Anyone like Hookers

fergal.b wrote: »

I would love to take a look around the work shop someday maybe even bring a plank

I am sure that would not be a problem I know Johnny Murphy, the 1st speaker, well. He is a mix of modern and traditional. I sold him his 1st 2 catamarans :cool:
Jim.

A hooker (or I think it was one anyway) used to be out and about on racing days in Dublin Bay for a few years, haven't seen it lately though. I often wondered where it was from or what it was - it never came near enough to identify.

I'd love a spin in one sometime - even though I have a strong suspicious that they're complete dogs to sail!!!

(remember the reality series a few years back where they took randomers off the street and taught them to sail in a series of bootcamps and the finalists got to race in the Crinniú na mBád in Galway? Twas a hoot, but oh my goodness those hookers (or gleoiteogs I think, aren't they the smaller ones?) looked like HARD WORK. No winches :eek:

I've been sailing in Galway hookers in Galway since I was a kid. The Bad Mor seen in Howth a number of years ago was called An Lady Mor. (she had bends painted red) She is now up in Derry and is owner by the university up there I believe. She was actually built for my family over a hundred years ago, I don't know the exact year.
There is another Bad Mor in Dublin still, Naomh Cronan. (bends painted blue) She spends a lot of time in the Liffey at Poolbeg I think. She's a newly built boat.

There are loads of these boats still in Galway and even more being built all the time. AS someone said they can be hard work at times especially in anything over a force 5 but if they are reefed to suit the wind they aren't too bad. Considering these vessels were handled by just 2 men back in the day including the cargo they can't be that hard.

As for the weather helm, ya it can be heavy but if the boat is trimmed and balanced properly that is greatly reduced. Also if theres a big hole in the rudder for a propeller then the weather helm can be quite bad. Only a very small number of hookers in galway have inboard engines, about 4 of 5 out of 50ish

I "sort of" admired Galway Hookers, their power, their folk design history, appropriateness for their job, etc., until, one day, while sailing my boat single-handed (not a good idea - it needs three!) a dense fog suddenly appeared.
Fog is extraordinary when sailing - the sea seems to flatten, the breeze maintains its strength so it appears that you've doubled your speed. Every sound is distorted and, of course, you can't see a thing!

Being certifiably thick, I don't have GPS on board and my compass sits over a cast iron centreplate, so I had to navigate by the last known wind direction. There was the slight concern of a granite lighthouse and three Skerries islands to consider but all of my hands and feet were busy. And, boy, was my boat moving!

The sounds of waves being cut seemed to increase gradually - the fog was thickening and so, I guessed, was its distortion of sound. Then, in an instant, the gloom ahead became darker and the sounds even louder. Through the fog I began to make out a rough, black surface and possibly a heather-coloured layer above it. "A CLIFF? READY ABOUT!"

The "cliff" was actually a tan-sailed hooker, under full sail, heading North, nobody on deck and, if I hadn't gone about, from West to North, I would have t-boned her to death.

Badly equipped? Underprepared? Maybe, but nobody was wrong. It would have been a tragic accident, but, at the sound of my gear tacking, a lone head appeared from the hooker's galley and gave me a smile and a wave and then, just as quickly, disappeared into the haze.

Silly, I know, but hookers still give me a severe dose of the heebie-jeebies!