After admiring Bonita last Friday, this week skipper & mate clearly needed to move on.
I joined them at Falmouth on Friday. From motor sailing in Force 2, by Land's End in a pleasant Force 3 but with confused sea off the Longships. This was followed by Northerlies up to Force 5 (~20 mph/35 kph) all the way to Eire.
Bonita and skipper were fine, but the volunteer crew reacquainted himself with 'mal de mer' - cured by 40 hours of Oxo & ginger nuts. But despite this, the porpoises, dolphins, gannets etc. were enjoyed by all.
Despite much reefing and sail changing (by Mike) everything in Bonita worked - it has all been effectively repaired years ago or is designed to fail and can be repaired with 'string'! The only repair needed this leg was the modern autopilot mount which, of course, Mike had repaired before reaching Waterford and where food (thanks M & D) and sleep is about to be replenished!
Wishing Mike and Deirdre some pleasant coastal daysails up the Eastern Irish coast. David
Bonita was designed by William Crossfield and built in his yard at Arnside, Cumbria in 1888. This occasional blog describes some of her adventures - including her 2013 and 2023 circumnavigations of Britain and her Baltic cruise of 2016.
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