Baltimore > Sherkin

Sunset on our Sherkin Island anchorage

The weather has been so unbelievably good that I’ve been hoping we might make an overnight trip to Cape. I’ve been watching the forecast wind direction especially, because with a south-west or north-east wind we could sail across on one tack. Beating to windward for two or three hours to Cape is out of the question for the girls. I have to make this as easy and enjoyable as possible. It looks like things are coming together with a favourable forecast for Cape and back. But in order to make the falling tide out of Baltimore Harbour we will have to make an early start. That seems to be almost impossible, so I hatch a plan to sail across to Sherkin in the evening, anchor off and sleep aboard. Next morning we’ll be ready to get an early start no problem. 

Well, maybe one small problem in that Laura doesn’t want to go. I try to find out what is bothering her, if she afraid of capsizing or sinking or drowning or something? No, it's not that, she just doesn’t want to go. A grumpy teenager face that does not respond to logic. She’s fine taking the ferry across, but she doesn’t want to sail over. She doesn't like sailing. My plan is getting more and more complicated. I can't force her to come with us, so I propose that she sails with us across to Sherkin, spends the night onboard, and then takes the ferry back to Baltimore first thing in the morning where she will catch the Cape ferry and meet us in Cape. Unless the wind ends up being unfavourable for Cape and we end up heading for Schull instead. In which case we will text her and tell her to get the Cape to Schull ferry and meet us in Schull. What could possibly go wrong?

We head across to the lee of Sherkin and anchor off in our usual spot. There seem to be many jellyfish around this year. We see several of them from the boat. Won’t be swimming here… We cook up a pasta dinner, which for some reason always tastes ten times better than it should when cooked on board the boat, anchored in beautiful surroundings. We turn in early, and things start out so well. Calm, quiet, peaceful. Sleep comes quickly, but unfortunately doesn’t last very long. First there is the squeak. Where is it coming from? Ah, I think I found it. Lash the tiller a bit tighter and head back to the bunk. But then again maybe it wasn’t the tiller. There it is again. Getting louder. This scenario is repeated several times over the next few hours with various other bits of the boat being tightened, lashed, and snugged down. The one positive aspect of this is that there is a clear sky and the view of the stars is simply amazing. 

In the end I give up on the squeak, partly because I’m too tired to care anymore, and partly because there is something even more annoying which has taken over my attention. The current combination of wind and tide have set the boat rolling, wallowing back and forth. See-saw see-saw see-saw. Ugh. Sleep comes eventually, but is shortly interrupted by the alarm clock.

9/07/2018

F1-3

R, E, L

Baltimore to Sherkin