With our calorifier problems sorted we loaded all the kit back into the cockpit locker and had a quick run ashore before dinner. We tried the community centre for showers but it was closed. We somehow found our way into the beach bar for a beer! After getting the low down on what to see and do from Muireann, behind the bar, we decided to stay another day and do some exploring.
Wednesday started with a couple of trips ashore filling up water jerrycans and topping up our tank followed by a visit to Cromwell’s fort, overlooking the harbour entrance and only accessible by dinghy.
The fort was quite complex with many protected walkways around the perimeter where soldiers could move around without getting shot at!
We played the ecological tourist and collected a bag full of plastic rubbish off the beach, only to find that we then had no means, other than paying, for disposal!
Fortunately the Beach Bar agreed to add it to their waste. The Pier shop was our next visit for food. We were in the shop when a delivery of freshly baked cakes arrived so were forced to buy a bag of fresh scones.
We were after fruit cake, none in this delivery but learnt that the Doonmore Hotel, run by the same family that did the baking, a little way down the road had 2 left. That settled our first stop off on our walk! We found the community centre open and booked showers at 17.15.
We were recommended to walk the west quarter of the island and were not disappointed. The southern side was rugged hills populated by sheep with some splendid beaches and views to other islands.
The western end had some steep cliffs and rocky outcrops in the sea. The seal colony supposed to be residing there had gone away! The land flattened out as we headed along the north side mainly becoming peat bogs with rocks left from the melting glaciers at the end of the ice age.
Our walk ended back where we started, at the Pier shop for a welcome ice cream. Back on board for a brief rest and it was time for showers but, the man at the community centre had forgotten to turn the boiler on! He agreed to stay on after his finishing time for the boiler to warm up but after 3/4 of an hour all we got was a VERY lukewarm shower, which we were not asked to pay for. Dinner at the Beach Bar made up for the shower disappointment, slow cooked lamb shoulder and slow cooked rib of beef hit the spot and excellent WiFi allowed us to finish and post blog 10.
Debbie wanted to visit Clare Island, only 16 miles away so we didn’t have to rush in the morning. A good job as it was raining. We had a quick run ashore with the rubbish then set off in 15 knots of SE breeze which unfortunately didn’t last, dropping down to 5-7 knots but as we had tide with us and were making nearly 5 knots over the ground we sailed on. The rain stopped as the wind dropped so it was quite pleasant, the engine going on for the last 1/2 hour when we lost the favourable tide and we picked up a visitors mooring at 15.30.
Tea and home cooked scones with jam in the cockpit in the sunshine was a fine end to this short trip.
We got the dinghy over the side for a run ashore. We had been recommended to visit the Sailors Bar, a short walk from the harbour but before that, just behind the piers, was Grace O’Malley’s Castle.
Clare Island was the stronghold of the O’Malley’s. Grace was known as the pirate queen and the clan would raid passing shipping. It is said that Queen Elizabeth 1st got so fed up with the pirates raiding her ships that she summoned Grace to London. She went to London but refused to kneel in front of the queen. Nevertheless, she was given the queens pound and agreed to leave Elizabeth’s ships alone! (Another story is that she went to London to petition the queen for the release of her brother, captured by the English).
Next stop the Sailors Bar. The bar was being prepared for a wedding taking place the following day when it would not be open to the public. Good job we opted to visit as soon as we arrived.
Over a beer we met Rory Brennan. Rory is a sergeant based in the garda station in Louisburgh on the mainland and was on the island to watch over the ballot boxes for the European elections, for some reason the islands vote a day early. He was getting something to eat while waiting for the boat from Inishturk to pick him up. He was really interested in our trip but was amazed that we could put up with each other’s company for so long!
The wedding preparations were going on around us and it turned out that Rory knew the bride’s family so another round of introductions was needed! A quick drink turned into a pleasant hour or so chat. We eventually had to escape to get back on board for dinner. As the forecast was for another day of light winds we opted to spend another day exploring the island.
Our exploration was split in two. Firstly a walk along the south coast a couple of kilometres to the island shop and to visit the island’s abbey where Grace O’Malley (or at least bits of her) is buried, there are certainly a lot of O’Malley headstones in the graveyard but Grace’s burial place is inside the chancel.
The abbey is actually too small to be properly regarded as an abbey but it contains rare examples of frescoes which have been partially restored (no photographs allowed). We walked back to the boat for a late lunch, watched the ferry arrive decorated with flags and bunting and carrying wedding guests, and headed off up the east coast. The topography was much more rugged than the south coast with steep hills to the west of us and a steady climb as we walked further north.
The island had been heavily wooded in the past . We walked past an area where Scots pine, killed by temperature and climate changes 7500 years ago and preserved in the peat bog, had been exposed by peat digging.
The current almost tree less landscape is a result of human activity but trees are now becoming re established. We couldn’t quite face the full walk to the lighthouse on the northern tip and so made our way back to the harbour.
We called into the community centre for a quick drink. Despite this being the only public bar it was empty as virtually the entire population of the island was at the Sailors Bar for the wedding celebrations! Despite, or perhaps because, we were the only customers Sharon and Maureen made us very welcome. Sharon had got some fresh Pollack so we decided to eat as well as drink, an excellent choice. Fresh fish well cooked.
We had a relatively early start next day for a 32 mile trip to Blacksod Bay. The forecast was SW force 3 to 4 so we were expecting a good sail. As the day went on the forecast changed, starting to show strong winds (up to force 6) in the afternoon with a small craft warning for force 6 continuing into the night and into Sunday. We had our good sail but missed all the scenic coast views, including the cliffs at Achill Head as it was misty, we saw very little of the coast on the entire passage.
If the forecast is correct we may be in Blacksod Bay for a couple of nights before moving on northwards. We opted to anchor in Elly Bay, which is the most sheltered spot according to the pilot. It is also very remote.
We are anchored some way offshore as the bay is relatively shallow. As it is partially landlocked the sea is flat but the surrounding land is quite low so we get the full effect of the wind. At least that will keep the wind generator going to keep the fridge cold. Despite being remote we seem to have a better phone signal than on Clare Island so we should be able to post this blog.
Sailing Lacerta 