The little bomb of a low that gave me strife yesterday moved quickly NE and by 16:00 I was under way again over very lumpy, confused seas, but with a SW wind. By noon today I was at 54 08N 10 25W having made good 85 miles in the past 24 days. Not too bad having lost all those miles drifting backward while lying hove-to. Now Taonui is off the coast of Ireland. Too close for comfort. Black Island Light, the most westerly point of northern Ireland was only 4 miles away. A slight wind shift to the west gave a bit of relief and the land falls away around Galloway Bay so I have a better margin of safety now. The west coast of Ireland is a bad lee shore, but the lighter weather is to the south and the sooner I can get there the better. There is high in the Western Approaches while lows are tracking NE to the north. Malin, the sea area I just left has gales tonight. I'm hard on the wind, trying to go due south, but being pushed east. Nothing that a wind shift or a tack wouldn't fix. The next sticking out bit of land is Great Foze Rocks, off the Dingle Penisular, the SW point of southern Ireland about 85 miles to the south. I should be past that tomorrow. one way or the other.
Meantime, its a good chance to catch up on some sleep lost yesterday. Very little traffic on this coast. Have only seen two ships in past 24 hours. Not much bird life either, fulmars, the odd gannet and Manx shearwater. Its a pity that its overcast. Last night was clear for a while. Lovely full moon and bright stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment