The Spanish Armada these sailing ships weighing in at over 150 ton what chance would Stoney b have if the weather picked up a mere ton in her bare socks. Timing these passages was everything weather reports, shipping forecasts, notepad weather updates, stoney b didn't move unless conditions were safe.
It was 11.00pm when we arrived in Inishbofin it was tricky navigation a rock visible at low water greeted mariners, initially we thought it was a buoy marking a lobster pot.
We tied up to the cargo ferry at the north end of the pier but were advised to move around the side as the ferry was departing
at 5.30am, I wasn't too keen on this it meant we had to tie up on the outside of three boats the one on the outside was a 30ft sailboat it had stabilised legs down for drying out it was two hrs after high water my depth gauge was reading 5ft we needed 5 minimum so I went back to where we were initially and tied up for the night, Jim didn't budge that night he was wet and tired but Ken, Tobin and I headed up to the village to sample some craic ugus ceoil to our delight we stumbled into a packed house with a traditional set playing at the Beach Days bar, we were so tired one pint of Guinness was enough we headed off again down the ladder on the quay and scrambled across the ferry boat and lowered ourselves down into stoney b and settled in for the night.
We awoke at 10am still tied to the ferry it didn't leave to 11.00am we were delighted cooked a fryup on the boat and set off in search of a hot shower, we asked the manager at the Inishbofin house hotel rather brazenly "excuse me could we use your showers", this was an upmarket hotel with a sea spa we were standing at reception standing out like three wild beasts just down from the mountains the manager welcomed us in when he heard of our quest for Macmillan cancer, he asked a waitress to get us all towels and a supply of spa goodies and she escorted us to the spa rooms where hot showers awaited,
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