China Girl, UK Circumnavigation - Year 5

Vessel Name: China Girl
Vessel Make/Model: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 41DS
Hailing Port: Ipswich
Crew: Ann and Steve Crome
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26 September 2023 | Troon Yacht Haven
26 September 2023
26 September 2023 | Troon Yacht Haven
15 September 2023 | Ballydorn in Strangford Lough, county Down
15 September 2023 | Ballydorn in Strangford Lough, county Down
04 September 2023 | Arklow
04 September 2023 | Arklow
27 August 2023
21 August 2023 | Kinsale YC marina
21 August 2023 | Kinsale YC marina
21 August 2023
11 August 2023 | Lawrence Cove
11 August 2023 | Lawrence Cove Marina
05 August 2023 | Dingle
05 August 2023 | Dingle
24 July 2023
08 July 2023 | Port of Galway (still!)
30 June 2023 | Deerpark Manor B&B, Swinford, County Mayo
25 June 2023 | Galway Port marina
13 June 2023 | Clare Island, County Mayo
Recent Blog Posts
26 September 2023 | Troon Yacht Haven

Statistics

So, we made it all the way around Ireland at last. We've only been trying to do this since 2020.

26 September 2023

Made it...

From Bangor we need to get to Troon, CG's home for the winter. The weather is doing its best to stop us. Even at this late stage we had a few doubts about making it. It's spot the weather window again. Ray arrived on the 20th, a window opened up on the 21st to get to Glenarm, just up the NI coast [...]

26 September 2023 | Troon Yacht Haven

More rain.... Arrival of crew

Lots of rain in Strangford Lough. We arrived on the 14th, 15th we sat on the boat and watched the rain all day, did nothing, went nowhere. 16th we managed a quick hop from Ballydorn on the southern coast to Kircubbin on the north coast, about a 3 h trip sailing on the jib. A quick look around the village [...]

15 September 2023 | Ballydorn in Strangford Lough, county Down

From fog to rain

Carrying straight on from the last post. Dun Laoghaire to Skerries was 4 hours on the motor in winds up to only 7 kts, but at least it was dry. Since then our weather luck has changed. Skerries to Carlingford, 6 hours on the motor in rain. Carlingford marina has a very narrow entrance, so much so [...]

15 September 2023 | Ballydorn in Strangford Lough, county Down

Time Flies

Just found the time for an update, thinking the last had been about a week ago, only to find it's been nearly two weeks. Sorry folks. We've only moved CG five times, from Arklow to Dun Laoghaire (pron Leary) to Skerries to Carlingford lough to Ardglass to Strangford lough, 112 miles in all. The trip [...]

04 September 2023 | Arklow

Around the final corner

We left Kilmore Quay on the 2nd September to nip around Carnsore Point to anchor in Rosslare bay. The point is the end of the south coast for us and the start of the trip up the east coast to complete our circumnavigation. 3.5 hours mostly on the engine in little wind but a half hour sail towards the [...]

Statistics

26 September 2023 | Troon Yacht Haven
Ann and Steve Crome | Windy!!
So, we made it all the way around Ireland at last. We've only been trying to do this since 2020.

1330.4 miles in 280 hours. 164 h motoring, 127 sailing (yes I know the figures don't add up, there are reasons...) We were away from Troon from 10th May to 23rd September, 137 days minus 14 we came home for = 123 days. We moved the boat on 52 of those days. Only a few of the rest were hiding from the weather, most were exploring Ireland. We met a boat that was going round in 3 weeks, Ok, you've circumnavigated Ireland, but you haven't seen the country; we have.

Highlights: the people, so friendly, incredibly helpful just lovely. The scenery, never ending fantastic vistas. Even the weather, May, June and late August early Sept were lovely.

I'm struggling to think of a lowlight.

Made it...

26 September 2023
Ann and Steve Crome
From Bangor we need to get to Troon, CG's home for the winter. The weather is doing its best to stop us. Even at this late stage we had a few doubts about making it. It's spot the weather window again. Ray arrived on the 20th, a window opened up on the 21st to get to Glenarm, just up the NI coast and making the trip to Troon a bit short. 22nd hiding in Glenarm (lovely gardens to visit there), very strong north-easterlies. 23rd another window, it's 60 miles to Troon so we have to make progress. Forecast is too little wind to sail in the morning, filling in at lunchtime, blowing a hooghly by the evening. so we set off at 0700, motoring in the end until 1500, the promised lunchtime wind was a measly 4-8 kts. We got a short sail from 1500, wind up to 15 kts, arriving in Troon at 1653. By the evening the promised hooghly had arrived and it hasn't really dropped since (26th).

We did have some company however, see photo.

So Ray didn't get as much sailing as we hoped, but we kept him well fed and it was great to have the company.

More rain.... Arrival of crew

26 September 2023 | Troon Yacht Haven
Ann and Steve Crome
Lots of rain in Strangford Lough. We arrived on the 14th, 15th we sat on the boat and watched the rain all day, did nothing, went nowhere. 16th we managed a quick hop from Ballydorn on the southern coast to Kircubbin on the north coast, about a 3 h trip sailing on the jib. A quick look around the village then hiding from the rain. 17th another 3 h sail on the jib to Killyleigh down near the entrance for a quick getaway out of the lough tomorrow. A few brief dry bits, mostly wet. So, we didn't see Strangford at its best, we plan to go back in a car some time.

