Left Kilmore Quay behind this morning, and we have both voted it the best place we have visited thus far in Ireland.

On the way down the coast the weather was fabulous, and it’s fair to say that the trip had more than a few highlights. We had the absolute joy of Dolphin riding along with us and we left the boat on autopilot for a spell to sit up the bow and enjoy the experience………simply lovely. They are so hard to catch on camera, but we did manage this one – not great but good enough.

With the strong tides down the coast there have been times when I thought I had spotted a “fin” but they have turned out to be black 25 ltr containers (used as marker buoys by lobster fisherman) being pulled halfway under the water by the tide so that they looked like a triangular black fin…………………….I have had to take a bit of a ribbing from Sara !!

Well today I saw another “fin” and then lost it in the waves, next thing it was coming towards us, and my immediate thoughts were “oh bugger I’ve picked up a pot marker” as it kept getting closer and closer. So I put the engine into neutral and prayed silently, but this was no pot marker it was – well in truth I was not sure exactly what it was but I knew it was not a rope around the propeller (prayers answered) As it came closer we saw that it was a shark about 10ft long and it had a distinctive white underbelly. I am not exagerating when I say it’s snout was two inches off the boat. Sara made a dive for the camera but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. We must look up picture of sharks to see if we can identify what it was, this should be easy as it did have such a distinctive look, and not like any other sharks I have seen around the coast over the years.

Sometime later we saw an almighty splash from something that must have been pretty big and we can only assume that this was caused by a Whale or something pretty big breaching……………..what a super day, and one we will remember for a long time.

We arrived at the entrance to Yougal where it is pretty shallow all around with a couple of routes in being clarified by the sector lights on the lighthouse, and as we reached the Lighthouse the tidal effect on the surface was amazing to witness, and our speed suddenly leapt. The pilot books advise against anchoring at the town quay and suggest a point just at the spit of land on the opposite side which is where we decided to drop the hook. The current was flowing strongly and I wondered how the new anchor would set, there was no need for concern as it bit first time, and left us facing the tide, at anchor with the boat speed showing 2.75 kts.

A local chap was out in his canoe and came over for a chat, and I asked him about an area I could see further in behind the spit that looked like it was out of the main tidal effect. His view was to stay put as he reckoned it was both a bit shallow and there was a serious risk of fouling something with the anchor. He did suggest that we might want to be awake each time the tide turned, and you know what it’s like at times like this, one part of your mind is happy that the anchor is totally secure while another part has a tape recorder playing a loop of what he had said.

That being the case I decided to sleep in the wheelhouse, and when the ebb started I was awake for a bit, but there was no excessive tidal effect even though we were on spring tides. Aha said I, he must have meant when the flood started, as when we had arrived we were two hours before high water, and perhaps the tidal effects were stronger when the flood tide started. Once again yours truly was awake, and the real peculiar thing is that there was no strong tidal effect, all the way through to our departure time of 30mins before high water.

Now I am no expert, but perhaps someone can explain how the flood tide one day can be flowing strongly and the next day not especially when the wind has been constantly from the same direction……………answers on a postcard please to……

After a good sleep last night we felt fully refreshed and ready to go out and explore the area, and have to say that it is simply lovely with many of the houses in the town having thatched roofs. Below are a few examples of these lovely properties.

We also learned not to give way – but rather to Yield !!

Our plan was to eat in the Silver Fox this evening, but couldn’t wait that long and instead we went in for the Sunday lunch menu. The venue was spotlessly clean and the food stunningly good, and it’s little wonder it is so highly rated. We read that the head chef of the Silver Fox was previously head chef on the QE2 for 12 years, therefore attention to detail will be second nature.

With the tide being out I also tried to capture the leading lights and the bar that runs out into the beach, but I couldn’t capture the scene in one shot. You can see in this photo that you wouldn’t want to be following the leading lights too far in a nightime approach!!

When looking out to sea we could see the safe water mark but not the green and red markers to aid crossing St Patricks Bridge. It turns out that these are only laid around this time of year, and today we saw them being prepared to be taken out. This made me doubly glad that I did not run through the inside gap yesterday, as I would have arrived with no markers to aid the crossing the bar shown in the photo!!

The following is a shot of the marina, which was again today really busy with about 12 boats taking out anglers. When they came back in I went round to speak to one of the skippers to find out why this area was so popular with sea anglers. Turns out that because of all the rocks around this area the fishing trawlers avoid an area of some five miles out to sea and fifteen miles parallel to the coast, therefore there are plenty of fish to be caught on rod and line. There is definitely a lesson to be learned if this is what can happen when trawlers don’t hoover up the sea bed.

