In the morning we sorted out the pass key etc with the harbour authorities, called them for clearance to leave, and set off at around 0900 heading for Malahide Marina. The forecast was for F4/5 occassionally F6 later with the wind from the West and then going round to the North West, so it all seemed to be stacking up well. We exited Carlingford Lough and had a lovely but slow sail to begin with, but with the distance to go and the required arrival time to enter the shallow and narrow entry to Malahide Marina meant that we had to eventually get a bit of a move on so once again it was back to motorsailing.

After an hour or so, the winds started building up to around F4 as forecast but didn’t stop at F4, the wind kept building F5,F6,F7 until we were getting squalls with the winds hitting 39kts true. I thought we would get a bit of shelter and things would settle down when we reached the Skerries, but wholly shamolly the seas just kept getting bigger and bigger, and in the time I’ve owned Sun Dog, its the first time she has been out surfing – exciting would be one word to use!! There must be some kind of “local effect” in this area created by the islands of Rockabill and Lambay.

Given the conditions and size of the waves, I thought it would be prudent to radio Malahide Marina for some local knowledge, but they simply reiterated what was in the pilot book. This stated that whatever the depth was at the safe water marker, one subtracted two metres from this depth and this would give the depth over the bar in the entrance.

We circled around thinking we had missed the safe water marker in the waves and poor visibilty, but I was wanting in and as I had calculated the tidal heights in the traditional manner and was therefore confident there would be enough water under our keel. Going up the narrow channel which is clearly marked, I became aware of just how narrow this was and couldn’t help but hold my breath going over the bar (and re doing some mental arithmetic) – but all was well. We had been allocated a berth number when we called the marina earlier, and it was a nice touch when someone came down to take our lines. I mentioned to this particular staff member that we hadn’t been able to find the safe water marker, and he smiled and said that came as no surprise to him as he pointed to it up on the hard standing. It is apparently due to be positioned within the next few weeks !

The coffee Sara made once the boat was tied up tasted like nectar, as we hadn’t really had anything since breakfast and the conditions had not been conducive to boiling water/preparing food in the galley. It was a real shame, that on her birthday, the weather Gods couldn’t have been just a wee bit kinder -but if nothing else Sara now knows that Sun Dog can indeed take a sea.

This photo was taken the next day at around mid tide and looking out to sea.

This was (in our ownership) the first time we had to raise a courtesy flag on Sun Dog – so that was a really neat moment.