Days 66 to 73
Passage 29
What a lot to say for so little progress.   On day 67 we left Troon for passage to Stranraer.  As usual it was awful.  For a passage that should have taken 8 hours it took 11.  Wind on the nose, and slamming through the seas.  At the top of Loch Ryan engine suddenly stopped.  It may have been because we had been running it had, with little progress.  Perry did what he could, and it started again.  When in Stranraer he did a good overhaul, but found nothing amiss.  Next day was not good for a departure and it was all beginning to get to me.  I really could not face the next haul which was into the Irish Sea.  So I said put the boat on a lorry or get a crew.  Well Perry managed to arrange a crew and I booked up a train and accommodation, to go down to pick up the boat in Falmouth or thereabouts. Following night was absolute hell on the boat, with I don't know how many ropes lashing us to the pontoon.  We had arranged for the crew to come down yesterday.  Bertie and I set off for quite a traumatic journey to Hayle in Cornwall (don't ask why not Falmouth - just couldn't get a booking), got here at midnight - one and a half hours later than planned.
Meanwhile, back in Stranraer Perry met the crew - all is not what it seems!  All mouth etc. didn't like the boat, questioned safety gear etc. etc. they just didn't hit it off. So he went home.  That was that. An expensive day for us.  Wo what next?
Well Bertie and I are booked on a train to go back to Stranraer on Saturday. We will not move from there until weather is right, but will make many more shorter hops than origianlly planned, i.e. Stranraer-Bangor-Ardglass-Holyhead-Pythwelli-Aber-Fishguard-Milford Haven (Dale).
On a much lighter note Stranraer is quite nice.  However, I had planned that if we got to Falmouth I would take time out to visit our grand-daughter - which is long overdue and becoming an embarassment to Daniel.  I will still do this, but it may be a little while longer than I originally thought.