Depart Arklow 0620 arrive Kilmore Quay 1750
Toast and coffee to get us going, sandwiches for lunch prepared in advance as forecast is for a good bit of wind from the SW.
Decided to sail outside the Wicklow banks to give some sea room if wind increases to force 6 as forecast.
1030 MOB drill when a fender fell off the stern - Jib rolled away, tack, engine in neutral and sailed downwind past the fender to round up and collect 💪
1130 engine stopped when motor sailing heavily healed on port tack; we suspected a fuel problem and took the decision to sail onto Kilmore Quay and hope we could restart the engine to enter the harbour. A very confused sea over the Bailies bank off Rosslare with breaking waves kept us on our toes.
An 8 hour beat ensued with short tacks as we approached St Patrick’s bridge inside the Saltee Islands (with a strong tide against flowing through the bridge). The engine wouldn’t restart so we planned our approach into the harbour which is through a narrow dredged channel with a sharp left turn to enter the harbour (and in todays wind direction that was dead against us).
Safe to say we were very relieved to safely tie up alongside the harbour wall at the entrance without any damage. We bled air from the fuel filter and added a jerrycan of fuel, and got engine started.
By this stage wind had increased and a difficult manoeuvre from the harbour wall to moor alongside a very handsome motor boat from the RYS in Cowes.
After tidying and sorting the gear that had been flung around the cabin we went for a few beers in Kenoe’s pub followed by fish and chips from the Saltee Chipper onboard (washed down with a nice Penfolds Cabernet).
An early night for the crew after a somewhat stressful day.
We have now rounded the first “corner” of Ireland (Carnsore Point), so 3 more to go.
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