From Normandie to Ireland

[oldmanofthehills]

Good Evening!

Many thanks for the explanations about the Welsh and the Irish coasts!

Our motivation is mainly to spent half a year aboard and travel along unknown European shores.

The Guinness in Dublin is only the title of our this year summer plans.

View attachment 172792

This is a first sketch about our way, but until now we didn‘t seriously know if the long way is to make without stress in about 4-5 months.

With the information of helpful members like you we collect piece by piece information to see if all makes a sense.

The way is the goal, as like last year along the Biscay to Northspain.

Good night and thanks again!

Stefan

Fine. But do take notice of the exposed westerly shores in north cornwall and south wales. Routes with no refuge and many wrecks. Of course with a modern boat its safer and easier but it still needs consideration and Wales to Dublin is still safer and quicker via Eire west coast not via Wales west.

We did Plymouth to Inner Hebrides and back in 3 months so 5 months to Inverness is fine but there are troubled waters on route and the North Channel is a barrier that makes Channel du Four or Raz du Sien look easy.


Take care and Fine Cruising

 

[Dino]

Milford Haven to Kilmore Quay is a very popular crossing. Then leave Kilmore Quay and travel inside the Saltee Islands and take the tide north to Greystones. There’s a really good marina in Greystones and it’s a very nice town. The trip up to Dún Laoghaire is nice and if you stay in DL marina it’s very easy to access Dublin City. Then Howth and Malahide are good stops. They are both bustling seaside towns with lots of restaurants and good Guinness. One tip for you regarding good Guinness, avoid the modern flashy superpubs and go for the quaint old man’s pubs.
North of Malahide you should definitely check out Carlingford. Nice marina and a nice village. Heading north from there you should do Ardglass and Bangor. You can access Belfast by staying at the marina in the city.
Scotland is a short hop from Bangor. I’ve sailed on Loch Fyne a few times and it’s lovely. Tarbert is worth a stop.

 

[Nessy]

Milford Haven to Kilmore Quay is a very popular crossing. Then leave Kilmore Quay and travel inside the Saltee Islands and take the tide north to Greystones. There’s a really good marina in Greystones and it’s a very nice town. The trip up to Dún Laoghaire is nice and if you stay in DL marina it’s very easy to access Dublin City. Then Howth and Malahide are good stops. They are both bustling seaside towns with lots of restaurants and good Guinness. One tip for you regarding good Guinness, avoid the modern flashy superpubs and go for the quaint old man’s pubs.
North of Malahide you should definitely check out Carlingford. Nice marina and a nice village. Heading north from there you should do Ardglass and Bangor. You can access Belfast by staying at the marina in the city.
Scotland is a short hop from Bangor. I’ve sailed on Loch Fyne a few times and it’s lovely. Tarbert is worth a stop.

Good Morning!

Again many thanks for this notes! Helps me a lot!

Cordially! Stefan

 

[Nessy]

Fine. But do take notice of the exposed westerly shores in north cornwall and south wales. Routes with no refuge and many wrecks. Of course with a modern boat its safer and easier but it still needs consideration and Wales to Dublin is still safer and quicker via Eire west coast not via Wales west.

We did Plymouth to Inner Hebrides and back in 3 months so 5 months to Inverness is fine but there are troubled waters on route and the North Channel is a barrier that makes Channel du Four or Raz du Sien look easy.


Take care and Fine Cruising

Good Morning!

Thanks for this good advice referring the time table and troubled waters!

Interesting! Last year the we crossed four times the estuary of the bay of Arcachon.

Wow! This was „High-End“ Boating!

So we will take care of this spots.

Have a nice day!

Stefan

 

[rotrax]

Fine. But do take notice of the exposed westerly shores in north cornwall and south wales. Routes with no refuge and many wrecks. Of course with a modern boat its safer and easier but it still needs consideration and Wales to Dublin is still safer and quicker via Eire west coast not via Wales west.

