ETD 0730, CTS 200, 63nm
A departure a couple of hours in to the ebb tide through the narrows, a tricky navigation and I was on the charts today. Check the transits and whirlpool locations and off we go; speed building until we broke our 13kt record. But the nature of the hazards here took away the delight although the thrill remained. Past the whirlies which covered water longer than our boat and on to a transit to avoid rocky shallows. 10 to port, 10 more to port, 20 to port, until we we steering 50 degrees at the shore in order to maintain our course over ground ( a feeling of sailing sideways!) as the current pushes so hard. Out safely and relief all round, now a course for the day of 200.
Close to the shore until passing a headland, then the coast retreated westwards as we crossed a large bay. The skipper then informed that we we entering a GPS blackout and I would have to navigate electronically blind! The next 9 hours brought the landscape to life as I searched for landmarks from which to take bearings. Three good ones (fore, aft and beam) helped locate our position on the chart ever half hour. When they're a bit iffy I could as add in our distance travelled from the speed and the course from our last fix. But these are estimates because the tide and wind also move us (as they did in the Strangford channel).
As it was I'd calculated the tide to run with us so that we could hit a slack early afternoon before, oddly, catching another southerly tide to Dublin. A fabulous speed with sailing all afternoon as the Easterly built to F4.
Past Carlingford Lough at which point we raised the courtesy Irish tricolour in crossing the border. Avoiding a fleet of 13 fishing boats we approached land again between islands en route to the sailing and fishing port of Howth.
A very narrow entry to a vast and well equipped Howth Yacht Club marina. Alongside at 1720 just as yachts were rushing out for their race night. Photo of J24's being craned in, saw them coming outta 2100. Appears to be a very significant racing club so close to Dublin.
Laundered, fish n' chips, Guiness and good night!
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