Sherkin > Cape Clear Island

Eileen helming as we pass the Gascanane Sound

We wake up to find our stern quite close to the rocks, and after a bit of deliberation I go to the bow and pull in a few meters of anchor rode which pulls us a few meters further away from the rocks . Laura has a ferry to catch, so we can’t doddle. We have a quick bite of breakfast and then Laura gets her things together and we hop in the dinghy and row over to the pier. She’s taking the 8 am ferry to Baltimore, from there she will catch the 10:30 am Baltimore to Cape ferry. By that time we should be well on our way to Cape (or Schull) and we’ll send her a progress report. We prepare to hoist the anchor and watch the ferry heading across the bay with our daughter aboard. A strange feeling!

We motor through the sound and around Sandy Island, past the Mealbeg south cardinal mark, between the Catalogues and Two Women's Rock. We plot a course for Drowlaun Point on the tip of Sherkin as I hoist the main and staysail. Soon a light breeze builds from the stern quarter and gently pushes us along. The wind is from the Northeast, which gives the flattest seas since the waves don't have a chance to build up, and there is hardly any swell as we approach the Gascanane Sound. This area has a fierce reputation, where wind against tide leads to treacherous conditions. The wind from astern also means there is no heeling. I couldn’t have wished for better conditions, and Eileen seems comfortable and at ease. The only thing I need to watch out for is when we reach South Harbour and turn to windward to bring down the sails. When sailing downwind it can be easy to underestimate the wind strength and be unpleasantly surprised when changing to a windward course.

The sea is a bit bumpier off South Harbour, but nothing dramatic and I take down the sails while Eileen motors around in circles. I put out fenders and fore and aft mooring lines for the first time! We’re ready to go in, so Eileen stays at the helm as we slowly approach the entrance. It’s quite a tight entrance, with visibility blocked on both sides by the steep cliffs to port and high quay walls to starboard. Eventually the view of the harbour opens up, but at the exact point where you need to make the sharp turn to port if you want to enter the inner basin. The inner basin offers a similar lack of visibility, where you can’t see what’s in there until you are in there. A few sailboat masts sticking up give clues, but you really can’t be sure of what you’ll get until it’s too late. 

I had seen drawings of the new pontoons, but hadn’t yet seen the real thing. I was hopeful that there would be room. Otherwise I thought we might be able to tie up to the top of the outer basin where it gets very shallow. Suddenly we could see the layout of the pontoons and the couple of yachts tied up. There was a large-ish space open at the very top near the (gangway). I asked Eileen to head straight for it, and to turn alongside at the last minute. 

A couple sitting out on the nearest yacht saw us approaching and the lady comes over to help us come alongside. I should have gone in to neutral sooner, and we have a bit too much way on. The lady on the pontoon helps fend us off, and takes our line. Thanks very much! We tie on our fore and aft lines and kill the engine. We did it!

Laura's ferry arriving in Cape

Laura’s ferry will be arriving soon, so we stroll over to the ferry berth and wait to welcome her to Cape! The weather is hot, and we are all dreaming of goat ice-cream. We head off up the steep road behind the shop. We ring the bell at the goat farm, and soon we are sitting in a shady patch of grass enjoying a well-earned ice-cream. We continue up the road and stop in at the church, which also offers a bit of much-appreciated shade and coolness. We decide the take the mass track across to the other side of the island, and then head down to South Harbour where the girls dip their feet in the water. There is a group of kayakers there, and one young girl picks up a big pink jellyfish off the beach and displays it to her friends. She definitely knows something about jellyfish that I don’t. We lounge around for a bit and then head back to the boat and get ready to go out for dinner. 

We head to Cotter’s pub where the dinner menu looks very good and they also have a big telly with the World Cup soccer match on. France is playing Belgium in a semifinal match, and we cheer on the French. It felt like French fans were in the majority in Jacob’s where we watched the quarter final match. But here there seem to be more Belgian fans. France wins, and I predict a France vs. England final, with France winning 4 - 0. We finish our dinner and drinks, but Laura is not impressed by the fact that they seem to be out of deserts. 

Treo alongside the pontoon in Cape Clear as night falls

We head back to the boat, where we enjoy apple pie and tea sitting out in the cockpit. Two apparently slightly drunk older gentlemen walk past along the pontoon and heap praise on Treo. Perfect size! Shallow draught! Traditional looking! Outboard in a well! I have to say they may be drunk but they have good taste in boats!

