Rabbits

There are many superstitions on boats.
Don’t wear green. Don’t whistle. Don’t leave port on a Friday. Don’t leave port on the 13th. Definitely don’t leave on Friday 13th! Never say ‘rabbit’.
I don’t know the origin of this one but I do know that when I inadvertently uttered the word on a friend’s passenger boat the atmosphere in the wheelhouse became icy. I worried that a calamity might befall us simply from the change in mood of the skipper. Very disconcerting…

leaving the Scilly isles

Just before we left Topsham one of Dave’s parents’ friends gave Katie a fluffy rabbit. She was so delighted with it that I couldn’t throw it away, but I did hide the rabbit in her toy box before setting off. Just in case!
While waiting to leave Scilly, we went for a hike around St Martin and came across lots of rabbit droppings. Back on board, Katie kept talking about this ‘rabbit poo’. Could this be a bad omen?
We left Scilly in rough seas and since Katie couldn't walk around, she wanted me to sing to her. Which song did she choose - ‘Hop little bunnies!’ And insisted on me singing it over and over again.
On all these occasions that ‘silly’ superstition came into my mind. What if it did all mean something?



It seems the rabbits didn't bring us bad luck and, once the seas had calmed down, we had a good trip to Ireland, covering the 150 miles in just over 24 hours.
We arrived in Schull harbour, near the Fastnet rock, and were met by friends who live nearby. Guess what their little boy Fergus brought out to the boat with him? Billy the bunny rabbit! Which prompted Katie to dig out her bunny too...

We spent a day and a half in Schull while more strong NW winds blew through. Kathy and the children are now about to join us for the 20-mile trip up the coast to Castletownbere at the mouth of Bantry Bay. Bunny rabbits permitting! And anyway, Dave is flouting the most basic rule of all – no women on ships! He has two on board…

passing Clear Island on arrival in Ireland