Monday 20 September 2010

Day Nineteen to Twenty-one : Across the Celtic Sea

After a morning of rain, the skies finally clear. We decide to set off for Falmouth tonight as there appears to be a weather window for the next 36 hours before more gales kick in.

This means a trip in the dinghy over to Castletownshend to reprovision for the passage from the only store in town. Chicken salad wraps and ham and cheese sandwiches are prepared for the crossing and after these are done, there's not a lot left to do but wait until it's time to depart in the evening.

Dinner before we weigh anchor, is a store cupboard stand-by of wild mushroom risotto.

Then, it's time to depart and once out of the shelter of the harbour, the sea is still moderate to rough after the storms the previous evening. After a bumpy start, the swell subsides further out in the Celtic Sea and we make good progress, hitting the tidal gates for Land's End and the Lizard spot on.

We arrive in Falmouth 38 hours and 210 NM later and the sun is shining! After the first hot shower in what seems like days, I check the ship's stores and write a new shopping list for the crew to do a quick shop. Barrie and Nicola return with a lobster, some crayfish tails and some hand-dived scallops from Arwanack's. The lobster is already cooked, so is served as a starter with salad - delicious! For the main course, the crayfish and sauted scallops are combined with a little vegetable stock and white wine then served with linguine. What a treat!

Day Eighteen : Sherkin Island to Castletownshend

Today, the plan is to sail about 25 NM from Sherkin Island (see photo) to Castletownshend with the LSC yachts, drop anchor and have dinner at Mary Ann's. However, the wind is light and right on the nose. Despite tacking at regular intervals, we make no progress so eventually give in and switch the engine on - the coastline is very rocky so this is for safety reasons.

As we approach the entrance to Castletownshend, the rain lashes down again and the wind starts to blow up. Everyone decides that is now too rough to launch the dinghies to go ashore, so the evening at Mary Ann's is cancelled. Instead, we have sausage, baked beans and new potatoes at anchor.

Now, we need to decide if we press on towards Kinsale or head across the Celtic Sea towards Falmouth tomorrow - weather permitting.

Friday 10 September 2010

Day Seventeen : Around the Fastnet Rock

We don't usually eat out for breakfast but today we made an exception and walked through the country lanes to Rolfs Country House on Baltimore Hill. A change from our usual muesli on board, we had sourdough bread and a full "Irish" plate of eggs, sausages, bacon and black pudding (looked identical to a full English to me).

Then back to the quay to await the delivery of the repaired mainsail and hoping it would arrive in time for us to depart as planned. The rain gathers momentum and visibility turns quite poor as we motor out the harbour entrance and set sail for the Fastnet Rock. Frustratingly, the wind is right on the nose and as it's quite a rocky coastline, we feel it's safer to proceed with the engine on.

After Clear Island, we lose sight of land in the mist and set course for Fastnet. Last year, I raced out here in the Rolex Fastnet Race and never saw the Irish coast as the lighthouse is a mark of the course and is rounded to port before setting course for the Isles of Scilly. Thus, I hadn't realised how close the Irish Coast actually is to this famous light house. As we approached, the waves were crashing against the rock and the rain intensified. Once round the rock, we headed back towards Baltimore and did some fishing in the harbour entrance hoping to catch that elusive sea bass before heading in. 5 mackerel and 1 unidentified pollack-type fish later, we still didn't have any bass so packed up the lines and headed towards Sherkin Island.

Tonight, we were supposed to meet up with the other crews for a beach barbeque but with the weather raining stair-rods, understandably this was postponed. Instead, we gutted our 'pollack' and stuffed it with the fennel leaves (picked from the Iles of Scilly) lemon, onion and parsley before baking for 45 minutes and serving with new potatoes, carrots and white wine. There was more than enough for 4 people and it was absolutely delicious - whatever it was.

Meanwhile, in England there is a heatwave.


Day Sixteen : Baltimore

Wind and rain give way to sunshine for our lay day in Baltimore.
The mainsail is collected by courier for repair then we visit the one and only grocery store in town - Gala - and stock up with provisions from a rather limited choice. Prices for basics, such as cheese, are even more expensive than in Crosshaven and again we are left wondering how local people manage. Strangely, there is a wide selection of newspapers and magazines available in French and German as well as English but we find out later that there are well established French and German communities here.

