In the Spring of 1981, Dens Doyle’s Frers 51 Moonduster was launched at Crosshaven into a glittering 20-year partnership in which she and her very special owner-skipper became a much-admired feature of the European offshore racing scene. It was a wonderful double act that ended with his death in 2001, shortly after completing his final Fastnet Race aged 81 aboard his beloved boat.
When all was hope. The new Moonduster on the cover of the June-July 1981 Irish Boats & Yachting, a briefly-used title for Afloat.ie as we emerged from the economically dead days of the 1970s. Photo: W M Nixon
It’s difficult to live in close proximity with a very tangible half of a legend in your midst, so there was something approaching relief in Crosshaven in 2002 when Moonduster and a Dubois 52, which was also stored in the yard, were sold to a seemingly well-resourced Norwegian. He planned to set up an offshore sailing and adventure school at his home town of Trondheim well north along the Norwegian coast, and at first, things seemed to go well.
NORWEGIAN NEWS NOT GOOD
But as communications back to Ireland tapered off over the years, any news coming through was not good. The Dubois 52 was destroyed in a fire, and Moonduster was unused, languishing in the inner dock in Trondheim.
Every so often cruising people bound north, or sailing folk in Trondheim on some other business, have been taking a walk around the harbour to see the boats and admire the character of Trondheim’s sea-trading links to the ancient Hanseatic League. But then their entire day is knocked astray by coming upon this increasingly ghost-like ship of eternal elegance. It can become a sort of haunting, partially exorcised by sending the images of Moonduster’s long slow demise to Afloat.ie, where we have carried the story for more than a dozen years in several features, but all with the message that the owner doesn’t seem to want it to be any other way.
The fact that this area of Moonduster was once so full of life, with legends of sailing from Cork and abroad, now serves only to emphasise its current near-death situation. Photo: Michael Pearn
The latest is Michael Pearn, who is English and lives in England, but somehow has become a member of Howth Yacht Club thanks to Susan Kavanagh’s very special administration of the HYC Cruising Group.
TOTALLY MOOD-CHANGING SITUATION
He was recently in Trondheim for his 15-year-old Norwegian grand-daughter’s Confirmation, of which he says: “It’s a big deal in Norway”. Clearly he is not overly familiar with Ireland in First Communion time, regarding which we recently published this universally applicable photo:
First Communion in a sailing community in Ireland. Photo PSD Nixon
Be that as it may, Michael was taking a stroll around the harbour when he was brought up sharp by finding Moonduster as the grey ghost. Confirmation and First Communion should be times of faith and hope for the future, yet for a while he was mentally knocked astray by this very effective but decidedly scary memento mori.
Knowing that some serious but rejected offers have been made to Trondheim to remedy the situation, we publish these latest images of Moonduster without comment, for her situation is now beyond words.
When the going was good. Moonduster in her prime in 1995, in the lead soon after the start, and on her way to winning her first Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race. Photo: Afloat.ie/David O’Brien
