Thursday 13th August

After a good rest, Port watch set the team up with an immense fry up before leaving Bangor at 9am. Shortly after leaving our berth we noticed gannets circling and diving, hence took the opportunity to slow the engine and get out our fishing lines. Luckily on her first go Kate (Starboard) managed to catch three mackerels. We also spotted the tall ship ‘Tenacious’ heading for the Belfast tall ships regatta. Meanwhile port watch was down below having a party of their own making brownies which kept the team going! Whilst on watch from Belfast Lough we had the opportunity to improve our navigation and chart skills by identifying lighthouses. In addition, we improved our skills by steering without a fixed compass heading. By doing this we unleashed our inner Jack Sparrows! Today along with completing the hourly log we learnt how to plot points on the chart which meant we could accurately calculate our position in the sea. We took the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and had a picnic on deck. In the afternoon we had to ensure that we reached the Rathlin Sound within a two hour time window to guarantee that the tide was not against us. When nearing the marina we sighted the scenic Benmore Head also known as Fair Head and used binoculars to identify two climbers on the rock face. Upon arrival at Ballycastle Marina we came alongside the jetty which was a tight squeeze for the Tenacity. Luckily this was a doddle due to Mary’s expertise at the wheel and Port’s handy rope work, despite Zuleikha’s attempts to sabotage the plan by revving the engine to full power rather than just turning it off. We then received a friendly welcome from our Irish harbor master nicknamed Dougal by Lucy and Akshaya. The whole team took the opportunity to revel in the sunshine and took a stroll whilst eating some pricey ice creams. Three brave team members then embraced the challenge of gutting Kate’s catch of the day, which was soon to be served as an appetizer. Port then began dinner and continued to do so for a further two hours. Nevertheless the meal was a success when finally served up and the team wolfed down the fantastic variety of potatoes. After an eventful day we wound down with some fruitcake and a sing along to Maroon 5.

46 Nautical Miles