Voyage overview
- Year: 2005
- Destination: Southern Ireland
- Boat: Forest Hill
- Vessel type: Beneteau 51
- Distance sailed: 376 nautical miles
- Skipper: Mark Daniel
- Crew: Chris Robson (“AC”), Mark Wells (“The Sextant”), Simon Tyler (“Simpn”), Andrew Wagstaff (“BigWag”), Warren Creates (“Warboy”), David Ashfield (“David”)
Logbook notes
A voyage of firsts, including night sailing — and almost pub-brawls.
Kinsale welcomed us with a roaring Aussie pub band and raucous Irish hospitality. A pool victory over the locals nearly caused a bar brawl, but diplomacy, a large protective gunnera leaf (and more Guinness) prevailed.
Our first full night sail witnesses glowing phosphorescence in the wake and the famous sighting of Fungie the Dolphin in Dingle Harbour. And tracking records show extra mileage covered on Warboy’s circular night shift at the helm.
Ashore, we drank, in hardware stores, in quaint Derry bars and even went horse riding — on Ireland’s oldest and fattest horses — and Simon was promoted from Dinghy Skipper to Dinghy Commodore after rescuing another dinghy in distress.
A formative trip that deepened the bonds of the still-young yet to be coined ‘Phat Buoys’.
With journaling inspiration still flowing Simon penned and published a slightly more elaborate book, “Seven Go to Dingle” .
