ENDURANCE 40
CLASSIC WAVE
A Yacht with Power Style & Grace
Voyages of CLASSIC WAVE 7
Ireland
Summer Cruise 2003 CRUISING COUNTY CORK
Friday 15th To Sunday 24th August 2003.
Crew Bob Skipper / Owner
Barrie
Michael
Kevan
Chris and myself picked up Barrie and Michael and drove to Manchester Airport. Chris then took the car home. Michael once again had a problem with the gas canister on his lifejacket. Despite pointing out that there is a gas canister on each lifejacket under each seat, the airline still refused to carry it on the aircraft.
On arrival at Cork a certain amount of bartering took place with the Taxi driver over the fare to take us to Kinsale. We ended up paying thirty-five Euro. None of us could remember the code for the gate at the Marina, so we waited until someone was leaving and blagged our way in. Bob was on the pontoon coming to look for us as we approached Classic Wave which was rafted up on the outside of a sixty foot charter boat. After stowing our gear on board and drinking some German beer that Bob’s European guests had kindly left on board, we made our way to a local bar which had some entertainment on. We lost Barrie on the way back, but as usual he turned up.
KINSALE to CASTLEHAVEN
The following morning we awoke to bright sunshine and light winds. We left Kinsale late morning and made our way out to sea. The tide was with us and under full sail we turned west. The weather was good and we sailed most of the way to Castlehaven where we dropped the anchor just off shore. The dinghy was launched and we made our way in to the Village of Castletownsend.
The first Pub was very food orientated and on Bob’s advice we walked up the second one. My problem was that the second pub only served Stout and Lager, no beer. I had to change my drinking habits for the evening; at least there was entertainment on
CASTLEHAVEN to SCHULL
The weather forecast proved correct and the rain woke us up the next morning. A number of showers moved through, the forecast was that these would die out as the day progressed. In between the showers we lifted the anchor and moved back out to sea. We passed through Stag Sound, which is a passage between a group of rocks and the mainland and then turned west, We made our way past Baltimore and between the Islands of Sherkin and Clear. It was raining when we navigated our way between the Long Island and Clear Island and through a small gap and entered Schull harbour. The anchor was again dropped and after a meal on board, the bright lights (I jest) of Schull called. We went ashore in the dinghy and tried out a couple of pubs. The first was quiet and the second had entertainment laid on, which comprised of two singer/ musicians. It turned in to a bit of a karioke. The end of the evening came and everyone stood up and sang the Irish National Anthem. Everywhere we had been in this part of the country, where there was live entertainment, the same had happened. At first we had thought it was just a particular singer being patriotic, it seems to happen everywhere. I can not remember a pub sing along in the UK ending with “God Save the Queen” or is it that the Irish National Anthem is a better tune.
We were awoken at seven the next morning with a knocking on the side of the hull. I was up first and a young man with a boat called “Destiny” was alongside. What immediately goes through your mind is that you are being warned that the anchor has dragged or that you are about to go aground. Not this time, he told me that our anchor was over his lobster pot line. He then went off to pick up one end of his line. I will delete Bob’s expletives, but the gist of it was “what’s he doing laying down pots in an anchorage’’. We were all up by the time he got back to us, lifting his pots. He picked up our anchor chain and after freeing it from his lines dumped it back overboard. So we did not need to get up so early anyway. I will again delete Bob’s expletives. After breakfast, a shopping trip was organised and a short time later, we were all back on board.
SCHULL to CROOKHAVEN
Lifting the Anchor we left Schull Bay and turned west along Long Island Channel and past Goat Island. We then turned south and had our first view of the Fastnet Rock and lighthouse. We continued south until we could see Crookhaven and go straight to it, without bumping in to Turf Island. We then turned northwest and it started to rain, half an hour later we were approaching Crookhaven. A visitors mooring was picked up and as it was still raining, a couple of hours sleep. A recce ashore was then planned, a pub with entertainment was sought and found, and our mooring of 8 Euro was paid.
The scouting party returned with the news and after food on board we made our way to O’Sullivans Bar. A singer/musician was the entertainment and again he ended his performance with the Irish National Anthem. We made our way back to Classic Wave and retired for the night.