10/07/2018

F2-3

Warm and mostly sunny

R & E

Sherkin to Cape

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

Baltimore > Sherkin > Baltimore

Tying up to the pier on Sherkin

The plan for today is to sail around the bay a bit, stop in on Sherkin, and return to Baltimore. We prepare to set off, checking things off our list. I hank on the staysail, but then I can’t find the staysail sheets. I take it down again and put it back in its bag. We’ll go with the main and jib and I'll figure out the staysail later. We prepare the main with the intention of putting in the first reef but then end up putting in the second one too, and decide to just go with that. The first sail of the season can be like that sometimes, where things don’t come easily to hand, don’t seem to fit, or can’t be found at all! Human and machine both need time to get back into the groove.

The winds are light and we sail around the harbour a bit but I’m very conscious of not wanting to overdo things. The girls can quickly get bored of seemingly going around in circles in the harbour, while I'm loving every minute. Must keep the balance right. So we take in the sails and prepare to anchor in our usual spot off Sherkin. Once we are confident that our anchor is well dug in, we climb into the dinghy and row across to the pier. Tie up to the handrail, then climb the steps and up the hill to the Islander’s Rest where we take our usual table in the bar. The chowder is lovely, and washed down nicely with a pint. 

We head back to the boat and pull up the anchor. The wind has picked up and it’s a bit blustery now so we don’t bother hoisting the sails. We're all feeling a bit tired and lazy. We motor across to our mooring just west of the pontoon, stow everything and row back ashore. We can’t seem to pass the Jolie Brise without going in, the pull is just too strong. And it feels like a bit of a reward for having successfully sailed a small boat around a mildly windy harbour with lots of rocks, tidal currents, traffic, and other stuff that can ruin your day. We deserve it!

5/07/2018

REL, F1-3

Baltimore to Sherkin and back. Sunny and hot. Flat water.

Sherkin > Baltimore

Sherkin Island in the fog

The morning starts off foggy, the tide is high, and the wind has died down. The combination of tide and breeze is pushing us towards the shore, and the rocky ledge that juts out. But with a high and rising tide we have enough water below the rudder to stay a while longer. 

We have a leisurely breakfast, enjoying the views and watching the birds. Eileen finishes an apple, and is about to pitch the core over the side when I protest. She claims that it will either sink and be eaten by the crabs and fish, or float and be picked up by one of the large seagulls perched on the nearby rocks and keeping a close eye on us. I recount a recent study which found that food waste on the sea bed takes years to disappear, and the deeper the water the longer the stuff sits there. She is not convinced and chucks the apple core towards the seagulls. They barely even look at it and it floats off towards the rocks. Then the biggest of the gulls starts laughing tee-hee-hee, tee-hee-hee, tee-hee-hee...

We tidy up and get ready to head off. We plan to take Danny out for a sail around the harbour today, and we called ahead and agreed to pick him up off the pier in Baltimore. It is foggy with a bit of mist, but visibility is good enough to sail. This will be Danny’s first time out sailing on Treo, and we're not sure why it has taken so long to organise. I guess part of it is that we needed to gain some confidence in ourselves first. 

We motor across and come in towards the inner harbour with Laura at the helm. The two ferries are on the south pier but they are not showing any sign of leaving. There is a whale watching boat tied up to the north pier just above the steps. I ask Laura to go in and do a circle bringing us up alongside the whale botherer. We’ll raft up to him and bring Danny aboard. The whale boat is much bigger and higher than us, and the only tricky bit is making sure not to hit our bowsprit as we come alongside. I go forward and put out a couple of fenders. Laura is a bit stressed by the presence of the ferries and the possibility that they might start to move out, but they stay put and she does a near perfect manoeuvre to bring us alongside while Eileen and I fend off and tie up. 

Ferrying Danny out to the boat

Eileen isn’t sure about Danny going down the ladder to the whale boat and then climbing over to our boat, so she goes over to the steps in the dinghy and picks him up there. Soon we are all aboard and ready to go. Winds are light and we have a lovely time sailing around the harbour. Eventually a light rain starts falling and we decide to come in. We take down the sails and pick up our mooring. After a quick bit of tidying we dingy ashore. Another successful outing!

