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Our first day was getting the boat ready and taking advantage of a Whisky tasting tour. The Scottish Isles are famous for their whiskies and Islay is home to medicinally smoky whiskies that go heavy on the peat flavours.  

We left Port Ellen the following morning under a grey and gloomy sky with a freezing cold Northerly wind and a bit of a sore head. At last the sun broke out and we enjoyed a cracking sail up to the Isle of Jura. We picked up a mooring buoy at Craighouse near the Small Isles and dinghied in to see what was on offer. There was really only the Jura distillery (no thanks) and the Jura hotel. The outboard decided to pack up on the way back meaning Pat having to row for 20 mins, not what you want after a few beers.

We woke again to misty rain and sailed up the Sound of Jura, stopping on the way for lunch in a bay off the Island of Danna. We anchored in 7m, Pat cooked up some Pasta and we could have stayed there all afternoon it was so peaceful, but tides were in our favour so we headed off to Crinan.

Crinan boatyard provide a good chandlery and visitor moorings which we took advantage of. We dinghied in to the small pontoon which was bouncing all over the place in the strong wind. We ate in the only hotel/bar and had some excellent seafood. We filled up with diesel the following morning on the pontoon which had calmed down overnight and left for Oban.

We headed over towards Scarba and the Gulf of Correyvreckan. We’ve read so many magazines and books that tell of the whirlpools, standing waves and tides of 8+ knots in the Gulf, so we approached with some nervousness. The water seemed to roll and boil, swinging the boat in different directions, it was very unnerving. When the depth sounder went from 80m deep to suddenly just 4m it shook Pat up on the helm, although it was just the strong tides playing havoc with the sounder.  We actually started heading backwards at one point and then ended up twice doing a complete circle. We passed through the Sound of Luing and had encountered a gearbox issue when approaching Oban (below)

We’ve had an engine issue since Dover where it will start, but full revs sometimes have to be given. One day we feel it wont start, that coupled with the gearbox issue and the cold weather yet to be encountered made us to decide to stop for Winter in Oban, and get quite a few jobs done on the boat ready for warmer weather next year.

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We finally achieved our dream of seeing St Christopher moored at Achill Sound in view of our parent’s homes and John Snr’s birthplace. For myself, Pat & John Jnr, our roots are very much from this part of the world so it was a sort of homecoming. The number of relations and friends that turned out to meet us made it a very emotional time and it was completely unexpected (thank you everyone).

See video here.

Our journey started with a link to Grace O’Malley who was a famous Irish Sea Pirate who sailed and ruled the coast we would be sailing on. Aoife Henry’s mum Niamh, John Jnr, Annie and Ronan joined us for the sail across to the Aran Islands. Niamh is an O’Malley, and a direct descendant from Grace. Grace once met with Red Hugh O’Donnell, who was a sixteenth-century Irish Chieftain who myself, Pat & John Jnr are direct descendants, so we had a 300 year old connection. There are many castles in the area that she frequented including one on Clare island where I am writing this. I read her history before sailing this area and there are historical records of her deeds including when she sailed up the Thames estuary to meet with Queen Elizabeth the first.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_O%27Malley

Our journey from Rossaveel to Achill has been the most challenging so far. Chart data can be from original surveys in the 18th century so some rocks not always where they are supposed to be, and so it was with some trepidation we left the Aran Islands for Roundstone in Connemara. The entrance to Roundstone bay is strewn with rocks, some just below the surface. We tacked our way up to Mason Island and had a great beam reach to Gurteen Bay where we anchored. John, Aoife and the gang joined us on the beach where myself, Annie and Ronan went for a swim, although I cheated with a wet suit.

We picked up a free mooring buoy with a strop provided by Mayo County Council that are inspected every year (well done Mayo CC) and dinghied in for some seafood and met our cousin Sheila Gallagher. Thanks for the pastries Sheila they were delicious!

It was a cold, grey and wet departure in the morning with a large swell from the West. We rounded Slyne Head in some big waves and sailed close hauled for Inishbofin. We passed High Island which is for sale for £ 1.25m and has important monastic remains.

We entered Inishbofin past Cromwells barracks ( http://www.inishbofin.com/cromwells-barracks/) and anchored behind a small island in the inner harbour which only had a depth of 2.0m. St Christopher has a lifting keel which means she can float in just 0.84m allowing us to get into very shallow area. You can see the some footage of the anchorage in the link below.

