bridge lifting at Portumna. We moor at Terryglass. Here we have a nice chat with the crew of Winter Solstice. She is just back in the water and Joe and Nicki are busy to dewinterize her. A Broom arrives and I think the skipper looks like Mickey, but this cannot be as Mickey is usually busy at Aghinver on the Erne. Then I spot the ABC pennant and walk to the boat … what shall I say, yes Mickey and Liz are on Lough Derg for a meeting at Killaloe. What a small world!
Shannon Airport Max 14.1°C Min 4.9°C Rainfall 0 mm Sun hours 2.6 (we had more) Mean Wind F3
Friday 03/05/2013 Terryglass Length of boat trip: 0 hours Motto of the day: Watching boats Not that we are married with Terryglass but it is a nice harbour to wait for better weather and to have a rest. In the early morning Mickey and Liz come along for a chat. Mickey tells us a story about a night rescue on Lough Erne in high waves when at Aghinver was just a ripple because of the wind direction. “I understand, it is just like now,” I answer him pointing to the ripples in the harbour and then to Gortmore Point. Mickey decides that it is now time to start to go down Killaloe. Two Silver Sprays, hired to take part at the meeting are following later. Watching them and the conditions on the lake we think it was a good decision to start early.
As we have a small problem with a loose door handle I need an Allen key. Is any hardware store around? No. Any barge around? No. I tell Willi if there is one around, I would get offered three sets. But there is a Broom boat left at the jetty. I walk around and ask the skipper for an Allen key size 3 or so and get lend a set. See, some owners of expensive boats have also tools on board and are talking to hire boaters and are helpful. I invite him to join us in the evening in the pub but he doesn’t like traditional music. But we, and so we will go later. A man who is staying at Terryglass overnight in a camper van walks to the end of the harbour wall when the boats of the afternoon bridge lifting arrive. We see him waving and luckily the first skipper of two hire boats, which are cruising together in company, sees him and change the direction, so that they are not going in on the wrong side of the red markers. We help them to moor safely.
Some hours later, after the next bridge lifting, the same play. But they are fast and don't see the waving nor do they hear the sonding of the horn when going on the wrong side of the markers.The first boat is lucky and is not going aground but the following second … ends on the rocks. It’s late in the evening and the day light will fade soon. So the hire boat company, Silverline, decide to alert Portumna Water Rescue Service and they arrive at the scene less than half an hour later. After checking boat and crew they tow them and pull them off the rocks. Boat and crew are safely moored in the harbour before dark. Well done all, at first the volunteers of the Portumna Fire Brigade, then Silverline for organizing the fast rescue and the skipper of the first boat for not going out again and trying an unprofessional pulling off.
Tonight we enjoy the Irish traditional live music in the pub.
Shannon Airport Max 14.1°C Min 8.8°C Rainfall 8.2 mm Sun hours 0.2 Mean Wind strong F4, at times F8 |
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Copyright Tina und Willi Klug 2013