We left Dale at 1100 for Dun Laoghaire (DL). The forecast was for westerly, backing south westerly during the day with the wind due to increase in the evening from the south. We motored out of Dale into the remnants of the previous day’s blow——large rolling waves that Marita climbed and then descended but as soon as were were clear of the entrance the sea flattened off and the sun came out. We motored into the light westerly to clear the islands until we could turn north and then sailed.  Unfortunately the wind dropped to about 10 knots so we turned the engine on as we were keen to keep up an average of 6 knots in order to take full advantage of the tide up the east Irish coast. Inshore forecasts kept confirming that a southerly blow was on its way and due sometime in the night. The gribs had suggested it would be about 25 knots at 0200.

Late afternoon a southerly swell started to appear on the otherwise flattish sea——a sure sign of trouble to come. Darkness came as we approached the coast north of Tuskar Rock where we would turn north and run up inside the Arklow Bank. There is an inshore passage inside the banks which also help to flatten the sea. The tide turned at about 2100 and we pushed on at about 8.5 knots speed over ground. The wind was now 12 knots and dead behind us which with the strong tide meant that our apparent wind speed was insufficient for much help from the sails. We were running about one hour behind schedule and had five hours to cover the 40 miles to Dun Laoghaire before the tide turned. Engine on !

All was under control, Mark was having a kip when suddenly the wind increased to 30 knots. Two quick "nearly gybes” and we turned into the onslaught to drop the main. Then onwards with the waves swirling around the stern trying to twist Marita off course. The experience of strong wind and bubbling sea is always worse at night—the rushing and hissing noise and only being able to see the white crests of the breaking waves with no horizon to relate to adds a new dimension. The visibility disappeared as we ploughed on into the darkness.

We had about two hours to go but did not want to make landfall and arrive at DL in the dark so despite the conditions we had to try and slow down even if that meant we had foul tide at the end. A 500 foot cargo boat radioed us to say that he would pass us on our starboard side and would we maintain our course——we saw him about an hour later out in front on our starboard side! By now were were experiencing gusts of 34 knots (true wind) but Marita was doing well and we felt in control. The skies began to lighten as we approached DL and we went into the very sheltered marina which is inside two breakwaters.We put Marita to bed and then went to bed ourselves!

The marina is huge and we had parked up on the visitors pontoon which is a long walk from the marina office

however they have very good facilities in the form of "MAR(Ina) LOU"——a converted canal boat providing all mod cons.

We visited DL late morning and had some lunch. bought newspapers to read about the election (farewell to the 2 Eds !) and then listened to the VHF which played out a live rescue for about 2 hours. In England the coastguard and lifeboats use channel 0 for all communications as this cannot be accessed by the public. Here they use Channel 67 so we heard all the communications between RNLI, coastguard, the helicopter and the Customs cutter. Apparently somebody reported having seen a shape in the water and so there was a full scale search. The sea conditions were appalling with winds over 30 knots but the ‘casualty' was spotted by the helicopter when the downdraught from the rotor blades flattened out the sea. We learnt the following day that the casualty was a man who had disappeared about 6 weeks ago having left his car on a headland to the north of Dublin Bay. The recovery from the sea onto the lifeboat was described in detail and was a difficult and gruesome event——we think that Channel 0 is a good idea!

By Monday the wind was blowing gale 8 to severe gale 9. We went into Dublin on the train (The Dart ), the railway station being within a couple of minutes of the marina. We ‘did' the National Gallery most of which was closed due to rebuiliding works and then visited the pub area for a pint of Guinness and supper listening to the Irish folk songs by a live band.