2023 May 2nd, Days 18 - 21 Wicklow to Howth.

Another change of plan due to the weather, I had planned to go to the Skerries today (Tuesday) and Ardglass tomorrow to shelter from strong easterly or south easterly winds arriving Thursday evening but the system is arriving early (and much earlier than forecast a few days ago) and that makes entry to Ardglass problematic, even dangerous, even before the strongest winds arrive.

I didn’t want to be at anchor at the Skerries which would be uncomfortable in an easterly and possibly untenable if the wind was north of east so I will divert to Howth, just north of Dublin, which is safe from winds from any direction. I’ll probably be here until Friday but a move to an anchorage might be practical late Thursday.

The view from my berth on the hammerhead, the island known
as Ireland's Eye in the distance.

The rebuilt breakwater protecting the marina, the Pilot says
this was broken down and at best awash at HW.

The view back to the huge club house.

Thursday mid day and the wind was still increasing. If I had
continued to Ardglass I would be arriving in stronger winds
blowing straight down a narrower channel than this. 

Spray from waves breaking on the other side of the island
sometimes went higher than the Martello tower, this pic was
taken about half an hour before the yacht in the next pic arrived.

If going for shelter in Howth in a strong wind from the east you
need to get there before it arrives, although it should be doable,
this boat was coming from Malahide and through Howth Sound
rather than from the east, south of Ireland's Eye.

The view out to sea from the club house.

26 miles in five and a quarter hours.

Thursday, day 20:

Ideally I would leave tomorrow at  04:30 to Dundalk Bay or Ardglass then on to Bangor then Larne but looking at the models downloaded this morning I suspect I’ll not get way until later in the day and will do a short hop to the Skerries for Friday night then head north on Saturday, possibly going direct to Bangor, if I leave at 04:30 and can make 4 knots I can get to the tidal gate at Donaghadee as the tide turns favourable at 23:00 on Saturday and into Bangor a couple of hours later to anchor or if the weather looks threatening to go into the marina later on Sunday.

However Ardglass is a distinct possibility for Saturday night  as the tides are then good to get from there through the Sound at the end of a N going tide on Sunday afternoon.

The American model is showing very strong winds early on Monday, the others show brisk to strong winds, either way I need to plan to be somewhere secure on Sunday.

I’ll have to make decisions every 12 hours when I get the detailed models to supplement the met office forecasts . 

Friday a.m. day 21:

Thursday's plan didn't survive very long, three models downloaded at 08:30 show winds at the Skerries gusting 25 to 30 knots so I'll be here another night, or at least part thereof, this mornings plan is to leave about 03:30 on Saturday morning (there is insufficient water for to leave between 05:00 and 07:00 and I would like bit in hand), accepting a couple of hours of foul tide, heading either for Ardglass or more likely, if the wind holds (the ECMWF says it will the UKMO says it will not), direct to Bangor. Strong winds  are likely to be arriving late Sunday so if I don't get to Bangor on Saturday night I may be at Ardglass until Tuesday.

Click on the pic above for an expanded view in Flickr, otherwise click

on the arrows to view the slide show.

Click her for Howth to Bangor.