A TRULY EPIC
PART TWO
After crossing the Irish Sea and leaving his Princess V39 Cecienne in Kinsale Harbour, John Boyle heads south-west along the remote and beautiful coastline of County Cork
After weeks of checking weather forecasts, the perfect weather pattern was emerging – ahuge high pressure in the mid Atlantic that appeared to be stationary. It was time to jump on the Aer Lingus flight back to Cork and continue our exploration of South West Ireland. A quick tip about air fares – try and book as far ahead as you can, even if just an extra day. When I checked Monday’s flights on the Friday afternoon they were available at £82, when I booked 12 hours later they had jumped to £213! I seeing our Princess V39 Cecienne, but walking can go for a couple of weeks at home without along the pontoon in Kinsale towards her felt like catching up with an old friend. We’d caught the evening flight so we only had time for a quick pint and then an early night – we’d left her fully fuelled and topped up with water, so she was raring to go.
I’d not known how long we’d be leaving her in Kinsale, but we’d got lucky. Stephen at Castlepark Marina is one of those marina managers who knows his customers. Of course, the marina was full for the summer and my requests for “a berth for a month, maybe more” had been universally rejected by other marinas in Cork and Kinsale. But he knew that he’d be able to juggle and squeeze us in.
KINSALE CAVES
I was woken before the alarm at early dawn by the strangest bird call almost right next to my ear. Through the open porthole I could see a heron perched on our mooring line just a few feet away. Totally motionless, neck craned forward hovering a few inches from the water, it suddenly dipped its head in and came up with a small fish. One of those magical moments when I wished I’d had my camera to hand but one that I won’t forget.
Heading west from Kinsale Harbour the first headland is the Old Head of Kinsale with its distinctive lighthouse set on a narrow spit of land riddled with caves. Over the years one of these caves has been worn by the sea into a tunnel right through the cliffs. Last night a man in the pub told me that according to local lore, when the lighthouse was manned, the keepers had tried to get the island enhancement to their wages because technically it was surrounded by water. Good try, but they weren’t successful!
On this calm morning, the temptation to explore the tunnel was too great. River and I launched the tender and paddled through, much to the indignation of the nesting sea birds.
Baltimore Harbour is in a huge natural bay, Roaringwater Bay, studded with islands. You could spend a week here exploring in your boat and never get bored. Knowing how
