Hookers and up the Creek.

Good morning all. It’s 0630 on a beautiful  Sat.,July 16/16 Irish morning. Wakey Wakey teas on.  That’ really not what I said to inspire the crew to jump to and get underway. But close enough. It was a calm quiet morning with a hint of rain in the forcast. Sally dropped the mooring and we were on our way to Roundstone. Putt,Putt Putt. Then it was swiiishhh swiiishhhhh as the wind filed in and we were sailing.

Arrived at Roundstone at 1115 Just when and where we were supposed to due to my unerring navigational skills without hitting any of afore mentioned stones or any square ones for that matter. Motoring up into the harbour we passed a couple of nice beaches called strands in this part of the world but to enjoy them you need a ¾ in neoprene Hot water heated Dry suit. Have I mentioned water temperature? The only critters you see in the sea are little children. Even dogs don’t run in.

We pick up a mooring ball, make ourselves comfortable, launch the dinghy and head to shore for leave. Turned out to be a warm sunny afternoon shorts and t shirt weather. We’re going to suffer later I just knew it. Had a sticky bun, coffee Americano (it should be coffee Canadiene). Did a walk about to stretch the legs. Captured a couple of wiley geo caches, then had a pint, and people watched, back to the ship for sweet and sour. After dinner drinks in the cockpit and a Hooker came by. Then another one and another one and another one. It was a Galway Hookers convention! All black with red canvass. They all sailed onto the moorings made us feel like right amateurs it did. But a beautiful sight non the less.

Sun July 17/16. 0615 Same old same old get the tea on check the weather wake the crew get underway for InishBofin at 0715 have you noticed the trend here? Lots of Inishes. Anyway we’re away into lumpy seas, zippo visibility without the radar and wind on the nose. My nose has been taking a beating from all the wind on it but that’s another story. Lots and lots of Guillemots when we changed course off Slyne head and the seas settled down. A pretty boring trip really and then we arrived in the fog into the harbour. Found a mooring ball retrieved it, well the crew retrieved it I just controlled the boat from the safety of the cockpit. Made fast went ashore walk about had a pint returned to the boat and Sally and I went over to another island to Cromwell’s barracks.

Cromwells Barracks are in ruins now but when he was running around converting everyone it was built to hold all the Catholic clerics he could find before shipping them out to the Caribbean. We had the whole place to ourselves as Mark need time out. His decision not ours. We even managed to find a Cache there.

Monday July 18/16 Just for a change 0530 up and tea and underway at 0630 a long way to go today. 1400 we were able to shut the engine down and just sail. What a novel experience. We sailed around Erris head and into Broadhaven Bay where we latched on to a mooring ball. And settled in for the rest of the afternoon and night. Didn’t launch the dinghy.

Tuesday July 19/16. The usual. Wait, wait it wasn’t the usual Mark made the tea! I’m all a flutter my daily routine has been compromised! I got over it really quickly though! By 0730 we were underway to the bottom of  Donegal Bay. We motored along enjoying the Sunshine and heat and the wonderful scenery High Cliffs, Sea stacks birds Neolithic sites on top of the cliffs and when we arrived off the entrance to Sligo People on the beach and in the water! We headed up the river with the tide. Well marked channel once we figured out that the green and red poly balls were actually channel markers instead of fishing floats.  We were going to take a mooring out by Oyster island near the entrance but nothing there so we committed to going right up into the town. Even though only 1.5 meters of water at low. We eventually got up to the pontoon after a pucker moment when I saw 4 feet on the depth sounder! Must have been soft as we need 5.5 to float! Lots of boats so we rafted 3^rd out. John the harbour master came for a visit and then we went up to the downtown. Mark bought us dinner.