Southbound

10-11Aug13

Head south was the decision. We slipped our buoy at 07h00 and restrained ourselves from ramming the skipper on an adjacent boat who had started his backup generator at 21h00 promising us a good night's sleep!

Our destination Ballycastle on the north shore of Northern Ireland. A tedious journey during which the wind never delivered more than just a few knots and we had to drive across a building Atlantic swell. Crossing the busy shipping lane in the narrow channel between Ireland and Scotland we were on our guard…but for what? it was empty but for a couple of yachts heading for the same destination. The tides around Rathlin Island, just north of Ballycastle, were quite an experience even at their least dramatic during slack water – 2-3kts swirling all around us, SOG between 3 and 7 something in a matter of metres. It was quite a squeeze coming in and the Harbour Master will have his work cut out next week with 25 boats coming in for a rally.

Only 15 miles from Scotland but what a difference, steeped in history from the Vikings to Robbie Burns to Marconi with a landscape a lot kinder and more rural. Hello, Ireland.