29th May 2016 - Day 15 - Tobermory, Mull to Cragaig bay, island of Ulva (anchorage)

With the settled weather we all agreed now was the time to visit the west side of Mull. If the weather turns and we start getting strong south westerly winds it may not be possible. So we left at lunchtime straight into strong north westerly winds and battled up the channel between Mull and Ardtornish point.

Passing the island of Coll and then the Treshnish islands including Lunga we rounded the coast and headed for Gometra and then onto Ulva.

Our first glimpse of Staffa

Found the Cragaig bay anchorage and navigated the tricky rocks to find suitable depth (the chart plotter is worth every penny in these situations). The wind had finally caught up with us and now it was gusting up to 23 knots. We briefly considered running for cover but then decided to brave it out. The nights are so short that if we had to move in the night, because of worsening conditions, it wouldn't have been in complete darkness.

Other boats in the Cragaig bay, Ulva anchorage

With trip line on the anchor we dug it into the soft mud and set the anchor alarm.

The anchorage was windy but at 11pm the wind dropped off and sea went flat calm, so we had a peaceful night and awoke to the sound of a cuckoo and a common tern sitting on the dinghy squawking at the other birds.

Sunset in Cragaig Bay, Ulva looking out towards the Ross of Mull

Another boat in the anchorage at sunset

28th May 2016 - Day 14 - Puilladobhrain, North Seil to Tobermory, Mull

Another windless morning so we went for a walk and found the 'Bridge over the Atlantic' - a stone bridge built in 1792 that joins the Island of Seil to the mainland. Coach loads of people troop down from Oban to see it and they all say - is that it?

Back to the boat and set a course for the Sound of Mull. Battled with some ferries and some other boats in the entrance and caught up with Chris & Tess on Monterey, existing Loch Aline.

We motored close to some of our old diving sites and watched the divers kitting up to dive the wrecks of the Rondo and the Hispania, feeling all nostalgic.

Onto Tobermory and tied to a mooring buoy in the harbour. Later we moved to a pontoon to get some well needed shore power. 

Out for dinner with Chris & Tess and another dram or two before a little impromptu boat party and falling into bed exhausted.

27th May 2016 - Day 13 - Ardfern Yacht Centre, Loch Craignish to Puilladobhrain, North Seil

We stayed a couple of nights in Ardfern Marina and then left at lunch time again (these afternoon tides are great) and made our way down Loch Craignish to the dreaded Dorus Mor and Gulf of Corryvreckan, The Atlantic rushes in between the islands of Jura and Scarba creating giant whirlpools over rocks, so it was certainly an area to respect. But the conditions today are near on perfect - flat calm, outgoing tide or as near to slack water as we could make it and no wind.

It was easy and apart from a couple of rocks to watch out for we easily travelled through the area. The lighthouses at the far end of the Sound of Luing had some interesting currents and in the calm water we could see all the patterns the tidal flows were creating,

Rounded Luing and onto Seil Island. Mull was looking spectacular in the sun and still no wind to assist us.

Found the anchorage easily and parked up between to other boats in 5 meters of depth in sticky mud which wasn't apparent until the next morning when we found it had coated the anchor and acted like a suction pad all night. A very secure anchorage.

Check out the glassy conditions

 

25th May 2016 - Day 12 - Tayvallich, Loch Sween, mainland to Ardfern Yacht Centre, Loch Craignish

Left at lunchtime after a walk and tea & cake in the local coffee shop. The village operates an honesty box for the visitor moorings, so we paid our dues and left with the tide pulling us down the Loch.

Rounded the islands at the bottom of the Loch and caught the tide racing up the Jura Sound. It was adding 2 knots to our speed, which was lucky because the wind seems to be taking another holiday today.

The sea was flat calm again, something the coast guard likes to call 'smooth' in his weather reports. The whirpools were visible and the odd dolphin and seal were far too busy making their way against the current to come over to play.

Up near Loch Craignish and the sea resembled the Bristol channel, whirlpools and races were evident around the dreaded Corryvreckan sound and Dorus Mor. We gave them a wide berth but had a fright when the depth gauge went from reading 125 meters to 2.9 in the space of 10 feet.

The only explanations we could up with - either something very large swam under the boat or the gauge was totally befaddled by the depth of water.

Into the safety of the loch and up to the picturesque marina.

Horray finally interweb and patchy mobile signal.

24th May 2016 - Day 11 - Craighouse, Jura to Tayvallich, Loch Sween, Mainland

Details and photos to follow

23rd May 2016 - Day 10 - Port Ellen, Islay to Craighouse, Jura

Details and photos to follow

20th May 2016 - Day 9 - Glenarm to Port Ellen, Islay

Details and photos to follow

19th May 2016 - Day 8 - Bangor to Glenarm

Details and photos to follow

16th May 2016 - Day 7 - Ardglass to Bangor

Details and photos to follow

15th May 2016 - Day 6 - Port Oriel to Ardglass

The tide flow runs up the coast for a number of hours from south to north looking for a way out to the Atlantic and then floods back in again travelling southwards. We were timing our departures so that the tide gave us a lift and helped us along the coast rather than battling against it. So we left Port Oriel at 12 midday ready to catch a lift northwards.

As soon as we were outside the harbour the wind picked up and it was clear that Monterey was in fighting/racing mood. Afterall Ty Mor had already won several races (to Dale, to Arklow, to Dun Laoghaire and to Port Oriel), even though they were calling the cheating card, we let them slip in front of us and watched them pick up speed.

