Having left the Isle of Man with the sounds of a group of young revellers singing to us as we left the mooring in Ramsey we set off for a night sail to Belfast with a smile on our face. It was clear that they had rather overdone it with the liquid refreshment but the sentiment was there and we appreciated the effort they made. At any rate their singing is much better than mine. As we headed out the sea was calm and not much of a breeze so again we motored out and began clocking up the nautical miles as we head across the Irish sea.
The night sail was really pleasant since the sky was clear and the stars always look that much brighter with no light polution. It wasnt long before Belfast harbour came into view and the sight of the rest of the fleet all dressed magnificently made it all the more special. As we sailed in we saw Witch, Annabel J and Bonify to name a few and it somehow felt we were joining the family. It has been amazing to feel that bond you feel with your fellow sailors. Everyone is pleased to see you arrive safely and interested to hear about your journey. Its lovely.
Anyway enough of that....... Belfast was a really interesting place and was made all the more of an interest with the Titanic Exhibition right next to where we moored. The Belfast OGA also arranged for us to spend the evening of the SS Nomadic which has now been renovated and sits in a dry dock next to the Harbour. Its fame centres around the fact that it was used to transfer first class passengers to the Titanic. Stepping aboard I felt as though I was touching history. It was really quite moving. The evening began with Pimms O'Clock on Annabel J (thank you guys) ended with much singing and dancing to the sounds of the local band. The Belfast OGA really did make us feel so welcome and as I retired for the evening I reflected on my first experience of Belfast as one that I will never forget. I have so many memories from this adventure so far that it will be hard to choose which is the best.
As I woke on Sunday morning I couldnt help feel a little sad to be returning home to go back to work as Simon and Robert continued on the adventure....... roll on the weekend when I head back up to Loch Melfort. It might also give me time to come up with a much more interesting blog next time. Sue always manages to provide a much more interesting one so I will start thinking now........In the meantimne I retire to my bed thinking about the Gaffers out there at sea and wish them all a safe passage and lots of fun. See you all soon x
No comments:
Post a Comment