SLIGO AUGUST SAILING IN IRELAND | 2020

It was the most anxiously awaited sailing trip in the last three years. Travelling along the wild coast of the Northern Atlantic is not a leisure trip as there are very few natural harbours as you move north from Donegal Bay. According to the National Wreck Database (check out this beautiful Viewer) there are about 17 thousand ship wrecks around Ireland and we didn't want to become another one.

Our first anchorage was this magnificent abandoned island that inspired me to use machine learning to create an artificial sky on the video. It is a triumph of technology mixed with the freedom of sailing!

- Day 0 -
Friday, 31st Jul: a day in Sligo
We reached Sligo in the early morning, found a coworking space and spent the day as digital nomads in a place we did not know much about. After work was out of the way we set about exploring the surroundings and put the drone through its paces in preparation for using it at sea near Parke's Castle.

- Day 0 -
Friday, 31st Jul: a day in Sligo
As it was getting dark, we arrived at the marina in the heart of the city right under the bridge. The small pontoon reminded us of the old days when the river would take sailors to the city.

- Day 1 -
Saturday, 1st Aug: Early cast off before the tide went out
Sligo-Inishmurray-Teelin
Early morning water was calm and windless, but we had some concerns about the clouds we could see on the horizon, which could bring a downpour the entire day.

- Day 1 -
Leaving Sligo
Sligo-Inishmurray-Teelin

Together with the boat's owner, we inspected its systems and then we eagerly continued to Inishmurray.

- Day 1 -
Secret bay at Inishmurray
Sligo-Inishmurray-Teelin

The bay was concealed only to amateurs like us, since it's the only safe place for a boat to moor and all sailors know about it. The island was once a popular place for making large quantities of illegal mountain dew or whiskey between 1920 and 1930. The production declined only after sugar was rationed after World War II. This led to a decrease in income for the inhabitants and was a major reason for the island's final abandonment in 1948.

- Day 1 -
The Rusty Mackerel experience
Inishmurray - Teelin
After a long day we finally reached Teelin for a night's stay. Everyone yearned for a pint of beer to deal with the stress and tiredness after a long day's sailing on the ocean. The only option close by was the Rusty Mackerel restaurant which was full with locals, without a single table free for our hungry group. Intent on getting fed, we looked out the window at the rainy evening and spotted the picnic tables. They reluctantly agreed to let us take one of them. Sailors are not afraid of rain, after all! (as long as it is not mixed with strong winds)

- Day 2 -
Going further north along the North Altantic Ocean coast
Teelin - Arranmore (Aran Island)
Teelin was the last protected harbour before we moved further north around Malin Beg towards Aran Island. We hoped for fair weather and were rewarded.
Over smooth seas, with a north-west wind of 10-15 knots, we were sailing fast making 6-7 knots over ground. Our 35-mile voyage was like a leisure cruise in the Mediterranean, with only long 5-metre waves coming from the West indicating that we were still in the ocean.
We decided to pass the Arranmore island from the western side adding 10 more miles (2 hours) of sailing instead of going through the planned eastern passage full of shallow sand banks and dangerous rocks. An easy sailing is much more pleasant than constant watch-out.
We arrived at 5pm well before sunset, tied to the mooring buoy and checked that we have a safe place for a night.

- Day 2 -
Rescued by RNLI
Arranmore

All salty from the ocean water and red-faced from the sun - the team desperately wanted a hot shower. They were even ready to rent a room in a local hotel for several hours just to use a bathroom. Ok, we untied the boat and directed it to a pier closer inshore. Five crew member rowed in a dinghy and disembarked on a pier, while one crew and captain went fishing on the boat.
The showers took unexpectedly long three hours. The crew of the RNLI Myrtly Maud must have had a sixth sense as they spotted our folks on a dingy on their way back to the pier.
We had to return back to the mooring buoy in complete darkness, and this is always uncomfortable even if you checked the place just several hours before.
DRAMA: We got caught in the fishing buoy and line just 20 meters away from the supposed night stay (visitors buoy). The engine died, and we slowly drifted to the dangerous cliffs. We could stop the boat's movement by dropping an anchor, but we were quite exposed to the sea and were not sure it would hold us all night. The same RNLI boat came to save us - they tugged us to a safe visitors mooring.
It didn't solve our problems with the dead engine and rope around the propeller, but we could relax and sleep until the next day.

- Day 3 -
Rescued by RNLI
Arranmore
DRAMA : We spent all morning snorkelling under the boat with a diver's knife but without wetsuits trying to cut the ropes stuck around the propeller. Didn't have much success - we sat there dejected, with chattering teeth and our bodies almost frozen to death.
Collective mind sometimes brings the brilliant ideas as we found on a Google maps a local diving club sign. Not sure that it is open and operating, we made a call and fortunately someone picked up the phone during the August Bank holiday.
We were so grateful to find rescue. Even having a wetsuit and oxygen cylinder he spent ten minutes under the hull releasing the propeller shaft.

- Day 3 -
Coming back to Teelin
Arranmore - Teelin
We felt a big relief that we won't stuck at the island for a few days more for doing the repairs. We went south the same way through Teelin, as we didn't want to find more troubles in the unknown places.

Oftentimes during the sailing trips we reach such places where the is still no internet and phone connection. At those moments I have a special feeling of freedom ... from all obligations, unnecessary connections and news, and can take some time to enjoy the moment. The right picture actually shows that we had to go on a hill to get a weak signal on phone.

- Day 4 -
Min
Teelin - Mullaghmore
The Ocean rarely stays calm for a long time. We had to hurry up before the storm.
We played word games and laughed - here is a one minute video about the last day.