Over to Ireland

Day 32
3rd June
Woke early and rose at once. Water was lapping round the boat and it would soon lift. At 07.15 we floated. The anchor came up cleanly and we were off, gingerly skirting the other yachts in the anchorage and feeling our way across the shallows to the main channel. The wind was as forecast: light easterly. Threading our way between the moorings we soon found our way out to the open sea. Another yacht left ahead of us, but took a slightly more westerly heading than us. Presumably they were heading for Cork or the western Irish coast.
Within an hour the sails were set and engine switched off. The wind gradually rose to F5, and the genoa wes reefed a little as the boat romped along at over 6kt. During the day the wind went round more to south-east and fell to F3. Very little happened. Sea birds seen were many, including petrels.
At 21.30 the engine was started , not that it was needed for propulsion, but rather for battery charging, since the current drain with lights, chart plotter, autopilot and instruments would have severely depleted the service battery. With the engine on, the fridge could be run as well. Just after this, there was a splashing, and we were surrounded by dolphins. Too many to count, they were common dolphins, coming within inches of the hull and playing in the bow wave. They stayed for some minutes. I tried to get photos, but with little success. There was little else to relieve the boredom of the night. Half a dozen fishing vessels, a couple of freighters, all some distance away, and a very well illuminated ferry or cruise liner passed. Nothing within a mile. Eventually the dawn came, the night clouds evaporated and another hot sunny day began. Well before Kilmore I handed the main , and as I was sorting that out, George threw a wobbly. It was just a fuse, and it was soon replaced, but it brought home to me just how much a single-hander relies on the autopilot. The Saltee Islands came and were passed, and a salmon net was avoided at the very last minute, but eventually at 09.30 we tied up safely at Kilmore Quay. 138Nm in 26 hours. Quite a trip, even with favourable winds. It was worth waiting for the right day. Head down!!