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Asteroid - Final Blog - Asteroid Arrives in Ireland



Well we arrived - finally. On Wednesday 13th June at about 5am UTC we
passed Mizzen Head lighthouse and officially completed our transatlantic.
After two days of winds gusting up to 36knots and high, confused seas
which occasionally swamped the cockpit, we were greated with that rare
thing - a sunny, calm Irish summer morning. We motored into Schull
harbour and set the anchor with great smiles all around. The skipper went
ashore for supplies and we feasted on Irish bacon, sausages and eggs -
absolutely delicious.

The crossing had felt long - I think because we all wanted to get home.
Leaving the Azores we had a very lumpy sea but then it settled down into a
north atlantic roll. The north atlantic is grey - grey sea, grey sky and
very big and cold. We did have the occasional blue slit in the sky. We
were cheered along the way with schools of dolphins and porpoises. Billy
saw two whales from afar. The fishing line was, of course, deployed but
the two tuna who took the bait decided to leave at the last minute and we
landed zero. I had five meals frozen ahead and boy was I glad of that. I
had to cook one day and it was cooking on the edge. At one stage the boat
got knocked over, water deluged into the cockpit and the lifesling was
ripped off the lifelines and towed behind the boat at ten knots.

The skipper holds the speed record - 15.3 knots SOG. A combination of
36knots of wind and a big-ass wave!

As I said the North Atlantic is big, really big. It certainly puts life
into perspective and, as anyone who has sails knows, you have plenty of
time to think when you are doing long distance stuff. So plenty of
thoughts and ideas - not quite the "meaning of life" but many good
resolutions and positive thoughts for the future.

So on that note I shall sign off for the final time. Asteroid is now
cruising the south coast of Ireland and will return to the UK via Howth.
Wishing you all fair winds and pleasant sailing - on land and on sea.

Loretto



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