Tuesday 31 July 2012

d34 s5 Jul30 Mon Crookhaven-Berehaven 19nm171

Started with no wind so had the engine on.

Motored past Mizzen Head

Halfway across Bantry Bay, the drive plate on our gearbox failed.
We couldn't sail until the wind returned, so we informed the coastguard and offered us a tow in to Castletownbere by the local lifeboat.


Sunday 29 July 2012

d33 s4 Jul29 Sun Castlehaven-Fastnet Rock-Crookhaven 50nm152

Hard working day beating into south westerlies
round Fastnet Rock and lighthouse.
The rewards:
beautiful coastline

picturesque haven of Crookhaven with bustling pub and restaurants

d32 s3 Jul28 Sat Kinsale Castlehaven 48nm102

Sailed out of Kinsale, past Old Kinsale Head, Glandore Bay
pic 1
pic 2
into Castlehaven

.

Friday 27 July 2012

d31 s2 Jul27 Fri Kinsale Head Kinsale 29nm54

Sailed out of Kinsale town, through the southern approaches,

and out to the Old head of Kinsale.

Practiced some man over board drills, then on the way back to Kinsale, actually used the drill to retrieve my cap when it blew off.   Berthed in Kinsale for the night.

d30 s1 Jul26 Thu Cork-Cobh-Kinsale 33nautical miles

Set off from Crosshaven under engine in no wind.
Approached and took a view of  Cobh.

Picked up some breeze and sailed out of Cork harbour heading SW.
Intended anchoring in Sandy Cove for the night but could not get the anchor to bight.
Sailed back a couple of miles and moored at the Kinsale YC.

d29 sailing day 0 Jul25 Wed Cork-Crosshaven

Met up with the crew in Cork, did some exploring, took the bus to Crosshaven, boarded our boat for the round Ireland sail.

d28 c-- Jul24 Tue Cork

Maintenance day : bike servicing, clothes washing etc

Monday 23 July 2012

d27 c-- Jul23 Mon Cork-Bandon-Cork

Took the bus to Bandon, birthplace of my mother's father, who'd emmigrated to Swansea.
Made contact with relatives, at the same shop, with the family name Reen, as in 1959.

In 1959, I was with a troop of boy scouts from Mumbles who camped just outside Bandon at an old mansion/castle.   The lady I met in 1959, drove me and her parents to one of the W Cork beaches for the day.   I remet the same lady again today.

Together with her daughter we recreated some of the family tree.   Here is her father driving the first model T Ford in Bandon.

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Sunday 22 July 2012

d26 c-- Jul22 Sun Cork

Relaxing day.
Wandered round the centre of Cork, had a few Murphys, talked to some nice people.
There's been a cycling festival in Cork, so together with a peleton of others, watched Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish do their stuff on the final day of le Tour  - -  what an achievement !

Saturday 21 July 2012

d25 c19 Jul21 Sat Cork 1100 Cobh Cork 1620 43k1346

Found a bike shop that will service and store my bike while away sailing.
Took a 27mile sightseeing ride around a fraction of Cork harbour.
Crossed to Great Island on the ferry from Passage West.
Visited the town of Cobh, from where millions emmigrated, and also the last port of call on the Titanic's voyage.

Friday 20 July 2012

d24 c18 Jul20 Fri Dungarvan 0850 Cork 1400 49m810

Obvious challenge at the start  - -  after 10mins flat, 30mins continuous uphill  - -  steep enough for me to be cycling at my limit.

looking back down over the Dungarvan coast

Then the reward  - -  sunny day, smooth road surface, no headwind, gentle hills, great views  - -  high average speed.
Rolled into Cork early afternoon, completing approximately the first half of my cycling lap of Ireland.
Next, a few days as a tourist, then the sailing lap begins.

Thursday 19 July 2012

d23 c17 Jul19 Thu Waterford 0920 Dungarvan 1415 60k1225

Usual type of coastal route  - -  up over headlands, down into coves  - -  hard work  - -  but getting fitter.
Dungarvan looked attractive, so decided to stop here, rather than the original plan of Youghal.   Cork will still be within range tomorrow.
Advert for Savlon : my gouged ankle looks and feels OK.

Wednesday 18 July 2012

d22 c16 Jul18 Wed Wexford 0850 via Hook Head then Waterford 1603 85k1165

Once I'd found my way out of Wexford, had a back lane cross country route to the start of the Hook Ring.
Cycled the Ring to Hook Head lighthouse.


Then finished the Ring and took the ferry from Ballyhack

to Passage East
Finished with a long climb up out of the river valley, then down into Waterford,
another estuary town but with a bigger functioning quayside.
In the last 100metres, I toppled off in static traffic, gouging my ankle with an oily chain cog. Once in a B&B I cleaned and treated it, and hope it doesn't go septic.

d21 c15 Jul17 Tue Arklow 9:40 Wexford 15:50 42m671

This was the first day of cycling that was dominated by headwinds.
Cycled the coast road  - -  great views of beaches and headlands, but paid the price of many ups and downs.
Wexford, an attractive estuary town with trawlers and small freighters at the quayside.

Monday 16 July 2012

d20 c14 Jul16 Mon Newbridge 1010 Arklow 16:30 82k1012

Waited for a break in the rain then headed for the Wicklow Mountains.
Steady drizzle on the way up, very little walking, then into cloud, so no photos.
Through the Wicklow Gap, then mainly downhill, with a few stops to let the brakes and rims cool.
Luscious green ride down the Vale of Avoca to Arklow for the night.
Through the 1000k for the trip so far, approx a third of the circuit.

d19 c- Jul15 Sun Newbridge

Relaxing day with PE&J (not forgetting to catch up on the laundry)
Taken out by P&E to see some of the local sights.  Walked round the grounds of Rossborough House, and toured the Poulaphouca resorvoir.

