Less than four weeks after opening its initial batch of pontoon berths, Greystones Marina has hosted its first gathering of cruisers with the Cruising Association of Ireland mustering at the new harbour over the weekend of April 27/28 writes WM Nixon.
The severe weather of the Spring of 2013 has delayed many fitting-out programmes, but so keen were CAI members to celebrate the new facility that those whose boats weren't ready joined their Commodore John Leahy at the venue by road.
He was among those who'd sailed down from Dublin Bay with his Moody 33 Eblana to enjoy glorious if cold sunshine on the Saturday, and a fine fair wind off the land to speed them home on Sunday.
The Beach House was the natural venue for the shoreside conviviality, and numbers using Greystones – both as marina residents, and as visitors – will steadily increase as the season gets going.
The Gathering Cruise will call by in July, while the Irish Cruising Club Eastern Region are planning their first major fleet movement to the re-born North Wicklow harbour in late August.
But historically speaking, they'll all be following the Eblana, which is now indisputably in the records as the first leader of the first cruising group to visit Greystones.
The new marina in Greystones is starting to attract an eclectic fleet of resident boats. Photo: Aidan Coughlan
The flagship of the first fleet to Greystones – John Leahy's Moody 33DS Eblana brings the sunshine to North Wicklow. Photo: Aidan Coughlan
