A regatta ‘on the rocks’
It started well but danced around the engine compartment in a most alarming manner, so we sailed between the big breakwaters into Dun Laoghaire harbour, past the yachts straining at their moorings off the yacht club and into the ‘coal harbour’ at the western end where the fishing boats berthed.
We ran out of wind in the lee of an ice plant and coasted in until the way came off so I dropped the anchor and began unlashing the dinghy to row a line ashore.
Two fishermen were working on a net which hung from a gilson, or derrick off the mast. One walked a couple of paces to the wheelhouse, took a lifering from its bracket, tied netting twine from a spool onto it, and heaved it in our
