Southern Ireland

jimi

jimi

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Discussing next year's cruising plans we're thinking of a couple of weeks in Southern Ireland to escape the crowded SW and Brittany, any hints tips recommendations etc or is it a daft idea?

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Kinsale - great place. Spent my birthday there this summer on board. HWMBO is from Ireland and used to live in Cork - will ask him what he thinks for you...

<hr width=100% size=1>Its 11.59am - lets open the beers...
 
Well other than the fact that your yoghourt pot won't be man enough for the job. Seriously, if you are interested we did this cruise a couple of years ago and my thoughts are:

From Solent to Cork or a similar landfall is over 300 miles non-stop. We took two and a half days from Keyhaven. This makes a two week holiday a bit Corinthean. We took the boat over on one trip and joined later for a two week cruise.

Crosshaven, the Royal Cork Club HQ, is a great place to leave the boat and there lots of boaty services available. The crusing territory west of Cork is very interesting although, personally, I was disappointed with Kinsale, but that could have been because there was a funfair when we were there with music blaring out across the town. Very sheltered harbour, though we sat out a couple of gales in there. Baltimore and Crookhaven were fab both for cruising and eating.

Sailingwise the navving is pretty striaghtforward although you need to look out for salmon nets strung out a right angles from the shore for up to two miles, there will a boat at the seaward end but all the same we nearly came a cropper several times. The Irish sea was alive with fishnig vessels which only seemed to come out at night, they were well lit but lots of them usually on collision course.

If you get any further I have charts and pilots for the area which you'd be welcome to borrow/buy.

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I know it well Jimi, we have a boat in Glandore, been sailing the Baltimore-cork stretch 20 years. Can lend you chart chips etc.

It's all beautiful. Cork itself, then heading West you have Kinsale, the place just west of Kinsale forgotten the name, Sandy cove?, Rosscarbery, Glandore, Union Hall, Castletownsend, Skibereen, Baltimore, then Schull, Bantry are all beautiful with some other anchorages in between. I can give you a list of pubs/restaurants that are walkable from harbours too. Access to some places is a bit tide restricted

Weather can be a challenge though. You need to head as far west as possible when you get weather windows, as coming back eastwards is a whole pile easier

I wouldn't do it in one holiday, a bit too intense (though I'm a wus). I'd sail the boat there, cruise a bit, leave it , fly home, then fly back for the sail back to UK. There are plenty of places to leave the boat and trustworthy people to keep eye on it, taxi ride from the very nice Cork airport, flites stansted and gatwick
 
Re: OK

For a boat of your type I'd be thinking of starting out from Plymouth. Gives you a head start. Your left with the choice then, of whether you'd like to get your westing in and cruise back or whether to stop at somewhere like Waterford and potter west as and when. Waterford has plenty to be said for it and the marinas OK. Bit of a stream at the usual times though.

Crosshaven marinas are OK & Cork, well I don't like Cork much. On to Kinsale, Irelands gourmet capital, decent marina at the Yacht Club, pubs with diddly diddly music all over the place.

From there to Crookhaven is worthwhile, holding can be a bit variable but it's possible to get a grip. Crookhaven must have the nearest pint of the black stuff to the Fastnet Rock. Dermot runs the pub and the little shop joined on. You'll be looking to get back around now.

Watch out for nets all along this coast. The rate of exchange, changing stirling in the pubs, improves as you go west.

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Re: OK

You seem to be implying that i'm incapable of sailing 300 miles in my boat.. why?

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Re: OK

Oi tink he means dat if Oi were goin to Ireland Oi wouldnt be startin from dere.

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Unless of course

.. it were in a manky old boat .. in which case its apparently oK to sail from anwhere to anywhere anytime ...

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Check account by Webcraft www.bluemoment.com/ireland

Very well written and informative.
Many UK boats make Kilmore Quay ( South East Corner) their first Irish landfall. Can be busy July and early August, but good food and friendly people. I am biased, thats where I keep my boat! Waterford, Kinsale, Baltimore, Sherkin, Glandore, Lawrence Cove, all worth a visit in my opinion.

Do it - well worth the effort.


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Here is an idea

If you are sailing with your daughters you are going to need to include some nightlife so they can escape you at some point.

Sail to Waterford or Cork and coast hop north until Howth, leaving a couple of weekend nights in Dublin. Drop back over to Wales and port hop back down. Pwllheli is full of young people on summer evenings, lots of cafe bars. Aberystwith is a university town so decent'ish night life.

I am right in presuming your girls are 16 / 17 yrs old right?

This way you get to see the cruising grounds of many on the forum, then you can relate to us Welsh water sailors. Just a thought...



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>All New website</A>
 
Re: Southern Ireland???

Where's "Southern Ireland" then? Is it the southern part of the Republic of Ireland or up Drogheda way?

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Re: DOH!

Acshully the plan was to do the sensible thing and do a delivery trip first a prior w/e et vice versa on the way back. Have no worries about 300+ miles in my fine craft having stability tested it in F8+ wind against a big spring tide just off the Alderney race;-)

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Already some good suggestions on here from "Locals". We left our boat, A moody 376, in Cork last year for 3 months as part of our round Britain cruise - we originally planned a quick stop in a few places - but decided it would be a shame not to spend more time.

We left our boat in East Ferry Marina to the East of Cobh - fantastic place and cheap to leave the boat for a while (approx £60 a month! - 38' boat)

We only got down as far as Crookhaven to the North of Fastnet - but heard good things about Bantry Bay.

Wouldn't hesitate basing a boat in Cork as plenty of places to go and relatively cheap to fly to - more carriers going there now and a new service from Soton starts in feb I think.

We are based in Troon at present, well the boat is, carrying on with the round britain from there next easter-ish

Regards
Mark L.

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Re: Stopping on the way

will allow repairs to be made and a press gang to be organized to replace deserters. This is in the finest tradition of our maritime history. I find that the big seas out west are easier on the boat than that nasty little patch that you do your testing in.

It's a great trip. the only real consideration is to be flexible about time and objectives. Coming back against the easterlies that your bound to provoke will take longer than you'd hope. Many of the Irish harbours are hard to leave. Cos they're so hospitable.

I've been 9 times. The last time we went was in an October so the weather was v changeable. We had, a big tough boat and therefore a great cruise, enjoying the big winds and seas, a boat, a 37ft production cruiser, from Kinsale spent the whole week in Penzance waiting for a weather window. It's not worse or better down there it's just different. The August weather can be quite thrilling later on in the month.

Ireland is the greatest cruising ground in Western Europe, even if it rains.

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Re: Stopping on the way

I'd largely agree with you apart from 'even when it rains bit'. We spent 5 days waiting for the rain to relent which it did for 1 day when it was truly delightful. It then went back to rain. After 3 more wet day we headed home. Needless to say the following month was the best that they had had for years.

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Lots of good advice given above.
You'll need the South and West guide from the Irish Cruising Club.

More info is available <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.glenans-ireland.com/Resources/almanac.htm> here. </A>

Keep in mind Tall Ships Race will be stopping in Waterford 6 to 9 July. Thus, not a lot of room left up the river.

Big yellow visitor moorings available oin many places, but you'll need a good anchor for many places.

One of the few charter firms offers this <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.sailireland.com/cruisingground/cruising2.htm> guide </A> to the coast west of Kinsale.

In Baltimore, it's <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bushesbar.com/>Bushes Bar!</A>



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I just looked at BobHobby's link to the sail ireland yacht scharter firm. For an extra 225 euros they will allow you to do a 1way charter. Take the boat in Dingle, dump it in Kinsale. Brilliant, cos you only have to sail eastwards. Worth every penny imho

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