Leaving Inishbofin the winds had died to a force 4 which is the first time they’d dropped on this leg. We set sail to pass close to Inishturk and decided to dinghy in for some food and a pint. We left John Snr on board for a sleep and landed on a beach below the pub. Next stop was Cather Island one of the holiest islands in the West. Pat dinghied in on his own to visit while we stood off and tried fishing….no luck.

Onto Clare Island where our cousin Elaine and kids had ferried over to meet us. We picked up another Mayo CC buoy and visited the Sailors bar for a meal.

Next morning, we were joined by our Uncle Michael, cousin Kevin and his son Connor for the sail over to Achill. The wind had got up again, but we made good time over to the channel between Achill and the mainland. Kevin had kindly organised a rib to help us get John Snr on shore as the tides could have been too much for our small dinghy. Paraic Patten met us at Kildavnet Castle (one of Grace O’Malley’s) and escorted us up the channel to the Achill Sound bridge. Even with the keel up there was very little water and we ran aground in sand. Padraic was able to tow us off with his rib into deeper water and we carried on. We have sailed in some pretty shallow water on the East Coast of the UK but have never dropped below a metre for more than a minute or two. We were at 0.9m for a long time, looking at the sandy bottom below us as clear as day.

Suddenly we heard horns blowing and flags waving at the bridge. A welcoming committee had gathered to welcome John Snr home as we picked up another mooring buoy for the night, in full view of where mum and dad were raised. Paraic ferried us in and we met with cousins, uncles, aunt and friends to celebrate.

Next morning, we left for Rosmoney where we leave the boat for a while. We were joined by our cousin Pat Cattigan and friend Sean, having an extra two strong crew proved handy as we struggled to pick up a mooring buoy with no strop in fresh winds. We may have to get someone to deliver to Scotland as family commitments and work has piled up meaning we wouldn’t be able to return till the end of August, which doesn’t leave a lot of time to get back to Harwich before winter.

Discussing it with Pat now, we don’t think we would have made it to the Sound and back without help from the family and friends of Achill.

So Special thanks to Paraic and Andrew Patten, Michael and Kevin Henry, Pat Cattigan, Sean Gallagher and Noreen Fadian (photos) for helping us make this possible for John Snr and of course our family, cousins and their friends for making the stay at Achill so special.

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I’ve been religiously looking at the weather forecast every morning for the last week or so hoping some high pressure would move in. It looks like we may get lucky early next week, so we’re flying over Saturday to take St Christopher from Rossaveal, to the Aran Islands again, then hopefully onto Roundstone, Inishbofin Island, Clare Island and on to Achill.

I’ve already said it but if you get the weather the beaches and scenery in the West of Ireland is simply stunning. We’re hoping to anchor at Gorteen Bay (pictured above) and maybe even go for a swim.

This next leg of the journey means a lot to us and John Snr who will be with us. Our grandfather helped build the Clare Island pier. When we anchor at Achill Sound we will be in full view of where both our parent’s were brought up in Polranny, so it could be a really special trip for us all.

Fingers crossed for the weather!

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The wind continued to shriek through the rigging for 2 days but at least we managed to visit Dún Aonghasa. We broke one of our rules and left the Aran Islands in a force 7 as we had to get to the mainland for our Cousin Marie’s wedding, we generally try to avoid going out in anything higher than a 6. Approaching an unknown coast, in a force 7, with poor visibility is not a good mix! The seas look flat in the photo but believe me they were the biggest we’ve encountered to date.

Aoife Henry’s uncle John O’Malley was there as we came into Rossaveal to take our lines, which helped us get onto the pontoon as the wind was blowing us off. John has a boat in the marina and he kindly bought us breakfast and showed us the beautiful surrounding area which has some stunning scenery. Thank you John.

It was a brilliant traditional wedding by the way and great meeting cousins and 2nd cousins. Next leg is some short coast hops with John Snr up to Achill in a few weeks time.

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I am currently writing this cooped up on board as it is lashing down in Kilronan, Inishmore (the largest Aran Island) and we can’t get to the pub in this rain.

