Tall Ships Race - Waterford

[oceanfroggie]

On route to Waterford for the Tall Ships festival this weekend. Race starts 10:00 Sunday off Dunmore East. We left Lough Derg Sunday afternoon working through Limerick City, down estuary to Kilrush Creek on Monday, and long 9 hour passage in Atlantic swell to Lawrence Cove on Bere Island in Bantry bay. Today short 3hr hop to Baltimore on south coast. As soon as we rounded Mizen head and past Fastnet rock light house the conditions greatly improved. Forecast for next few days excellent. Will post photos at weekend.

Anchored for the night off Sherkin Island near Baltimore. Waterford tomorrow. Will be a very long day.

Phone photo so poor quality

More to follow . . .

 

[kindredspirit]

Lovely pic with Lot's Wife in the background.

There's often a difficult sea between Bray Head and Bull Rock. Did you go through Dursey Sound for a look or did you keep off?

 

[burgundyben]

Small world, I was in Bushes Bar in Baltimore a few weeks ago.

Nice area.

 

[DTIM]

Looking forward to the pics, like Dunmore East, always had a great welcome at the yacht club, even got our wet gear dried by the lady who ran the local camp site and had a laundrette many years ago!

 

[oceanfroggie]

Just past this beauty off Cork

Photo taken by Mrs OF

 

[ratbag]

i was i in waterford a couple of weeks ago , this was my neighbour,

 

[oceanfroggie]

What a blessing this weekend has been . . . The sight of these ships left one in awe. Weather great for motoring not great for these beauties. No wind.

Just a few, post more later

 

[grumpyoldman]

tall ships

nice pictures - thanks for taking the time to post them

 

[Shannoner]

Lovely Pics Noel, enjoy you're time in the salty stuff. Maybe see you when you get back to Derg. I'm heading North to Lough Key and Carrick next week. But will be down on Derg in August.

Mick

 

[oceanfroggie]

Hi Mick. Thanks. We're leaving boat in Cork Harbour area for a while, and hope to explore some of the cork/kerry coasts smaller haunts in August. Back on Derg after that. Enjoy Lough Key, it's wonderful up there.

 

[ralf2]

Great stuff Noel fantastic photos,am i jealous...........

 

[oceanfroggie]

Heading past the container port after leaving our overnight anchorage on Kings channel. The dense fog started rapidly burning off as the giant cranes emerged like hungry dinasores in the mist. It was a wonderful morning to be on the suir river.

It was a great to have a fellow "Yachtmaster" Dave McCabe on board to helm us carefully through the fog.

IWAI/HBA fleet at Cheek Point - What a vantage point they had to view the "parade of sale" as the tall ships past so close by

The Army gave a 21 gun salute to the lead category A Tall Ships as they past. The lead ships responded by fireing their canons.

The festive scene off Dunmore East as the ships arrived from Waterford preparing for the race start. You could see crews lined on deck for briefings from their ships commanders.

I have never seen so many boats out in such close proximity. The weather was a gift that added to much to everybodies day, folks on land and on water. Activity off Dunmore East as fleet starts to arrive down the estuary from Waterford acompanies by many hundreds of leisure and small pleasure craft including ribs, speed boats, kayaks, canoes, sail dinghys, yachts, cruises, fishing boats and anything else that floats!

Later on Sunday evening Froggie left for Cork harbour as the Tall Ships waited for wind and a delayed race start with a new route up the Irish East coast rather than the planned route around the west coast to Scotland. We arrived in Cork later that night.

Over 1/2 million folk came to Waterford in the balmy med weather to see the ships and enjoy the street festival in the pedestrianised city. TS organisers have just announced that they'll be back to Waterford as the event has brought the logistics and fun to a new level.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Photo taken by Paul Garland of Columbian sail training ship "Gloria", shadowed by "Ocean Froggie" about 10 miles south of Dunmore East

The Leinster Rugby flag flew proud even though we were often surrounded by Munster flagged boats.

 

[oceanfroggie]

A few more pics of last weekends amazing trip to Waterford.

Underway, not making way off Dunmore East. Dutch tall ship awaits pilot boat.

Russian ship MIR. The largest class A tall ship visiting Waterford. She has a crew of over 100

MIR rounding Cheek Point on the Waterford estuary as the fog had just lifted. She looked bewilderingly mystical and majestic as she appeared around the bend to the cheers of the crowds on the hill side.

Saturday morning in Waterford. The festive scene was drenched in scorching sunshine. Felt more like Waterford Sur Mer on the riviera than the old Viking city I know.

The Columbian ship Gloria impressed us the most due to her crew's amazing parade upon her rigging

Inland IWAI heritage fleet moored at Cheek Point. These vessels made the epic voyage to Waterford the inland route down the Grand canal and barrow navigations all the way to Waterford. Some vessels left their home ports on the Shannon and Dublin as early as last March. Well done all.

Froggie's home for the weekend moored in Kings Channel just 1 mile south of Waterford. The Broom 38 took the Coastal route to Waterford. We left Killaloe on lough Derg one week before, visiting Limerick, Killrush Creek, Lawrence cove in Bantry Bay, Sherkin Island near Baltimore, and then the long run up the south coast to Waterford via a fuel stop in Passage East

Tall ships slowly ebb into the hazy distance preparing for the race start and hoping for wind. Farewell unforgettable ships.

The story of our 400 mile trip around the West, SW and South coast to get there is a story for another day.

 

[Watson47]

Ocean Froggie .... SUPER photographs .. ! I'll bet you had a brilliant time

It was a spectacular success. I managed to watch the 'Nationwide' program - though in a corner crying into a glass ... Had intended being in Waterford with Joseph Soar and then across to Bristol, but our house was destroyed in a fire in May so all marine activities discontinued .... temporarily.