We had some 10-15 knots winds hitting our sails from the north so the wind and the tide helped us today getting up to 8 knots at times. A little closer to Ardglass and the wind dropped and once again we were motoring. Into the quaint little marina with its tricky entrance and its port hand marker buoys coloured yellow, not red.

We parked in the first spot we came to and were met by an old man bearing access and wifi codes. Bet that didn't happen 10 years ago.

Another meal on board tonight and a quick pilotage plan for tomorrow before falling into bed again exhausted.

14th May 2016 - Day 5 - Malahide to Port Oriel

Left Malahide at 3:30pm. We had to wait for the tide to fill the channel and even then we only had 30cm under our keel, The winds were very light and variable so we motored all the way to Port Oriel which was along a pleasant part of the coastline with Lambay Island and the Skerries to round.

When we got there the harbour was full of fishing trawlers but there was a space against the ladder for us. Monterey suggested we tied to it and they rafted against us, that's so that we could get covered in smelly fish juice, not them :)

The harbour had several seals swimming around waiting for the fishing boats to unload and swam straight up to us looking for food, unlucky, no fish aboard!

Drank some wine on Monterey, ate some food and then fell into bed. Mark stayed up most of the night worried we were going to be dangling off the harbour wall at 1 am (low tide), but the mathematician had already done her trigonometry calcs and had calculated we had enough rope out so that didn't happen but Mark fell asleep worrying about it anyway.

  

13th May 2016 - Day 4 - Dun Laoghaire to Malahide

Monterey were planning to get to Malahide by 1430 today so we opted to do the same. We left at low water after filling up with diesel, and were determined to sail all the way today.

The sea was quieter but the winds, even though the same strength (up to 22 kts at times), were still in the same northerly direction. We set sails, turned the engine off, skimmed the edge of the shipping lanes and headed for the north hand edge of the sand banks.

We rounded the headland and the Eye of Ireland, passing Howth marina and headed into the bay, but we we were miles too early so had to head back out to sea to kill some time. The entrance to Malahide marina is very shallow and can only be entered 2-3 hours either side of high water. Monterey joined us at the entrance of the river and we traveled down the channel together. Interesting to have people standing on the beach only a few yards from the boat in the channel and breaking waves between us and them.

The marina was tricky with the high winds and the tide still running at a knot in the opposite direction and it took us a couple of attempts to get tidied up.

Quick dinner on board then into town for a Guiness.

Video to follow  

12th May 2016 - Day 3 - Arklow to Dun Laoghaire

Left Arklow at 1030, out of the river and straight into a pretty choppy sea. We were determined to spent most of the day sailing rather than motor sailing, but the wind and sea had other ideas.

The tide was with us so we were able to cover quite a bit of land but the wind was on the nose again so after a couple of tacks backwards and forwards inside the sand banks it was back to the engine to assist us forward rather than travelling side to side with only the tide pulling us north.

We heard from Monterey - they didn't want another day of battling the sea so opted for the closer marina of Greystones. We battled onwards and made Dublin bay by mid afternoon. Into Dun Laoghaire harbour and into the marina by 1630.

A great marina where the shower block was floating in the middle of the marina in a barge (interesting!), The local boats were all heading out for an evening race and the marina emptied around us.

Video to be added when I have finished editing it

11th May 2016 - Day 2 - Dale to Arklow

Up at 0430 so that we could leave at first light. No lights from the other boat, so we had a cup of tea and then saw movement. Anchors away at 0500 and headed out of the Haven.

Set a course between Skokholm and Skomer, then rounded the end of Skomer and set a heading straight for Arklow. Unfortunately we missed seeing all the islands due to the limited visibility.

Unfortunately, the fog was thick once again and we quickly lost sight of Monterey, but we could see her on the radar and once we had heard (fog horn) and passed The Smalls we caught her up.

Chris and Tess had adopted a little bird and we watched as it travelled backwards and forwards between our 2 boats.

The fog lifted and the wind came up so both boats set sail. Unfortunately the wind was northerley so we were heading straight into it. The sea became rougher and for quite a few hours Ty Mor pounded through the waves rather than over them.

After nearly 14 hours we made landfall and entered the river at Arklow just in time to see all the club boats heading out for a race. The entrance is narrow and the sea turned peaty brown as the river empties it load at the harbour entrance. The long pontoon in the river is a good mooring for the night and we were met by the harbour master who helped tie us up and gave us information about the town.

Lovely town Arklow, superb food in Christys pub. Pontoon is just a few steps away from an Aldi and shopping centre.

Video to be added

10th May 2016 - Day 1 - Swansea to Dale, Milford Haven

Caught the 0800 Tawe Lock lock out with Monterey (Chris & Tess's boat who had sailed down from Portishead the previous evening and were joining us for the crossing to Ireland).

Motored out into the bay straight into thick thick fog, visibility was reduced to less than 30 meters in places so out came the fog horn and the radar. One scary moment as another yacht motored between Monterey and us and all we saw was the very tip of his mast. We were only a couple of hundred yards from Monterey.

The fog stayed with us most of the day and only lifted as we were entering Milford Haven 50 miles further on.

Sea state was flat calm, even glass like in places, no wind but we did see several pods of porpoises.

Anchored in Dale and picked up Karen & Howard from the pub pontoon by dinghy, in thick fog and failing light.
(Video to be added - watch this space!)