Escapade II

Our friends Simon and Namaste arrived from Ardfern, Argyll first thing this morning, aboard Escapade II, a very beautiful yacht owned by Ian and Robann Saunders. Escapade II is a Morris 46, built in Maine - the only one in Europe apparently. They had sailed overnight to maintain a tight schedule which would get them into Strangford Lough before the tide started to ebb and the north-south current in the Narrows went from zero to eight knots in the space of forty-five minutes.
So fast, in fact, was their Irish Sea crossing that they took us by surprise. When they called at 6.50am to say they were ten minutes away to the south, I was just getting into the dinghy to cross to the mainland for a book talk. I saw them in the distance and took time to circle them in the dinghy while Lynn prepared one of her breakfast specials, and then sadly I had to head on.

It's good to see them. Ian and Robann will be staying on board, Simon and Namaste will join us in the cabin.