“The Moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.
It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.”
Ashley Montagu
Daniel is performing a ‘Yeo
man’s Job’ fixing the systems on our boat that must be in good working order to continue our journey next spring. For hours every day, he is buried in some locker, the bilge, or crammed into the engine compartment trying to coax a 25-year old part out of encrusted chaos as it has given up on life and needs to be replaced.
Just when the expletives reach their peak, grumbling about the impossibility of fixing whatever it is he is working on, he invariably emerges victoriously, filthy, covered in grease, part in hand. That’s just the beginning of the process. He has to have all the right tools and replacement parts to fix our generator, water maker, dehumidifier, heating system, etc. Finding those items is another mountain he has to climb. I wish I could be more help, but alas, my only contribution is to, cook, sew, provision, and immortalize his brilliance and perseverance with the written word. Some help!
A Much Needed Outing
Sadly, day after day of cold, wind, rain, being stuck in the bowels of our boat, tied to a dock, does take its toll on our emotional state. I spend hours sitting in front of the computer writing and Dan uses all his waking hours to research and fix things. This is the non-glamorous part of our lifestyle.
To keep ourselves from getting into too much of a rut, we need to take outings. During the sailing season, almost every day is a new adventure. We can sail to new harbors and destinations as easily as a leaf blows in the wind. During dock work mode, it takes a firm boot to kick us out of our doldrums and get us moving. We have no car, the weather is not hospitable, and we are at the mercy of public transportation.
It was only by chance that Dan stumbled on a local advertisement about special events going on in the area. I jumped on the idea of exploring local cultural events and signed us up for an evening in the town of Donaghadee, just a few miles east of Bangor.
The event offered 3 restaurants that were featuring local specialties, fresh seafood, produce and meat grown in the area. You could pick one of the three restaurants to dine. The celebration was honoring the history of the Ulster-Scots and their contributions to the region. The ticket included a three-course meal. Between each course, a speaker would talk about history, legends, and some of the interesting facts about how Scots shaped and influenced this part of Ireland.
The event sounded perfect. Dan figured out bus times and routes. We had a night out to look forward to, the perfect remedy for getting us off the boat and off on a new adventure. We completed our work in the morning, and that afternoon we headed off to find our bus stop.
Getting to Donaghadee (DonA-ga-dee)
Our first mistake was heading to the bus stop on the wrong side of the road as our American instincts kicked in. After we sorted that out and got on the correct side, we were at the bus stop when not one, but two busses appeared. An elderly gentleman was waiting with us. We asked him which bus went to Donaghadee and he said that both busses went there, one took the high road and one took the low road.
He asked where we were headed and I replied (joking of course), “Scotland!”
He cocked his head and looked at me.
Then, I started singing, “O ye’ll take the high road, I’ll take the low road and I’ll be in Scotland afore ye!”
The poor man started laughing so hard, he started choking. However, he did get the last laugh. He got off the bus only a mile or so down the road. 30 minutes later, Dan looked out the window and saw the same man. We had made a giant circle and the bus DID NOT GO TO DONAGHADEE.
Thank goodness we had left early for our 7:00 dinner reservation. We had to wait another 20 minutes to catch the correct bus. A half-hour after that, we stepped off the bus in the most colorful, quaint, and picturesque town ever built by a Scot in the country of Ireland. My reaction to the view was just a preview of what this town had in store for us.
The Town of Donaghadee
I’m attracted by two features in Ireland, lighthouses, and castles. This town had both. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore the castle that poked provocatively above the town skyline. The lighthouse was a short walk around the harbor.
We found two fascinations along this walk besides the colorful buildings stretching along the harbor. The first was a group of around 20 or so people swimming with orange buoys in the harbor. We were dressed in winter jackets and chilled by the sea breeze. We couldn’t even fathom people would be out swimming.
We found out later that evening that this group is called the <a href=”https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-42443583″>Donaghadee Chunky Dunkers</a>. They swim every day, 365 days a year, regardless of the weather. They only have one rule. No wetsuits. God bless them.
The second phenomenon was the colorful rock display which we have seen in several towns around Ireland, even in Bangor. While you never see the owner, you often find around piers, outdoor staircases, garden paths, colorfully painted rocks, and stones with every manner of hand-painted decorations, messages, and tributes.
Donaghadee had the largest rock display we have seen thus far on our Irish tour. Lots of tributes were paid to the National Health workers. Some rocks were simply decorated, others held 
messages. One young lady stated that while epilepsy was present in her life, it would not control her, and it would not define her. She placed her vow of living life to the fullest and overcoming her burden on the face of her stone.
Finally, we made the walk around to the lighthouse. We could now see the waterside view of the town, instead of the town view toward the water. The towering lighthouse was spectacular against the blue sky. The sight of the castle rising above the town in the distance taunted us.
The Pier 36 Experience
We took in the view in the setting sun and decided to go check out the two restaurants we didn’t choose for our dinner. We could at least go have a drink at each. Dan noticed that the town even had a distillery we didn’t know about and lamented that we certainly wouldn’t have time to go see that.
I said, “never say never, let’s go check it out.”
