AFTER a busy week in Liverpool, schooner Soteria set sail for the Isle of Man on Friday 14 June. The crew list read as follows: Chris, Vicky, Dave, Richard, Beth, Mark and Denis.
The 70-mile overnight trip was tough, with force 5-7 winds, possibly gusting more, and a typically choppy and confused Irish Sea. We tied up the boat on the visitor’s berth in Douglas on Saturday morning, and gratefully caught up on some sleep.
The original plan was to spend two days resting and exploring on the Isle of Man. However, the locals predicted north-easterly winds, and Douglas offers no shelter when the wind and swell comes from this direction.
So, on Sunday morning, we slipped our lines and sailed north-east, with a gentle wind pushing us towards Whitehaven. We motored through the sea-lock and docked the yacht in Whitehaven’s inner harbour, before watching a magnificent slow-burning sunset.
* The Whitehaven Maritime Festival takes place from 21-23 June 2013.