Having been diverted to London for a week, it was great to meet up with old friends and have an excuse for a meal and a chat. When I returned I was keen to get moving again. I quickly progressed along the coast from Cork, Kinsale, Glandore and Baltimore. That’s Baltimore, County Cork, not to be confused with the more famous American city of the same name. The winds were moderate but southwesterly requiring a lot of close hauled work. This means the sails are drawn in tight and the boat is on a constant lean. A couple of memorable instances were
- The passage between the Stags, an outcrop of rocky islets and the mainland;
- Moon rise over the entrance of Glandore bathing the islands of Adam and Eve in a silver stream.
- The open air concert at Baltimore that lulled me to sleep.
- The intricate passage through Long Island Bay to the Crookhaven.
The going gets tougher round to the West
I looked into the pretty harbour of Schull, in Long island bay but it is exposed to the south, where Met Eireann was forecasting strong southerly winds to blow. The islands in Long island are a great place and I can understand why this are is a favourite local cruising ground. I was in Crookhaven three nights waiting for the winds to abate before making the passage around Mizen head. The haven has a number of visitor buoys which I was able to pick up and secure against the come strong winds. Ashore there are two excellent pubs and a shop. The Mizen represents the furthest southerly point of Ireland and rounding it a key milestone. I learned later that a 50ft cruiser, with no one aboard, had torn her mooring and was wrecked in Crookhaven. A reminder of this is not a game for the faint hearted.
