Sun Odyssey 35; Crew: 6; Miles: 127.

For a trip that involved barely an hour ashore in 6 days’ sailing, Westport to Killybegs provided more than its share of novelty and highlights.

It began at a mooring buoy in Collanmore Harbour (Westport) and finished at the end of a fishing pier in Killybegs, ruefully eyeing the new but unusable marina.

Setting out: Collanmore to Clare Island

Piloting out of Collanmore harbour was an early highlight.  It was here my (dinghy) sailing career began, but this was my first time taking a yacht through these waters.   Rosmoney pier was familiar but new, now sporting a new short-stay pontoon for loading and unloading.

I’d been delayed a day by a bronchial infection, so boat and crew were ready to go; the exception being the gas solenoid which refused to open.  I removed the solenoid from the line (but probably shouldn’t have done my own gas work) and made some other minor repairs, then we were off.

We passed close to Inis Gort lighthouse then beat towards Clare island until the 6 yellow and empty visitor moorings came into view.  A prior dinghy mishap (different crew) meant we were on a backup 2-person dinghy, so Clare Island was ‘enjoyed’ from the water.

Things turn south heading north: Clare Island to Elly Bay

A fresh southwesterly took us, reefed, to Achill Beg.  Rounding the headland we close-reached for Blacksod Bay.

The evening became calmer and cooler and the rest of the crew went below to make dinner, or maybe get warm.  Our batteries were straining to hold a charge, so we put on the engine and motorsailed with the aim of having power for a night at anchor in Blacksod.  This crew loved the fridge and never missed an opportunity to power it up, so the batteries were getting the crumbs from the alternator.

Around 2100 the beeping began.

The engine panel reported overheating.  I shut it down and called the first mate.  We tried the engine again and discovered no raw water flow.  For now we’re continuing under sail.

Next, the instruments said goodnight one at a time.  Speed and depth held on longest, until they too went dark and the only light was a glow around the compass.  The almanac had told of visitor moorings in Elly Harbour, but darkness arrived before there was any sight of them.  (We later discovered they hadn’t been laid this season).

I’d earlier put a waypoint in my handheld GPS, so in the darkness it became our sole reference point, and I avoided straying more than a cable from it.  We anchored under sail, and hung a torch from the ceiling under which to enjoy dinner.  Dinner was a bit dry by the time got to eat it.

Two of us got down to a late night disassembly of the raw water system.  With no obvious problems detected, we flushed the intake with San Pellegrino sparkling water, and on the next start the water flowed again.  An Italian solution to an Irish problem.

 

Two nights at two anchors

The forecast told of a coming storm.  Our first idea was Elly Bay, but having got a bit too close to the shallow sandy bottom some way off the beach, we learned of visitor moorings at Blacksod point and headed 4 miles south.

In the event the moorings were occupied, so we anchored behind the moored boats, laid a second 15kg rocna at a right angle, and hung off the two chains for 36 hours of continuous gale. It gave me plenty of time to think of my friend in Dublin who’d told me of the sunny, sandy, unmissable paradise of Elly bay.

 

Killala

An invigorating sail along the north coast of Mayo, via Downpatrick Head, made it worth waiting out the gale.  Navigation into Killala was via one transit leading to another, then up a channel between two submerged walls to the pier before finally getting a line around a ladder.  The fishermen already there seemed impressed we’d even attempted it.

We had a couple of hours before the tide would force us to leave.  Getting on solid ground was a novelty in itself, it being our first foot on solid ground after 4 days, and the chip van on the pier ended whatever the plans had been for dinner.  After a walk around the quiet town, we found out how many 5L bottles of water it took to refill the two tanks (64…).  The tap was unfortunately out of reach.

We called the number of a local boatman who gave specific instructions on anchoring in 7m in Bartragh Pool, just off Bartragh island, to accommodate the reversing tidal stream.  The entire crew made use of the refilled water tanks to shower on board.

For navigation challenge, scenery and idyllic peace, Killala ticked every box.

 

Ireland’s busiest fishing port

We sailed the final leg to Killybegs under the sun and the shadow of some of Europe’s most impressive cliff faces.  Killybegs’ status as the busiest commercial fishing port in Ireland becomes clear as you approach.  Dwarfed by enormous vessels all around, and feeling like children playing while the adults were trying to work, we were directed to the end of a busy commercial pier and given a very warm welcome.

Fuel was delivered by tanker, which somehow reached the boat despite the pier being cluttered with vehicles only minutes before, and a hydrant with pressure of 320l/s was turned down to a more agreeable trickle to fill our water tanks.  The tidal range of 3.8m was ours to deal with, which we did, until we reluctantly handed the boat off to the incoming crew.