Weds 2nd August – Seil Sound to Craobh Haven (6 nm)
Well, we finally got away – just a day late, not too bad. It was a late night having a couple of drinks with neighbours the night before, then Tim and Jenny harassed us out of the house to prevent us dithering and we left the pontoon at 11’15, waving to Tim, Jenny, Hugh, Rose and Steve Morley as we headed out into Seil Sound to meet Silkie for a farewell photo opportunity. We unfurled the new genoa and headed for Craobh Haven to fill up with diesel and rest up before starting – the longest journey starts with a single step, after all. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO GOT US ON OUR WAY.
We moored just one berth down from Dave S’s Avilion. A meal and a pint in the Lord of the Isles, then to bed. Tomorrow we zero the log, make a last chandlery visit then head for Gigha and consider strategies for working the tides down the Irish Sea.
Thursday 3rd August – Craobh Haven to Gigha (34 nm)
An interesting reverse out of the berth at Craobh – marginally easier with the new engine/prop combination, but still largely mind over matter.
The engine was switched off almost immediately and we enjoyed a fine broad reach in lightish airs in company with a Bavaria 37 that had left at the same time as us. They kept pace with us as far as the McCormack Ilse, then as the wind picked up they pulled away and headed for Loch Caolisport. We bore away for the top of the Sound of Gigha and poled out the genoa as the wind came aft. A fine blowy couple of hours saw us arrive in Ardminish Bay with the last of the tide. We picked up one of the last moorings – several boats came in after us and anchored South of the moorings.
We thought about a night sail and decided we were still too tired. Early night.
Friday 4th August – Gigha – Larne (52 miles)
It was a grey, murky day when we left, drizzle, vis. about 2 miles tops. Discovered that the echo sounder doesn’t read with the engine running at any more than slow ahead – it just flashes random (alarming, low) numbers.
And so to the first serious test of the new engine . . . at 2400 rpm it pushed us along at between 5 and 6 kns depending on sea state for nine hours without faltering. The shaft seal is running very hot though . . . after eight hours I couldn’t keep my hand on it. Maybe they always run hot and people don’t realise it, as within 5 minutes of stopping it was just luke warm. I ‘burped’ it and it took five or six squeezes before (very) warm water came out. I don’t think enough water gets past the Vega’s solid stern bearing to provide adequate lubrication, but then again maybe it won’t do any harm, just shorten the life of the seal. Perhaps the guys at Kilmore Quay will have some ideas, or perhaps we’ll just ignore it . . . we have the old stern gland and some new packing on board just in case, although unfortunately I threw the old greaser away.
Initially we headed for Glenarm, then realised we could carry a fair tide as far as Larne. The highlight of passage to the Mull of Kintyre was passing another Vega – Iona Lady – in the murk a few miles NE of Machrahanish. We were cheated of our last view of Scotland as the mist came down thickly just as we were abeam of the Mull and the Scottish coast vanished into the murk and did not reappear. Damp and dreich, with choppy little wind over tide seas slowing progress. It was neaps, so not that much tide either – never more than two knots. We saw no shipping until we got to Larne, where we anchored in 3m in Browns Bay, a small bay on the Northern end of the peninsula called Island Magee that forms the Eastern side of Larne Loch. Good holding and good shelter in offshore (SE to SW) winds, but troubled by wake from ships going in and out of Larne.
Saturday 5th August – Larne – Ardglass (47 miles)
We had a fantastic sail as far as the top of Donaghadee Sound, when the wind started to shift. Kathy caught a small cod as we went through the sound and we had it for lunch filleted and fried in Ruskoline – delicious.
After lunch it was time to motor as the wind was now in the South. We had intended to keep going to Howth if we could sail, but now decided to pull into Ardglass instead. We met a larger yacht coming out as we went in saying there was no room, but Fairwinds was waved into the sort of wee corner Vegas get into so easily (and then have so much hassle reversing out of!!).
Carlingford sailing club were in Ardglass in force, with a barbecue in full swing. A lively evening ensued. John Coyle and Jutta on board the Vega ‘Flicka’ came on board and we swapped Vega notes before repairing to a local hostelry for pints of Smithwicks and plenty of craic with the motley Carlingford crew. You can see us in the middle of the picture beginning to relax . . .
Sunday 6th August – Ardglass – Howth (58 miles)
We left Ardglass at 11.15 after showers and muesli and headed for Howth – motoring in very little wind but with a grey, lumpy sea, waiting for the promised veer to the NW. Later in the morning we confirmed that the fresh water from the bow tank was leaking out from the new filter we had fitted. We emptied the tank using the electric pump and went on to water from our 10l plastic containers.
