Crossing your legs in Greystones
Congratulations on a fine magazine, and a good range of informative articles. I'd like to comment on Norman Kean's write-up for Greystones, County Wicklow (Jun 17).
I called in there last June on my circumnavigation of Ireland and found a good marina with a great welcome. I agree with Norman that the shoreside facilities are excellent (after a 10-minute walk into town), but must point out that in the marina there are only three bathrooms. Each contains a sink, shower and toilet but there are no other facilities at all. If you get stuck behind a even small crew out for showers, you could have a long wait for a ‘short call’! Guy Adams Norman Kean adds: I’m glad you liked Greystones. It’s a lovely place. Granted it has one or two more boxes to tick before attaining five-gold-anchor status, and what you see is what you get, but keep faith – it will improve, and quickly. Its operators have an excellent track record.
Bear in mind that what they picked up was a failed disaster of a development project that had been conceived on the crest of the Celtic Tiger wave, and they have made it work. Cross your legs for a brief moment, and keep thinking of the inviting restaurants and pubs within a 10-minute walk.
Terrence ‘Batchy’ Carr
The University of Stavanger is researching Terrence H 'Batchy' Carr (1905-86), a past owner of the 60ft Colin Archer yacht Havfruen III (originally and presently named Wyvern). She was built in Porsgrund, Norway in 1896 and is now owned by Stavanger Maritime Museum.
Group Captain Carr and his wife Anne (Annette M. Jeffrey, Woodbridge, Suffolk) did 12 Atlantic crossings over 27 years and one circumnavigation (1957-59). The Carrs acquired Havfruen III in 1947 and Carr was invalided (injuries unknown) from the RAF in 1949. Havfruen III was sold around 1974. The Carrs had one child, Paddy (1937-2015), who may have had offspring.
After buying a motorboat of around 45ft and re-naming it Havfruen IV, the Carrs lived aboard, possibly in Falmouth Marina, in the 1980s. Terrence Carr's memberships included the Royal Cruising Club (RCC), as did Paddy's, and honorary membership of the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC). Their address on both RCC and OCC records was RAF Yacht Club, Hamble – presumably until moving to Falmouth.
The only writings we have are from the RCC's Roving Commissions 1955 and some notes by Anne Carr on the 195759 circumnavigation. Anne mentions that they carried out charters in the West Indies. We have found no films or documentaries about them, despite being told there were many.
We would greatly appreciate any information about Havfruen III or the Carrs, especially pre-1954 and after the circumnavigation, how they may have financed such voyaging, and any stories about the Carrs, especially from anybody who had met or knew them. Please e-mail me: eoinrobson@gmail.com