The Copland Distillery was tucked in just behind the Pier 36 restaurant, one of the restaurants on our list. We were disappointed to find that the distillery had been closed due to Covid. We would not be visiting Copeland on this trip. Or so we thought, as we headed for Pier 36. We were sure they would have Copeland spirits at their bar and at least we might be able to taste a Copeland product.
We entered Pier 36 and there was an instant ambiance of warmth and welcome. Several people sat around a blazing fire and Dan and I both sighed. Fires are something we desperately miss on our boat in the cold season. Any bar with a fireplace is heaven.
A kindly gentleman was sitting at the table closest to the fire. He saw how longingly I stared at the warm glow of the fire and instantly offered me his seat and the table saying he was the restraunt’s “handyman” and was just taking a break.
“You don’t have to do that!”, I exclaimed. “We are just here to see if we can get a taste of Copeland,” I explained. “We tried to visit but it’s closed.”
At his insistence, we sat at the fireside table. I told him how we had tickets for the Ulster Scot dinner but we had booked at another restaurant. We wanted to visit all three of the restaurants because they all sounded wonderful. Then, I told him how disappointed we were that Copeland was closed and asked if he knew if Pier 36 had any of their products.
He replied, “Of course!” and sprang to get a server. It was then I suspected he might be more than a handyman. As it turned out, the gentleman’s name was Denis Waterworth. He was the owner of Pier 36.
We ordered two gin and tonics with Copeland Gin, on the rocks. The gin was poured over ice, served with a slice of orange peel and a side of Fever Tree Tonic. It was simply delightful. The orange instead of the usual slice of lime brought out the citrus flavors of the gin. It was sublime.
Denis chatted with us and asked us how we liked the gin. He inquired where we were from and we told him our story. Denis shared with obvious pride the reputation his restaurant had for fresh seafood. The langoustines were favorites as well as the freshly caught lobsters brought in 3 times a week. All their seafood and grass-fed beef and lamb are local.
Suddenly, Denis said, “I’m going to show you fresh seafood”. He turned and left. I was puzzled until he appeared a few minutes later with a huge bin, brimming with live langoustines. As we were not familiar with these aquatic creatures, and they are not found in the US waters, Denis educated us on how they caught this truly delicious delicacy.
A few minutes later, Denis reappeared and told us to put our drinks on hold for a moment. Denis had a surprise in store for us. He told us, “Come along, I’ve arranged for you to see the distillery.”
Our hearts swelled at the kindness and hospitality of this stranger. Denis led us through the restaurant and out the back door. Copeland was his neighbor and they had a great working relationship. While closed to the public, the distillery was still in full operation.
Copeland Distillery
The stills alone were works of art. We have been inside many distilleries, but these stills were just gorgeous. What really caught our eye was the nautical themed logo, a variation of the compass rose. One of the distillers gave us the details about the operation and explained the logo took two years to develop. The craftsmanship is certainly evident. It’s spectacular.
Copeland is relatively new and takes its name from the nearby Copeland Islands. Like many Irish proprietors, history, culture, and national pride are evident in everything they produce.
Gin was their main product, but next year the whiskey will be introduced. The exciting news? We had arrived at a landmark day in their company’s history. Copeland had just introduced, that day, two new Rum products. Denis introduced us to the owner of Copland. We congratulated him and complimented his exquisite gin. We can’t wait to try the rum this year, and their whiskey in the years to come.
We hadn’t even gotten to the dinner yet but felt the day just couldn’t get any better. However, Denis had another surprise in store for us.
Taking Hospitality to a New Level
If you travel to Ireland, and you don’t make a stop in Donaghadee to Pier 36, you are missing out on the true taste of Ireland. Denis couldn’t let us leave without sampling his langoustines. While we were visiting Copeland, Denis had his chef prepare us each a fresh, steamed langoustine.
The presentation was complete with a perfectly crispy yet moist fried shrimp, perched on a creamy herb sauce, based by smoked salmon and a hint of citrus, on a small slice of fresh bread. This appetizer was so packed with complimenting flavors, if I had to name it, it would be, “seafood heaven bite.”
If you’re a fan of seafood, eating a fresh, steamed langoustine, is combining the sweet delicate flavor of shrimp, with tender, mouth-watering lobster. We were in awe that seafood this delicious even existed. Thanks to Denis, we know the next time we are ready to splurge on a night out, fresh langoustine is going to be on the menu.
Sadly, it was time to move on. We loved hearing about the history of Pier 36, originally the Hillsburg Hotel built in 1764. You can feel the history of the building within the beautifully restored walls. From the fireplace to its modernly comfortable rooms, enough of the original building remains intact to get a warm feeling of its historic past.
We could have left Donaghadee that moment and considered it one of our Irish highlights, but there was more in store for us. We discovered the restaurant we were dining at is the oldest registered pub in Ireland.
One more pub to tick off with an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records following our visit to the <a href=”https://sailmates.org/sailing-around-the-world/sailing-scotland-in-2020-part-ii/”>The Old Forge,</a> the most remote pub in Britain and also listed in the Book of World Records.
To be continued…