CROOKHAVEN to BALTIMORE via the Fastnet
The weather had improved the following morning and the mooring was soon released for us to be on our way. All sails were hoisted before we had left the inlet. It was a pleasant sail round the outside of Clear and Sherkin Islands and then out to the Fastnet Rock, famous as the turning point for the Fastnet race. After rounding Fastnet we headed in to Baltimore harbour. On entering the harbour great care had to be taken as the place was teeming with kids in small sailing boats, which seem to come at us from every angle. There is a barge/pontoon which costs 21.75 Euro per night, being tight wads we dropped t anchor. It was soon out to the Quayside pub, which is full of nautical memorabilia
BALTIMORE to UNION HALL
The weather was again fair and we were soon out of Baltimore and sailing east. The wind was from west and fairly light. Classic Wave does not sail too well with the wind directly behind, we were moving only slowly, so Barrie and Mike took the opportunity to get some fishing in. we had earlier in the week heard the tales of the one that got away. As we passed between the Stags (Rocks) and the mainland Mike caught and Barrie managed to get it on board, a large Pollock. It was fish for our evening meal.
The usual jokes followed “Is it fresh?” and the reply “If it was any fresher it would have jumped in to the Pan” (from Monty Python if I remember correctly). The evening was spent in a quiet pub.
UNIONHALL TO COURTMCSHERRY
We awoke to find it raining with very poor visibility, we decided to stay put until lunchtime. By eleven o’clock the rain had stopped and we raised the anchor and made our way out to sea. The wind was from the west and decidedly “lumpy”. This was probably due to strong overnight winds. We turned east and the wind was directly behind us, our course was changed to move slightly further out to sea than planned, but this gave us more speed. The wind picked up and was gusting force seven. We were doing seven knots, the main was dropped and we gybed very carefully. As we entered Courtmcsherry all remaining sails were dropped and we continued on the motor. The channel is notoriously shallow and we touched bottom a couple of times, we got away with it and after picking our way through we tied up to the pontoon and rafted up to a fishing vessel. Our usual practice of a recce took place, no entertainment, so we settled on the nearest pub the Pier Head Hotel. After an evening and quite a late night with the locals, who were doing a singaround of traditional Irish music, we moved back to the boat. Some young lads were fishing of the pier as the tide-flooded in. their catch rate was phenomenal, every time they line hit the water they were pulling fish out. The mother of one of them was shouting at him from across the street to come in and go to bed. He was having far too good a time and kept telling her that he will be there in a minute.
COURTMcSHEERY TO KINSALE.
It was almost lunchtime when we left, and almost high water when we moved up channel and made our way out. The wind had eased and it was a pleasant sail around the Old Head of Kinsale and in towards Kinsale harbour. What seemed like hundreds of small boats could be seen to our South, it was the Dragon racers on the last day of their competition. As we approached the Marina, the sails were dropped and we made our way in on the motor. We had arrived a day earlier than we had originally intended as Bob had to fly to London for a family engagement. The international Dragon racing competition had been taking place all week and we watched as they returned to harbour. After the press and competitor melee had calmed the Marina manager came over and had a chat. Bob told him where everything was if they wanted to move Classic Wave. After a meal Bob caught the bus to the airport, while the rest of us visited the Yacht Club, the Kinsale Brewery and a couple of other pubs.
The following morning seemed to start slowly, it was ten o’clock before we had breakfast and then spent a couple of hours packing and tidying the boat before we left.
Kevan
Date Miles Hours
Sat 16th Kinsale to Castlehaven 25.2 8.00
Sun 17th Castlehaven to Schull 17.0 3.30
Mon 18th Schull to Crookhaven 7.0 1.30
Tue 19th Crookhaven to Baltimore 14.6 6.00
Wed 20th Baltimore to Union Hall 12.7 6.00
Thur 21st Unionhall to Courtmcsherry 23.1 4.45
Fri 22nd Courtmcsherry to Kinsale 12.7 3.00
Totals 112.3 32.45