Friday 13 July 2012

d17 c12 Jul13 Fri Warrenpoint 1000 Drogheda 1550 83k845

Ferry from Warrenpoint, with a delayed start because the captain had travelled back from his niece's graduation in Sunderland the night before
to Omeath

He squeezed our crossing in before his booking to provide the means for a burial at sea.

An easy and sunny 50m ride to Drogheda hugging the coast

d16 c11 Jul12 Thu Strangford 0945 Warrenpoint 1600 54m473

Beatiful ride skirting the mountains of Mourne
Ended up at Warrenpoint

with a wonderful view of the mouth of Carlingford lough

Wednesday 11 July 2012

d15 c10 Jul11 Wed Belfast 0830 Strangford 1315 74k675

In bright weather, I started earlier than usual, triggered by Mollie's flight home time.
I headed E along the S side of Belfast lough, through Bangor to the coast, then S along the coast road, through Burr Point, Ireland's most E point.
For some time, on the horizon, I could see the Mull of Kintyre, the Isle of Man, and Snowdonia.
I arrived at Portaferry

then took the ferry across the mouth of Strangford Lough to Strangford

for the night, then clouds rushed in, followed by specks of rain.  One hour later we had a hail storm.
Installed the new bike speedo/log.

Tuesday 10 July 2012

d14 c9 Jul10 Tue Larne 0930 Belfast 1310 26m374


Short day's ride to Belfast to give me time to replace the lost camera battery charger and bicycle computer.

Took the 10min ferry from Larne to Island Magee, then cycled S along the crest to the mainland bridge.
Back on the mainland followed the Belfast Lough N shore, which, for the last 5 miles is a cycle path well away from the road.

Monday 9 July 2012

d13 c8 Jul9 Mon Rathlin Island 0815 Larne 1340 66k560

Ready to leave our cottage on Rathlin Island
Transit van (bike in the back) lift to the harbour, then ferry to Ballycastle.
Followed the Antrim Coast Route to Larne  - -  approx 10miles of gentle uphills, 10miles of gentle downhills, then 20 miles almost flat along the sea shore, through harbour villages at the mouths of glens, and around headlands.

Sunday 8 July 2012

d12 c- Jul8 Sun Rathlin Island

Lazy start, then brilliant walk with views looking s at the N antrim coast

to the W lighthouse.

for the bird colonies  - -  razor bills, kittywakes, fulmars, guilliemots, and puffins
on the columnar basalt cliffs


From here we could see Islay and the Mull of Kyntire
Prolific flaura including orchids

Sunset beneath rain clouds on the way back to our cottage.

d11 c7 Jul7 Sat Moville 0845 Rathlin Island 1555 37m307

Ferry across Loch Foyle, then along the N Antrim coast.
Mollie made it to Giant's Causeway  - -  amazing sights, brilliant 4 days old visitors centre
Ferry to Rathlin Island, then transit lift to "Cosy Cottage", then the bustling atmosphere at the Manor House hotel restaurant.
Interesting cottage owner/mains cable engineer/taxi driver/builder/cattle rearer.
Pics tomorrow.

Friday 6 July 2012

d10 c6 Jul6 Fri Buncrana 0945 Moville 1600 74k434


INISHOWEN

Headed over the hills to Carn Domharch then up the W coast to:
MALIN HEAD the N point of Ireland.
On the way met a cylist going from Land's End through Cork and Malin Head to John o'Groats.
Headed S to Moville for the night.

Thursday 5 July 2012

d9 c5 Jul5 Thu Downings Bay 0945 Buncrana 1545 30m224

Beautiful N Donegal coast  - -  many islands, mostly hilly, many sea inlets, Loch Swilly.
A new bridge over Mulroy Bay shortened my route to Fanad Head.

Then down the W side of Loch Swilly, and the ferry from Rathmullan (pic)

to Buncrana on Inishowen.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

d8 c4 Jul4 Wed Arranmore 0900 Downings Bay 1715 104k311

From Arranmore harbour

ferry back to the mainland then N to Bloody Foreland.
Called in at the Derrybegs hotel to relay a Hello from a chap in Sligo.
Having got to the top, turned E,

The weather changed from drizzle to sunny spells.   Managed to dry out most of my clothing by arrival.
First 100k day.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

d7 c- Jul3 Tue Arranmore Island

After a lazy start, cycled to the NW lighthouse and back.

From the lighthouse, looking back over Arranmore with Ireland in the distance.

Then explored more of the comunity.

Monday 2 July 2012

d6 c3 Jul2 Mon Ardara 0945 Arranmore Island 1430 28m129

Left in drizzle and low visibilty, so took the direct rather than scenic route.
The weather cleared in time for a lunch snack, at the Weebarra bridge

and for the final leg to Burtonport.
Took the Arranmore ferry through the archipelago, and at the landing met Claire of the B&B.
Enjoyed a peaceful evening overlooking the straits.




d5 c2 Jul1 Sun Donegal 0930 Ardara 1700 80k163

Headed west through hilly coastline to the headland at Malin More.
Amazed to find that in spite of clearly doing more uphill than down I frequently ended up at the sea shore.
Turned inland and climbed over the hills N of Slieve League, and through the Glengesh Pass at 1700ft.  
A challenging and long ride for day 2.   Not yet fit.   Exhausted.
Got to Ardara in time to shower, eat, and watch Spain's performance against Italy.