Our main season cruise to Northern Ireland
5th to 15th July 2008

Our main cruise this year on Dream Weaver was to Northern Ireland and covered 242 miles.

Crew: Douglas Locke and Liz Evans

Diary and Log Book extracts for 2008 cruise.

05.07.08 11.15 Departed Carrick Castle mooring towards Millport, Great Cumbrae.
05.07.08 17.15 Arrived visitor’s mooring Millport. Overcast MWF E 6 – 28 miles.

06.07.08 10.50 Departed Millport. towards Sanda Island.
06.07.08 18.00 Arrived Visitor’s Mooring Sanda Island. Overcast, MWF E 4. – 41 miles. Had an excellent dinner at the Byron Darnton Tavern, Sanda Island.

07.07.08 08.05 Departed Sanda Island towards Carrickfergus.
07.07.08 13.45 Arrived Carrickfergus Marina. MWF E 3. – 39 miles.

09.07.08 08.30 Departed Carrickfergus marine towards Ardglass & Strangford Lough.
09.07.08 08.50 Returned to Carrickfergus marina – Thick fog outside the marina – 1 mile.
09.07.08 12.10 Departed Carrickfergus marine towards Bangor.
09.07.08 13.25 Arrived Bangor marina. MWF E 5 – 6 miles.

11.07.08 06.05 Departed Bangor marina towards Glenarm.
11.07.08 10.30 Arrived Glenarm marina. MWF N 6 – 24 miles.

13.07.08 10.25 Departed Glenarm Marina towards Campbeltown.
13.07.08 16.20 Arrived Campbeltown pontoon. MWF E 3 – 36 miles.

14.07.08 05.50 Departed Campbeltown towards Rothesay.
14.07.08 13.15 Arrived Rothesay marina. MWF S 3 – 44 miles.

15.07.08 07.50 Departed Rothesay marine towards Carrick Castle via Sandbank.
15.07.08 10.00 Arrived Holy Loch marina Sandbank to refuel.
15.07.08 10.35 Departed Holy Loch marine.
15.08.08 12.30 Arrived own mooring Carrick Castle, Argyll. MWF W 6 – 23 miles.

This year we were only able to take a short sailing holiday of up to 11 days, however our plan to go to Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland for 3 or 4 days was completely altered by the weather. Our first night trying to pick up the last visitor’s mooring in Millport took half an hour becasue of the violent gusts E 6. We were then the only yacht in Sanda, but had an excellent meal. Both of the days getting to these destinations had exciting sailing…

We had a good crossing to Northern Ireland with a planned stop over in Carrickfergus for two nights. Thereafter the weather was not favourable and we were unable to leave for Strangford Lough because of thick fog. We waited until the fog cleared and having lost the tide south, headed for Bangor. Again the weather held us back from heading south so we had two nights in Bangor and enjoyed our time there relaxing! We had to give up going south as planned and so headed north to Glenarm marina where we had not been before. This was a very bumpy journey up the coast with wind against tide and seas that reached 3 metres off Larne. We arrived in Glenarm to the friendliest of welcomes and again because of the weather forecast spent two nights in Glenarm before crossing the North Channel back to Scotland.

We decided to call into Campbeltown and Rothesay on our way home as the forecast again was for high winds that arrived just as we entered Loch Goil on the last leg of our voyage. Despite the weather, high winds, fog, little rain, some sun, we had a good time in Northern Ireland that is a very friendly place to visit. Next year we will try and circumnavigate right around Ireland over a much longer period!

Other visitors this year: Lynda, Rene and Nadia Basso. There are a few photographs of this visitor’s day cruise down Loch Goil, see the Gallery (2008 – B).

Also, visitors later this year included – Graeme, Daniel & Toby Locke, Calum Evans, Gillan Locke and Angela Davies.

Main season voyage = 242 nautical miles.
Other sailing this year – Clyde area, Scotland = 82 nautical miles to 30/11/08.
(Clyde area visits included Lochgoilhead, Rothesay & Sandbank, Argyll & Bute.)

Total miles for 2008 season = 324 nautical miles to 30/11/08.

Total miles sailed since 2000 = 9,493 nautical miles to 30th November 2008.