Tuesday

The Monday night anchorage at Lambay was a treat in terms of wildlife. To add to the porpoises and hundreds of Sheerwaters we saw enroute, the birds on Lambay are amazing: Puffins; Guillemots; Razorbills; Cormorants; Shags; Kittiwakes; and even young Peregrines. They gave us a noisy but fascinating evening.

Morning saw quite a rolling swell which encouraged an early breakfast before a brisk sail inside Lambay and Ireland's Eye to make a quick visit to Howth Marina to top up the diesel.

Away from Howth by 11:30, we planned to reach Courtown by 19:30. We passed close by Belem of Nantes, a 3 masted square rigger which looked bound for Dun Laoghaire.

Rising wind and rough seas by 17:00 forced a change of plan and a challenging entrance to Arklow. Strong Easterlies make the shore unwelcoming and the harbour entrance somewhat daunting. In our efforts to ensure a head-to-rain mooring we discovered how shallow the river becomes. Yet another little learning experience.

Two drowned rats safely tied up in Arklow and preparing to sample Martyn's skill in the Galley.