SAILED AROUND IRELAND - HOORAH

HOWTH TO ARKLOW - MILFORD HAVEN

ON THE WAY HOME

1^st July

We saw Penny off yesterday and Liam arrived late due to a 5 hr delay at Exeter Airport.

We really enjoyed Howth Yacht Club Marina, it was really lovely and the Yacht Club Building was beautiful. It was always busy, with food served all day, great service, and really friendly.

Lots of families sail there, and there was racing everyday or evening, even on the weekdays.

It was however, over 1000 Euros per family, that was just membership.

Howth itself is also very nice, with fabulous fish restaurants, and fresh fish shops. A lovely place to visit. It was so close to Dublin

We had done the homework, and had a choice of Wexlow, or Arklow.

We didn't have to go until the afternoon, due to the tides.

We left at Howth at 3oclock in the afternoon, in company with the lads on 'Skylark'

The trip across Dublin Bay was pretty hairy, with gusts of over 30knts of wind, we had a little sail up. We knew that once we were across the bay it hopefully wouldn't be so bad. There was a small craft warning in place, but we really wanted to move on today.

The journey took about 6 hours to Arklow, where there is a small Marina, and nice pontoon along the river, easy to get into and as we were leaving at silly o’clock in the morning ideal.

2^nd July

We got up at 4am and set off to Milford Haven at 5 am. We needed to arrive at St David's Head (Wales) at low water. We were able to sail most of the way, for once the wind was in the right direction, and the tide was with us, and we were able to keep up out speed. Wonderful!

It was very lumpy, but through the day the sun came out, so at least it was blue sky, which makes a world of difference.

Just off of Arklow are some sand banks, and there were windmills on them, and some still being erected. At least is is an area, no one would sail, so I suppose that is a good use for sandbanks.

It was a very long day, and we arrived at Milford Haven Lock at approx 10.00. We had to wait until 11.40 for the lock gate to open to let us into the Marina. So we had our supper to wait to go in.

What a long day. We were shattered.

We had made this trip today, as there are gale warnings for tomorrow, and we wanted to get across the Irish Sea towards home.

WE HAVE MADE IT RIGHT AROUND IRELAND – HOORAH!

IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY MADE A DONATION TO THE RNLI, PLEASE CAN YOU GO TO Virgin Money Giving – RNLI – Pat Hughes or Paddy Bear. Or Just Giving – RNLI Pat Hughes.

Thank you for that.

CAROL HAYES

IAN SAUNDERS

SANDY PEACE

LIZ LILLYCRAPP

SKIPPER - PAT HUGHES

JO PAY

PENNY GREEN

BRIAN WARREN

Co Owner of Sea Sense

LIAM B

 

 

VANESSA WHIPP

AWAITING CREW AT HOWTH YACHT CLUB MARINE

28^th June

The local restaurants here in Howth, are really lovely. A vast variety, and we visited the Brass Monkey which was excellent.

Today we were able to visit the Howth Lifeboat Station and meet up with some of the crew, this was great.

The Howth Yacht Club is a really busy club, and they collect Burgees from lot of clubs, we were able to add ND Yacht club Burgee to their collection.

We have met the men from yacht SkyLark, who we met originally at Bangor Marina, and again at Ardglass. It is interesting to meet up with other fellow yachts people. They come from the Essex Marina on the River Crouch.

Today Jo went home, which was sad.

Penny goes tomorrow.

29^th June

Today we did washing and cleaning the boat. Penny going home and Liam arriving.

BANGOR MARINA IN BELFAST LOUGH

20^th June

We had a few days here in Bangor Marina, and the train took half and hour to get into the centre of Belfast.

We did some washing and Carol and I went to see the Lifeboat Crew. It was an inshore Lifeboat, but said that it was one of the busiest lifeboats in service, due to so much leisure traffic on the Lough.

We then took the train into Belfast, and had a tour on the bus, which was really interesting.

We visited one of the biggest delicatessen I have ever seen, with so much wonderful food it was overwhelming. It was called Sawers.

The other interesting place was the oldest pub in Belfast, and is one of the only two that the National Trust run, it was called the Crown, and was amazing inside, as it had all the original features, with booths and gas lamps, wonderful tiling and stained glass windows. Well worth a visit.

21^st June

Girls went back to Belfast today to visit the Titanic Centre, and meet up with Penny's husband John.

I went back home.

It was nice that there was time to do the sightseeing, but unfortunately the weather wasn't very nice.

