XC weather and Magic Seaweed et al were all predicting 5-10knt winds from the south west (hence on the nose) for our 70 mile “sail” down to the Cork area. The local coastal forecast upped this a bit to F3-5 but dying later in the afternoon. This then was the first day for 2 weeks when the wind wasn’t to get to 25knts!
We left Waterford at 6am Thursday to get a reasonable tide down the river but it was in a downpour which then relented a bit to resemble the fine spray you get from a garden hosepipe. By the time we got to the bottom of the river (2 hours later) the rain stopped and the wind got up to 10knts from the north west allowing us to sail for the first time in two weeks. We needn’t have panicked as it soon went on the nose and decreased to 5 knts. Given the distance we had to travel it was time to put the engine on and motor into the very gentle chop and the 1 metre residue of the swell from the previous 2 weeks of gales.
By 1pm the wind started building and soon was up to 15knts on the nose. We passed John and Sue on Ellan Vannan going the opposite way (from Crosshaven to Kilmore Quay and then back home to Scotland). We passed about 2 boat lengths apart – that was good planning to be on their reciprocal course. Unfortunately they told us the wind had been 20-25knts where they had come from and that’s what we got. The last 5 hours of the trip was an ordeal of beating into a lively 2 metre chop – motor sailing – with an adverse tide.
Although this part of the trip was truly appalling, we did have the honour of nearly sailing through the Round the World Clipper fleet coming the other way. Pam insisted we tack so as to not get caught up in the middle of them.
The picture above was one of the few I took – surprising it was in focus as when I took it, it was like riding on one of those mechanical bulls – you know the ones you can only hold on with one hand and get thrown of in 10 seconds. The sea state was quite bad for someone beating into it, although the picture doesn’t do it justice.
I called Glasgow clipper on the vhf and gave them our best wishes and to say hello to Gordon. Not too sure it was appreciated although Gordon had said it would be good. It will be interesting to see if he got the message. Great to see the fleet of ten boats all together but the spinnakers were a bit disappointing!
We finally got into Cork harbour around 7pm and picked our way through the various sailing fleets racing round the channel markers. We ended up at the Royal Cork marina and tied up – and made a bee-line for the bar and two pints of Guinness. Pam is definitely off the wine now.
Today Friday, the forecast was for a depression to move north and bring F7-8 winds possible increasing to severe gale F9. All I can say is that we are having these constant reminders why we are going to Portugal. It is now early evening. The wind is F8. The rain is horizontal. 3 guys are in their 2nd hour of rescuing a rather expensive looking racing boat which has dragged its moorings into an equally expensive Niad. I think it got it’s mooring line wrapped around it’s keel, ended broadside on to the wind and 3knts of tide in the river and nothing was going to hold that.
Crosshaven doesn’t look like a bad place. I’ll give a bit more info in the next post.
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