Rathklin to Banghor.

After a quiet night in we were up early, the weather variable from 5 kts to 30 knots . But was due to reduce and settle down to some light drizzle down wind sailing in the 15 to 20 kt bracket. Almost perfect. This is a very beautiful bit of coast and the clouds formations only added t the atmospheric feel of free wheeling south. We were on a schedule but there is not much you can do to speed up a cruising boat.
We had to wait for the tide in Rathlin to start to move south once it had changed managed to carry fair tide from 10 until 4pm after that we only had a gentle current to fight as we approached Bangor as the sun started to dim. We tuned the radar so we could see the squalls coming in. There was one last big on on the way and it through the best double rainbow I have ever seen. It was pretty mesmerising. The Belfast ferry even pasted through it at one point . Being the cheapskates that we are we decided to anchor up in the bay to the east of the marina just outside the yacht club. Which was a perfect landing spot for the dinghy on the way to town for beers.

10 minute walk and we we in Bangor town centre and it was Saturday night and town was pumping many loud bars short skirts and doormen. Who looked a bit bemused at a couple of old guys trying to get in for a pint. After a couple of pints and a kebab we decided to walk home. We were drawn into a quiet hotel bar for one last sharpener, which turned into 3 . We had the pleasure of meeting, and chatting with a couple who were so wasted they thought we were interesting. They even asked us back to there camper van for who knows what. We declined, they said we were English tossers as we left. In the warmest of Northern Irish accents.

Back to the boat for whisky and bed.Read more