BANGOR TO ARDGLASS

25th June

Today we set of at 7 o’clock to get fuel, and to sail down to Ardglass.

The weather forecast was NW 2/3 occ 4

At last the wind in the direction that we want it to be.

We had to leave early as we needed to get the sweep of the tide past Copeland Island

The Wind was SOUTH WEST – we couldn't believe it. Where was our NW.

nowhere certainly not with us. It is beyond a joke.

Never mind we gently motored with the tide, and was making 9.5 kits. Very swirly

We got to Ardglass Marina at 2.30.

Had a walk round Ardglass, it is very quaint, not very big, but has a lovely golf course.

We were greeted by the quite elderly Harbour Master and his dog. The Marina was very nice with nice showers.

Bangor Marina, will take a lot of beating though, it was immaculate, and very clean, and organised.

We met up with a yacht that was going round Britain with Tom and his Son Stephen. We had met them at Bangor, and they caught up with us again. They came aboard for a drink in the evening.

26^th June

We were going to go to a small harbour on the way to Howth Marina, - Dublin to break up the journey, but looking at the weather forecast, we decided to make a bit of an effort and get to Howth in one go.

We left at 10am, the weather was wonderful, the sea was smooth, and we made really good passage to Howth and arrived at 8 oclock. At the bottom of the tide, and it was the lowest tide ever recorded, It was an unusual entrance, as all the port and starboard marks were on their side, and float when the tide comes in.

We had contacted the harbour office and had been given a berth, but when we go there, it obviously wasn't free. We took the next one, and then realised that there were ropes from a yacht out sailing. So we had to extract ourselves, and find a free berth. What Fun! after a 10 hour trip.

On the trip up the coast, we had seen beautiful Mountains, and Carlingford Lough, what a shame we had to give it a miss. We also saw a few porpoise, and a very large mammal, that we thought was a Whale. It was very large, and could have been a Rosso's Dolphin. They are a loan animal, and have a very slow roll, and can be confused with a Pilot Whale. We hoped it was whale.

Howth is a very nice place, with lots of beautiful sea food restaurants.

27^th June

When we awoke this morning we realised that our decision to come yesterday was a good one. Mainly because it was pouring with rain and windy.

We decided to take the train into Dublin – it is less that half and hour.

So we were tourist in Dublin today on the tour bus in the rain.

This evening we are off out to a local restaurants, with one of the crew from the

that we had met in Castletown Bere. He is one of the lifeboat members, and tomorrow, we will meet up with the coxswain and crew.

CREW PHOTOS

PORTRUSH TO BANGOR - BELFAST

18^th June

Today we didn't have to leave until 11am, so we had time to go to see the Lifeboat Station, and meet the coxswain, and get the crew members into Paddy's Log Book

Port Rush was really nice, with a pontoon inside the harbour, very peaceful.

We set off, and the sea was smooth and silky. It was warm at first, but turned quite cold and drizzly. We had done the way-points to take us through the Raithlin Sound at the correct time.

We picked up the push of the tide as we passed the Giants Causeway, and although we had hardly any wind, we were swept along at over 10.8 knots. We had the engine on tick over as it was really swirly and difficult to keep on course.

We thought the chart plotter had gone wrong, we couldn't believe the speed. It is also very deep over 100 metres.

We arrived at Glenarm Marina at 5.15, which was over an hour earlier that we had expected.

This is a very nice Marina, in a beautiful bay. Nice showers and a laundry. - hoorah.

Just had dinner, and decided to look at next port of call. Bangor Belfast. Realised that we had to leave at 6.30am tomorrow, if we are going.

Weather report a bit sketchy for this area, and as we need to be near Belfast for the weekend, decided to go tomorrow, and not wait around.

Glenarm didn't have much going for it, as a town, 2 small pubs and a shop. That was it.

19^th June

We set off at 6.30 to go to Bangor. In no time we had 10knts of wind in the rightish direction SW. We put up all the sails, and started to make really good time under sail. What a relief.

Spoke too soon, the wind soon dropped to less that 2 knts. We carried on for a while. We did have a bit of time in our favour, but needed to be at Bangor at low water.

The P & O Ferry was passing in front of us just by some Cardinal buoys, so close, we could wave to the people on the deck. This was at Larne Lough

We managed to sail on for a while, but had to give up eventually, and motor sail Again!

We did at least 3 hours.

We avoided another Ferry – this time Stena Lines, as we approached Belfast Lough.

