“To desire nothing beyond what you have is surely happiness. Aboard a boat, it is frequently possible to achieve just that. That is why sailing is a way of life, one of the finest of lives.”
Carlton Mitchell
It was with great anticipation that we sailed the 900-mile stretch from the Azores to the country of Ireland. We arrived in 6 days. The wind was strong the entire time, but our boat seemed to love the brisk breeze blowing just off her stern. Unbelievably smooth through even large waves, we were shocked at our speed. We would sometime see speeds over 9 knots and just marvel that despite heavy winds and waves, our boat had found her groove. And for me personally – I really enjoyed the passage. That was a huge breakthrough!
Our first glimpse of land resembled a chalk drawing of the shore, barely discernible against a gray, hazy horizon. The channel we had to navigate to get into the large harbor of Southern Ireland had a narrow, cliff-lined channel with a fierce current which would be flowing against us. As we approached, evening chasing us, we pulled in everything but the mainsail and set our 77 horsepower engine into action. Waves crashed against the shores around us and rain pelted us. It was a less than welcoming entrance into the European mainland.
We had a few hours until dark to get to the harbor, Bear Island, where we could anchor as our port of entry was too far to make by nightfall. Exhausted from our passage, we set the anchor just before dusk. I threw together a quick dinner and we raised our glasses to a toast. Many people think of our lives as lucky, adventurous, fortunate – and all these things they are. However, selling everything you own, leaving friends and family, enduring through boat breakages, horrible sea conditions, illnesses, fatigue, and long ocean passages, is more a testimony to endurance and perseverance. The fact that we finally made it to the UK, overcame all our hardships and setbacks, sailed our little boat all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, and still loved each other, well, that was worth a good toast. It was a rather magical and monumental moment.
Early the following morning, we raised anchor and sailed into Bantry, Ireland. Each time we enter a new country, we have to research entry requirements and adhere to them in order to be compliant with the immigration procedures. This is still new to us and as each country can vary vastly with procedures, we try to get everything right. Unfortunately, while we knew we could check into Bantry, the specifics of getting there were a little sketchy. The tiny Bantry marina was narrow, looked full, and had no channel markers for the entrance.
We spied a finger pier just beside the entrance to the harbor and decided to tie up to it rather than navigate the unknown. As is quite common on entering a dock, sailors from another boat there rushed to greet us and help secure our lines. After we tied up to our satisfaction, we got to chat with the other sailors. I had the idea that lots of American boats must come through this part of Ireland and enter at Bantry before they move along the coast. We were met with awe by the Irish sailors when they learned we had crossed the Atlantic to reach Ireland. We felt a bit like celebrities as we were warmly welcomed and praised for our accomplishment. This became a pleasant, reoccurring theme as we moved through the harbors of Ireland.
Bantry had a wonderful and inexpensive grocery store very close to the dock. It also had a movie theater (rare treat for us), lots of paths and bike trails, and of course, wonderful pubs. We thought we might never leave. If I have learned one lesson about this lifestyle we have chosen, it is that you might as well throw all timelines out the window. These are some of the culprits:
1. Infatuation: You arrive at a new port, you love it, you don’t want to leave so you make excuses to stay.
2. Inclement weather: Even if you are ready to leave, the weather may have different ideas so you are forced to stay until you have a decent weather window (aka more pub time).
3. Brain fog: When you live on a boat, you have no idea the day or date. You happen to glance at a calendar and realize you have already been in a harbor for 5 days when you only meant to stay for 3.
4. Party opportunity: You finally force a drop-dead date to pull out and you realize there is a festival, market, or event taking place over the weekend and it’s only mid-week. Ooops, you now have to stay for the weekend.
After exploring Bantry and the nearby historic island of Whiddy, Dan put together a loose agenda of harbors to proceed to along the coast. Each would be only a few hours or day-sail making a relaxing path along the southern coast. Even though we love our harbor visits and explorations, when we finally cast off the lines, as the sails unfurl like an eager bird taking flight, there is an overwhelming feeling of peace and joy. As the wind-driven boat surges forward, past new coastlines, enraptured with the spectacular views, nestled in our cozy cockpit with our floating home surrounding us, we are most at peace with our journey.
