Leg 19 Port Ellen to Ballycastle, Northern Island!
27 July 2017 | Ballycastle, Northern Ireland
Pat and John, ha ha, you are not the first to notice the food and drink theme to this blog and, prepare yourselves, as there will be many more to come!
Today was to be our next big test! Crossing from Scotland to Northern Ireland, a distance of only 28 miles but where the Atlantic meets the Irish Sea, an expanse of open water known for its big swells and difficult conditions. We needed to get this one right! Having spent hours studying the charts and tidal streams as well as the weather to try to work out the best time to cross, we decided to go for it. The most stressful and depressing thing about this trip has definitely been the weather conditions. It really does not pay to look more than two days ahead at the weather because it's so changeable, particular in Scotland it seems.
Leaving at five thirty am was a struggle, probably not helped by the Whisky from yesterday and, as predicted as we headed into open water the swells came. The wind was blowing from the West so we were able to sail some of the way and could see Rathlin Island in the distance. The autohelm, which had struggled previously gave up the ghost, blowing a couple of fuses and eventually making a horrible electrical smell, of wanting to experience another fire on board, Ray disconnected it all.
Once we got use to the motion of the Atlantic swells the crossing was fine, until we reached the Westerly point of Rathlin Island. As we approached the point we could see the notorious turbulent water caused by a merge of tidal streams and eddies ahead up to a mile off the shore, even though we planned and timed it right, had we not it would have been far worse conditions. At this point we considered shelter in Church Bay pontoons on Rathlin Island, as when we hit it it was as if the water around us was boiling short choppy waves coming from all directions, a seriously confused seaway that through us about Scary at first but within ten minutes we could seen the edge of the turbulence, it ended almost as soon as it had begun... very strange. We crossed the Rathlin Sound with Ballycastle still an hour away in the distance. We had done it!
Ray was so excited to have reached Ireland, he called his Auntie Jean, who is eighty five and lives in County Antrim, north of Belfast, before we had even reached the harbour!
Ballycastle is a lovely, small but sheltered Marina. We arrived at ten thirty in lovely sunshine. Unlike normal people who would have taken the rest of the day to recover, we went straight to the fast ferry terminal and got back on a fast ferry back to Rathlin Island, to visit the sea bird colony. The ferry journey was followed by a thirty minute white knuckle ride on Berts Puffin Bus. Bert, who must have been in his eighties, was driving a bus which must have been also in its eighties, from one end of the island to the other. The road was only a single track around hairpin bends with stunning views high up above the harbour but with shear drops from cliff tops to sea level, it was terrifying but exciting at the same time. At the sea bird colony, there were literally millions of birds all competing for their own space on two enormous rocky outcrops. The noise and the smell was amazing! We also got to explore and learn about the history of the upside down lighthouse, where the light is at the bottom, which also stands at this point of the island.
On returning to the mainland, we enjoyed fish and chips and, just in case we did not feel we had our quota of rain for the day, the heavens opened and we were trapped once again under a picnic table brolly in the torrential rain. We are starting to love this weather and would really quite miss it... not! With screaming children, soggy dogs and people bravely continuing to eat their fish and chips whilst getting wet, all around us, we sat tight until the storm passed.
In the evening, and between showers, we took a walk into the town. What a fantastic long sandy beach we found with so many people enjoying the evening sunshine. Another great but long day. I think I'm going to enjoy Ireland.