We walk out of town, past abundant bushes of fuschias, towards the headland to get a close-up of Lot's Wife which we missed yesterday from the water. There is an amazing micro climate on the cliffs with marsh plants, such as sedges, on the top of the hills which is quite unusual. We spot some people fishing from the rocks below and wonder firstly, how they got down there and secondly, if they have caught any sea bass. So far, we haven't caught any sea bass but are hopeful that we will before our voyage is over.

Dinner tonight has been arranged at "The Lookout" so a shower is required and some fresh clothes found for the occassion. Showers are at the local pub - Jacob's Bar - and cost 3 euros a time. For this price, I'm expecting Bulgari soap and fluffy white towels, but the showers are in the store room and the tile are cracked and quite dirty. The water is hot and runs for as long as you want so at least it doesn't cut out after 3 minutes or anything. There is no Bulgari soap or fluffy white towels.

About 30 people from the Little Ship Club convene for drinks at The Lookout and we all enjoy a decent meal. Despite consuming a large quantity to fish over the past few weeks, I go for the salmon and mackerel salad to start, followed by the local cod.

Day Fifteen : Glandore to Baltimore

Gale warnings are given over the radio so we depart Glandore before the weather closes in. It's only 17 NM to Baltimore, so we should get in before the gales hit this area. Forty-five minutes out of Glandore, the visibility deteriorates so we stay well offshore to avoid the numerous rocks which pepper this coastline.

The entrance to Baltimore is tricky to spot as the cloudbase is right over the cliffs. It should be really easy as there is a massive white day mark - "Lot's Wife" - on the eastern side of the approach (see photo). However, today it was hidden and therefore no use whatsoever.

As we wiggled through the entrance, swarms of kids in dinghies were zipping about - oblivious to the rain and having lots of fun. Baltimore is a major sailing centre and there are several schools here which run summer camps for children. After managing to avoid mowing down several of the Lasers, we found our way to the town quay and rafted up in the pouring rain.

The key objective now was to get the mainsail repaired. Bizarrely, there are no sailmakers in Baltimore and we eventually found one in Goleen some 20 NM away who would pick up the sail and repair it.

Tonight we eat ashore at the Jolie Brise Restaurant. I chose the local Galley Head prawns which were absolutely tasteless as they were practically still frozen. At the other end of the scale, the white wine we ordered had not been chilled so had to be sent back. Verdict: avoid.

PS: photo above of Lot's Wife was taken the next day when it wasn't raining.

Day Fourteen : Crosshaven to Glandore

Finally, we cast off and leave Crosshaven towards Glandore. The scenery is stunning as we sail westwards passing Daunt Rock and Galley Head. It's still quite blustery and on the final approach to Glandore, the mainsail rips. Fortunately, it's near the foot so we reef down and carry on.

After 9 hours sailing, we pick our way through the tricky approaches, leaving 'Eve' to port and 'The Dangers' to starboard. It's very shallow in places and the anchorage at Union Pier is quite crowded but we find a suitable spot to drop the hook. Afternoon tea is taken somewhat later than usual - at 1830 - on account of the earlier bumpy passage. Out come the fishing lines and the catch of the day is 1 mackerel and several small crabs which are returned to the water.

Dinner tonight is chorizo with butter beans and a little rice. This is very quick to do - about 20 minutes.

Day Thirteen : Still in Crosshaven

We're still in Crosshaven as the forecast for sailing to Kinsale isn't looking very good. Another day in Crosshaven means we'll have to skip Kinsale, which is a pity as this town is considered to be the gastronomic captial of County Cork, and go on to Glandore.

So instead of sampling a Kinsale restaurant, we have Sunday dinner on board with all the trimmings using the lamb chops bought yesterday from Kidney's. I make roast potatoes for the first time on a boat much to the delight of the crew. Served with carrots, broccoli and red wine gravy, our dinner goes down a treat.

Monday 6 September 2010

Day Twelve : Crosshaven, Ireland

Today, we focus on provisioning as this is the last chance before heading westwards. First, we visit Crosshaven Farmers Market in the Village Square which is held on Saturdays, 10am – 2pm. Here, we sample local cheeses at Cheese Please and buy a good selection. We chose St Killian - a Camembert style cheese - for lunch today as it's quite ripe and may not survive subsequent days' sailing. As a 'keeper', we go for Mount Callan - a traditional mature Cheddar - which we think may stay the course, except it's so delicious, it may disappear quite quickly. Wicklow Blue - a mild, creamy blue-veined cheese - has to be tried and we're intrigued by the venison salami so we have to have some of that too.

