Tue 5 June (Arklow to Dun Laoghaire) Left at 0900 to catch 5 hrs of good tide, and again motored all day. No sea creatures, but two tall ships passed by us before Dublin Bay.We couldn't get close enough to either to read a name, but both were under staysails and slowly making way downwind to the S. The last part of this passage is an interesting one, with the choice of going round Dalkey Island (very long), inside the Island with powerful tidal eddies, or betwee...

Monday 4 June (Kilmore Quay to Arklow) A long day's motor (again), leaving at 0600, to round the SE corner of Ireland. The real SE-most point is Tuskar Rock, but there are several well-tested inside passages which save a couple of hours travelling.The first Is almost immediately after leaving Kilmore Quay, and is St Patrick's Bridge, a channel about 300 metres wide inside the Saltee Islands, with only 2.4m under the keel at MLWS. It is well marked though, and ea...

Sunday 3 June (Kilmore Quay) Kate left as planned at 0500, and we got under way at 0640 on the ebb in the river, to catch some good east-going tide for the 33 miles to Kilmore Quay. The day was still and drizzly, and there was a gentle swell in the sea. Kilmore Quay has a tricky entrance, avoiding the aptly named Forlorn Rock, then following leading lights to a tight entrance into the small commercial fishing harbour with a little marina tucked into one corner.T...

Saturday 2 June (Waterford) Difficult to wake the girls this morning, which is surprising as I was the one with the thick head! A late start then, and off to the Three Shippes for a good mixed grill for brunch and to watch the Springboks again hammer England (55-22). The girls went shopping and I visited the Granary, the Museum of Waterford. This had excellent displays relating the history of the various invasions (Viking, Norman, Anglo-Saxon) of Ireland.In the ...

Friday 1 June (Waterford) After showers in the Tower Hotel we had to move the boat to a visitors berth.This proved to be a very difficult manoeuvre as we had an ebb tide of nearly 3k and a headwind, and it took three worrying goes to get into a secure alongside berth. Old friends Gordon and Hazel Watson came aboard and took us to their home in Millstown for coffee and then to Waterford Crystal for lunch and the tour of the factory. They picked us up again in th...