Well it’s been alot of fun revisiting Ireland again. Its getting close to the time to move and head South towards Spain. We are now back in Kinsale, and spending our time fixing bits and pieces, checking the weather daily to see how it develops in the Bay of Biscay and generally getting nervous about the next leg!
But hey what the hell, here’s what we have been up to since the last time we posted…
We left you last time in Crookhaven, and we decided we had to pay one last visit to another favourite, Bantry Bay. This in the first big Lough (Loch) that you come to once you round the headland on the South West Corner of Ireland, the mighty Mizen Head. Its a fearsome one too, were the Atlantic ocean crashes in to Ireland and splits, one half of the current travelling up the South coast, and the other half heading North West. This can lead to some confused seas, and you have to get the tide right for a comfortable passage. The day we did it was actually rather nice. We had North Westerly winds, and with this wind going with the tide, the sea was relatively calm for these parts.
We surfed our way up Bantry Bay itself, with the wind on a broad reach, and the seas running straight up the bay. The weather was pretty murky though and as we got deeper in to bay the winds were fickle. Still it was a very nice sail, and we rolled in to the spectacular anchorage outside of Glengarriff that evening.
The rain descended! For two days it barely stopped. No wonder this place is so green, but we didn’t fancy braving the rain and the wind in the dinghy, so we played alot of Skibbo and stared out of the window at the murk. Our friends on Zora, Sam and Rosie were anchored just next to us. They didn’t do much either!
By Sunday afternoon, it started to brighten, and we all felt the need to get off the boat, stretch our legs, and go see the town. Its a one street wonder of a place, with plenty of pubs and restaurants and a local Spar for some very expensive essentials. The pubs were packed! Turns out it was the grand final of the Irish football league, so we found a table in the “Blue Loo”, ordered the usual Guinness and white wine (not in the same glass) and sat down to watch the footie. Being completely clueless about the game, it appeared to be a hybrid between football and rugby. Entertaining none the less, and we found ourselves getting in to the swing of things, unsure of which team to support though in case we offended the locals!
Dinner at another local and back to the boat ready for some better weather the next day.
We have been to Glengarriff before, and the thing that struck us last time was a spectacular forest walk that we found. So the next day, with the sky looking much bluer, we decided to take Caleb on the same walk we did about 3 years ago to explore Glengarriffs ‘temperate rainforest’. A short track outside the edge of the town takes you deep in to ancient woodland, where the air is thick with humidity, and all the trees are covered in a thick green moss.
The name Glengarriff is derived from the Irish Gleann Gairbh which translates as the rough or rugged glen. The setting of Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve is spectacular, with the woods nestled in the sheltered glen opening out into Glengarriff Harbour. Above the woods rise the Caha Mountains, with their dramatic layers of sheer rock.
We did several of the trails that day and walked about 10 miles around the glen. Here’s a taste of the scenery
We sat on this rock for lunch soaking up the views!
The woodland feels very ancient
And here’s some panorama’s we took after a very step climb to the top of Lady Bantry’s Lookout. You can see the anchorage where Azimuth and Zora were anchored
It was a memorable day!
We found a market still open on the way back to the boat and had some street food for tea. Ailsa disappeared for a bit and turned up with a stick of candyfloss that was arguably larger than her!
Finally before we bore you to death with Glengarriff, here are some pictures taken from the boat in the anchorage. We think it has a distinctly Caribbean feel to it? We will let you know hopefully later this year about that opinion!
We had one eye on the weather, you can see about 7 days in advance, and there was a glimmer of an opportunity for a crossing of the Bay of Biscay ahead. So we decided to head back towards Kinsale where we could sit and wait in comfort to see if it developed. Still time though to take in a couple of places on the way back. What turned out to be some glorious sailing too, mostly downwind for a change.
Leaving Bantry Bay behind, we rounded Mizen head again, whisked past the fastnet, and dropped the hook off Sherkin Island for a what turned out to be a rolly night at anchor.
One of those annoying nights where there is no wind, and only a slight swell on the sea surface, and your boat aligns itself at right angles to the swell and gets in to a ‘death roll’. Uncomfortable sleeping, but a first world problem at best when you look out the window at the view!
Another anchorage is never far away in these parts, so we moved about 2 miles round the corner just North of Baltimore and had a much more comfortable night. The groaning seals kept us entertained!
Our final stop on route to Kinsale was at Glandore for a must visit pub meal. The weather wasn’t the best, but the grub and Guinness were great and we played at sailing with the Saturday racing locals
So maybe you are wondering what the title of this blog entry actually means? Well according to Google (and I accept no responsibility for accuracy!) it means “farewell Ireland”.
We have to say another farewell to Caleb too. Its been a joy to have him onboard for so long sharing our journey. He is off to see his big brother in Belfast and will then wend his way back to Stirling via Nottingham to start his third year at Uni. Good luck Caleb!
Kinsale must have known something big was happening soon … last night they even put on fireworks for us in the anchorage!
We’ll see you all again soon, fingers crossed next time from Spain. Adios!