MY
SECOND MAIDEN … VOYAGE, THAT IS !!!
Again,
not my first voyage, but read on and I'm sure you'll figure it out.
Right now I don't think she is a "Maiden", more like a "Slapper" who's
been around the block more than once, but still trying to live off the
days when she was "Prom Queen". The reason for this you will find out
as you read through the story.
Well let's see, It's now Monday 6th November. I'll see if I can recall
as much of the last weeks events as possible.
Saturday 28th October 2000
I left Clifden at, the unearthly hour of, 2am, only after a long day getting
myself organised to leave home for a minimum of two months, but that could
also turn out to be seven months, who knows, I don't!!! I had a very enjoyable
dinner at Mom's with the family and my girlfriend, Valerie. Then spent
the rest of the night packing my bags. No sooner was I ready, Andrew arrived,
a good friend who was going to Kilkenny on Saturday morning anyway, and
had offered to leave at the same unearthly hour so that I could catch
the early ferry from Rosslare ... Thanks Andrew!!!
After Andrew, his family and myself had breakfast at the ferry terminal
in Rosslare, they left for Kilkenny and I got the 9am ferry to Fishguard
(Wales). The crossing was a little rough but fine for me, not so fine
for a lot of the other passengers. Coincidentally, I think the next two
days ferries were cancelled due to bad weather. That should give you a
feel for how the weather is shaping up for my adventures. A short taxi
run, as the trains were all running very late and unpredictable, to Milford
Haven Marina where I was to join the boat that was to be my home for the
next couple of weeks.
When the taxi driver asked me what part of the marina the boat was at,
I said it was yacht "Maiden" (yes the same one I was on almost exactly
a year previous) and normally one can locate this boat by looking for
the tallest mast in the marina.
We followed to the tallest mast and looked over the pier wall ... sure
enough there she was, looking fine. When I dumped my bags on-board, there
were just the maintenance guys (Ken and Bog) there. Terry wasn't due to
arrive until 5pm with some of the other crew. So to the Marina Bar I went
… no, in search of lunch!!! And OK, a few pints were had to wash it down.
Terry and two others arrived exactly at 5pm, Eddie who has been "Ships
Mate" for the last few months, and a Dutch guy called Gijs (pronounced
Hice), but he has allsorts of other nick names now from all of us unable
to pronounce his right name. We then went to the bar, later, for pints
and a very nice Chinese meal up town. During the meal, a great debate
started, between Terry and myself (with input from the rest at times)
which lead to some serious arguments about, a silly subject, when I declared
that Spanish was the most commonly spoken language in the world, second
only to Chinese. Terry couldn't handle this thought at all and argued
that English had to be the most commonly spoken language, with out question.
We are, all, still having a good laugh at this. These new friends of mine
learned something about me, which many of you who know me already know,
that I will strongly argue anything for a good laugh.
We then retired to bed on "Maiden".
Sunday 29th October 2000
The weather is still very bad, the day was spent cleaning the boat and
trying to get her "Ship Shape" ready for the voyage. Next to arrive, I
think, was Simon and Rupert, two English guys, and Tony, originally English
but considers himself Welsh now. Later two more arrived, Robert, and his
son Philip, both from Holland. I think this was the crew total for this
day. All that was left was the "Skipper" Julian (English, Ex- Services)
and his girlfriend, Mageline, who's French. And last but not least, the
youngest member of the crew, Louis (also English). They all arrived the
next evening, late. Dinner was had in the Marina restaurant "Martha's
Vineyard" and drinks were had, again, while we all got to know a little
about each other. During this time Terry got addicted to a game machine
there called "Who wants to be a millionaire". He must have made us all
spend about fifty pounds trying to win the jackpot of forty pounds … go
figure … but it was amusing.
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