Our second stop was the sleepy little town of Crookhaven. Our tradition after we set the anchor is to take the dinghy to shore and explore the new surroundings. We took our walkabout but there wasn’t much to discover close to town and the roads were too daunting and narrow to even think about biking. After visiting the pub and heading back to our boat, we decided to move along to the next town first thing in the morning. Thus the beauty of flexible timelines – a town doesn’t float your boat – move along.
The moment we entered Baltimore, we fell in love. A large castle adorned the town’s skyline and a lively Irish band was playing music in the town square. Being one of the last weekends of summer, and sailing regattas taking place, Baltimore was a buzz of excitement. Our USA jackets drew attention and lots of people stopped and talked to us about our journey. A wonderful local lady, Kristine, immediately offered to drive us anywhere in the area we needed to go since we didn’t have a car. She went so far as to meet us in the next town up the river and take us to the chandlery (boat supply store) and food shopping.
One of our favorite places to visit in Baltimore was Dun na Sead Castle which presented a pirate exhibition. In the past, we have had some education about the pirates of Caribbean countries, but in Baltimore, we learned some of the history of the pirates in Ireland. The castle had been in ruins and was purchased and restored by a family who also lives in the castle. Of course, I had to strike up a conversation with the owner who came from a sailing family. We shared sailing stories and he graciously spent time filling us in on intriguing facts about the castle and telling us details about the pirates who lived there.
His wife completed her doctorate in history and researched the castle’s history, uncovering hidden facts and buried stories. Built in 1215, the O’Driscoll clan lived in Dun na Sead for 300 years making the castle a home for trading as well as piracy. Several attacks were made on the fortress and in 1631 pirates from Algiers attacked and took over 100 captives from Baltimore and sold them into a life of slavery in Africa. In 1649 the castle was used as a garrison for Cromwellian troops. It then fell into decline before being restored in 1997.
We visited several more interesting ruins and sites during our stay in Baltimore. Once completed, we made our way up the coast to Castletownshend. This picturesque harbor included a castle of its own, made into a bed and breakfast. The town itself is basically one narrow road lined with a couple of pubs and small stores. At the top of the hill on the outskirts of town is the remains of a castle-like dwelling dating back to 500 AD.
Dan and I hiked up to the ruins. We were fortunate enough to arrive just as a 
sightseeing tour guide was discussing the history of the ruins. We learned about the family of archaeologists responsible for uncovering some of the most famous discoveries in Ireland, including this find. The “castles” from the early ages were more fortified rings of stone with small dwellings inside. Many of them had subterranean components for storing food and creating warmer shelters in winter. The stone walls surrounding the dwelling kept out predators such as wolves, and livestock was brought inside the walls at night. Human predators were also thought to be a threat as livestock was pilfered by warring clans. Only those people with great resources were able to build fortifications of this magnitude in that era, so these were the first dwellings referred to as castles.
After a couple of days enjoying the intriguing shoreline of Castletownshend, we had a long day sail to get to Kinsale. As per my usual routine, once we set sail, I put out the fishing lines. We had yet to catch any fish either on our passage to Europe or since we had been there. I was determined. The problem occurred as we entered the new and unfamiliar harbor, got distracted with where we needed to go, and forgot to reel in the lines. A strong current surged past the boat as we maneuvered into place to set the anchor. Suddenly, Dan shouted and I realized the mistake we had made not reeling in the lines. One had tangled with the dinghy, the other disappeared under the boat, obviously caught in our propeller. We had no choice but to drop the anchor and then deal with the situation.
The children of Ireland have no problem with the temperature of the ocean surrounding their island. We watched, at every harbor, while children of all ages jumped joyfully from docks and shorelines into the icy water without hesitation. Perhaps spending the last two winters in the Caribbean has softened us, but neither of us has even contemplated swimming in Ireland. Unfortunately, Dan did not have a choice when our line became tangled in the prop. Not only did he have to contend with the cold water, but the current would surely rip him past the boat in a heartbeat if he was not securely tethered.