Just before three o’ clock the wind finally veered to the NW. I tried to set the Navik and succeeded in dropping the jointed connector in the water – I didn’t even realise it could come off . . . oh well, time to phone good old Steve Birch.
The wind then promptly went round in circles a few times and settled in the NE, and in the lumpy stern seas it was sometimes difficult to keep the sails full even with the trusty preventer and pole . . . either a bit less sea or a bit more wind would have been nice, but in spite of this substantial progress was made Southwards and the Irish courtesy flag was duly raised not long after passing into Irish waters – although there was no sign of Ireland in the murk, the Mountains of Mourne having disappeared some time previously.
We had to put the engine on again while eating our first haggis meal of the trip around eight o’clock, and we headed for Howth, getting in at twenty past ten in the dark – the nights are fairly drawing in , as they say in the North. We were just in time for a delicious pint of real Guinness in the yacht club bar . . . back in Ireland again.
Monday 7th/Tuesday 8th August – Howth – Kilmore Quay (89 nm)
We rested up in Howth for a few hours and did a few jobs, then it was time for a night sail – we needed to get to Kilmore and didn’t fancy stopping in Arklow. We left Howth two hours before high water, planning to take a bit of foul tide across Dublin Bay then get as far South inside the Arklow Banks as possible before the tide turned against us. We found ourselves on a dead run with five knots apparent and still a lumpy Irish sea, so it was back on with the Beta and off at a steady 2000 rpm giving us five and a half knots. A full moon made the night brilliant, and once South of Bray Head we had two and a half knots or more of tide with us, rushing down the coast at eight knots or more over the ground.
Progress was sufficiently smooth for the off-watch crew to sleep in the forepeak. I took the first watch from 11.30 to 02.30, which saw us down as far as the top of the Arklow banks with their row of offshore wind turbines. The (new) steaming light was not working, so we put the anchor light on instead when traffic was seen ahead – less than ideal if there is also traffic astern though, as it could lead to confusion. Oh well, another thing to fix in Kilmore Quay.
Kathy stood watch down inside the banks, then at six fifteen I finally took down the main to stop it flogging – it hadn’t been contributing much to progress for some hours anyway. We came down much closer inshore than on our trip two years previously, picking up the Lucifer buoy and hence across to Carnsore Point, the South-easternmost point of Ireland. We crossed St. Patrick’s Bridge in much calmer conditions than the previous time two years ago and entered Kilmore Quay just after low water with not much under the keel, hoping we remembered the way in as we had no detailed chart or diagram this time, and tied up at the hammerhead just after one ‘clock.
Our lines were taken by a uniformed figure resplendent in white shirt, gold braid, epaulettes and shades, who wanted to know how long we would be staying. We explained that Jackie Connick had said we could use his berth, which did not seem to go down well with the new harbourmaster (for it was he). Berth allocation was his responsibility, he pointed out, not the Admiral’s, and it would cost us 25 euros a night anyway.
Kilmore Quay may be expensive for a small boat, especially considering the facilities provided, but the people are amazing. Nigel came round just minutes after we had fobbed the harbourfuhrer off with a promise to come up to the office later, and directed us to Jackie’s snug berth on the back pontoon. Jackie was off on a trip to Wales in his new Albin Ballad, but expected back for the weekend . . . we decided to stay, although the berthing costs would eat into our liquid funds a bit.
We spent most of the afternoon chatting to people – Nigel and his family (Catherine and Matthew), the man from the Contessa 26 affectionately known as ‘The Rathole” moored beside us. (The boat is the rathole, not the skipper, Ken) and many more who stopped by to say hello and wish us well. Eugene, an artist and retired priest, came on board with his friend Riena – he is the new owner of Samedi, Jim Hall’s old Vega, and a very interesting man. The Irish are as friendly as ever, and it’s good to be back.
Wednesday 9th August – Kilmore Quay
After an excellent night’s sleep we indulged in a Breakfast Roll from Nicky’s emporium – essentially a full Irish breakfast in a baguette, and enough to keep you going all day for less than four Euros.
I am not entirely sure where the rest of the day went. Hanging about the pontoon in the sun chatting, and a trip to the most excellent chandlers to buy some new genoa sheets for half the price of similar string in Ardfern. I had some difficulties getting connected to the internet in the afternoon with the Stella Maris centre being in limbo waiting for broadband. Apparently the church is in the way of the signal – not the first time the Church has stood in the way of technological progress, I commented. A man we had never met drove us up to his daughter’s house so we could access her wireless router, but for various reasons it didn’t happen, and I eventually got online later in the evening courtesy of Peter, deputy harbour master and good guy, up in the harbour office.
