2015-07-30 Arthur's Coastal Cruise 2015 - Part 5

15:29... The entrance to Dingle Harbour. Wind has picked up a little. Now blowing F4.

15:37... Arthur arrives in Dingle Harbour which, as usual, is bustling with activity on the water...cruisers and yachts, coming and going, and Dolphin discovery boats packed with tourists busily scanning the water for signs of Funghi!

15:42...Looking back at the entrance to Dingle Harbour from Dingle Bay.

15:45... just over seven hours since we departed Lawrence Cove and we are arriving in Dingle Harbour. That's a seven hour trip which previously has taken us up to eight hours to complete when going via Dursey Head. Food for thought!

DAY 39 - Friday, 31st July, 2015

circa 11:10... Peter Regan (left), Dingle Marina Superintendent, with assistant Roland.

Faire, one of two Revenue Customs Cutter vessels which operate on the South-west coast.

Faire, one of two Revenue Customs Cutter vessels.

A memory from the past...19th July 2014... Faire passing Arthur north of Dursey Head.

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DAY 42 - Monday, 3rd August, 2015

Windguru forecast for Ventry (adjacent to Dingle) for week beginning Monday, 3rd August! Delighted to be tucked up on the innermost berth at Dingle Marina. But look at the wind and gusts, especially for today (Monday)!!!

And today we are expecting visitors of the V.I.P variety... my wife, Mary, and her sister Nora. From the time that I first acquired Arthur, nay, even before that, my family disdained any interest in boating. But Mary does enjoy visiting locations where Arthur is temporarily berthed/moored and will stay for a couple of days enjoying the locality and doing day trips and evening meals.

And both she and Nora have a particular affinity for Dingle. Nora was a huge fan of Paidi O'Se and on the occasion of their visit when Arthur was in Dingle in 2014 we visited Paidi's pub in Ventry. Nora was almost floored when himself appeared and agreed to be photographed with her.

So, this time they were visiting for a couple of days, arriving today. The plan was for two dinners, one on-board Arthur and the other in one of the local restaurants.

With my thinking cap half-askew I decided that we would eat on Arthur on the Monday night given that local restaurants would be full because of the Bank Holiday weekend and that we would be more easily able to book a restaurant for the Tuesday night!

And to boot, Mary H makes a wonderful Beef Wellington which Nora particularly enjoys.

So, with my eye off the ball we made the arrangements and the girls duly arrived for dinner on Arthur on the Monday evening! How could I have got it so wrong.... Arthur was pitching in all directions as you would expect in F8 gusting F10...

Plates, glasses and cutlery rolled all over the table! But we survived and Mary H's Beef Welly was delicious. And a most curious thing about that evening...I didn't shoot even a single photo. I guess the weather really was a distraction!

Of course, I should have switched the arrangements...eaten out on Monday and onboard on Tuesday. Paul, with his eye off the ball!

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DAY 43 - Tuesday, 4th August, 2015

The morning after the night before! The four of us head to Ventry and a tour of the Dingle Peninsula. Here is Nora at the Paidi O'Se Memorial in Ventry.

Nora, Mary H and Mary S with Dingle Bay behind them. Note the 'white horses' in the background!

circa 12:00...we stop off to see the Beehive Huts!

Dingle Bay as viewed from the Beehive Huts.

Another view of Dingle Bay from the Beehive Huts.

A panorama of Dingle Bay as shot from The Beehive Huts. This is a single image...the bar at centre of photo is actually a telegraph pole!

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I just took the photo because the seagull was so close and stood its ground as I got out of the car!

Not sure if they are related!

circa 14:30... At the Blasket Island Interpretative Centre. Well worth a visit. An interesting and informative video is shown at regular intervals in the Theatre. And there are several display sections devoted to the island, aspects of life on the island, and some of the more notable islanders. There is also a bookshop and canteen.

circa 14:30... At the Blasket Island Interpretative Centre.

circa 14:30... At the Blasket Island Interpretative Centre.

circa 15:30...we stop off at Dingle Distillery to replenish our stock of Dingle Gin. And in the process we return some 'empties'! The distillery operates tours, including tastings of the gin, vodka and whiskey products.

circa 21:25 and we have just had dinner in the Chart House. Dingle is of course a gastronome's paradise and this was one restaurant which we had not previously visited. A lovely meal and a nice finish to a great day.

Outside the Chart House restaurant.

DAY 46 - Friday, 7th August, 2015

circa 08:00... Dingle Marina prior to setting off for Kilrush. It will be a long day at sea...approx. nine hours. A good day lies ahead!

Find Arthur!

Arthur in her berth at Dingle Marina prior to departure for Kilrush.

00 UTC Windguru weather forecast for Smerwick issued at 06:00. Looking super for our passage to Kilrush. Low wind and gust, low wave, and wind and wave direction aligned... :-) And a clear sky! Just perfect.

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09:36... Arthur departs Dingle. Passage to Kilrush will take approx. nine hours...

09:38... Dingle Bay ahead... I look at the still water today and remember Monday evening! What a contrast.

09:49...leaving Dingle Marina in our wake! And there you have it...low wind, low wave (ok, so we are not on Dingle Bay yet!), and a blue sky.

09:58... On Dingle Bay...looking back at the entrance to Dingle Harbour.

11:00... approaching Blasket Sound. Sea state still remarkably good....not a white horse in sight!

11:31... almost through the Blasket Sound. Sybil point slightly to left of centre and the Three Sisters in centre of the photo. We have made good progress since we left Dingle, just under two hours ago.

11:31...