53:19.2 4:38.5W

We enjoyed a final run ashore in Kilmore where in the local chippy the skipper met his double.

 

 

 All in all, Kilmore is a delightful spot for a visit – friendly, picturesque, an excellent little marina and superb chandlery, pub, restaurant and chippy.  Bonza!

 

 

On 7^th, sunshine and a gentle westerly breeze accompanied us as we departed before the town started to come to life.  Once clear of the approach, Harry was introduced to the joys of visual fixing as we rounded Carnsore Point, the SE corner of Ireland, and entered the Irish Sea.  This put us in perfect shape for the run to Holyhead, and what a fantastic sail it turned out to be!

The sun shone throughout the day, with clear blue skies and an azur blue sea. More importantly the breeze was perfect; we set the asymmetric which then stayed set not only for the day but the night run as well:

 

 

  We had hot oggies for lunch, perfectly prepared by Nick (and despite his admission of dropping them on the ground outside the shop); afterwards, Peter declared a make and mend, so the crew switched to relaxed mode, and Harry showed off his legs:

 

 

We passed many groups of about 30 guillemots (the skipper had us all leaping about on deck to encourage take off for a photo op):

 

 

We were joined by a large school of about 20 dolphins, who rode our bow for about an hour - fantastic creatures they are and such a joy to watch:

 

 

 As the sun began to set, we toasting Sarah, who had provided us with a superb beef curry for supper: 

 

 

All this made for a truly memorable day.

Sunset came, and we powered on under full sail through the night. Nick got used to flying the asymmetric in the dark, thinking it was a bit like having a hot air balloon attached to the mast in the moonlight - what a sail it is!  While the night was cold, the rain held off and we had plenty of stars and a few passing ships to keep us occupied.  Dawn saw us make landfall in a timely fashion, and Peter skilfully brought Aquila alongside at 0700 precisely.  So ended a fabulous trip, made all the better on hearing the news that Ed Balls had lost his seat! Doubly Bonza!

Nich and Harry have now departed; what a great crew they both are: prepared to turn their hands to anything, cheerful whatever the weather, and above all, great company.  Tomorrow, Ron and Howard join for the leg to Islay - we plan to depart Sunday morning.  Hebrides, here we come!