oceanfroggie
Well-Known Member
Part 4 - Sherkin Island (Baltimore) to Waterford – 117nm in 10hr50m (08:10-19:00)
After a restful nights sleep on the anchor off Sherkin Island, the morning dawn reveals a perfect day for the final leg to Waterford. As usual I'm up about 06:00 checking forecasts, tides, passage plan, boat, engines and last minute recheck the routes I've transferred to the chart plotter. All looks good so we are good to go, yet there is no rush due to the late evening high tide in Waterford.
Baltimore Harbour to Waterford City
Anchorage off Sherkin Island in Baltimore harbour. The next morning we awake to be greeted by perfect weatherwhich doesn't get much better than this with a high due to stay put and expand (see Weather Chart). Passage plan for Waterford completed. We decide to leave early and enjoy breakfast underway later.
08:10 Weigh anchor! An attempted stow away afixed to the anchor chain. We prepare for the 117nm passage to Waterford city.
15th century Franciscan Friary on Sherkin Island
Exiting Baltimore, "Lot's Wife" pillar looks more like a German V2 rocket primed for launch, or is it a dormant alien craft in disguise that will mysteriously awaken in the middle of some future night during a lunar eclipse, it's occupants with no facial features asking in sign language to be taken to our leader - Fr Ted Crilly!
We head south into the Blue. Bats Cliff at Barrak Point, no relation to O'Bama or Christopher Lee
Rocks at Kedge Island reminded me of scenes of Captain Nemo's Nautilus in the movie "20,000 leagues under the sea".
Clear Island and Sherkin islands astern as we power up for the long passage to Waterford. What a day for it, a nice big juicy high has centred itself over Ireland. Complusory wake shot as we increase speed for a short while to ensure catching the tide later that evening in the Waterford Estuary. We plan to refuel in Passage East half way up the estuary which will only have enough water for us to come along side at HW.
Into the Blue - Lost Horizon - Pure magic
Entrance to Castlehaven in the far distance left as we are passed by this fishing cat birds aloft
We pass inside The Stags
It is such a nice day we decide to slow down and enjoy it. Displacement cruising on auto helm. Time to relax, chill out about the boat and take in the scenery. Froggette and I have a fruit breakfast in the cockpit.
Galley Head
The Old Head of Kinsale.
Game fishing off the Old Head. I remember as a youngster fishing for blue sharkes at this exact spot way back in 1973, on board a friends ketch. Brings back very fond memories of a week spent in Kinsale and all the summer goings on.
We pass the entrance to Kinsale Harbour. Charles Fort in the distance with the legend of it's tragic bride who jumped from the ramparts in the manner of Romeo and Juliet.
Passing the entrance to Cork Harbour. Cobh in the distance, formerly Queenstown, Cove before that, was the last port of call for the Titanic and this view was the last sight of land passengers on the Titanic may have had before she met her icey end in the chilly north Atlantic. Under the terms of the 1922 treaty, Cobh remained a sovereign British military garrison and port until it was handed back to the Irish Free state in 1938. Ironic as it might otherwise have been a strategic allied naval base during WW2 considering it was where survivors of the Lusitania disaster were taken ashore in WW1 when she was controversially torpedoed and sunk by a German U-Boat. This summer there was an expedition to establish the reason why she sank so quickly. (see http://www.irishexaminer.com/irelan...ia-to-be-explored-for-documentary-162435.html ). On the return trip we did visit Cork harbour.
French Tallship "Belem" off Cork Harbour. She seemed to be going in the wrong direction for Waterford.
What a beauty. We wondered why she was cruising away from the Tall Ships race event in Waterford.
We diverted slightly inshore to view the well known 5 star "Cliff House" hotel in Ardmore County Waterford. It has a Michelan Star! The red looking roof is actually a gorse roof, not red tiles - it's alive!
continued to part 4b ...
After a restful nights sleep on the anchor off Sherkin Island, the morning dawn reveals a perfect day for the final leg to Waterford. As usual I'm up about 06:00 checking forecasts, tides, passage plan, boat, engines and last minute recheck the routes I've transferred to the chart plotter. All looks good so we are good to go, yet there is no rush due to the late evening high tide in Waterford.
Baltimore Harbour to Waterford City
Anchorage off Sherkin Island in Baltimore harbour. The next morning we awake to be greeted by perfect weatherwhich doesn't get much better than this with a high due to stay put and expand (see Weather Chart). Passage plan for Waterford completed. We decide to leave early and enjoy breakfast underway later.
08:10 Weigh anchor! An attempted stow away afixed to the anchor chain. We prepare for the 117nm passage to Waterford city.
15th century Franciscan Friary on Sherkin Island
Exiting Baltimore, "Lot's Wife" pillar looks more like a German V2 rocket primed for launch, or is it a dormant alien craft in disguise that will mysteriously awaken in the middle of some future night during a lunar eclipse, it's occupants with no facial features asking in sign language to be taken to our leader - Fr Ted Crilly!
We head south into the Blue. Bats Cliff at Barrak Point, no relation to O'Bama or Christopher Lee
Rocks at Kedge Island reminded me of scenes of Captain Nemo's Nautilus in the movie "20,000 leagues under the sea".
Clear Island and Sherkin islands astern as we power up for the long passage to Waterford. What a day for it, a nice big juicy high has centred itself over Ireland. Complusory wake shot as we increase speed for a short while to ensure catching the tide later that evening in the Waterford Estuary. We plan to refuel in Passage East half way up the estuary which will only have enough water for us to come along side at HW.
Into the Blue - Lost Horizon - Pure magic
Entrance to Castlehaven in the far distance left as we are passed by this fishing cat birds aloft
We pass inside The Stags
It is such a nice day we decide to slow down and enjoy it. Displacement cruising on auto helm. Time to relax, chill out about the boat and take in the scenery. Froggette and I have a fruit breakfast in the cockpit.
Galley Head
The Old Head of Kinsale.
Game fishing off the Old Head. I remember as a youngster fishing for blue sharkes at this exact spot way back in 1973, on board a friends ketch. Brings back very fond memories of a week spent in Kinsale and all the summer goings on.
We pass the entrance to Kinsale Harbour. Charles Fort in the distance with the legend of it's tragic bride who jumped from the ramparts in the manner of Romeo and Juliet.
Passing the entrance to Cork Harbour. Cobh in the distance, formerly Queenstown, Cove before that, was the last port of call for the Titanic and this view was the last sight of land passengers on the Titanic may have had before she met her icey end in the chilly north Atlantic. Under the terms of the 1922 treaty, Cobh remained a sovereign British military garrison and port until it was handed back to the Irish Free state in 1938. Ironic as it might otherwise have been a strategic allied naval base during WW2 considering it was where survivors of the Lusitania disaster were taken ashore in WW1 when she was controversially torpedoed and sunk by a German U-Boat. This summer there was an expedition to establish the reason why she sank so quickly. (see http://www.irishexaminer.com/irelan...ia-to-be-explored-for-documentary-162435.html ). On the return trip we did visit Cork harbour.
French Tallship "Belem" off Cork Harbour. She seemed to be going in the wrong direction for Waterford.
What a beauty. We wondered why she was cruising away from the Tall Ships race event in Waterford.
We diverted slightly inshore to view the well known 5 star "Cliff House" hotel in Ardmore County Waterford. It has a Michelan Star! The red looking roof is actually a gorse roof, not red tiles - it's alive!
continued to part 4b ...