We enjoyed an excellent fish supper and a couple of ales in Keeogh’s pub, then it was back to the boat to write the blog up over a dram and a cup of tea.
Thursday and Friday 10th and 11th August – Kilmore Quay
Where did these two days go? Thursday was a bad technology day . . . I couldn’t get the Iridium data kit to work, so until I meet an Iridium expert it’s just a voice phone. And the Navtex doesn’t seem to have picked up any new info for a week, although after some fiddling about I found something from the 6th. Got a few jobs done on the boat . . . we seem to have cured the leaking water filter, and today the engine and gearbox got their first oil change.
Nigel drove us somewhere for amazingly cheap green -coloured diesel . . . we now have a full tank and 50 litres in cans, which gives us about three and a half days motoring at 5+ knots – not quite enough to get all the way to La Coruna, but it gives us options we wouldn’t have had with the old Volvo.
Spoke to lots of people and watched boats come and go. Jim Hall came down to see us, and Nigel and I got invited into local artist Ivan Sutton’s new house extension for a chat and a look round. Nigel came on board for dinner – haggis, tatties and beans. He loves haggis, remembering it fondly from the 2004 Scottish Vega rally on Seil.
We are getting alarmingly relaxed . . . Jackie is expected back in the morning; it will be good to see him again. We are planning to leave for La Coruna on Monday if the five day forecast looks reasonable.
Oh yes, and the Guiness is still remarkably good . . .
Saturday 12th August – Kilmore Quay
Woke up to find Ballad of Angus, Jackie’s new boat, back on his berth beside us. Spent most of the day lazing around talking to people, with a visit to Jackie’s house to go online for a while and check e-mails etc. The long range forecast is looking a bit iffy for S. Biscay towards the end of the week, with possible gales in Fitzroy and strong winds off the N. Spanish coast. Still blowing strong from the NW here , although calming down in the evenings. We need to leave on Monday though . . . I can feel harbour rot starting to set in. Jackie calls Kilmore Quay ‘a little piece of heaven’ – and it is easy to agree with him under the blue skies and warm sun of August.
We went out with Jackie and Nigel on Jackie’s boat in the evening for a tour of the Saltees and the rocks surrounding them. Jackie knows these waters like the back of his hand, having been in his own words ‘born and starved’ in Kilmore Quay and spent many years fishing these waters in all weathers and seasons. The KQ guys have their echo sounders reading in feet – it’s less alarming that way, as most of the waters between the harbour and the Saltees and beyond are less than 10m deep, with a liberal sprinkling of very dangerous rocks. Everyone has a chart plotter though – even Jackie, although I suspect he could find his way blindfold.
Sunday 13th August – Kilmore Quay
Another lazy Kilmore day . . . went out with Nigel on Eager Vega in the afternoon for a tour of the Saltees at low water while Kathy finished some washing at Jackie’s house and hung it all over Fairwinds to dry in the breezy afternoon sunshine. Had another look at the weather for the week ahead – it’s looking better, but a bit unsettled Wednesday and Thursday as a relatively shallow low gets squeezed South over Biscay between a high over the Atlantic and one over Europe. Made a plan to go to the Scillies and have another look at the forecast. This was not part of the original plan, but it is only a handful of miles out of our way and it will shorten the crossing of the Biscay by a day.
We met Dermott Greer and his wife today. Dermott runs Sailing Ireland out of Kilmore Quay on Yola, an immaculate Sun Odyssey 37, and will be operating as an RYA school from next year – worth thinking about if you fancy doing your courses somewhere different. Dermott gave us a photocopy of the Scillies pilot, so with that and Maxsea we should manage to find our way into St Marys. The plan is to leave at about ten o’clock tomorrow morning and arrive in Hugh Town early afternoon Tuesday.
The connecting rod for the Navik didn’t arrive yesterday, so Father Eugene lent us his from Samedi until the part arrives at Jackie’s. He wished us well for the trip and hoped our gods would look after us. When I remarked that surely he could intercede in this respect he laughed and said he was retired.
Another feast at the Kilmore Quay chip shop, then up to Keeoghs Bar with Nigel for our last pints of Guinness for a while. We will be back here though – the people are fantastic and the sailing is interesting to say the least.
Tomorrow the big sea . . .