Lunar Sea

Stranraer to Belfast - 10th June, 2019      08:00 - an early start for us to make use of the tides.  We had the tide up and leaving the Loch Ryan and made really good time.  Originally our destination was Bangor, just into Belfast Lough and a 37 mile crossing of the Irish Sea.  The first half of the Irish Sea itself should be North going tide of just over a knot. Whilst the second half would change to give us a South going tide of over 2 and half knots.  I allowed myself an extra 15 degrees North of the 225 degree course line, but with a Northerly gentle breeze of 10-16 knots we were going too fast to make full use of the predicted South going tide and arrived off Belfast Lough averaging well over 5 knots and as we were going so well made a decision to carry on a further 10 miles to Belfast  We actually got an extra boost from the tide going into Belfast's Victoria Channel and Lunar Sea was purring along at over 7 knots SOG - magic.  Finally berthing at Abercorn Basin in the hear

Preparation       Most of the prep for our second year had already been done two years ago.  Just the starting point was changed, ie Greenock instead of Liverpool, because of change in plans due to weather restrictions - what else!  Also, we decided to have a somewhat shorter time away this year, so two months instead of four.      Lunar Sea had been in the James Watt Dock at Greenock for 21 months.  I had been up every 2 months in that time to check on everything; bilges, engine, ropes, etc., but I must say that the staff at James Watt were really helpful and kept a good eye on the boats. Especially during and after the winter storms when I had a fender burst and a rope parted.  One of many in the Marina I was told and quite rare to have such a storm in the direction it came from (North West).      The summer last year was fantastic for Scotland and in the 3 separate week sailing holidays we had out of Greenock, I think we only had one day of rain in all that time and absolutel