Carlingford Lough (pronounced: Lock). I hunkered here due some south winds coming through that made sailing southward unlikely. Very open harbour, but as I anchored close to the south shore, it was comfortable enough. Beautiful and green, but not good weather for getting ashore. Just paused a couple nights waiting for fair winds. I seem to do that a lot here up north.
A couple very nice fishermen came by a few times checking me out in the time I was there and about 10 hours before I was going to leave, came alongside and offered me a bowl of crab “toes”! Small, and I’m not sure what kind of crab they are from, but I boiled them for 4 minutes as he said, and they were very tasty (with some melted butter and garlic). A nice addition to the menu as I have not had crab claws for a long time.
A little before sunset I motored out of the Lough and headed south. Nice sailing, running downwind, but it got windier and mistier until it had soaked everything. When you are running it blows any mist or rain into the cockpit and down into the cabin. You have to keep it closed up or the salt spray will dampen and corrode everything. It’s hell on electronics. The temperature dropped and I was getting pretty cold. At night I would go below to sleep about 10 minutes at a time, and try to keep the heat from draining out of my body. I really would like a pilot house! They are not so sexy, but comfort is becoming a priority as I age!
By the morning it was getting rough enough with growing following seas that the autopilot could not handle it and would kick off. I decided to go into the marina in Arklow. Hopefully I won’t be there too long.
As I got close to shore the waves decreased dramatically but since I had already decided to go in, and was cold, wet, tired, and hungry, I went into the marina and tied up at a pontoon in the river.