Roaringwater > Baltimore

Kilcoe Castle

We arrived in Cork on Saturday, and drove straight down to Baltimore. We have a house for the first week, at No 3 Castle End. The weather is settled with high pressure, warm and sunny. Con took us out for a rib ride on Sunday. We pottered around in the passage between Spanish Island and Ringaroga, where numerous seals were also enjoying the glorious weather. There’s not much water in this stretch and plenty of rocks so we had to keep a careful eye out. On the way back in, Laura helmed and came out through the gap planing at full throttle. Less of a wake when on the plane, and Laura likes the speed!

Tiernan launched Treo early on Monday morning, and Con and Mary offered to take us and our gear over to Roaringwater in their rib. This is a great help as it means we don’t have to ferry people and cars back and forth. We load all our boat gear plus deflated dinghy into the rib and head off. Laura is once again at the helm and we have to convince her to take it easy, as contrary to her, Mary does not like the speed! 

The weather is perfect, calm, sunny and hot. Con is at the helm now, and he slows down as we approach Jeremy Irons’ Kilcoe Castle. I ask if we can go in closer for a gawk, and he turns in between Manin Island and Manin Beg. We potter around a bit enjoying the spectacular views of the castle from the water. A few minutes later and we’re alongside Treo on her mooring. We drop off Laura and a bunch of the gear, then head for the pier where we will inflate the dinghy. It’s only about half-tide so we need to be extra careful going up the last stretch to the pier without going aground. We tie up and drag the dinghy over to a patch of grass and start pumping. Once she’s inflated we thank Con and Mary and row back down to Treo to find Laura stretched off in the cockpit sunbathing.

Roaringwater pier

We store our gear and get ready to head off towards Baltimore. There is no wind, but I optimistically unroll the jib just in case a breeze picks up out in the bay. We motor our way down, and as we pass the last line of mussel barrels, there is still not a breath of wind. The jib is hanging straight down from the forestay, limp, not flapping in the slightest. There isn’t a ripple on the surface of Roaringwater Bay, except for our wake. I have never seen it like this and I can’t imagine there are many times when it's like this. 

We'll have to motor the whole way to Baltimore, and we found in the past that a full tank lasts about an hour. I’m a bit worried about running out of petrol as a ferry bears down on us, or just as we try to pick up a mooring in Baltimore Harbour. So we stop for a minute at the entrance to the harbour and put a splash of petrol in the tank. Probably not completely in line with health and safety best practices…

We pick up Con’s easter mooring, but the buoy has somebody else’s name on it so we are unsure of having the right one. We drop it and pick up the middle white one, which we are certain belongs to him. A successful, if very unusual, start to the season!

1/07/2018

Rib ride with C, J-A, and D. Laura at the helm. Seal colony off Ringaroga. Full throttle back through Green's Channel. 

2/07/2018

REL

Roaringwater to Baltimore

Winds F4-5 in the AM, then F1-3 by late afternoon. Tiernan back from hols. Launched boat AM. 

Baltimore -> Roaringwater

Cape Ferry overtaking us off Sherkin

It's the last day of our holiday, and we agreed with Tiernan that we would bring Treo back to Roaringwater. We dinghy out to the boat, go through the checklists, and motor off the mooring. Then we hoist the staysail and the still double-reefed main and sail out towards the north entrance, or in this case, exit. The wind in the harbour is light, so we decide to shake out the second reef. I'm slightly worried about running out of fuel so I'd like to sail as much as possible. We have a full tank and about a litre in the jerry can but if the wind disappears we might need to motor a lot. I really should have refilled the can... 

Soon we are tacking up the sound, gaining on a small open boat ahead of us. Then to our amazement, a rib comes along and takes the small boat in tow. Cheaters! We grit our teeth and sail on. The wind was forecast to be NW, which would give perfect conditions for sailing to Cape. We’ve been to Cape twice this holiday (once by ferry and once on Inishbeg with Con) and to go a third time in our own boat would just be so perfect. I really want this to happen. But I haven't shared that thought with the others yet for fear of the reaction.

When we come alongside Sandy Island and the Catalogues, Laura wonders why we aren't turning towards Cunnamore and going back the way we came. I tell her there is not enough water in Goose Island Channel at this state of tide, and we'll have to go the long way around. That's a little white lie, because I'm still hoping to make Cape. But I'm also willing to turn around if it's too rough and the girls complain. The wind stays in the west as we beat up between Heir and Sherkin, so I settle for going around the outside of Heir. Continuing on to Cape would be too long and uncomfortable. Although the sea is smooth, there is still a moderate swell left over from yesterday’s strong winds. The Cape ferry approaches from behind and passes on the inside as we head towards Drowlaun Point on Sherkin, and her wake gives us a good shaking up. We had been hoping to see dolphins, as we had spotted a few around here from the Cape ferry the other day, but there are none around today. We even tried calling "Here dolphy, dolphy, dolphy!" but it didn't work.