We did Plymouth to Inner Hebrides and back in 3 months so 5 months to Inverness is fine but there are troubled waters on route and the North Channel is a barrier that makes Channel du Four or Raz du Sien look easy.


Take care and Fine Cruising

Surely you mean Eire SouthEast coast, not West coast.

The distance from Newlyn/Penzance to Milford Haven is not that much less than direct to Kilmore Quay, a few hours in a motorboat anyway.

I know exactly what you mean about the North Channel. We missed the tidal gate by a few minutes at Fair head. We took a look at the dreadful overfalls and went back to Glenarm so we could be earlier next time!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Surely you mean Eire SouthEast coast, not West coast.

The distance from Newlyn/Penzance to Milford Haven is not that much less than direct to Kilmore Quay, a few hours in a motorboat anyway.

I know exactly what you mean about the North Channel. We missed the tidal gate by a few minutes at Fair head. We took a look at the dreadful overfalls and went back to Glenarm so we could be earlier next time!

Of course I meant ireland east coast. Even at slack the whirlpools off Fairhead were interesting both visually and in steering. We then waited in Ballycastle before crossing to Islay and observedp the race round Ratlin to judge best crossing point. More tortuous than the Raz in my opinion, and that at least speeds one along

 

[Ferris]

Saw this at the Rugby today and thought of this thread

 

[oldmanofthehills]

St James Gate Guiness is fine, but you wont find that everywhere even in Ireland. Everything is dominated by the Guiness group and chilled keg rubbish

Good beer very hard to find in Ireland . The world has moved on from mass produced guiness, and even small bristol breweries make stouts as good or better. Indeed 3 or 4 times as many breweries in Bristol and SW Britain ( I got up to 300 and lost count) than in all of Ireland. I worked in Dublin for 3 months and visit Ireland regularly as wife's DIL comes from Raheny, and I love Ireland but not its bland mass market beers

Now if you want a real Porter in Ireland, go to the Porthouse in Temple Bar, Dublin. Many fine beers brewed by them - 2 porters, 5 stouts, red beer, etc etc. Also try Dungarvan Brewery a bit below Kilmore Quay - less of a range

 

[Dino]

Came across this old thread earlier. @Nessy and @NC11 any update on your planned cruises to Ireland this summer. Please keep up posted.

 

[NC11]

Latest is I'm going over in 10 days to try and finish the med trip to south of France before loading it onto a truck.

Having the hull and prop scuba cleaned as I was not happy with performance and I have 250NM to cover. Hopefully have a trim sensor replaced in one of the engines by then as well.

All going well I will attempt the France-Ireland portion in July.

 

[Dino]

Very good, an NC11 recently arrived into my marina from La Rochelle but by truck. Nice looking boats.

Latest is I'm going over in 10 days to try and finish the med trip to south of France before loading it onto a truck.

Having the hull and prop scuba cleaned as I was not happy with performance and I have 250NM to cover. Hopefully have a trim sensor replaced in one of the engines by then as well.

All going well I will attempt the France-Ireland portion in July.

 

[Nessy]

Hi Dino!

Many thanks for asking! Unfortunately my wife and I got ill end of February. As it was not clear if and when we will be able again to perform the planned trip to Ireland we stopped the preparations in March.

Meanwhile we feel better and decided to go to Normandie where the boat was during winter in a boatyard.

As the youngest son if my wife asked to meet us in his holiday in August in La Roche Bernard/Vilaine „we“ decided to stroll along the South Brittany coast again and are just now in Le Palais/Belle Ile.
Who is able to argument against a grandmothers plan to meet her children and grand children in holiday?
No chance….

I hope that perhaps in the next year we can plan again to do the Ireland trip.

I wish you a nice and safe summertime and hope we will change some thoughts and information again.

Cordially! Stefan

MY Nautic, WYC Wiesbaden, currently Le Palais-Belle Ile