by J. Little

We decided on a rather debatable day, due to fog appearing, to set out by compass course for Great Copeland island. We left the County Antrim Yacht Club boat slip at 10.30 for our moorings, in a pram burdened down by much nautical equipment, such as a large compass, charts in a case, and a lead line. Taking a very short time in rigging and shipping anchor, by 10.55 we left our pram moored until our return.

A compass bearing was most essential, as the fog was increasing. We set it as S.E. 140 for Port Dandy on Great Copeland. The south headland of Whitehead, the White Rocks, vanished at 11.23 hours with the last reminiscences of home, the church bells pealing. The tide had ebbed for three hours already, which would not aid us, and in a north-east wind of only force two we reached, hoping to cover the seven and a half sea-miles in three hours.

1213 Ship’s fog horn on port quarter. Have been hearing Copeland’s four short blasts every half minute since departure.

1226 Ship’s horn directly astern. Blackhead Lighthouse explosive report every five minutes is very distinctive. Visibility is down to a quarter of a mile, and the fog is creating dampness on clothes.

1230 A persistent swell has been noticed. John, my crew, leaves his biology notes at 1300 to take over the helm.

1340 Breakers sighted, with land a minute later. Visibility 250 yards. 78 foot MT appears, which decides we are a quarter of a mile north of our destination.

1348 Pass Port Dandy running, having decided to round Carn Point and enter Chapel Bay at Port Clegg, The island is quite deserted except for a few farmsteads.

1400 Round Carn Point, noticing two supposed aerials, which turn out to be a clinker built yawl in Chapel Bay. Having taken up our plate while running, we pass Bush Rock on the Carn Point side.

1410 Moor boat by straddling her across a creek from one step to another. Don underwater equipment for twenty-five minutes swim in rather cool water.

1510 Return to find Cousteae, our 12 foot gunter rigged dinghy, moved to another creek, as fishermen could not land.

1600 Cast off after a meal for a southerly course to Donaghadee. We passed numerous motor boats carrying trippers to the Copelands. The wind was north-west. On crossing the half mile wide Donaghadee Sound we passed Foreland Spit red can buoy on the port side, and kept to starboard of Deputy Reef, a conical black buoy, The tide was against us with a strength of four and a half or five knots, and it is only because we were running that we were able to anchor in Donaghadee Harbour at 1720 after a four and a half mile sail. We anchored astern of a converted M.T.B. from Liverpool. Several cruising yachts were moored close by, with the well-known Donaghadee lifeboat.

1800 Slipped anchor. Have still two hours of ebb tide, which is most essential in our beat to see us home by midnight.

1910 Pathfinder, a converted motor cruiser from Whitehead passes. Wind freshening. Visibility now one and a half sea miles.

2015 Pass Orlock Point going very slowly, as the tide has caught us.

2025 Pass Bellco Bay.

2050 Leave South Briggs buoy on course for North Briggs buoy. We will have the tide from here to Whitehead against us. Having no lights we have to be careful of steamers. The darkness descended much sooner than expected, due to the fog.

0125 After very slow going we reach the North Briggs.

0150 Round the White Rocks point.

0205 Pick up moorings.

We cruised twelve and a half sea-miles from Donaghadee to Whitehead. Having cruised twenty four sea-miles in the day and the following early morning, we were quite tired.