The wind is very changeable. One day too strong, the next day too weak, badly oriented, cross swell: difficult to find the right window to reach Ireland! Indeed, we need not less than 36 to 48 hours of favorable wind. Moreover, as the last navigation was not so good for the crew, we want good conditions to avoid disgusting the children...
A flying start
The ritual is immutable, morning, noon and evening, we check the GRIB and other weather sources to see the evolution of the weather. Finally, we are almost surprised by the window that appears and we take two hours to set off and leave the Scilly archipelago.
Compared to the two days we needed to prepare the Channel crossing, this time, the departure is a little less careful. But we capitalize on all the arrangements we make as we go along, the safety nets installed, the objects that find their place over time. And then we try to keep the boat more or less tidy. So it takes us much less time to tidy up, cook rice and hard-boiled eggs and weigh anchor.
A very quiet navigation with dolphins
The sea is much more favorable than during the Channel crossing. We live our life almost as if we were at anchor. No seasickness on the horizon. It must be said that we have taken precautions by giving each of us a dose of Stugeron as a preventive measure, which we scrupulously renew every 6 hours. Is it because of that or because of the flat sea, whatever the cause, we appreciate it!
The children play quietly, while we even fish our first mackerel! Then, at the end of the afternoon, our first dolphins come to play at the bow. The children are crazy with joy and spend a moment at the front of the boat, tied with their lanyard, to admire the cetaceans.
Arrival in Ireland with the fog
We arrived at Rosslare in the south-east of Ireland at nightfall after 36 hours of sailing. We hesitate for a moment to stop there, but the fog, a strong wind and the lack of light make us give up. We prefer to continue a second night at sea and to go up a bit higher. Ireland welcomes us with a little rain. We are happy to be able to watch from the inside!
The fatigue is biting and we are relieved when in the morning, we drop anchor outside the harbor of Wicklow, a little south of Dublin. The place is well protected from the swell, the weather is nice, we can rest!