The next few days are wild and windy and our holiday is coming to an end. Early on the Friday morning, before heading to the airport, we make a quick run to Baltimore for a last look from the Rocket House. Treo is fine, but we notice a small motorboat nearby which is half-sunk on its mooring, the bow pointing skyward. I text Diarmuid as we head for Cork.

Tuesday, 25/07/2017

Sherkin to Baltimore

R, E, & L + D

Fog and light mist

Wind W, F1 gusting to F3

26/07/2017

Dinghy out, 5 gusting 6

27/07/2017

Pay for two more weeks mooring

28/07/2017

Last look from the Rocket House, small motorboat sunk, text Diarmuid

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

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

The Learning Curve

Summer holidays seem to have snuck up on us this year. We've been so busy between moving and work that we haven't had time to think of anything else. So even when we're sitting on the plane heading for Cork it still hasn't sunk in that we're on holidays. Of course the lack of sleep last night didn't help either. There was the usual 2AM packing in a panic, made worse in this case by the cockpit cushions I picked up over the winter. Hmm, one of these cushions fills half my large suitcase, so taking both is simply out of the question. We also have three sleeping bags, binoculars, VHF, iPad, computers, various boaty bits, wet weather gear. Oh, and some street clothes as well. Good thing I got extra baggage allowance.

Due to ongoing delays in getting planning for the dairy, Treo spent the winter at Whooley's Boatyard. Tiernan from Roeboats launched her on Thursday evening and put her on a mooring in Roaringwater Bay. The weather is not looking good for the weekend and Con will be needing his moorings until Monday, so I suggested to Tiernan that we bring her to Baltimore ourselves on Tuesday. I sense that he is quite busy at the moment and might appreciate not having to bring the boat over, and since our trips up the Ilen and over to Hier Island last year gave us some confidence with the north entrance to Baltimore Harbour, it feels like we are ready for this. The only slightly worrying thing is getting out past all those mussel farms.

Lisheen Pier

Our replacement dinghy showed up last September, and we haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Hope it floats! We unpack the dinghy, oars and pump, and load them into the car along with all the other boat stuff, plus food and extra clothes. Good thing we got upgraded to a bigger car... They gave us a Passat, which has an enormous boot. I suspect that there were loads of these diesel Volkswagens going cheap after the dieselgate scandal, and car hire companies snapped them up. 

We arrive at the pier, unload everything, and try to find a place to leave the car. We inflate the dinghy and carry it down to the water. Wasn't bad to inflate it with the foot pump after all, as long as you're not in too big of a hurry. It floats and doesn't seem to have any leaks, so we load it up with all our gear. I'm elected to row us and all the gear out to the boat, and it's a very long way! At last we get to the boat and transfer all the bags of stuff. Eileen and Laura are busy storing things below while I look things over, and prepare for sea. Last year I made a checklist for departure and found it to be a great help. Don't have to worry if you forgot something. Now I make a point of adding to and refining that list. 

Nearly ready to go. Just need to start the engine and then we can cast off. Kill cord, oil, fuel, breather cap, primer, choke, throttle, no lines in the water. Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check. Pull the start handle, and the engine starts on the second try but quits after a few seconds. Probably because it's been sitting all winter. Check the throttle position, try a bit less choke, and pull. Doesn't start. Pull a few more times but no good. Maybe it's flooded now? Let it rest for a minute or two as bad thoughts start creeping in. What if it doesn't start? Of course it will start! Why wouldn't it start!? Repeat the process with less throttle, same thing. Runs for a second and stalls. Look for fuel leaks or anything suspicious and try again. Nothing. Verify tank breather is open, but then open the filler cap completely just to be sure it's not an air lock problem. Same thing. Now the bad thoughts are getting louder and I can't block them out. Not only is there the terrible disappointment that we would have to deal with, but there are practical considerations too. What if we can't leave the boat here? Laura is starting to get uneasy and doesn't want to head off on a boat with an unreliable engine. Neither do I, but this engine has always been perfectly reliable and this just doesn't make sense. 

We started off from Creagh later than planned this morning, so now it's well past lunch time. We were going to eat our sandwiches on the way to Baltimore, but it seems like a good idea to eat them now. That will give us some time to calmly deal with the bad thoughts and come up with a Plan B. And who knows, maybe it is just flooded and will sort itself out. We eat our sandwiches while going over everything again. What could it be? It started on the second pull, then died after a few seconds. Has to be fuel related, but the tank is full. Blocked fuel filter? Bad fuel? Water in the tank? Strange because Tiernan brought the boat over a few days ago and would have said if the engine was acting up in any way. 

