Re-launch of "Ruth"

Well,

This is really exciting, blogs were made for chatty Gemini's like me...!

We've all being working like trojans on my lovely boat - formerly called Aine - recently renamed "Ruth" after my lovely daughter. Six weekends did it - thanks so much to John and Daithi for letting us take over their house for all this time - not just the garage and driveway, but also pretty much every room in the house when it came to drying the varnish on the umpteen pieces of woodwork....never mind drying the sails as well...

The re-launch was delayed by one weekend due to horrenduous weather, but at Mathieu so succintly put it - "well, she was in the water for over a year and a half, one more weekend won't do us any harm...."

Last Saturday dawned and with military precision we all arrived in Kinsale within one and a half minutes of each other. The wonderful Christy, without whom so much of this would not have been possible either, was there to gently glide "Ruth" into the water, as all the lads were telling myself and Amelie that they were fine - sometimes you just have to let the lads do the lads stuff-- well if it means not having seawater sloshing over and down into my wellies, I wasn't saying nothing.... though when it came to chugging "Ruth" round to her berth, ereryone graciously let me be the one to accompany Mathieu - thanks folks...

Christy then quietly glided off - thanks Christy - we all know John misses your powerwasher so much already....

It took three hours from launch in the water to our first departure at sea - don't know how many times the stays on the mast had to be adjusted but evertually we found ourselves chugging out of our berth. Amelie had kindly bought hot coffee and was making sandwiches - no sooner had we started eating them when our skipper (Mathieu) ordered - "drop your sandwiches - time to tack" Poor Amelie was left below deck holding sandwiches in each hand for about 20 minutes...we eventually got to eat them - they tasted like nectar.....

We attempted to land at Summercove but changed our mind as we saw the swell of the waves so it was back to Kinsale over a choppy sea, which I love, and then back home with an arrangement to meet the following morning.....

Our concert that evening in Ballycotton church was magical, as was the singing around the Christmas tree in the local school later...

Next day dawned cold and bright. We all met - again with military precision at 10.00 am. Kinsale was aflood with people, so we reckoned tere was a regatta later - we were right. The sea was calmer and we discovered quite how "cosy" Ruth is with four adults on board...!! Then Prosecco in retro green plastic mugs to christen and celebrate "Ruth" (no it wasn't me steering when we hit a small boat en route back to Kinsale...) We dropped John and Mathieu back early and Mathieu kindly took me out for more lessons and to check the anchor....Late lunch with Mathieu and Amelie in their lovely house in Summercove and a chance to view their blog and an update on their photos - thanks folks - cos my batteries died just at the launch of "Ruth" And a text from John to us all later asking was it just him or did the champagne hit us all? No John - it was our wonderful scintillating company that hit you instead...

Then home to get ready for another concert in Youghal, singing Christmas carols which I love so much....

Woke up this morning with aches in places I didn't know I could ache - but then we did do six hours sailing on Saturday and four on Sunday - who says you can't sail in December..... We are all quite overwhelmed at how wonderful this whole project was and at how well we all get on - it feels like we've known each other for years...

Now, I wonder who'd like a fishing rod for Christmas?????
Till next time... Bon voyage a tutti...xx