It's taken us nearly two hours to get this far, and the girls are starting to complain. We decide to take a shortcut between Toorane and Bream rocks, which should knock a few miles off our journey. There's no risk (another little white lie) since there's not much wind and we're near slack tide so it should be fine. As we approach the passage we can see a fisherman in a small boat pulling up pots over on the western edge of the Toorane rocks. It's slightly comforting to know we're not alone out here. Since there is still a risk of strong currents flowing around and between the rocks, we start the engine and motor-sail through the gap. Shortly after passing through we spot a group of 4 or 5 seals swimming near the north side of the rocks. 

The next danger we need to keep an eye on is Anima Rock, lying half way between Heir Island and the Easter Calf. We try to make a heading which will take us west of Anima Rock, but we can't make headway that close to the wind and have to tack to avoid it. We keep in mind Con's tip that you're on a line through it when Jeremy Irons’s castle is visible between the Skeams. 

The wind is finally veering to the northwest, but too late for us to make for Cape, and it means we have to tack up between Heir and the easter Calf. I hesitate for a minute over taking a short-cut between Heir Island and the Skeams, but quickly decide that one big risk and two little white lies are enough for today, so we go outside the Skeams. The wind is now NNW and getting a bit gusty as we pass Horse Island, and Laura is not happy about the boat heeling over. I must remember to let out the main more when we start heeling. We head for Kilcoe Castle, and I tell Laura that we’ll drop the main when we get behind Manin Island, as it will be a bit more sheltered. 

Soon the lines of mussel farm barrels start appearing in the water. We grab the binoculars and try to identify a clear passage through. Finally we grab the iPad and look at the recording of the track we took on our way out, and decide to follow that in reverse. We drop the mainsail and start the engine, and motorsail up Roaringwater Bay, keeping between the lines of blue barrels. When we come alongside Lisheen Pier we turn to port and head for the moorings. I can’t identify our mooring buoy at first, but then manage to pick it out with the binoculars. We pick up the buoy, attach our mooring lines, and prepare to leave the boat. That means taking everything off, as Tiernan will be hauling her out. Con had offered to pick us up with his rib, but in the mean time he got sidetracked by somebody needing help with a pump, and he won't be able to come over. 

After several phone calls, Laura ferries Eileen ashore to be picked up by Julianna, who will take her back to Baltimore to get the car, in which she will return to pick us up. Laura rows back to the boat and we take all the stuff off and row back ashore. As we approach the pier, a fisherman's car and trailer full of lobster pots are blocking the slip. He comes over and gives us a hand to carry the dinghy past and get it up to the top of the slip. We start chatting, and it turns out that his sister was good friends with Eileen in school! 

We deflate the dinghy, but still can’t squeeze it in the boot of the car so we leave it sticking out. And we almost left without the oars. It's been a long day and we're all nearly starving at this point, so what a pleasure when we get home to discover that Danny has prepared a wonderful leg of lamb for dinner. 

Back on the mooring in Roaringwater

Looking back at the sailing we did this summer, several things stand out. When we picked up the boat three weeks ago, Tiernan had left the rolled up jib tied down on deck. There was bad weather forecast, and he wanted to reduce windage and the risk of it coming unfurled. When we left the boat the jib was still lashed down on deck. We never hoisted it. Does this boat have too much sail area? Does this area have too much wind? Probably a bit of both, but it's also related to the level of confidence of the crew. 

There is still a problem with chafe on the mooring lines, as tubing and webbing chafe-protectors continue to wear through. The boom crutch is a big success, if a bit rough and slightly too long to store easily below. Tiernan said he will make a new one over with winter, nicely finished and maybe a bit shorter. 

With respect to the crew, my ears got sunburnt so I need to get a good hat. Laura is afraid of the boat heeling too much and capsizing. Eileen is obsessed with hitting a rock and sinking. At the same time, we are slowly but surely pushing back the limits, getting more comfortable with the boat, and getting more familiar with the area. At least I am! We might not have done much sailing in terms of quantity, but I feel like we got some real quality time afloat, and that's the essential.

Logbook

Friday 29/07/2016

Baltimore towards Roaringwater

R, E, & L

Baro 1012.4 steady

Mostly cloudy, temp 18

Wind W veering NNW F2 gusting to F4 later

Baltimore -> Heir Island

Crowded beach on Heir Island!

The day turns out to be windier than forecast. I had been hoping that it might be calm enough to head for Cape, but that's not looking very likely. But we should be sheltered if we stay on the East side of Heir Island so we're still going. We row out to the boat and start preparing to leave, but Laura isn't keen to go. I try to reassure her that it will be more sheltered where we're heading. We raise the staysail, and I leave the engine running to appease the girls. 

Once we're in the middle of the harbour we raise the main. I want to sail a bit in the harbour first, knowing that we'll probably be motoring into a headwind all the way to Heir. We immediately take in a reef, but the wind is gusting strongly so we decide to take in another while we're at it. We bear away and sail a bit, but the boat is still heeling quite a bit and Laura isn't happy. Eileen is not too thrilled either, so we furl the main entirely and head out into the sound. 

We're motoring slowly against the wind and a bit of incoming tide. There are two open keelboats ahead of us, stubbornly short tacking up the narrow channel. They must either be racers or a sailing school, as no one else would be crazy enough to torture themselves like that! We keep back so as not to get in their way. And it's interesting to watch their heroic struggle against the elements. You really need to know where the rocks are to go to the edges of the channel like that. 

