Turn right at Erris Head

Time was running out for Brian. The plan was that Brenda, his wife, would collect him from Sligo town on the 24th and this was the 21st.
While Brenda was willing to delay, both Brian and I wanted to paint the Sligo pink if not red on our last night

I woke up at 01.00 and the wind had died. I thought for a few seconds about leaving and making run for it but the forecast said no.
By 07.00 the wind was back up but not quite as strong as yesterday.

After lunch I was passage planning and then we just settled down for the afternoon and waited for the wind to die down.

I had planned an overnight voyage to get north around Erris Head and then east to Killala Bay with the final leg up into Sligo on the 23rd.
We hoped to leave at 19.00 if conditions allowed.

We had our dinner and all was looking good and we left on time, motoring down Blacksod with the wind behind us.
I was a bit worried about the conditions what we’d find when we got out of the shelter of the bay.
We hoisted the main but in doing so Brian tore a muscle in his chest and was in pain anytime he moved.

At the mouth the seas were surprisingly calm but once in the open waters there was a good swell but the main helped to steady us.
The wind was right on the nose and didn’t suit sailing so we stayed inside the Inishkea Islands and other rocks which helped keep the swell down on the inside passage and motored north.

Off Eagle Island we were able to sail for a while on a reach until we off Broad Haven but the light wind and the swell wasn’t doing anything for the sails so we had to drop them and motor the rest of the way to Killala Bay where we picked up a visitor mooring just inside the entrance at 08.50.

Brian was feeling very uncomfortable anytime he moved and I was thinking of calling a doctor but luckily we had some pain killers onboard and eventually he fell asleep followed soon after by me.Read more