[Updated below, 6th August] Well the sun was out, the wind had abated considerably, and the crowds lined the dock wall, waving and clapping the crew of the Draken Harald Hårfagre as they moved through the dock system yesterday [4th August 2014]. Everybody was waiting for the moment the crew would deploy the sail for when she departed Alfred Dock at 16:55 [above].
When the Draken arrived in the lock, the word was passed to start the process of hosting the boom to enable the sail to be set, with a lot of physical work [above] the crew slowly raised the boom.
While this was going on, the lock was in the process of running down to river level [above and below].
Now on the level, with all river traffic passed the lock entrance, the all clear to depart was given, the Draken slowly started to edge out of the lock into the fast flowing river [below]…
… any second now the sail will deploy . Now into the tidal stream, she came out of the entrance…..wait for it [below].
Round she comes to starboard, heading south [below];
…passing the iconic Liver buildings [above and below] to let the folks of Liverpool say farewell and have a look.
Come on! deploy sail !! Now about to disappear behind the Twelve Quays ferry terminal [below]… and… nearly there….but…too late. Now fully out of sight behind the stage, we never saw the sail fully deploy.
Never mind, she has got to come back this way, as they pass the pierhead, so a short time later, into sight she comes and – Oh No – the sail & boom have been stowed [below]. And so it was that the Draken Harald Hårfagre departed the Mersey under engine power with no sail deployed.
Farewell Draken Harald Hårfagre – and thank you for the wonderful experience you have brought to this part of the world which also shares a lot of history with your good folks.
Update 6th August: a slight problem prevented the sail from being deployed, and by the time she had turned North again, she was now facing the wind, so that was that.
She’s now in Peel in the Isle of Man – and having another slight problem with her steering board. The crew are looking into it.
The filming she is to do in Peel is for the One Show apparently.
Andy Mahon, © Das Boot Photography
Editor’s Note: And thank you Andy Mahon for the simply gorgeous series of photographs you have sent us, recording Draken Harald Hårfagre’s progress on the Mersey, which, with Martin Briscoe’s great photographs of her coming through the southern part of the Caledonian Canal, have given all of us a memorable introduction into the size, menace and grace of these warships.