We needed another early start this morning to catch the tide down to and around Carsnore Point, which is the most south eastern part of Ireland. Between it and Tuskar Rock the tides run strongly with some dire warnings in the pilot book should the weather be poor, and also when in a wind against tide situation.

When planning this leg there were various options, one was to go right outside Tuskar Rock and miss the worst effect of the tide. Another was to go the inside route sticking close to Carsnore Point. I finally settled on a compromise, in that I would go between the point and Tuskar Rock, assess the effect of the tide, and if all was OK at the Barrels cardinal marker I would then cut inshore and go over between the marker buoys at St Patricks Bridge (gravel bank with 2 metres depth at lowest tide) and into Kilmore Quay.

Consideration had also to be given to the fact that we are moving onto Spring Tides which means stronger curents, and the charts were showing some tidal rips in certain areas. The final part of the equation was that as we cleared the point we would have the full effect of any wind from the south creating a wind against tide situation.

We set off early in a light F1/2 southerly wind and when the sun came up it was a lovely sunny day and we spotted a few Porpoise on the way down which will always brightens up the day. Everything was going to plan as we approached the gap between Tuskar Rock Lighthouse and the Carsnore Point, and as you can see from this photo the seas were calm.

Just after I took this photo the full effects of the tide kicked in, and the sea state changed. The wind was now only F3 (as we had cleared the shelter of the point) but the effect was dramatic, we were whoosing through at 10.5kts over the ground, and into some sizeable waves. It was perfectly safe in Sun Dog, but I could visualise just how hellish this would be in strong winds, especially bearing in mind how light the winds were today, and the sea state created!

Approaching Barrel buoy I had the binoculars out to look inshore, and all I could see was white water everywhere, therefore with no local knowledge I applied my mate John’s philosophy…….”if in doubt, bottle out” . Therefore our course was now to go the long way, and loop around the Saltee Islands and into Kilmore Quay. This would add a few hours to the day, but it was without doubt the safest option.

Rounding the Great Saltee Island we passed a load of boats out with Sea Anglers and began our approach. There are a few unmarked rocks to be avoided in the approach, and the leading lights are noted on the chart at a very precise 7.8 degrees true! To be fair once the safe water mark is reached the leading marks are clearly visable and the only thing that required care was the force of the tide, as we had arrived after the turn of the tide. We were running/crabbing down the leading marks with the bow some 30 degress to starboard of the marks. The turn into the harbour is sharply to port with dire consequences if you overshoot as there are nice jaggy rocks and shallows all waiting to spoil your day 🙂

This harbour is my kind of place, as it has a good atmosphere. It is busy with small commercial fishing boats, and it also has a sizeable number of boats taking out sea anglers.

As we were pretty tired we took a cursory look around the town and found a Seafood Restaurant called Silver Fox which has a number of awards including one saying it is Irelands Best Seafood Restaurant…………..guess where we will be eating tomorrow night?

We left Dun Loaghaire around 0800 and once again the prevailing winds were on the nose. We timed our departure to catch the tide at Muglins and sail down the coast passing Wicklow Head which according to the pilot books has the strongest tides on the east coast of Ireland, and we certainly did get a lift of about 3kts for a time. We then passed Mizen Head and duly arrived at Arklow early in the afternoon.

We decided not to go into the actual marina, but instead took a berth on the long pontoon on the Avoca River. This pontoon is just past the entrance to the small marina, and as we passed we noticed a boom across the entrance. We have no idea why this was there, as there were plenty of boats berthed in the marina, so it wasn’t closed for maintenance.

We were puzzled so decided to go round and check out the facilities, and at the same time find out the reason for the boom. But these were locked with no explanation as to where we could get a key, nor indeed where visitors should pay!

Later in the day a grumpy individual came down to the boat and we paid our just and lawful dues – it can fairly be stated that this guy does not have a career ahead of him with either the Irish Tourist Board or the Diplomatic Corp!

One of the boats in the marina was a Hans Christian (which I think are lovely boats) and it was being worked on by the owner who it transpires had recently bought her in Southampton. We were having a good chat and he invited us down to view her, but as we still had to go and get some bits and pieces before the shops closed, we politely declined and said we might come down later.

