Fine Resolution

Departed Castletownsend at 0930 and tied up at the mooring at 1330. Final leg of the 801 mile circumnavigation! We woke late to a calm, dry morning and hauled anchor and left for Baltimore. We raised the main even though there was little or no wind and motored past the Stags and outside the Kedge Rocks. I was tempted to go inside as it was so calm but the memory of the last passage through there together with the desire to get to the finish kept us outside. We cut the engine about a half mile outside the Beacon and caught a dozen mackerel in no time. The we started the engine and with me standing in front of the mast and Danny on the tiller we came in under the Beacon. This was the moment ... read more

Departed Dunmore East at 0620 and arriverd at Roches Point at 1525. Nine hours to do 55 nMiles. This started as a really fast sail..... touching over 8 knots..... then a bit of motoring off Ballycotton before picking up the wind again as we approached Cork harbour. The previous afternoon we had a stroll around Dunmore East. Checked with the harbour master and he said we were fine rafted off the cruiser. Most of the fishing boats were off up the Irish Sea so there was no pressure on space. It was a hot afternoon and so we entered a hostelry fo refreshments. Asa soon as the pint was on the counter they switched on the racing channel so we finished our drinks and went next door to Powers which was a bit more pleasant. Then ... read more

Departed Arklow at 0700 and arrived in Kilmore Quay at 1645. We were unsure what was the best time to leave Arklow. On this trip the tides were the main consideration. There are long North South sand banks along the Wexford coast where the depths go to a few metres and the tidal race can be 4 - 6 knots. I spent a few hours on Sunday trying to figure out the optimum time for departing. A local sailor with vast experience said thast it was very simple. Going to Kilmore meant leaving 90n minutes before high water Arklow. But this made no sense to me. According to my tide tables and the pilotage book this would have been a really bad time to leave. I discussed this with a boat from Liverpool and we both ... read more

Day 33 July 22nd 2011 Ardlass to Howth 55 nm Departed at 0555 and arrived 1650 We had a lovely evening in Ardglass. This is a delightful little town just south of the entrance to Strangford Lough. It has a little marina and a few conected small harbours one of which is delightfully called Gods Pocket because it is a safe haven. The entrance is well bouyed but the channel is narrow and shallow and we met a couple taking their 36 footer out by crane because they had wrecked their rudder a few days earlier reversing out at low water. We were surprised to see a huge tricolour flying over the local fish factory inn the harbour... the first we saw outside of Belfast. We met the manager and paid him 20 pound which included ... read more

We spent four nights in Glenarms because of the weather. At times it was blowing a F8 -9 in the North Channell and so we stayed tucked in safely in this lovely little marina. It has a resident Black Guillomot population that nest in the harbour walls and add a delightful air to the place, a fact which we were at pains to point oout to the local struggling tourist office. When we arrived in Bangor 5 Star marina a few days later they had aa whole page in their brochure about THEIR guillemots.... so Sally sent a card to the Glenarms office saying 'Check this out!' There is a delightful walled garden which is seriously overpriced at five pounds but we went in anyway. Its calm and tranquility is a wonderful balance to the stresses ... read more