Arklow to Kilmore Quay

---

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 agreed that 0500 was the time to go on Tuesday. In the meantime however when I was getting diesel from the very helpful man in the marina office he told me that the tides in Arklow were 'weird'.They had their own printout of the tides just for here. They were way different from the tables. He said, quiet asssuredly. ' Kilmore..... depart 0700'. So we did. We arrived 10 hours later and would have done it in 8.5 but we pulled over to help / escort a catamaran with a dodgy gearbox. We stayed with them for a few hours so the tide was against usa as we rounded Carnsore Point. We arrived in Kilmore. Had Tea. Had a walk. Went for a pint. came back aboard. THEN the Liverpudlian baot (that had left at6 0500!!!!) arrived. I couldn't helpbut feel a bit guilty. They too 14 hours. Where did they go? We must have passed them somewhere. It was really all about local knowledge and we followed it as close as possible. We left Arklow and sailed right over the first bank, Glassgorman. Then we motored to Rusk Channel were we were getting 6.5 knots. As we came out of this 5 mile stretch we noticed a catamaran (wehich we had been following) was stopped. We came clse and they told us that they had gearbox trouble. They got it sorted and carried onand we followed them outside the next channel which was the E side of the Long Bank. As we approached Rosslare the wind rose from the E. The cat appeared to be stuck again but with sail up they had an easy passage into Rosslare and an anchorage. We passed outside them and I called them up on the VHF but no answer. We rounded Greenore point and heading for Carnsore about four miles away the tide started to turn and the cat started to catch up!. They were ahead as we rounded Carnsore Point. It was a slow last 6 miles doing 3.5 knots as we approahed the Saltee Sound and over St. Patricls Bridge. We dropped sailand motored the last 1/2 mile into Kilmore. We got a call from the cat saying that they were going further west and thanks. Into the harbour where we tied up to the hammerhead before being directed to a berth. It was hot. We had tea. Then a walk around the amazing village of Kilmore Quay. Therer are loads of thatched house. Most really beautiful. We went to the local bhutcher but he was just closed. We walked to the only bar in the hotel a half mile away and had a pint. Then we decided NOT to have F & C so back to the boat for some home cooking. We were just aboard when the Liverpool boat arrived. I heard a voice say 'How did ye get here?'

---