What about a Plan B? Can the boat stay on the mooring? If yes, then we could take the engine off and dinghy it ashore and put it in the boot of the car and take it to Diarmuid. Or maybe Diarmuid could come over in his rib? If it can't stay here then maybe Con could tow us to Baltimore?  Has to be fuel related. We won't be able to sail out of here with a west wind and those lines of barrels in the water. Not enough room to tack between them. Maybe I'll text Tiernan in case he has an idea. I describe the situation and he quickly replies, asking if we checked the kill cord and fuel tap. Of course we did, ten times! I carefully check the fuel tap again and realise that it is in the wrong position... I had been sure that left was for the external tank and right the internal tank, with "off" in the middle. Logical, right? Maybe so, but wrong!!! Oh crap, the middle setting is for the internal tank and right is "off"... Try again, and the engine starts right up and runs perfectly. Boy, talk about feeling stupid, a right thick eejit as they would say around here. But what a relief! 

We motor out towards the pier and then head southwest, directly into the wind and towards the start of the long parallel rows of floating barrels. We saw a boat going out earlier and try to head in the same general direction. Between the binoculars and Navionics on the iPad, we pick a corridor between two lines of barrels and head for open sea. My biggest fear is getting caught in a dead end and having to run between barrels and possibly pick up a rope in the prop. But so far so good. The sea gets choppier as we clear the mussel farms and pass between Mannin Island and Carraigbhiglas, but we keep on motoring into the headwind. 

Finally we can head south towards Goose Island channel, and I'm looking forward to getting the sails out. Before doing that I take a look around with the binoculars and spot a large flock of sailing dinghies just north of Heir Island. They seem to be racing so we decide to leave the engine on, and wait until we've threaded through them to hoist our own sails. Just as we approach the fleet, our engine quits. Panic! Do something quick! Are we out of fuel? A bit of headless chickening ensues. Laura reports that she has lost steerage, we are drifting on the tide. Thankfully the dinghies are clearing off in front of us. Eileen wants me to refuel quick. The tide is carrying us towards the rock-strewn gap between Heir Island and Cunnamore. I go for the jerry can and start to pour, but then change my mind. What if we’re not out of fuel and engine still doesn't start? Best to get some sail up. I go forward and hoist the staysail. Laura almost immediately reports that she has regained steerage. Whew! With things back under control, I add some fuel to the tank and give it a tug. It starts right away. We turn it off and sail the rest of the way to Baltimore. An eventful trip, and a good lesson in having sails ready to hoist when motoring. Should probably have prepared the anchor as well, just in case. We put our dinghy on the inner pontoon and text Diarmuid to say we'll come by tomorrow to pay. 

Yacht Inishbeg (right) in North Harbour, Cape Clear

Bastille Day brings news of a tragedy in Nice. It's been a bad year for France. The weather turns and it's bad for the rest of the week with rain and fog. Then our friends from France arrive, and they bring good weather with them! We take advantage and do lots of touristy things like Inishbeg Gardens, Knockomagh, ferry to Cape (and see a few dolphins on the way back), a bit of farming, Drombeg, kayaking at Rosscarbery, kite flying at Inchydoney, crabbing in Baltimore Harbour, and walking to the Beacon. 

Con is taking an American couple out for a half-day sailing on Inishbeg, and asks if we would all like to come along. They are hesitating between cruising up the Ilen River or looking for dolphins in Roaringwater Bay. Finally they choose dolphins. Nathaniel is given the helm at one point, and says his dream has come true! We stop off in Cape for coffee and I'm blown away by Con's incredible boat handling to get us into the inner harbour. We return to Baltimore passing through the Gascanane Sound and outside of Sherkin. Conditions are a bit tricky with the wind aft and a fair bit of swell, so we have to be careful of gybing. An exhilarating bit of sailing. The dolphins have been shy so far, but finally just before entering the harbour we see a few in the distance. A fabulous afternoon!

We accompany our friends for a little bit of their journey as they head farther west, going as far as Gougane Barra, where we have a lovely hike in the woods and finally leave them at Glengarriff.


Logbook

Tuesday, 12/07/2016

Roaringwater to Baltimore

R, E, & L

Baro 1016 rising slowly

Partly cloudy, dry

Wind F3 gusting to F5