Mariner Jim Horner sailed in to Youghal harbour last Tuesday evening (1st June 2010) after circumnavigating the globe over the past five years. A flotilla of boats, including the Youghal Lifeboat, greeted Jim on board the catamaran “Lady Jane III” as he turned round Capel Island and approached the inner harbour on a beautiful Summers evening. The Horner’s told Youghalonline.com they were delighted to be back home with family and friends and were stunned by the warm welcome when entering the harbour. The horner’s sent the following message to say thanks to everyone.
Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com EMAIL: news@youghalonline.com

We set off from Youghal on a brisk day in May 2005, to a large crowd of our friends & neighbours wishing us well. We had spent the last 6 years building our 40′ catamaran “Lady Jane III”. We planned to sail around the world but had no timescale, & were told to sail south until the butter melts then go west!” We were a little better equipped than this & had an auto helm, GPS radar etc to help us. We have had  an amazing journey, highlights being, swimming with  6 foot Sting Rays  in the South Pacific, trekking through the Venezualan jungle for 3 days to see the Angel Falls (the highest in the world) & spending a night watching leather back turtles, some 100 years old laying eggs on a beach in Trinidad. Our “lows” included being boarded & robbed in the Caribbean & hitting bad storms, going down to New Zealand, which made us feel as if we were inside a washing machine for 4 days &  did damage to the boat.

We could tell so many more stories. I was unable to rejoin the boat when we left it in Greece to visit Children & Grandchildren, due to illness so Jim had to sail single handed for the last 2,700 miles home.
We have sailed more than 32,000 miles, stayed in 37 different countries, but nothing could compare with 8pm on Tuesday evening when a dozen or more boats from Youghal came  5 miles or more out to Lady Jane III to escort her to her mooring in Youghal, There was an even bigger welcome than when we left, & Jim was surprised & thrilled.

Having seen all these wonderful places we can honestly say, we haven’t found anywhere in the world we would rather live than Youghal. We tried to keep in touch, but only had internet when we were on land but everyone has been so supportive, we would like to thank them all for their kindness, but an especial thanks to our neighbours Bruce & Jill Bell who have taken expert care of the Boatyard in our absence, & looked after me whilst I was on my own.

The boat has done a lifetimes sailing in 5 years & now needs some serious TLC, but we hope to be sailing around Youghal bay in the not too distant future.

Click on image to see the warm welcome home as Jim and his wife Jane sail into Youghal Harbour – Photo: Michael Hussey YoughalOnline.com