First Dan tried free diving to solve the problem. The water was too opaque, the current too swift, for him to complete the task. Out came the scuba gear. In about ten minutes, Dan was able to dive under the boat while holding securely to a line from the boat and cut free the mess of line. One more fishing lure down, he emerged shaking uncontrollably from his brief time underwater. He was able to take a nice, hot shower before we decided to pull up anchor and move to a public mooring. Our anchor was not secure and we knew we were in danger if we stayed in that location.
Kinsale had its own set of interesting sites and quaint pubs. It also contained our favorite site to date, Fort Charles. Biking several miles, mostly uphill, we made our way to tour the fortress. This was by far the largest fort we had ever visited and many of the buildings had been meticulously restored. We went on a guided tour which revealed the details of the fort’s history. While built to protect the harbor, the fort was only ever attacked by land. The one and only attack was successful. This was due to the fact that one of the 10,000 soldiers in the offensive army was also one of the individuals that did a survey on the fort while in the building process. He made his report and suggested that the wall facing land was weak and needed to be reinforced.
Not heeding this suggestion, the king completed the fort and ignored the warnings. When civil war took place several years later, the surveyor was part of the attacking army. He revealed his secret to his commander. Cannons blasted 8 cannonballs an hour at the weakened wall. In three days, the defending army of 1,200 men surrendered. The fort never saw another battle.
Cork houses the world’s oldest yacht club. Of course we had to stop for a visit. The Cork Royal Yacht club is getting ready to celebrate its 300th-anniversary next summer. We tied up to the dock and did our sightseeing. We met fellow members of the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) David and Trudy. They kindly made recommendations for our journey through the UK as they had been there already. We did some sightseeing together, feasted on fish and chips, and listened to some local bands. It’s so great to meet people around the world you can instantly make a connection with, through this wonderful and helpful club.
Each town we visited was filled with history, incredible architecture, and stories dating back thousands of years. Waterford was no exception. A very long day sail along the coast, then several miles up a river took us to Waterford. (I did not fish and Dan said my fishing in cold water days are over.) A gorgeous town, the oldest in Ireland, it was first settled by Vikings. We were enthralled with the Viking exhibitions, cathedrals, and the world-renown Waterford Crystal Factory. We took the tour and marveled at the craftsmanship Waterford has fostered throughout its incredible history. Waterford is definitely a town worth visiting if you have the good fortune to visit Ireland.
Our fist sad event happened in Waterford. Our bikes were parting gifts to us from our children. They are our transportation to get food, visit new places, and represent our freedom when we reach land. We left our bikes in a locked biked rack just outside the marina gate. Unfortunately, we did not take them in after leaving them locked through a rainy day and night. The next morning when we arose, our bikes, as well as four others in the bike rack, were gone. Our hearts were broken. Being on a tight budget with no income, we can’t just spend the money to replace these specialized marine bikes. They are collapsible, made of aluminum so they won’t rust and have special features to fit our storage issues.
We did report the theft to the local police who were very kind but not hopeful the bikes would be retrieved. With heavy hearts we completed our visit on foot, not able to take the many trails and paths we would have if we had our bikes. Lesson learned, that even incredible towns have their delinquents and we need to be more protective and careful of our possessions. The dockmaster was so kind and concerned for us that as we left, he waived all the charges for docking during our week-long visit.
Everyone’s kindness and concern are greatly appreciated. A friend of ours set up a Go Fund Me to help us get together enough funds to buy new bikes. We send our love and heartfelt thanks for everyone who has contributed toward us getting back our mobility.
From Waterford, we made the trip back down the river to a harbor at the coastline. From there, we sailed a 13-hour day to Wales. Our ventures in the EU continue. We feel blessed to have made it this far, we are very excited to be here, and we are looking forward to all the new places and sights. We love sharing our journey and hope you enjoy learning about new places as much as we do! We absolutely loved Ireland and enjoyed every rare and beautiful bit of scenery, the incredible history, and fascinating people.
Fair Winds,
Dan and Alison
S/V Equus
FYI: We have almost completed the promo for our very first Video Blog! Stay tuned to be one of the first to see the adventures of Equus.