This could be any Summers day but it was in fact yesterday at Roches Point. Surprising amount of boats out in the harbour mouth and a few sails off in the distance, Within an hour the sun was setting and it was pretty cold so I was happy enough to stay in the nice warm car.

The boats are both now laid up ashore for the rest of the Winter, My Charter boat just got lifted this week so that puts an end to the longest season I have had, I launched in late March and had my last days out early in December. I don't have a Baltimore mooring so I was tying up in Hegarty's which meant getting up and down the river in the morning and evening, leaving at day break and getting back after dark. 

The last morning out the boat was frozen solid when I arrived around 7 on a Sunday morning. She has no cold start so it took a bit of cranking before she came to life. All the decks where frozen as well as all the ropes. I had to stop a few times on the way down river to hose down the windscreen. Things finally thawed out a bit by the time I was South of Baltimore. 

It was a novelty for a few days but I don't envy lads who fish commercially all Winter.

I am going to organise another heavy duty mooring next Summer so I have the option of staying in longer if not all Winter. My current moorings should be well up to it but I would want to be absolutely sure. Operating from a mooring would mean I could avoid the really early mornings and late evenings and working as much in the dark. 

As for Winter sailing! Its pretty dam cold in the wheelhouse not to mind standing in a cockpit.

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Here's to a great 2015 and a fantastic Summer's sailing. Cheers!

So kid's, bubbles and my laptop haven't mixed well so once again I'm without all my photos and everything. I'm getting properly stuck into a house renovation for the winter and i find this a good  time of year to cover up the boats and leave them well alone until the spring, although my charter boat has yet to be lifted out. I have quite a list of things to do to teal before next season but most of it is next to impossible while the covers are on anyway. I'll just have to stock pile with timber, varnish and paint in the mean time. The first thing i will do is give the mast 2 more coats of varnish and have it stepped so i can put up a boom tent to make work possible but that won't  be for a few months yet. I've been reading a few books which i found really good so if your looking for some holiday reading and old boats are your thing then   "tales from a cornish lugger " and its sequel "more tales from a cornish lugger" i would  highly recommend. The second book is mainly based aboard the lugger 'Ibis' which has been sailing around here in the last couple of seasons.