2014.6 Howth and Dublin, Ireland

After a nice sail we arrived around midnight. As the enterance seemed difficult in the dark for a first time, we waited until daylight before going into Howth Marina.

A view of 'Eye of Ireland' behind the enterance lighthouse to Howth Harbour

After walking around the town, we decided not to take the bicycles out as the trafic was too busy.We stayed in Howth marina for a couple of days and had a chance to see some more of this nice town. 

Walk into Deerpark

Castle near the Cookery School

Howth Yacht Club has one of the world's oldest racing yacht desings and members proudly keep these historical boats and race them very competitively.

A day visit to Dublin via train from Howth, was interesting with new and old architecture. City felt quite relaxed.

 Famine memorial in Dublin

2014.5 Port St.Mary and Douglas, Isle of Man

We had a pleasent sail from Bangor with a fair wind to the Isle of Man.

Tide was against us as we approached the south of the Island, so we went outside of the Chicken Rock with its classic lighthouse.

It was my first time in this beautiful island , Isle of Man. We went into Port St.Mary at the south end of the Island and picked up a visitor's buoy.

 

It was nice to discover the steam trains in Port St.Mary, so we decided to have a trip to Douglas and back. It was lots of fun and beautiful countryside views during this train ride.

Horse drawn tram in Douglas

A beautiful and colourful afternoon at Port St.Mary :

2014.4 Bangor, Northern Ireland

We left Port Ellen in thick fog which cleared after the Mull of Kintyre.
These are the Maiden's rocks with old and new lighthouses off the Irish coast.
Lots of fast ferry catamarans operating in this area.

Bangor marina

Bangor Marina had space reserved for local Guillemots !

2014.3 Port Ellen, Islay

 

I was delighted to see Port Ellen again on such a beautiful day. I remembered my first experience with holding a mooring buoy in dark  around midnight, when we arrived last time, almost three years ago. 

 

Lovely to walk on the beach in front of the town

This ship is delivering grain to the Island for malting as Islay is one of the biggest centers for Whisky production. It was interesting to have a view of some beginning procedures, coming from sea.

 

We stayed on Islay and had a chance to try out our new folding bikes which allowed us to see a bit more of the Island than we were here the last time.

2014.2 Sailing south to Islay

 

The Caledonian Canal allows us to sail from one side of Scotland to the other

When we were waiting at Corpach basin, I noticed the flags at Canal office, including the Canadian which represented the Rideau Canal, were not there. But, soon a boat with a Canadian flag came to the pontoon and also departed with us into sea.

We sailed into Loch Linnhe and stayed overnight at Port Ramsay, and continued sailing south next morning. It was nice to see some of the yachts in Three Peaks Race heading towards their Ben Nevis stage and finish.

 

Sailing from Port Ramsay to south was again calm without much wind. Picture below shows some boats in the anchorage at Pulladobhrain as the morning fog started to clear.

 

 

Then we had a rather difficult time sailing to Islay as the wind died and we had problems with our engine. 

2014.1.From Stromness to south; Inverness and Caledonian Canal

We wish to sail down to Azores Islands this summer.

Sean started from our home port, Stromness with his friend David and David's son Graham.
A pleasant afternoon and evening sail tacking aginst the SE wind took them from Stromness to the visitor buoy off Burray. They then waited a few days for the SE winds to ease and give comfortable conditions for crossing of the Pentland Firth. The wind dropped and the fog closed in, so they crossed the Firth in thick fog, tracking ships with AIS and radar. Further south the fog cleared but they had to motor sail all the way to Inverness, seeing some dolphins on the way.

In Inverness I joined Sean for our cruising to south. It was very nice to be on board and sailing on the Caledonian Canal again. 

Sunset, Seaport Marina.

We had to wait a couple of days in Seaport Marina for our liferaft, as it had been sent away for servicing. Then headed off down the canal. Loch Ness was in a calm mood, with glassy water reflecting the blue and white sky.

Further along the canal it was damp and misty, giving us a typically 'soft' highland day.

Ben Nevis range looked impressive from the Canal as we approach Bannavie and Neptune's Staircase.