Julian’s first task today was to try and sort out the Log. This is the device which sits in the bottom of the boat and reads the nm per hour/ knots that we do. Basically a non metallic paddle wheel which spins round and a sensor to record the revolutions . We reckoned it had been under reading for some time. It doesn’t seem to be a problem in Scotland but in the warmer southern waters, it appears to get full of small sea crustaceans which clog it up and stop it turning properly. Unfortunately on Angelique, it’s situated under the fore peak beds, right down in a most inaccessible place. Just getting to it is a pain, let alone cleaning it by scraping the creatures off with a kitchen knife. Anyway he’d done it twice already and it’s still not right. However , after a third go at cleaning all the gunk round the sensor whilst upside down under a bunk with a head torch on, and then recalibrating the log instrument. It seems to be reading correctly. Yay! We filled up with water and noticed two little ringed plovers on the pontoons! Seemed a bit of a random place for them to be🤔 ?? Set off 1030 ish into another sunny hot day. There’s a yellow weather warning for high heat days over the country for the next few days. A bit of southwesterly wind though, and we managed to carry the cruising chute for a good few hours as we drifted pleasantly up the Irish coast. There was a ferry and a Couple of cargo ships going into Dublin, but otherwise very quiet on the shipping front. We passed Howth and then Lamby Island …. couldn’t help thinking of all the awful nautical disasters in these waters, that had been in the museum yesterday. Today it is so peaceful. It was very hot. It was cool and pleasant lying on the foredeck in the shade of the big red, white and blue spinnaker. Our destination was an anchorage in a bay off a village called Skerries. We pumped up the dinghy on the way, in readiness for going ashore. The pilot said it was “excellent “ holding in mud…. which turned out to be very true. It was about 6 o’clock by the time we landed in the dinghy and pulled it up the slipway to the left of the fishing pier. The beach was alive with folk having a good time but not busy. A friendly grandad told us that Jomays was a good place for a stop…. and so it was! We spent the next hour and a half enjoying the sunshine, the beer and the general air of happiness and friendliness that is so prevalent here in Ireland. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The abundance of beautiful petunias in the boxes along the pavement were giving off a lovely perfume and it was altogether a really memorable evening. As the sun was beginning to set we returned to the boat and made supper. A special day. 🌅
What I learned today…. cotton buds are just the right size and flexible enough to clean the sensor on the log.
Sue x
Strange buoy? Any ideas ? 
Lamby island 
Joe Mays 
Dinghy at sunset 
Skerries
Angelique 