The Ballad of Adam & Eve

A musician's journey across four seas.

One early springtime two boats were built in France to be delivered from French waters to Turkey. Not a luxury cruise, not a holiday. No stopping for pleasure, only to hide from bad weather and stock up on provisions.

Three Irishman on a sailing vessel they named Eve crossed the western Mediterranean into the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Aeolian Island of Lipari. Onward they travelled under an erupting Mount Etna through the Messina Straits into the Ionian and eventually crossing the Aegean Sea to the coast of Turkey.

Eve was joined by Adam on their heading east to Eden. In the Turkish port of Fethye, two identical boats awaited the worn out crews. Eve became Farceur, the jester, Adam the Bienvenu. These boats had to leave Turkish waters, headed for the company headquarters in Greece. Four thousand sea-miles, thirty five days aboard, Dublin singer & guitarist Stuart Doyle kept a journal. 'It's another world out there!'

Armed with footage, photographs, his journal and a collection of songs written at sea, Stu has returned to Irish shores, recruited his own crew and has set about bringing the Mediterranean Sea to Ireland.

The day Mount Etna swallowed the sun.

The engine changes revs and I bolt out of my bunk and dress quickly for I know we are at the straits of Messina. The lads laugh as I climb out of the saloon as Mark had told Dan “This’ll get him up.” We’re tuned to the boat now, able to notice differences where as before only the skipper would. Sicily is starboard, the Calabrian coast ahead, we approach the entrance to Messina. Two huge pylons that used to carry the power lines that supplied the whole of Sicily announce the entrance. A very large modern…

Paddy's Day on a volcano where a priest drops the hand

Newton’s Law states that every action has an equal an opposite action. A drinking law states that every great night leads to an equally great hangover. The morning is difficult, but we make the best of it. I only realise it’s Paddy’s Day when we meet another sailor, Maria, a friend of the two skippers. She’s on the way to Scandinavia with a German crew who are apparently no craic. With a can of Guinness drunk out of two mugs she bought for Mark and Pete, we toast our patron saint.

It’s a hot day. We wander…

Volcano Stu

Boat Captains tend to go the same way. Different reasons for different boats. Shipping lanes rule in straits and gulfs, on approach to large ports, passing around capes, headlands etc. Small vessels, such as us, should cross these lanes at ninety degrees or as close as possible to. On the open sea it’s a bit looser. The big ships have radar and AIS, a ship identification system. We have our eyes and our attention span. If on a collision course with a ship, it’s always best to change course, Or slow down…

Nothing ever happens on the Tyrrhenian Sea

The Tyrrhenian Sea. The most interesting thing about it is it’s name, according to Mark. “Nothing ever happens here.” It’s 10.20am, I’ve been up since 3am. Squeaking helm wheel is a nightmare in the cabin, keeps interrupting my dreams. Night before last I dreamt of Electric Picnic crossed with Royal Ascot. Friends were with me but when they turned my way to speak, all I could hear as their mouths moved was the squeak of the wheel. Comically cartoonish. The wheel stays quiet during the warmth of the day…

The birthday of the twins.

07:38am

41°26’914N 008°39’411E

Course is 112°T speed 5.6kt

No wind, calm sea. Did first watch last night from a bit after 8pm until midnight. Damp and cold but wearing everything I own so all good. Not as fearful as the night before. A very playful dolphin cheered me up as I was still feeling a bit sick. A couple of shooting stars to the south heading westwards also good for the morale. The steering wheel, squeaking with the damp, led to fucked up dreams but I slept well. Up again at 6am for watch but as we…

“Morning gorgeous! How you doing!”

“Morning gorgeous! How you doing!” in a thick Kerry brogue shocked me out of my dreams. Dan later told me he’d been thinking for a while about how exactly he was going to wake me. 6am. It’s my watch.

12 noon. Vessel position 42°00′.600N 6°29.260E

No wind. Motoring now, not sailing. Last night we’d a wind of eleven to twelve stern on, big rollers from behind scaring the life out of me. Nightwatch is terrifying. Someone described it as 40% fear, 40% terror, and 20% enjoyment in there somewhere but it’s…

East To Eden

At sea. This is special. Left Canet just before dawn. I’m writing this just after sunset. We glimpsed a bottle nose dolphin soon into the journey. Hours later we were joined by a common dolphin who surfed our bow wave. Briefly there were two of them. Now, twelve hours since leaving dockside, we are at 42° 24′.765N, 04°31’413E. The wind is 10.3 knots from the starboard quarter. We’re doing 5.3kt. The lads are having a cuppa after a dinner of rabbit stew. Rabbit stew, at sea. Mark reckons the crew will be…