We identify the Catalogues and head for them. When the low hill at the east of Heir is at 300° we head across. There is a convenient house near that spot and we use it as a target to steer towards. When we get near the shore we head southwest, running down along the shore. This area is marked as an anchorage on the chart, but I'd like to get a bit closer to the beach. It's quite congested with many ribs anchored off the beach, but the stretch in front of us is clear. 

We furl the staysail, pull up the centre plate, prepare the anchor for deployment and head directly towards the beach. I'm at the bow with the anchor while Eileen and Laura are at the helm, advancing slowly and watching the depth sounder. When it gets to about 1.5 metres I drop the anchor, they shift the engine into neutral, and we start drifting back. There are a few boats moored near a pier behind us, so we'll need to keep an eye on them. We're also keeping an eye on the rocks on our port side, but the tide is rising and the rocks are covering quickly. The moored boats are directly behind us now, but are we still drifting back? There is a bit of wind coming down off the hills, a rising tide and swirling currents. All the boats near us are reacting differently. Sometimes we're closer to them, sometimes we're farther away. Eventually we give in and decide we're not dragging and get some lunch. 

After lunch we row ashore. We head for the corner of the beach, but as we get closer we discover a lot of scum at the water's edge and bit of a stink. We soon discover why, as there is a sewer outlet in this corner. So we paddle south a bit and come ashore near the middle of the beach, carrying the dinghy up above the high water mark. Next time we'll anchor on the south side and closer in. We could have easily come right up to the beach on the rising tide. 

Walking on Heir Island

We decide to walk over towards the pier, so we take the road off to the right. Over the hill we come to the famous restaurant and art gallery. We ate there once a few years ago, and we say to ourselves that we'll have to go again some time. The door to the art gallery is open, so we go in for a look. It's a bit unusual in that it's a "self service" art gallery. Paintings are hung around the walls of the rectangular room, and in the middle is a table with packing paper, scissors and tape. You choose your painting, wrap it up, and take it away. Once you get home you can either send your payment, or send the painting back if you change your mind!

There is an electric piano at the back of the gallery, and a young man is there playing. We'll have to get Laura to play something! She resists as usual, but once the others leave she gives in and plays a few pieces for us. Very pleasant to have a private concert in an art gallery on an island!

Eventually the proprietor/restauranteur/artist wanders in and joins the audience. When Laura has finished playing we chat a bit, and he tells us that things have calmed down a lot since the heady days of the Celtic Tiger when you had to book a year in advance to get a table in the restaurant. 

We wander off down towards the pier. The beach was crowded, but the rest of the island is peaceful and quiet. We stroll along, enjoying the views and sniffing the wild roses along the roadside. Soon we're at the pier, which is equally quiet. There are a few small open fishing boats moored near by, a few rusty old cars, and three elderly ladies sitting in a "bus shelter" waiting for the next ferry to the mainland. 

It's getting late and it's starting to cloud over so we decide to head back. The kids and sunbathers and ribs are all gone, but Boaty is still there, right where we left her! We row out, weigh anchor, and motor out of the little bay, hoisting the staysail as we head back towards Baltimore. The Cape ferry is approaching in the distance, but he takes the inside route between Sandy and Sherkin. We enter the Sound with a bit of wind from astern. Maybe we could put up a bit more sail? No, Laura is happy in a "slow boat". Other boats are overtaking us as we toddle along. A big old wooden sailboat passes by under genoa, with a friendly wave from the single-handed skipper. 

We're nearly in the harbour now but it's getting very late and we're all starting to get cold. At this rate it'll take us another half an hour to reach the mooring. I give up and start the engine. We motor across and catch the mooring buoy, tie up, stow the sails and tidy up. Another successful adventure! We retire to the Jolie Brise for a much-deserved pizza.

Anchored off Heir Island

Our holidays are nearly over, so that will be our last boat trip of the year. The next day we fly home, and I discover on Facebook that some outboards were stolen from Church Strand. Mary tells us that more than 10 engines were taken, but thankfully ours is still there. The boat won't be lifted out for another few days, and the bad weather is continuing. Tiernan put some more chafe-resistant mooring lines on and he's going to keep an eye on things in the mean time, but I'm not reassured by the callouts to the Lifeboat from inside Baltimore Harbour! Must stop looking at the Baltimore Lifeboat Facebook page, it's really not doing my nerves any good. Eventually the boat is lifted out and put safely ashore. Relief, at last I can stop worrying!

It's not easy to juggle the balancing act between family commitments, farming duties, non-boating activities, and my desire to spend a maximum amount of time sailing. Throw in some incredibly unpredictable weather and things get really complicated. But I think we were pretty close to getting it right. And I'm working hard on cultivating a laid-back West Cork "sure, no bother" attitude!

Logbook

Thursday, 30/07/2015

Baltimore to Heir Island

R, E, & L

7 miles. Late start, and after a calm morning the 8 gusting 12 forecast ends up 12 gusting 17, sunny but cool. Staysail and motoring.  Anchor off beach, row ashore. Return under staysail only.