BLUEMOMENT

Just spoke to the Daring Duo.

They arrived in Howth ( North of Dublin Bay) at 1030 Local time, after an early morning start from Wicklow. Highlights of the voyage included avoiding the rush hour traffic of fast and slow ferries.

They aim to leave tomorrow for Ardglass (N Ireland) with a reasonable forecast.

Nigel.

Have managed to blag a WiFI connection here and have uploaded the last couple of days' blog . . .

Forecast for tomorrow is W/NW 3-4 with possible rain, drizzle, mist, fog and thunderstorms!! but hopefully better in the N . . . we will be leaving here at dawn again to get to Ardglass at a reasonable time. Tide is not so important over this section as it is slack between Rockabill and St. John's Point (just S. of Ardglass) - but we are leaving just after LW Howth so should catch the tide as far as Rockabill. It seems better to do it that way and take a little bit of (not very strong) adverse tide from St John's Point to Ardglass.

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- Nick

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So that is similar to a BTOpenzone hotspot but the Irish version of it!!!!!

eddie

Free internet access is a double edged sword . . . .

Just looked at the GRIB files - current predictions are showing that in about three days time a depression of 979MB (insanely low for the time of year) becomes centred over Ireland giving winds up to 45 knots (Beaufort F9, severe gale) up the Irish Sea - and ridiculous amounts of rainfall of course.

The weather is still so unsettled that we cannot see more than a day ahead, so it would be best if people didn't make too many plans re. our arrival next weekend . . . having come this far we are not prepared to take extravagant risks just to get home for a party, although it would be very frustrating to get stuck in N. Ireland for a week, just two or three days sailing from home.

Maybe we should just have left the boat in the Canaries . . .

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- Nick

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But I've already booked the pipe band and the fireworks, and Chookie Embra and his missus are going to be really hacked off if there is nobody here to knight.....

Take your time, the T&T is open all week, with bunting at the ready whenever you get here.

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Tim

Daring duo are not so daring today.

Forecast is for pouring rain all day and the UK met office is giving out a strong wind warning for Carlingford Loch. GRIBS show F6 early evening off Ardglass just as we would arrive, when there would be wind over tide near St. John's head. The forecast is different each time it is given and the GRIBS change every six hours. After having a F6-7 off WIcklow Head on Thursday when F4 was the maximum predicted we just don't trust forecasts any more.

We have decided to stay put for today and see what tomorrow brings, although it is probably over-cautious. I just don't want to take risks now we are almost home, although Kathy is very keen to get moving.

At the moment it looks as though tomorrow might at least be drier - but once again for tomorrow the forecasts are all different, with Met Eireann giving moderate to fresh NW winds and the Met Office giving West or northwest, backing southwest for a time, 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7.

Problem is it is 55 miles to Ardglass from here, with nowhere else to go on the way. Continuing North against the tide with strong wind over tide and then having to go through Donaghadee Sound in the dark is not an appealing option.

We are sick of looking at weather . . . utterly fed up with it. It will be a big relief to be able to say 'we are going into Oban today' and just get in the car without having to look at three different weather forecasts. Still, it has been worse for those of you who have had to put up with this weather for months. In the meantime it is impossible to predict when we will get back as there is no sign of any stable weather pattern becoming established at any point.

We will probably have to move berths today anyway as this berth was only available for one night . . . . we will see what the office say when they open.

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- Nick

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