The Royal Cork Yacht club is the oldest yacht club in the world. Barra spent a total of three weeks at the club while I was home and Eric traveled around Ireland. When I arrived back on Barra I found Eric deeply entrenched in the local IRC fleet racing on a great X 334 named Ellia. Owned and skippered by one of the nicest people we have met in all our travels Ria Lyden. Eric trimmed spinnaker for her for two weekend events and two Thursday nights, the first of which Ellia took top honors and won a Heineken mini keg. Through Ria Rob and I were able to secure a ride on anther IRC yacht. We too were able to finish in the top three of our class and bring home a nice trophy. All this great hospitality and good harbor racing made the waiting for a weather window bearable. Thanks as well to Andrew Murray for playing his heart out in the semifinals of the U.S. Open against first seed Raphael Nadal to move on to the finals against Roger Federer. We all enjoyed a chance to relax in front of some great tennis!

After a deep low passed we hopped out of Cork and had a great fifteen hour sprint towards the Scilly Islands. As we approached the shipping channels of the English Channel, the large high pressure moving north from the Azores left us becalmed so we finished our trip with some smooth motoring. Arriving in Brest late on Saturday, Rob left early Sunday for New York Fashion Week and will be back on Wednesday when we will start our cruising in France.

Katie Auth greeted us on the dock in Brest for she is working here at the university teaching English. Hopefully she will be able to join us for the weekend as we head south along the coast setting ourselves up for a crossing to Spain. We have already met a few boats headed in that direction. Two class 40s are headed down to Spain with charter guests and then on to Madeira and the Canaries. They too will be participating in the ARC and hopefully we will see Jan and Felix in our travels later this year.

Thank You, Scotland

Some of the best shots so far.

Sites from Barra


This one was taken leaving St Georges Harbor early in our first morning of the Transatlantic.



This picture was taken as the sun set in a small Fjord on the west coast of Irland.
El was always taking pictures with someones camera I guess she found mine.

Fastnet rock was on the horizon for a long time before we came abeam of it.

It took rob about a million photos before he was able to snag this shot!

Travels

We have since visited Scalaig, Isle of Rum, Arisaig, Tobermory and Ardfern. They have provided us with gorgeous scenery, beautiful sunsets, social interaction, a time to stretch the legs, and even window shop! We have taken a zillion photographs that I wish we could share. Our internet service is just too slow. Downloading one photo yesterday took 30 minutes, no joke, and then would not post! When we arrive in Bangor, I’ll try again.

Until then, it’s GRR…Green Right Return here!!

Isle of Barra

We spent a delightful two days and three nights in Barra exploring the island, beaches and our heritage. We visited Kisimul Castle, the Hertitage Center, The MacNeil burial ground and various coves and harbours by cycle. For 6 hours, we pumped and pumped... up, down and all around the mountain sides. The scenery was spectacular and our understanding of the island more complete when back to the boat. After reprovisioning and 6 loads of laundry, we were off and running again.

We headed north in hopes of spending the night in Eriskay, a very small island just two miles by one. The island is known for an unusual breed of pony that carried peat and seaweed. The fishing village has just two visitor moorings and room for maybe one boat to anchor. Upon arrival, only one mooring was available but unfortunately it was too close to the rocks. After three attempts at anchoring, we left for Loch Bloisdale. The wind blew upwards of 25 knots all night. We were happy to be moored! Come morning, the wind continued at a rather strong pace but with the forecast predicting it to diminish, we left for the Isle of Skye and Loch Harport. There we happened upon a mooring provided by the Talisker Distillery. The sun set at 9:30, it began to drizzle and out came a rainbow. Most of us went into the PubGrubTub for refreshments after dinner...and when there wished we had let them cook instead.

Barra Bound

There has been many a lasagna baked for various offshore ventures and I always wondered the reasoning for the repeated request. I questioned the sailors with, “Don’t you get tired of the same food, over and over again?” Now I understand! We said good-bye to Ireland at 4 am. I was up hours before wondering if in fact would we leave as the wind picked up and the rain pelted down. Another squall. So what’s new? It rains… or how aptly put by a young boy fishing on the pier just 12 hours earlier, “It always pisses here.” Thankfully though, the rain ended and the sun appeared just 4 hours from departure and now, somehow it's already dinner time. We are tired and hungry. The lasagna has been cooking for 2 hours and the aroma wafts through the cabin. The pan will soon be raided, ready or not!