We left Dingle on Monday 6th June after refuelling on the fishing pier. We were lucky to get fuel as it was a bank holiday in Ireland and it was only because a French trawler needed filling that we could get filled as well. Otherwise it was several trips to the local fuel station with a couple of drums kindly leant by the marina staff. The weather was cold and wet as we motor sailed to the Blasket Islands. We anchored off a beautiful beach and dinghied in to see the seals and the deserted village. The sun came out and turned this part of Ireland into the Caribbean for a couple of hours. Ireland has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world if only it could get the weather!

We up anchored and headed for Brandon bay passing Brandon creek where St Brendan the navigator left in the 9th century with 16 monks to search for the garden of Eden. We anchored off Brandon pier and dinghied in to Murphy’s bar which was just beside the pier. A turf fire, Guinness and some Irish music while we watched St Christopher at anchor made the day

We woke to a beautiful sunrise over the mountains and headed for the Aran islands. We had planned to anchor in Kilkee, Co Clare Tuesday night, but the forecast was for strong winds from the West and we would have had an uncomfortable night at anchor, so we pressed on. Pat cooked a curry and we enjoyed with pints of Sparta from the Haymakers, John Snrs preferred local.

There are force 7 winds tonight and tomorrow so we’re seeking refuge in Kilronan alongside the fishing pier. We will probably stay on the island until the depression blows through so may get a chance to visit Dún Aonghasa https://heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/dun-aonghasa/.

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We flew into cork, got on board and sailed down Bantry Bay heading for Castletownbere, Beara pensinsula, West Cork. We hoped to meet some of our cousins who grew up in Adrigole but weren’t sure where we would get a berth for the night. Castletownbere is very much a fishing port and leisure craft take very much second place. It could have meant anchoring in the harbour which would have meant a dodgy dinghy ride for John Snr. However, we struck lucky and got a great berth on a pontoon though I’m not sure we should have been on it.

A quick pint in Mc Carthys and then a great catchup with cousins over a meal. Thanks to Sadie, Liz and PJ for your hospitality and advice it was great to catch up.

We woke to a grey and cold morning and fuzzy heads, we never learn! The sea was very lumpy and the wind on the nose, as we motored towards Dursey Head. I saw Pat take the bucket out of a locker so knew somebody wasn’t feeling too well. We originally planned to go round the head but talking to PJ the night before decided to take his advice and go through the gap between Dursey Island and the mainland. Power cables and a cable car cross this gap so a quick check on our mast height was needed. We approached the gap when John Snr saw someone waving on the shore. Was it that the mast was too high for the cables and we were going to hit!

We passed under with a couple of metres to spare and then realised it was Liz and PJ waving us off.

We got the sails up and even though raining enjoyed a beam reach with the Atlantic swell lifting us easily. We decided against Derrynane as the swell was running straight into the entrance, and the pilot book says enter only in settled weather. It was also obvious John Snr needed a decent nights sleep in a hotel and the wind was also forecast to go into the NW. This would mean a beat into the swell in the morning, so we headed for Valentia Island sometimes reaching 7.5 kts in 20 Kt winds. The rain disappeared, the sun came out and we had a cracking sail past the Skelligs. The Skelligs are home to a wealth of birdlife and Pat was desperate to see a Puffin. We saw small flocks of them sitting on the sea and then taking off as we came near.

The Skelligs is also where Luke Skywalker’s Island Sanctuary on the planet Ahch-To was filmed in both Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. 

We bore away for Valentia Island and raced into the harbour with another yacht, the first we’d seen sailing since Falmouth. Knightstown marina was empty and had huge long great pontoons where a marina was to be constructed but lay unfinished. No water or electric, but free to stay. John Snr stayed in the Royal Valentia overlooking the harbour and got his well deserved rest.

A very grey and rainy morning changed to sunny intervals and rain showers as we beat across Dingle Bay with the wind in the NW. We were heading for Ventry Bay where we hoped to meet John, Annie and Ronan as a surprise for John Snr. We were going to anchor off and dinghy in, but thought we would see if we could get on the end of the pier to avoid the dinghy ride for John Snr. Pat carefully edged up in 17-20 kt winds not making it easy, and we moored in 2.8m depth. The tide was dropping, so a quick calculation on how long we could stay before it getting too shallow to get away, meant it would be a quick visit to the pub. The pub in question was Paidi O Se’s situated in the heart of one of Ireland’s only Gaelic (Irish) speaking areas it is a true icon of what Ireland is about. There is a great sense of tradition in the pub, not only from the point of view of sports, but also famous political figures, movie stars and other celebrities that have been to visit the pub such as Tom Cruise.