18th, a long day planned. Strangford Lough, 0639 start to get out through the narrows with the tide behind us. Maximum speed over the ground seen - 11.2 kts. Following that an amazing sail in SUNSHINE up to Bangor Marina. 7.5 hours.

A few days in Bangor while we clean and tidy the boat and await the arrival of Ray, coming to help us sail back to Troon.

Photo shows a lovely sunrise in Rosslaire Bay

From fog to rain

15 September 2023 | Ballydorn in Strangford Lough, county Down
Ann and Steve Crome
Carrying straight on from the last post. Dun Laoghaire to Skerries was 4 hours on the motor in winds up to only 7 kts, but at least it was dry. Since then our weather luck has changed. Skerries to Carlingford, 6 hours on the motor in rain. Carlingford marina has a very narrow entrance, so much so that it looks like CG won't fit through. Once we got there actually we had about 2 m each side, they effect of perspective. Concentrating so much on getting through we forgot to take a photo.

Carlingford to Ardglass a decent sail, full jib, reefed main, speeds up to 7.5 kts with the wind on the beam. Sea a bit (well more than a bit) lumpy but you can't have everything. Unfortunately the marina entrance was not well protected from the wind and waves and we arrived having had little chance to prepare lines and fenders in protected waters. It was a bit of a slay ride in and a lot of rushing about but we made it with no damage and pride in our achievement.

Ardglass to Strangford Lough. The lough entrance is really narrow and the lough really big so a huge amount of water has to funnel through the narrows every tide. Gives tides up to 8 kts. We came in towards the end of the flood tide doing 10.1 kts over the ground and 3.5 through the water, ie 6.6 kts of tide behind us. (for the less well versed in sailing, had we been going the other way, we would have been going 6.6-3.5=3.1 kts backwards. We were sailing on the jib alone and it was a good feeling to know that not only did we get the tidal calculation right, but we sailed it as well. We carried on up the lough to Ballydorn for about 2 h on the jib at around 4 kts enjoying the beautiful scenery and the sunshine.

Today we are hiding from the rain in Ballydorn roads on a buoy, it's been raining since we woke up and it's forecast to still be raining when we go to bed. Ho hum.

Photo shows the entrance to Ardglass marina. You need to leave the cardinal buoy in the foreground to port (ie go to the right of it as you see it) then swing around to leave the reds to port and the greens to starboard. It's really quite difficult to work this out from several hundred yards away and by the time you get close enough to figure it out you've go to react quite quickly.

Time Flies

15 September 2023 | Ballydorn in Strangford Lough, county Down
Ann and Steve Crome
Just found the time for an update, thinking the last had been about a week ago, only to find it's been nearly two weeks. Sorry folks. We've only moved CG five times, from Arklow to Dun Laoghaire (pron Leary) to Skerries to Carlingford lough to Ardglass to Strangford lough, 112 miles in all. The trip from Arklow to Dun Laoghaire (DL) confronted us with the danger of late season sailing - FOG. Visibility at times down to 100 m, but most around half a mile. The AIS helps us avoid anything big, but is no help with fishing buoys and small boats. DL marina is very BIG and very EXPENSIVE, nearly twice the price of any other marina we have stayed in this year at E55 per night. Not really a standard to justify it either, they do it 'cos they can. But, a big town with lots to do and our time to go to Dublin. All the usual touristy stuff. DL has a Weathspoons, like being at home, same menu, same keen pricing.

Photo shows the view down the river in Arklow on a very calm day.

Around the final corner

04 September 2023 | Arklow
Ann and Steve Crome | Very sunny!!
We left Kilmore Quay on the 2nd September to nip around Carnsore Point to anchor in Rosslare bay. The point is the end of the south coast for us and the start of the trip up the east coast to complete our circumnavigation. 3.5 hours mostly on the engine in little wind but a half hour sail towards the end made it a bit better.
Rosslare harbour is for ferries only, yachts are not welcome, but with the very low winds forecast we could anchor in the bay about a mile from the port. Very quiet night.

Following day (3rd) the weather forecast promised a nice light (5-10 kt) southerly to blow us up the coast on the cruising chute to Arklow. Almost not to be. 2-4 kts is too light even for the chute. It picked up to 10 kts towards the end of the 6h run and we got the chute up for 45mins. That is once we had remembered how to rig it, we haven't used it since June.

We're staying in Arklow until the 6th and going to Wicklow on the bus tomorrow. Forecast for the 6th is light southerlys (again?!) so hopefully a chute run all the way the Dun Laoghaire (pron Leery) our port for a few days in Dublin.

Photo shows a lovely sunset looking from CG to wards Rosslare village from Rosslare Bay.
China Girl's Photos - Main
Seen on 1st trip from Penzance to Scillies
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Created 11 July 2019
A few photos of the collection of ships made out of matchsticks
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Created 2 June 2019
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Created 28 May 2019
No Photos
Created 27 April 2019

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