Today is August 2. Today is Bruce’s father’s birthday. Soon we’ll sail in to Castlebay. As the name suggests, the bay has a castle in the middle of it, Kisimul Castle, the ancestral home of the MacNeil clan. How appropriate for us to be arriving today! Our delay was meant to be, I am sure, and wonder if Norman had something to do with itJ Bruce visited Barra in 1974 with his father. After graduating from college, they went on a two week golf tour of Scotland with a stop in Barra. Stuart graduated from college two months ago. Bruce’s great, great grandfather, Norman, was a sea captain who emigrated from Barra to Nova Scotia in 1802. There he purchased a barque named The Louisiana and sailed her around the world trading with the West Indies and various European ports. Is this sailing thing in the blood?
The Isle of Barra is small, approximately 4 miles wide by 8 miles long with a population of approximately 1300. It has sandy beaches, machair for grazing, small mountains and prehistoric ruins. The harbor was once a herring port. In the 1800's there were over 400 boats in the harbor and curing/packing facilites on shore. The castle burned down in the eighteenth century. An American and 45th chief restored the castle between 1938 and 1970. In 2000 it was leased to Historic Scotland for 1000 years. The island is accessible by ferry or airplane with the later arrival and departure times determined by the tide. Yes, it lands on the beach!

Dinner is ready. More later...

Greetings from Killybegs

Don’t you love the name? Located on the north side of Donegal Bay, Killybegs is the most important fishing port in Ireland and home to a large fishmeal processing plant. Fishing here is done from November to April.
The fleet is quite impressive; brand new state-of-the-art vessels all lined up waiting for fall. The town reminds me of Gloucester yet when you look across the harbor, the landscape mimics Maine with capes adorned with dormers. Here there are trees and what a warming site as most of the country does not. In the south, grassy hills dotted with sheep and cows roll towards the ocean. Travel further north and mountains sprout up beside rocky barrens and sandy beaches. Grass grows everywhere in Ireland, even on the steep, rocky cliffs.

Today it’s blowing 25 to 30 knots in the harbor with predicted gale force winds offshore. We will stay here until the front blows through after which we will head straight to the Isle of Barra, an overnight leg, 20 hours we hope, and my first! Our belongings have been stored and we have been fitted for our harnesses. Elizabeth is making brownies for the trip. Food does wonders for the soul.

Over the past week, our foul weather gear came out of the closet for one quick shower. All other rain has been overnight. Since leaving Crookhaven, a full day’s sail from Kinsale and our first stop, the winds have been light from the southwest making it difficult to sail We are getting tired of our iron genoa. Yesterday the winds were in our face so we pounded for 6 hours, the most uncomfortable yet. I thought (as I had little time to even think about it) that it would be a hop, skip and a jump up the coastline of Ireland. I was wrong. We have averaged 8 hour days. For those of you who are geography buffs and would like to see where we have been, start at Kinsale in the south and follow the west coastline to Crookhaven, Lawrence Cove, Tralee, Little KIllary, Broadhaven Bay, and now Killybegs…or something like that…Am I missing a night? Guess that’s what vacation is all about…loosing track.


Our days consist of, in no particular order, reading, navigating, motoring, making repairs, cooking, cleaning, checking on internet availability, solving crosswords and Sudoku, sightseeing, sailing, doing laundry, motoring, baking, downloading weather reports, researching places to stay for the night, photographing Ireland, and talking with the friendliest and most hospitable people while in port. Yes, we have had a few political discussions as well and wonder what’s going on in the rest of the world, including South Bristol and Lincoln.

It’s often 7 pm or later when we are secured for the night. With dinner and sometimes a movie, at the moment we are watching the John Adams series, 11 p.m. comes quickly. Most of us are asleep before our heads hit the pillows! We have had to anchor only twice as visitor moorings seem to be most everywhere. That’s a luxury and makes for a more sound night’s sleep.

Again, we are ready! We refueled today, purchased some fish and fresh produce. The guys continue to tweak the rigging and make sure all is secure while we finish our business on the internet.

We think of all our friends and loved ones daily. We miss you and hope all is well with everyone. I wish we could send some pictures but the connection is too slow. If that changes, we will do so.

xoxo Linda, Bruce, Elizabeth, Heather and Stuart