Arthur's Coastal Cruise 2010 - B - Part 2
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Monday, 2nd August, 2010
"Arthur" and her crew arrived in Dingle from Kilrush on Thursday, 29th July, 2010 and spent the following couple of days enjoying Dingle. Meanwhile, Besie (Shane & Alice Ward) had made a solo run to Cahersiveen in mid-July and this morning they made the relatively short (2hrs) trip from Cahersiveen to Dingle to join up with "Arthur".
Besie's crew: Alice & Shane Ward. Besie's home berth is in Carrick-on-Shannon and heding to sea always involves a couple of extra days negotiating the passage from C-o-S to Limerick.
Wednesday, 4th August, 2010.
LE Orla, having arrived in Dingle the previous day, is set for a transfer of captaincy. For some reason, which is not fully explained, LE Orla enjoys a special relationship with Dingle.
N.B.
Since returning home I have discovered on the Defence Forces website that whereas Haulbowline is the home port for all vessels in the Irish Naval Fleet each vessel enjoys a special relationship with a designated town/city as follows:
LE Emer - Cork
LE Aoife - Waterford
LE Aisling - Galway
LE Eithne - Dun Laoghaire
LE Orla - Dingle
LE Ciara - Kinsale
LE Roisin - Dublin
LE Niamh - Limerick
Guard of honour is deployed on the quayside and the ceremony is about to begin. I manged to video the entire proceedings and will hope to put together a short video clip of same in due course. Weather was glorious for the occasion.
Official party and guests duly arrive before the ceremony commences.
LE Orla moored in Dingle.
Alice, Shane and Mary enjoy the proceedings.
Paul, Alice and Shane on the quayside.
Outgoing and incomng captains share a handshake after the official ceremony.
LE Orla moored at the quayside in Dingle.
I was intrigued with the cartoon-like figure which I would previoulsy have associated with US fighter planes!
LE Orla....62.6 x 10 x 2.7 meters in dimension and weighing 712 tonnes!
Enjoying a pre-dinner drink in Dick Mack's after the LE Orla ceremony. No, we were not invited onboard!
Dingle Marina, circa 6pm.
Besie (centre of picture) with LE Orla in the background.
Apres-dinner wine and cheese onboard Besie.
Not sure which of us had consumed the most wine when this was taken!
Thursday, 5th August, 2010.
We have been watching the weather like hawks. The coming weekend offered so much promise several days ago but now we have narrowed it down to a small 'window of opportunity' on Sunday morning.
Good quality restaurants abound in Dingle. Mary and I mad a mistake by going for an upmarket meal on the evening that we arrived. Why was it a mistake.....because we were too tired to really appreciate and enjoy the fine food that was on offer in the restaurant that we visited. Lesson learned!
This photo bedecks the front of the 'Out Of The Blue' restaurant which we did not manage to gain entry to...it was full! We eventually managed to get a table in 'Fentons' which had a wonderful range of seafood and meat dishes and where we enjoyed superb fresh lobster. Next time we will ensure that we are not so tired when we visit this fine restaurant.
Saturday, 7th August, 2010.
We pay our last visit to the local fish shop which is adjacent to the marina. Fresh fish available six days a week. We enjoyed super fresh and very tasty place, scallops, as well as smoked salmon, spanish prawns (gorgeous when lightly cooked in hot olive oil), and fabulous crab claws. Highly recommended for lovers of fish/seafood.
The display of fresh fish that we encountered every day that we visited!
Dingle Marina.
Dingle town, adjacent to the marina.
"Arthur", (blue canopy) moored in Dingle Marina.
"Arthur" in a very convenient berth right in front of the gangway to the marina services block!
Dinner in The Global Village, another of the top-class restaurants that can be found in Dingle. We had a super meal here two years ago and were very keen to return. Great value 'Early-bird menu'.
Sunday, 8th August, 2010.
The window of opportunity has held. The window is forecast to last from 04.00 to 15.00, approximately. Wind is forecast as a mix of F2/F1 with low gusts and a swell measuring less than 1 meter!. We seize the moment and we depart Dingle at 05.30 bound for Fenit. We had already agreed that we would not attempt to do Dingle-Kilrush in a single passage.
No sign of Fungi(e) as we take our leave of Dingle in absolutely flat-calm water.
Farewell Dingle...
Dingle Bay circa 06.00
06.15. Leaving Dingle Bay behind us. The colours have to be seen to be believed!
06.15. Leaving Dingle Bay behind us. The colours have to be seen to be believed!
Almost like a sunset...except that the photo was taken at 06.21!
06.40....what a difference twenty minutes can make...
06.52....Was it Rolf Harris that sang....'Sun arise, early in the morning...'?
Skellig Michael in the distance. We had hoped to visit the Skelligs, either by circling the island in our cruisers or taking a day trip via one of the tourist boats. Next year, hopefully!
07.10...The Great Blasket.
Passing through Blasket Sound.
Exiting Blasket Sound...
07.34....Looking astern!
08.16. Brandon Head in the distance. And we are on target for arrival at Fenit circa 11.00.
Looking astern, The Three Sisters in the distance...
09.22....In the distance....The Seven Hogs / Magharee Islands guarding the entrance to Tralee Bay.
Brandon Head, circa 09.30. We have been on the go for approximately four hours. Glad that we are not continuing on to Kilrush.
Brandon Bay in the distance. Brandon Bay and Tralee Bay are side by side.
Heading into Tralee Bay.