The sun was so lovely and warm and it was good to stretch the legs and enjoy the rest of the day ashore. We found an American Diner type restuarant called Eddies Rocket which is part of the new Dunnes shopping centre and just up from the marina. I have to say that it was a really neat place with excellent food and service with reasonable prices considering the quality. On the tables and adding to the experience there were mini juke boxes where you could choose and play a track for 20 cents – a fun place to eat.

In the evening a chap we had met earlier in the day came down to the pontoon to have a look at Sun Dog and chatted away for an hour or so, and he proved to be really good company with some interesting tales to tell.

We left Malahide and went round to Dun Loaghaire passing Ireland’s Eye on our way around. We assume at some point in the past there was a full arch and thus the name?

There is an unusual access system in the marina as they scan your fingerprints when you are “booking in” and when you wish to gain access back into the marina from the town you put your finger on a scanner which then states your name and let’s you through the gate. Once we had been duly booked in and fingerprinted, we went around to pick up the anchor, and thankfully Ian at Viking Marine had been true to his word and kept it aside. This was all the more honourable as the prices had gone up and he could have sold this for a greater profit, so hats off to Viking Marine. The anchor fits reasonably well in the stemhead but will need tweaking or a new fitting sometime in the future – but it’s OK for now.

The refuelling pontoon is well away from all the berths and you have to liase with the office who then send a chap along in a boat. He has to carry a case with all the gubbins up the steel ladder and then lowers the fuel hose down to the pontoon. However, for some reason he has to keep his finger on the control all the way through the refuelling process. He was bit quick off the mark when I went to put fuel in the other tank, and this meant he had to stop one transaction and start another thus preparing two bills for the fuel. I can see this being a popular process in the height of the season in a marina with some 800 boats.

We were chatting to the office staff asking if they had full occupancy this year, and they explained that two years ago there was long waiting list for berths, but given the economic situation in Ireland, they have as they put it, ” a fair few berths available”.

Anyhow tomorrow we move on towards Arklow, and it has been suggested that we might not want to go into the actual marina, but rather consider taking a berth on the pontoons in the river. We will check this out when we arrive.

Given the conditions we decided to stay another day and went for look around the town, which I have to say is lovely as it has all individual shops and has not as yet been overtaken by the big multi nationals or supermarkets. We also bought an internet dongle so that we could get online and catch up on all our e-mails etc.

Tomorrow will be a short day as we are simply going around to Dun Laoghaire (dun leery) to pick up the new Rocna anchor, which has been set aside for me by Viking Marine.

In the morning we sorted out the pass key etc with the harbour authorities, called them for clearance to leave, and set off at around 0900 heading for Malahide Marina. The forecast was for F4/5 occassionally F6 later with the wind from the West and then going round to the North West, so it all seemed to be stacking up well. We exited Carlingford Lough and had a lovely but slow sail to begin with, but with the distance to go and the required arrival time to enter the shallow and narrow entry to Malahide Marina meant that we had to eventually get a bit of a move on so once again it was back to motorsailing.

After an hour or so, the winds started building up to around F4 as forecast but didn’t stop at F4, the wind kept building F5,F6,F7 until we were getting squalls with the winds hitting 39kts true. I thought we would get a bit of shelter and things would settle down when we reached the Skerries, but wholly shamolly the seas just kept getting bigger and bigger, and in the time I’ve owned Sun Dog, its the first time she has been out surfing – exciting would be one word to use!! There must be some kind of “local effect” in this area created by the islands of Rockabill and Lambay.

Given the conditions and size of the waves, I thought it would be prudent to radio Malahide Marina for some local knowledge, but they simply reiterated what was in the pilot book. This stated that whatever the depth was at the safe water marker, one subtracted two metres from this depth and this would give the depth over the bar in the entrance.

We circled around thinking we had missed the safe water marker in the waves and poor visibilty, but I was wanting in and as I had calculated the tidal heights in the traditional manner and was therefore confident there would be enough water under our keel. Going up the narrow channel which is clearly marked, I became aware of just how narrow this was and couldn’t help but hold my breath going over the bar (and re doing some mental arithmetic) – but all was well. We had been allocated a berth number when we called the marina earlier, and it was a nice touch when someone came down to take our lines. I mentioned to this particular staff member that we hadn’t been able to find the safe water marker, and he smiled and said that came as no surprise to him as he pointed to it up on the hard standing. It is apparently due to be positioned within the next few weeks !

