Baltimore > Sherkin

Mad windsurfer in action

Over the next week the weather alternates between very windy and very very windy. With some heavy rain showers thrown in as well. Con gave me a lift out to the boat on Thursday so that I could put the boom crutch back in place. I had noticed from the pier that it had fallen into the cockpit from all the shaking it was getting. I'll have to tie the legs back from now on to make sure it doesn't come adrift. The forecast for the following day showed gusting to F8, so I double check that the hatches are well battened down. On the Saturday after the blow I row out and everything is OK except for a small porta-potty leak. It must have been bumpy out there during the night!

The forecast for the beginning of the week looked much better so we plan on an easy trip across to Sherkin on Monday afternoon, staying overnight and coming back to Baltimore on the Tuesday. The wind hasn't yet died down as forecast, so it ends up being much windier than expected. I suggest to the girls that we just motor over to the lee of Sherkin and anchor off. Thankfully they agree to that, rather than wanting to call it off, and we head across and anchor north of the pontoon. As we approach Sherkin we get buzzed by a couple of mad windsurfers who are zipping back and forth across the harbour at breakneck speeds.

As hoped for, there is good shelter in the lee of the island and we lounge a bit in the cockpit.  I take the dinghy and paddle around a bit, investigating the rocks astern and exploring a short stretch of this jagged coastline. As evening sets in we get ready to go ashore for dinner. 

Dusk setting in on Sherkin Island

We dinghy over to the pier and walk up the hill to the Islander’s Rest. We take our usual table in the bar and treat ourselves to a well-deserved dinner, a drink, and some Wifi. Laura doesn’t finish her pizza, so we get a doggy bag and take the leftovers away with us. We must look like some kind of weird pizza delivery service as we dinghy back to the boat carrying a pizza box…

Thursday, 20/07/2017

Get a lift out to the boat from Con on his rib. Fix up the boom crutch which had fallen into the cockpit. Check mooring lines and prepare for a blow (forecast for Friday). 

Saturday, 22/07/2017

Row out after a wet and windy night (forecast had gusting to F8). All OK, except for a small portapotty leak. Pay for mooring. 

Monday, 24/07/2017

Baltimore to Sherkin

R, E, & L

Baro 1025 rising

Partly cloudy

Wind NW to W, F4 gusting to F6