4. Isle of Man 2012  

In Belfast we picked up new crew and sailed off to Peel on Isle of Man. We stayed in Peel for about a week, with one days visit in Douglas and then continued to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland.

On our way to Peel on Isle of Man. In these waters you have to enjoy every minute of sunshine you get.

Peel harbour. The marina is only accessible during two hours at highwater.

Captain and first mate relaxing outside the marina waiting for the bridge to open one hour before high water. A little chilly outside, better inside where the central heating is on.

Close to the marina is Peel castle, originally built by Vikings who ruled here around 1000 years ago. Tove and Gunilla inspected the ruins and found a sofa and some sun. To the right is the local flag of Isle of Man with the old eltic symbol composed of three armoured legs.

The entrance to the marina seen from the castle. In the middle of the picture you see the bridge that opens at high water. You can also see the dark metal gate that sticks up through the water under the bridge. The gate keeps the water inside the marina at low water.

Street signs on Isle of Man are in two languages. English and Manx. Manx is the old Celtic language.

The day we left a lot of local crews were training for Viking boat competitions. In the background is Peel Castle.

One day we took the bus to Douglas, the capital city of Isle of Man. The view of all the houses facing the sea is impressive.

Lots of nice plantations along the beach in Douglas. And in the waters just outside the harbour you see this little fort.

Isle of Man is well known for motorcycle racing. We went to the Manx museum in Douglas and this was the first thing we saw, a collection of old racing bikes. AJS and Sunbeam, who remembers those brands these days ? (Actually, I had an old AJS/Matchless 500 when I was young!)

Bicycle competition is also popular. This shirt belonged to one of the heroes. The three-legged image on the shirt is a typical Manx symbol. It's said to symbolise the lifepower of the Manx people. Whatever happens they will always land on their feet.

There is also a unique species of sheep on the island. Four horns or more are required to be a Manx sheep. The Manx cat however, does not have four tails, in fact it has no tail at all.

After the museum it was time for lunch. One of the crew had a day of celebration so the lunch was something extra! Of course some of us had fish and chips, the best food in the world !

The celebrating crew member to the left and Ingrid to the right. Back in Peel, we exchanged flags with the sailing club. The captain of Bird of Passage to the left, the club commodore in the middle and the vice to the right.

The celebration continued. Tommy came back to the boat loaded with goodies!

Six lobsters, one each. Cooked just a few hours earlier. Compare the size of the claw wit the beer can. If you didn't notice, it's a 45 cl can !

And now the party started...