We left Ventry for a short sail to Dingle Marina where we would leave the boat for a few weeks. Dingle has great memories for me as we had many a family holiday in the area visiting relatives, Inch beach, rock climbing and Sea Kayaking in the area and of course Fungie the Dolphin. Many a time was spent looking out over the marina thinking how great it would be to sail there one day.

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We left Falmouth at 6am on Tues 3rd May 22. Weather was cold and grey with very little wind, so we motor sailed most of the way to the Scillies. Dolphins made another appearance, firstly a mother and baby then a pod of 5. The sun came out and the Scillies appeared on the bow. We moored up against the quay where we would take the ground later that night. I should explain that St Christopher has a lifting keel which when up means we can float in just 0.8m. It also means we can sit upright on the sea bed when the tide goes out, compared to fixed keel yachts that would fall over on to their side.

We left the Scillies in cold and grey weather. The forecast was for South Westerly winds which would have been great for a sail to Ireland, however they turned into North Westerly which means it was right ‘on the nose’. It couldn’t have been a worse wind direction and it stayed in the NW for the whole journey.

Pat tried out a new one pot dish for cooking when it’s a bit rough, and it was delicious.

The Celtic Sea is quiet regards shipping meaning there wasn’t a lot to do but eat, drink and read. Gannets appeared, diving on fish and the evening sun appeared.

It was a long cold night but at least the stars were out. 2 hours on watch and 2 hours off to try and get some sleep. Day broke, the sea calmed a bit and land appeared! As we approached Cape Clear Island we spotted some basking sharks slowly swimming by and could see the famous Fastnet rock in the distance. We also flew the Quarantine flag (yellow) as required before you check in to another country. Leaving the UK meant form filling as the UK is no longer part of the EU, and entering Ireland we simply had to report to the local harbourmaster before stepping foot on land.

We entered Cape Clear Island’s North Harbour and tied up. It is the southernmost inhabited part of Ireland and has a population of 147 people. Although tired from the night crossing and very little sleep it was a quick wash down of the boat and a walk up the hill to Ciaran Danny Mike’s pub. Unbelievably they were filming on the Island that day and we were asked if we wanted to be extras! Because it is a Gaeltacht region where the Gaelic language is still spoken the film was partly in Gaelic and English. We had no speaking parts thank god.

I took some drone footage of the boat in the harbour and you can see the fastnet in the distance

https://youtu.be/PUVmjDwVqSs

Next morning with thick heads it was a good sail to Crookhaven and around Mizen Head, Irelands most South Westerly point. Into Bantry bay with Dolphins for company where we tied up in Bantry Marina where we leave the boat for a couple of weeks before returning with John Snr for some day sails up to Dingle.

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After a long passage from the Isle of Wight we have arrived in Falmouth. Jason couldn’t meet us for a quick pint before leaving, he must be working hard! We slipped lines at 12:30 where I completely forgot to think what the tide and wind was doing, so we nearly ended up crashing into another boat and pontoon. Disaster averted, we motored into the Solent where we motored all the way to the Needles as the wind was on our bow. For the non sailors….. you can’t sail directly into the wind you have to sail at a slight angle in a zig zag meaning it takes longer. The tide was with us meaning even though we were travelling 5 knots through the water, we were actually doing 10 knots over the ground. Of course roughly every six hours the tide turns and it would be against us later. We got the sails up as the wind went into the North and enjoyed a great sail through the night past Portland Bill and Salcombe, 2 hours on and off watch for each of us, although sleep was difficult. The wind got up to 25 knots, so we reefed down (reduced sail area) which meant it was a much more comfortable ride. AIS which I mentioned in a previous blog is invaluable as the night was pitch black due to cloud and there was a fair amount of shipping to avoid. We’d rang ahead to Falmouth for a berth but options for leaving the boat unattended were limited meaning the only option was a swinging mooring. We picked up the mooring from the stern as impossible to reach from the bow, and swung round to leave the boat for a couple of weeks. Now we wait for crew and weather to suit, before sailing for the Scillies and then Ireland, home of our forefathers.

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