2015-07-14 Arthur's Coastal Cruise 2015 - Part 2

DAY 15 - Monday, 6th July, 2015

Guess who came to dinner? Neill Barnaby (Barge: Driftin), Marine Warranty Surveyor, and currently employed by Shannon Ferries on the Killimer-Tarbert Ferry service for the summer months.

Mary and Neill.

DAY 15 - Tuesday, 07th July, 2015

So, we have been stuck in Kilrush for a week since our passage from Limerick. Surely we could have moved on within the past 7 days? Well let me show you what it is like today, Tuesday 7th July. The screen-dump above shows the weather forecast for Brandon Bay...and the video below gives an idea what it was like INSIDE the Kilrush Marina! I used a hand-held anemometer to measure the wind speed.

The small hand-held Anemometer, with carrying case and 'instruction leaflet', which I purchased via Amazon several years ago. It comes in handy when attempting to identify wind levels. I paid £27.98 when I purchased it in January 2011... prices have reduced since then!

DAY 21 - Monday, 13th July, 2015

We have spent almost two weeks in Kilrush Marina. But now a 'window of opportunity' presents itself. Tomorrow, Tuesday 14th July, looks 'Good to go'! Our intended destination is Dingle but I have a niggling doubt re the latter few hours of the passage. A forecast of F4/F4 (Winds Force 4 with Gusts Force 4 - see forecast above) could easily become something stronger. And remember that the Windguru forecasts are issued SIX hours in advance, e.g. the above forecast was actually issued at 18:00 on Monday evening! So, we will play this one by ear. And Fenit is always there if the weather does blow up! And of course being based in Fenit for an overnight makes it possible to leave at any time in the morning...no lock to be negotiated, unlike Kilrush.

As it stands, we plan to depart Kilrush at the earliest possible time, i.e. 08:00 when the Scattery Island ferry departs. A straight run to Dingle will take approx. 8 hours. Thus our expected arrival would be circa 16:00 just when the forecast switches to F4/F4.

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Pat and Geraldine on Monday evening prior to our planned departure for Dingle.

Geoff, also on Monday evening, prepping for departure the following morning.

Monday evening, circa 21:30, Snow Mouse in her berth ready for departure in the morning.

"Arthur", with Cool Runnings alongside her, in their berths at Kilrush Marina.

Evening shot of Kilrush Marina.

Hope that it's as calm in the morning! Quite a difference from midday on Tuesday, 7th July!

DAY 22 - Tuesday, 14th July, 2015

07:52... an early start! Note the new addition inside the lock at Kilrush Marina...the floating jetty, with cleats, which enables boats to more easily be secured in the lock.. Also, out of view, is a control console which it is anticipated will enable crews to control the lock gates. Neat!

Snow Mouse on the Shannon Estuary, Kilrush in the background.

Kilrush in the background with Snow Mouse (foreground) and Cool Runnings heading down the Shannon Estuary.

Geoff helming from up top on Snow Mouse.

Cool Runnings with Kilrush in the background.

08:42...Arklow Meadow, a general cargo ship built in 2010. 137m x 21m. Draft 8.48m. Gross Tonnage: 9758 t. And no, we weren't that close. I cropped the original image.

Circa 09:39.04... Cool Runnings on the Shannon Estuary. Note that I have shown the time in HH:MM.ss format. The next photo was taken two seconds later.

Circa 09:39.06... Cool Runnings on the Shannon Estuary. Note that I have shown the time in HH:MM.ss format. The previous photo was taken two seconds earlier. Switching backwards and forwards between the two photos you can get an idea of the motion of the boat in the water. The sea state is a gentle F3/F3.

Circa 09:40... Cool Runnings (left) and Snow Mouse (right) cruising towards Kerry Head.

Circa 09:49... Cool Runnings with Loop Head in the distance.

circa 11:17... we have made the decision to detour to Fenit and overnight there before continuing to Dingle in the morning. I did some considerable thinking as we rounded Kerry Head. The passage had been very smooth up to that point and my heart was saying to continue onto Dingle but my head was cautioning otherwise.

circa 11:18... we left Kilrush circa 3 and a half hours ago. Fenit here we come.

circa 12:00...Mary with paper charts at her fingertips. We always use paper charts in addition to our chartplotter.

12:03...we pass Little Samphire Island and lighthouse as we approach the entrance to Fenit Harbour. It has been a few years since we visited Fenit. In recent years we have developed a habit of doing Kilrush-Dingle in a single passage. A long passage...but it gets you there in one day! Still, it's nice to be back in Fenit.

12:28...three happy mates! Safely berthed in Fenit after a smooth passage from Kilrush.

A thumbs up from Pat who has just completed his first coastal passage.

We visited 'RCC Suirbheir', one of two high speed Cutters operated by the Revenue's Customs Service, which was temporarily berthed in Fenit Marina. Built in Finland in 2009 and operated by a crew of six they are 23 meter Cutters. Capable of 25 knots, they are equipped with an array of surveillance systems and use a 38-knot RIB to provide rapid response to board vessels at sea.

Mary, alongside RCC Suirbheir, is holding a PhotoBook of Arthur's Coastal Cruise 2014 which features one of my favourite photos...a shot of RCC Faire as she powered past us towards Valentia as we headed for Bantry Bay. So, we wondered if it was Faire that was in Fenit on this occasion and then discovered otherwise. Photo of RCC Faire, from 2014, re-produced below.

RCC Faire ... 19th July 2014...between Dursey Head and Valentia Island. This is one of my favourite photos.

The crews of Arthur and Cool Runnings enjoying a dinner in the West End restaurant in Fenit after a nice passage from Kilrush.

With the proprietor, Mr O'Keeffe, after a lovely meal.

DAY 23 - Wednesday, 15th July, 2015

Well, well, well. Look what happened in the latter half of Tuesday. Note how the wind and gust levels rose. Wind to F4 and gusts to F5. We did well to detour to Fenit instead of continuing on to Dingle. This was subsequently confirmed by a sailor who took his yacht from Fenit to Dingle on Tuesday. He encountered rough weather as he made his way through the Blasket Sound and then onto Dingle. And like us, the earlier part of his passage was quite smooth!

Anyway, we made it to Fenit and now have a passage to Dingle in what looks like much more favourable weather. Wind and Gust are both showing F3...and the wave height is lower....less than a metre... :-)

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circa 07:50 A panorama of Tralee Bay as viewed from Fenit Harbour. Samphire Island and lighthouse in distance. Samphire is a little green vegetable which is sometimes referred to as 'Asparagus of the Sea'! A lovely treat when lightly boiled (or steamed) and then tossed in a little butter or a hollandaise sauce or similar.

It's circa 07:55 and all three boats and crews are getting ready to depart Fenit bound for Dingle.

circa 08:10... and we have departed Fenit. Tralee Bay looks calm. And the sun is belting down from a mostly clear blue sky.

Samphire Island and Lighthouse ahead as we make our way through Tralee Bay.

Cool Runnings and Snow Mouse departing Fenit.

circa 08:55 and Magharee Sound lies straight ahead. However the sea state has become less settled than when we initially departed Fenit although the above picture doesn't quite show the rollers that we started to encounter at this point in our passage. Perhaps a bit of 'wind against tide'. We departed Kilrush approx. three hours after high tide.