Next, we call in at the local butcher who - believe it or not - is called Kidneys.
Shopping here is the total antithesis of buying meat in sterile plastic packaging from supermarkets. It involves a lot of chat, careful selection from the meats is on offer and waiting patiently while it's all prepared. We opt for a rack of lamb, which is converted into chops, and a dozen rashers of bacon. Everything is wrapped in greaseproof paper and then we're relieved of rather a lot of Euros - quality does not come cheaply in this part of the world! We're left wondering how local people can afford to buy their groceries. It's not just the Sterling-Euro exchange rate - these prices are genuinely steep! Still, the only competition is the local supermarket and we wanted to give Kidneys a try.

After a marvelous lunch aboard in the sunshine, two of our intrepid crew are dispatched to Lidl's in the afternoon to do the provisioning of the dry goods. Here, the prices were rather more reasonable and goodies included brioche with creme patisiere.

Once everything has been stowed, we smarten up for dinner at the Royal Cork Yacht Club which is the oldest yacht club in the world. I enjoyed a silky vegetable soup followed by pan-fried salmon with a plate of 3 desserts to finish. Yummy!

Day Eleven : Crosshaven, Ireland

Another lay day in Crosshaven, so we take a short sail over to East Ferry on the opposite side of Cork Harbour to do some exploring.

Tonight, we enjoy a drinks party at Salve Marina. What we thought were just going to be 'nibbles' turned out to be almost a full-scale buffet prepared by the owner's daughter. It was hard to resist homemade delights such as smoked salmon on soda bread, delicious cocktail sausages coated in barbeque sauce and bit-sized vol-au-vents. This didn't leave a lot of room for dinner, but we valiantly made our way to a local pub which many had said had a good reputation for fish. We managed to bag a table and ordered the ' turbot' which seemed very reasonably priced. When the plates were served, we were somewhat mystified by the fish on the plate which looked more like a small plaice than a turbot. Nonetheless, whatever had ended up at our table was delicious and the hand-cut potato wedges were a great alternative to deep-fried chips.

Day Ten : Crosshaven, Ireland

Today is a lay day and we meet up with other crews from the Little Ship Club to visit the gardens at Lisselan in Clonakilty. As well as rare trees, the spectacular rock garden and the extensive Rhododendron garden, the Fuschia Gardens are a particular highlight. We were given access to the walled fruit and vegetable gardens and invited to pick strawberries and raspberries from the bushes.

Then it was time for afternoon tea on the terrace with sandwiches, fairy cakes and homemade scones with strawbery jam from the estate.

After such substantial fare, we opt for a Mexican themed supper on board of freshly prepared guacamole with red bean and red pepper salad.

Day Nine : Crosshaven, Ireland

We arrive in Crosshaven 24 hours after leaving Isles of Scilly. After a much needed shower in the Royal Cork Yacht Club, our safe arrival is celebrated with a drink at the bar. Appetites for the Celtic Sea crossing were not voracious and the pre-cooked sausages from yesterday have been untouched. So tonight, bangers and mash with onion gravy are on the menu.

As dinner is concluded, the wind howls through the rigging and the rain lashes down. It seems we timed our passage just right!

Day Eight : Isles of Scilly to Crosshaven, Ireland

After all the preparations have been finished, we finally sit down for a hearty brunch of bacon, spinach, poached egg on an english muffin. For the passage across the Celtic Sea to Cork, sausages are prepared for a snack on the way and chicken ceasar wraps stored in tin foil so people can help themselves when on watch.

We depart New Grimsby Sound at 1400 for the 135 NM voyage. This is possibly our last weather window for a few days as strong winds are forecast by the end of tomorrow. It's a bit bumpy to start - with short, confused waves - as we leave the Isles of Scilly but the sea settles down as we get into deeper water. Although we depart in fair weather, as the day progresses we can see the weather fronts clearly defined by the clouds on the horizon.

Lots of ginger nut biscuits and dark chocolate for the ladies' watch through the night.