The shallow channel bends and twists to about 3miles out to sea. With the tide coming in at 3 knots it takes quite a while to clear it. This was no problem because its such an interesting place. Seals were everywhere and waders were feeding in the shallows.Looking back at Wexford receding, there is a backdrop of hills. It is a very scenic spot.Jane emailed me to say she had google mapped Wexford and was amazed by the patterns shaped in the channels. It is strange being that far away from harbour and having the sea break so close in a line parallel to your route
As I prepared to hoist the main sail I looked down to see the metal attachment that had dropped off my topping lift yesterday to be stuck on the base of one of the shrouds. I thought I'd never see that again. What luck!
The Irish voice giving the shipping forecast spoke of a "transient ridge of high pressure" and the possible risk later of "tunder"! Even though it wasn't going to last long I was enjoying this moment of calm. I hope I'm in harbour if the tunder arrives1
Yesterday's velcofest had been a great success. I'd fixed a cooler bag to one wash board to put sail ties and loose stuff in the cockpit in. On the other I had stuck down a sleeve from my chart folios. It meant that I could now look at this and the chart plotter together. Parfait! A journey like this is a constant process of refinement. Everything will be really sorted by the time I get back.
On the radio a couple of political columnists were scoring the members of the new Irish government. Overall, they were giving out mostly 7s. I can't see that happening in England. One of them had a wonderful collection of similes as he described various politicians.
There is rhe experienced politician Dr.O'Reilly, the ex medical doctor, "who knows where the bodies are buried". Another one was not afraid of rooting out a few trees and was going to remove a whole forest as far as the public sector is concerned. Another tended to " leave a trailing foot in the tackle", which meant he was a bit of a nasty sod presumably.Lastly they described someone as being like" the Rev. Aunt Mother who has been caught in an Anne Summers shop. We need these guys on radio 4!They both agreed that they had yet to meet a politician who had been able to forget a sleight.
One thing I found amazing is that the Irish government is only just considering bringing in a charge for water! Understandably the European Government can't believe that given the state of its economy that Ireland hasn't gto a basic tax like this.
Eamon Gilmore apparently spoke to the Queen when she was over here recently. he said that one of the things they had got from England was the English language, but look what they had done with it. He listed Becket, Joyce, Heaney and others. apparently he's having to try and live that lecture to the Queen down now!
Along this part of the coast are banks running parallel to it. These funnel the tides , so there is quite a flow inside them. The south flowing tide runs for ten hours out of 12 and reaches 4 kn at springs. This makes passages a series of short hops as I go north.They have built quite a few wind farms along this coast line and on the Arklow bank there is a long one off shore. I shall see it pretty close if I'm able to carry on to Dublin tomorrow. I was tempted to try and get there today. Its tantalisingly close, but the tide was about to turn and going past Malin Head against it would take forever.
The wind went into the south and freshened to a force 4/5, so I was surfing in as I approached the narrow entrance to Arklow. This is where they built Chichester's Gypsy Moth IV, but all the ship building seems to have gone and they build shopping centres instead.
On the way in to harbour I leant onto the canopy hood a bit too heavily and broke the frame. I spoke to Simon an Englishman who had lived in Ireland since the 70s. He was working on his boat in the next berth. Between us we sorted out some bits of metal I could make a splint with. Improvising to keep going. There's a lot of satisfaction from this sort of thing a trip like this
I am doing this blog in late afternoon having had one of the tastiest ever open smoked salmon and dill sandwiches. Its good great food and wifi. It's next to Aldi if you are ever this way..
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