The coffee Sara made once the boat was tied up tasted like nectar, as we hadn’t really had anything since breakfast and the conditions had not been conducive to boiling water/preparing food in the galley. It was a real shame, that on her birthday, the weather Gods couldn’t have been just a wee bit kinder -but if nothing else Sara now knows that Sun Dog can indeed take a sea.

This photo was taken the next day at around mid tide and looking out to sea.

This was (in our ownership) the first time we had to raise a courtesy flag on Sun Dog – so that was a really neat moment.

Another early start this morning as we left Ardglass at 0700 heading for our chosen destination, Warrenpoint. The weather was fantastic with a blue sky and sun shining, however the wind was on the nose again so it was up with the mainsail to steady the motion and we motorsailed all the way down to the entrance to Carlingford Lough, where the tides can run strongly both on the flood and the ebb. Sara took the wheel and took us in past the Haulbowline Lighthouse and up between all the lateral markers in the narrow channel.

As the tide was going to neaps the tide was not running so fast, but as you can see it did add a bit to our 6knots boat speed.

The day before we had phoned Warrenpoint Harbour (a must do) and arranged a berth on the visitors pontoon in the Town Quay, and they reiterated that we needed to call them on the radio before we reached starboard marker 23 to get the required clearance up the narrow channel to Town Quay.

Turns out this is full of commercial vessels, but it’s really neat being that it is in the centre of town. We had a good walk around the town and couldn’t decide on a suitable restaurant, so we took the easy option and simply got a Chinese takeaway to take back down to the boat and watch another episode of Lost. Now we know that most of the UK population have watched this particular TV programme but we never saw one single episode. So, for this trip, we bought a boxed set to watch on the laptop when we were in a lazy mood, or the weather was poor, and must say that we have enjoyed the first few episodes.

Our next port of call was Ardglass which is located just south of Strangford Lough and we had to get the tides right for going through Donaghadee Channel as this has a bit of a reputation for strong currents. So it was an early start at 0545 with the intention of being at the narrow channel at 0730 just at the turn of the tide. All of which worked out according to plan.

We had a good trip in ever improving conditions and I was really looking forward to sailing past South Rock Lightship the last remaining Lightship in Ireland, only to be disappointed when we approached its position, to find that it had been replaced by a marker buoy, not quite the same! When we altered course at this point our course had us in a sloppy beam sea which was not really a lot of fun.

Our approach into Ardglass meant we would have the seas behind us, pushing us into the harbour which in the pilot book looks tight, but in truth it is straightforward and a really interesting and I would say, quite unique harbour. There is still the commercial fishing docks with the marina further in the harbour past the second breakwater. We parked the boat up and went for a wander around the town which is delightful.

A couple of local guys asked where we were heading next and when I said probably Carlingford Lough Marina, their advice was to head further up the Lough to Warrenpoint which is apparently a mussel fishing harbour. The authorities have provided a visitors berth, so this might indeed be an option – who knows. As I type this entry Sara is busy cooking a meal and it smells delicious so I’d better shut this computer down and go do it justice.

Had to get up really early to check the winds had moved round to the west and the forecast was OK for us to set off to Ireland. Thankfully all was as forecast and we cast off at 0700 so that we would be off Sanda Island for 0900 as this would be when the tide turned and we would get the associated advantage. The decision as to whether we would go to Glenarm or Bangor would be made once we knew what the conditions were in the North Channel.

Sanda Island

The reality was that we had a really good trip and made good time down to Belfast Lough in F3/4 westerly winds with the sun shining – as Dell Boy would say….jubbly.

Upon arriving at the entrance to the Lough we decided against going to Bangor, but rather continue along the north bank of the Lough to Carrickfergus as this was a town we hadn’t visited before. The waters around the entrance to the marina and adjoining harbour would need consideration if you were sailing a deep draught boat in big seas/low spring tides.

The entrance to Carrickfergus has leading marks but they are a bit hard to see. However once spotted you simply follow these in and then turn sharplly to starboard to enter the marina. We had been told to take the hammerhead when we came into the marina so parking up the boat was pretty straightforward with the benefit of easy access to shoreside.

The town and area around the marina and Carrickfergus Castle

is relatively new and it all had a good feel to it, so we decided to stay another night. The marina gives your second night free of charge, so that was a wee bonus. Slight downside was that whilst the marina has a five anchor award and has a waste pump out station etc, it does not have any diesel facilities!

There is however diesel available in the harbour next to the marina, so it was about the shortest trip ever taken by Sun Dog. Out of the marina –into the adjoining harbour for diesel (expensive)– and then back into the marina that we had just left.