2025 June 20th, Day 83. To Fishguard.

DRAFT

For once my start time was not of major importance, particularly if was was to be motoring most of the way as the north and south tides cancel out so I did not set the alarm but I was awake early the eye mask having come off in the night (the boat does not have curtains over the windows) so I was away at 05:25 in a dead calm which lasted till lunch time.

The 06:00 forecasts were not hopeful:

Met Éirenn Forecast for Irish coastal waters from Belfast Lough to Roche's Point to Erris Head and for the Irish Sea

Wind: Southerly or variable force 2 to 4.

Weather: Mainly fair, with isolated thunderstorms. Patchy mist and fog.

Visibility: Reducing moderate or poor in any precipitation, mist and fog. Otherwise good.

UKMO St Davids Head to Great Orme Head, including St Georges Channel

24 hour forecast: Southeast 3 to 5, becoming variable 2 to 4. Smooth or slight. Showers. Good.

Outlook for the following 24 hours: Variable 2 to 4, becoming southwest 3 to 5, occasionally 6 later near Anglesey. Smooth or slight, becoming slight or moderate later. Showers, fog patches at first. Good, occasionally very poor at first.

The UKMO inshore forecast  with the SE F3 - 5 and the morning download still showing this at the upper end of the range closer to England. 

The tides pretty nearly balanced out with it
running strongly SW close to Fishguard.

But I struck lucky, the wind when it did arrive, a little before noon, was from the NE and although tentative at first it freshened into a nice sailing breeze between NE and ENE  9 - 12 knots with the odd patch above and I was making from 4.5 to 5.5 knots under sail, with the wind a few degrees further north I could have put up the cruising chute and shot along but I was well please with what I got, especially given the forecast.

This lasted until 16:40 when the wind quickly veered to the SE, dead on the nose, and increased to F5 with the odd gust just touching F6. On went the engine 13 miles from Fishguard where I intended to spend a few days before hopefully returning to Milford with an intermediate stop or two to fill out some time.

The going now was uncomfortable with a short sea keeping progress to about 5 knots and often less. The nav software had done a good job and I had been steering 143 degrees since clearing the Arcklow bank and was very close to projected track, but I was concerned that neither it nor I knew how far out the very early inshore turn of the tide extends, the diamond is only a few cables offshore and the nearest off shore is a very long way away. 

Not wanting to be caught down tide I headed a bit further to the north when ten miles out - I would rather be a mile up-tide heading down at 7 knots than down-tide heading up at 3. In the end I over did it by about half a mile but with the sea calming as I got very close to land and the tide under me in no time at all it was corrected as I approached the anchorage.

For once the 20 knot wind eased to less than 10 a few minutes before I dropped the anchor rather than 10 minutes after. I was at anchor  before 8 o'clock and for the first time this cruise I was able to eat dinner in the cockpit, just ham sandwiches on this occasion as I could not be bothered to heat up the curry left overs and do the rice. And I got to use the medium weight sleeping bag rather than the winter one or both.

The weather forecast for the next week had worsened and I suspected I'd have to change the plan but being tired I decided to leave thinking about that until the morning and the next post. 

75 miles in fourteen and a half hours.

Click here for Dale.