We arrived at Belfast Marina at 1.30. There is a Lifeboat Station here, so Paddy's Log will be added to.

Celebration time with a bottle of Bubbly, followed by a sleep.

We are here for a few days, as I am off to a Wedding at home, and Penny's husband John is travelling out and taking Carol and Jo sightseeing for the weekend.

Will be blogging again next week.

LOUGH SWILLY TO PORTRUSH

FROM LOUGH SWILLY TO PORT RUSH

16^th June

today Carol and I were able to take it easy. With just a couple of jobs to do. Fill with water, and empty dinghy of rain water- I emptied about 5 gallons out of it.

We then went to the local nice restaurant the Red Door, and had coffee, and was able to log on to wifi.

It had finally stopped raining, so we took down tent, we had a really nice walk. The Area is beautiful. We waited for the girls to arrive, they had caught a taxi from Derry, they arrived just before 6 o’clock.

We had a really nice dinner waiting of salmon and raspberries.

We did the homework for the trip to Portrush tomorrow before we went to bed

17^th June

Today we didn't have to leave very early, so had a nice breakfast, sandwiches were made and the meal for this evening already cooked. So ready to go

Left Marina at 11.15am, and made out way gingerly out. It is very shallow here near Fahan Marina, but he local yacht club have buoyed the channel so that helped. We were 3 hrs before high water, as we had to leave Lough Swilley at high tide to get the Sweep Round Malin Head.

We had a good trip round, and touched over 8 knots, but we were head to wind and wind over tide AGAIN.

We got to Portrush at 7oclock, and tied up to the pontoon in the harbour, next to the Lifeboat, and Yacht Club.

We all went to the Yacht Club and met up with the Launch Operations Manager of the Lifeboat.

We then had dinner, and did the homework for tomorrow, when we hope to be going to Glenarm Marina.

We have to get past Raithlin Island, and the Sound looks quite tricky, so we are making sure we get there at slack water, with the tide pushing us round.

CHANGING CREW AT FAHAN MARINA

14^th June

Today we lose Sandy and Ian, we have had a lovely 2 weeks, with warm, and sunny weather most of the time.

We have seen some of the most scenic parts of Ireland on this leg, which has been really nice.

Ian is flying out of Belfast, and Sandy is meeting her husband Nick in Derry, and staying at a very nice Hotel, overlooking the river. She can't wait to have a lovely soak in the bath. I think that the lack of shower and bathing facilities has been a bit of a shock, but she has coped very admirably.

I am very proud of her, and she has been really good crew.

As well as the most scenic part of Ireland is has been the most remote part, with anchorages and harbour walls, and no facilities. We were down to our last half pint of long life milk yesterday too.

We do have a shower on the yacht, but then there is the issue of how much water, and again water isn't always available. - Still that’s sailing for you.

Ian cooked a really nice breakfast. This was before they went off on the 1 o'clock bus to Derry

The Engineers arrived at 11.30 they had located the problem which was the pipe at the very back of the engine. Brian had the parts shipped from Bournemouth to Derry, and they had picked the parts up. It was quite difficult job because one of the nuts was very rusty. Joseph the Engineer was determined, and eventually got the part off and hopefully all is well.

We still have another pipe, that can be fixed when we arrived home.

Carol and I decided to go to the local very posh hotel & restaurant down the road called the The Red Door and have a very expensive G & T, while I was able to log onto the WI phi and do some updating. As it was pouring with rain we looked lovely with our wet gear on.

We were hoping to eat at the small local pub, but no luck as it was fully booked.

15^th June

Today Carol and I had lots of jobs to do, and it was absolutely tipping down with rain.

We cleaned out the engine compartment of oil, and ran the engine to check it all out. I tightened the nuts on the stern gland, as it was dripping a little too fast. We did some scrubbing and sweeping. I did a bit of washing.

We both decided to have s shower in a tin portacabin with a shower tray that didn't empty,uck.

At lease we had clean hair, needs must.

We have to to the Buncrana, to get the shopping, we were hoping to get a bus, but were lucky enough to meet a local sailor, who very kindly gave us a lift, even though we lived at Derry. These people are amazing, so helpful and lovely.

We had to get a taxi back, as the bus didn't turn up, when we were told it would.

It was still raining, we were glad to get back to the yacht.

The rain finally stopped at about 6 o’clock in the evening.

Tomorrow our new crew arrived, so we are stocked up and tidy, and ready for them to come aboard. All we need now is a good forecast.