Hot but little wind

The alarm went off at 04.20 and I was soon up.
The sun hadn't appeared and it was dead calm with a little bit of fog.

I was preparing to spring Eureka's bow off the marina when I remembered some wise words of George Butler "See what the boat wants to do and don't work against it".
The stern wanted to go before the bow so I revised my plan and sprang the stern out and reversed out instead.

I motored out of the ferry stowing the fenders and the lines as I went.
It was stunningly beautiful and peaceful with the only ripples in the water being caused by my wake. I was on my way.

I passed Roches Point at 05.57 and increased speed under power as it was still flat calm and it turned out it would remain that way for most of the day.

The sun appeared and burnt off the last of the fog as I was passing Ballycotton and by 09.00 I was off Youghal and listening to the Beach Boys on the radio.
Life was good and would have been perfect it we had some wind.

Two large dolphins passed me later but took no notice of me and kept going and soon after I saw a sun fish flopping around on the surface.

I had hoisted the main off Ballycotton but it did little except steady the boat a little but when I was just east of Dungarvan I had enough wind to sail on a beat into an easterly breeze.

My destination was Kilmore Quay but with the wind on my nose, my course taking me North East, on a course just east of Dunmore East which meant that I'd have to tack out around Hook Head to make Kilmore.
The wind was slowly increasing to 20 knots and I put reefs in the main and genny.

An hour and a half later I decided having had three hours of sailing into a lumpy sea and with the wind strengthening to change course for Dunmore East and go a bit further tomorrow.
I entered the harbour and rafted up to a ketch, the 'Ilen River' on the visitors pontoon at 17.25.

I couldn't find the rice so had bread with my curry for dinner before heading up the village where I found someplace to have a coffee and watch the remainder of the Ireland v. France under 20's rugby.
Despite a strong finish by Ireland, France won 26-24.

When i returned to Eureka I met 'Mel' the owner of the Barbary Ketch 'Ilen' inside me and guessed correctly from the name of the boat that he lived in Skibbereen.
We had a good chat and he told me he kept his boat in Union Hall and was on the way to Scotland.

Soon I felt my eyes begin to close and went down below to put my head down for the night.Read more