Voyage Home

The weekend after coming into Kilmore Quay, it was time to take ZigZag home. We took the train to Wexford and stayed the night on board, after a few pints in a great pub up the village. The Harbour Master told us that heading East to Dublin, the best time to leave was 3 hours before high water, to take advantage of a local Easterly current, staying close to shore.

With a F 2/3 wind and a nice sea, we left the harbour at 6.15 a.m. and after clearing the safe water mark straight South from Kilmore, we headed East for Carnsore.

Thomas made a great breakfast of eggs and beans and by 9.15A.M. we were passing Black Rock.

 Passing Carnsore through a tidal, confused sea, I saw two large fins breaking the water. They were mottled grey, not black but did not get a photograph. So I've no proof !

At 9.30 we passed Fundale Bouy, doing 7.7 knots ! We had got the tide just right.

We passed Rosslare Harbour at 10.00 a.m. doing 4.5 knots and after 6 hours of great sailing later, we approached Cahore Point. Sunny, blue green sea and getting too close, we touched bottom on a sand bar just off the point. That's the beauty of bilge keelers, touch and go. Great for those without a depth-sounder !

  Windmills were everywhere, on land and at sea.

By 19.00 we were closing on Arklow. We didn't have a set goal for our destination that night, so to have reached Arklow was a good days sailing in a 21 footer.

This was the catamaran servicing the offshore windfarm, clearly visible from Arklow. Once they cleared us, they really opened up.

The harbour wall was visible from a long way off and finally the entrance. It was our first time here, so going up the river, we motored slowly upstream to check out the place and found a spot on the pontoon.

Arklow has great services, plenty of room and walking distance from the town.

Some beautiful  French boats were staying over, having come a long way to see Ireland.

We woke to Westerly gusts and left at 07.30 a.m. With 1 reef in the main, we were soon doing 5.5 knots with a North going tide. Two large French boats had sailed out ahead of us and I was glad to keep them in sight as far as Bray Head. From here, the wind gradually picked up and the sea got very lumpy from Bray onwards.

By 09.00 a.m. we were doing 6 knots towards Wicklow Head. 

We gradually closed on Muglins and Dalkey Island, which was beautifully lit as we passed through.

 Sunshine is incredible, even though it was lumpy, it looked lovely.

Crossing Dublin Bay, it was blowing 25 knots on the nose, so we motor-sailed with the Honda 5 hp and finally got to the mouth of the Liffey. We had to tack over and back across the river to make progress upstream and finally tied up at 3.30 p.m.

Little ZigZag was home. This was only our fourth sail on her but she's really proved herself.