TT Day 0 - The Crossing

Back home from travel for work at 21h00 last night to meet my brother Nic and Mom and a delicious home-cooked meal. We then started organizing the mountain of tools, spares, gear, equipment needed for the campaign.

Asleep at 01h00 for a few hours sleep then up again at 05h00 to start packing. Lists, packing, loading, checking, last minutes bits and a few hours later we're heading up to Heysham. Roadworks, broken-down cars, traffic jams and many downpours... it was slower going than I'd hoped. Keen not to repeat my many IOM ferry-missing episodes, we left early enough to still get to the ferry port two hours before departure.

They got us loaded quickly, we found our seats and within half an hour I was asleep. I woke half-way through the journey to sunshine glinting off the Irish Sea. I continued the Speed therapy tradition for hand-cutting my "92" race number for the Triumph. Soon enough and we were docking in Douglas harbor.

Nic meets Michael Dunlop

We are staying with our uber-hosts Brett and Julie-Ann again this year. Unfortunately for us, their garage has now been turned into a successful fitness studio. Luckily Kevan (pit crew last year) managed to find a garage to rent for the fortnight just 5 minutes away. We headed to Glenda and Dave's to unload the bikes, gear and setup the workshop for the fortnight.

Our IOM garage from previous years

A few hours later and we had everything unpacked, setup, the motorway muck from the poor-weather journey up cleaned off the bikes and the wheels off for fitting new tyres in the morning. We headed to Brett's on Bray hill for some scran and get settled in for the night.

A bit weird... feels like another Manx GP/Classic TT so far. Looking forward to getting up to the paddock tomorrow to see the difference and experience the TT. Tomorrow is busy... new tyres, finish off prepping the KMR, skrootineering and hopefully out for a few laps tomorrow evening. Be great to get a lap or two under the belt.

IOM 2014 - Day 0 - The Crossing and Keys

Yesterday our Manx Grand Prix / Classic TT got underway. Up early to finish off some work and try get those "Just before you go..." work requests done. Kevan, who will be helping me out and spannering for the fortnight, arrived around lunchtime and we got the van packed. Unusually, we leave on time and enjoy the stop start traffic jams and crap weather all the way up to Liverpool ferry terminal. A 2 1/2 hour journey that takes 4 1/2 hours - normal.

After a year of being cosseted in a warm garage, the old bikes are dragged through a typhoon :-(

We pull into the ferry terminal with an hour to spare. Off to a good start (we've missed this ferry a few times before!). Kevan casually asks "You got the bike keys, right?". "Yeah, sure. They're in the tooxbox.". Toolbox. Toolbox? Fuuuuuuuuuuuck! I get that sinking feeling. We left the toolbox in my garage... right near the door... so we wouldn't forget it. Oh bollocks!

Too late to go back, even if we can get a place on the next ferry.  Going back would mean missing first practice... would also mean paying another exorbitant ferry crossing. We go through the options. Flights and hire car, passenger ferry crossing and hire car, courier, help from others. We make some calls and start putting a plan together. Soon we're onboard the ferry and heading out of Liverpool. We put some posts on a few facebook groups and the word goes out during our crossing. As I'm finishing up some more work at the end of the sailing we already have a few folks willing to help.

Posh seats for the team!

The good news is that the Ducati 888 has a keylass start, so at least we'll be able to get out on her until we can get the toolbox and other bike keys.

The ferry has one engine broken, so the crossing takes longer than usual. At midnight we dock in Douglas - I'm knackered. We roll off the deck and within minutes we're on Bray Hill. Getting out of the van and standing on Bray Hill... I start to feel those familiar heebie-jeebies :-) Now I'm getting excited :-) The last few weeks have just been so manic that I haven;t had much time to get excited about it all. Now I feel it! :-)

We unhitch the bikes, park up and crash for the night. Tomorrow afternoon we head out for first practice - oh yeah!

ManxGP 2012 - Day 0 - Getting There

Travelled up to Liverpool for the 19h15 ferry to IOM. The 2 hour jurney from work took 3 1/2 hours. You'd have thought all Brits were used to driving in the rain... panic when rain-drops hit the windscreen and the motorway traffic stops. Pathetic.

I get to the ferry before the doors are closed, but I'm not allowed on. The Capt. says: "We've already transmitted our numbers.". Well, transmit "+1". Twit. I'm told that although the later ferry from Heysham is booked full, I could probably get on. Worth a shot.


As close as I was allowed to the ferry - bastirds!

Another 1 1/2 hour drive up the coast and I'm there when they open up the ticket office at 22h00. I'm put on 'standby' till 02h00 while they load everyone else up. A few hours restless nap in the van. Back hurts. I get teh ok to board. I get onto the ferry to find a space they could fit 10 trucks into. WTF is that 'standby' all about?



Smooth sailing




Another few hours kip on the ferry and we arrive at the Isle an hour early at 05h30 to mist and rain. Glad not to have had green-faced, stomach-wrenching vomit-fest like last year's rough crossing. Unpacked and garage setup, jerry cans filled and shit gotten together for signing on.

Man-cave for the next 2 weeks

My Landlord is awesome and makes room for the ManxGP effort

Forecast is good for the first run down Bray Hill this evening. Need a few hours more sleep and a shower... but feel the massive weight of just making it here is lifted. :-)

Cosy conversation. The newbie gets introduced to the Bray Hill by Suzy V...
"So is that it?"
"Yep, that's it"
"Jeez, a bit norrower than I thought. And a lot steeper."
"Just wait till you're going down here flat-out in sixth."
"Holy shit!"