Aleria's Adventures

Fog over Clew Bay as seen from Mulranny.  We had visited Blacksod Bay and Elly Bay by sea before but had never actually gone ashore. Yesterday, we needed to get cow matting from the manufacturer, Cow Comfort, in Belmullet. So we stopped in Ballycroy to see Marie Wood's art exhibition in the Ginger &Wild Cafe, went on to Belmullet picked up the cow mats and then decided to go to the end of the road at Blacksod Bay. It was a beautiful day for a car ride and a gander. On the way there, we saw a most extraordinary sight -- fog or low cloud over a segment of Clew Bay, likely an inversion as the weather had suddenly turned quite warm.  Marie's art exhibition was superb. Her work is always impressive, but this selection I found especially appealing. My favourite piece was called 'Let there be light' but I loved them all. The views from the Cafe and visitor centre were beautiful but we didn't take the time to walk the loop as it was a bit breezy and we wanted to be sure...

Rainbow between Clare and Achillbeg It was a strange summer that never happened, with chill winds and rain nonstop. So when the forecast was for moderate winds in the range of 15 knots out of the North, we decided to head off to the Inishkeas. It would be cool but we can handle that. But, as often happens, the forecast was not true to its word and the squalls that blew through with occasional heavy rain, arctic cold, and blasts of wind in the range of 25 knots caused us to divert to Achillbeg to see if the conditions might abate. They did not, which meant we had a lovely day at anchor off Achillbeg.

Stonehenge and Achill-henge. Image (c) by Alex Blackwell. Two years ago, Joe McNamara, one time developer and native of Achill, Ireland's largest island, frustrated by the rise and fall of Ireland's economy known as the Celtic Tiger, launched a mysterious plot. By the light of the moon on a cold Friday 25 November 2011, 30 trucks arrived on Achill carrying loads of concrete and building materials. They carried the materials up the hills onto commonage lands high above the village of Pollagh, obscured from direct view from roads and homes. By Sunday evening, under the cover of darkness, they had constructed a structure soon after dubbed Achill-henge. Walking up the muddy road soon after the construction.

Mackeral sky and mares tails, soon will be time to shorten sails. Making our way home to Clew Bay, bypassing the Inishkeas The wind was < 2 knots on the nose, so motor boat we were once again. We left Broad Haven early, shortly after sunrise, as it would be a long day rounding Erris Head and Achill Head and high tide was mid-afternoon. We have a 15-foot tidal variation and need a minimum of half tide to get across a shellfish bed to our mooring. The weather turned miserable. Welcome home! We made it to the Inishkeas around 1130 and poked our nose into the anchorage. The Inishkeas are relatively flat and said to be much like the Outer Hebrides, which we had not made it to in Scotland. There is a wide expanse of sandy beach, abandoned houses, some being restored as summer holiday cottages, and lots of ruins. Another of St. Columba’s monastic settlements – the guy was like George Washington, he slept around – and the remains of a whaling station.  We toyed with a...

Happy Independence Day America!  Huge swell combined with cross waves to create a confused sea. Pounding around Achill and into Black Sod Bay, County Mayo, Ireland Well at least it wasn't a red sky at morning. The concert before we left had ended with a fireworks display reminiscent of American Independence Day.  We’d had our fix of oooohs and aahhs and ohwwwsss! All we could do now was celebrate our independence by setting off and hoping for the best. In the morning, despite a threatening looking sunrise, heavy swell and confused seas, we left Clew Bay and sailed around Achill Island to Black Sod Bay.  It was like being in a washing machine, tumbling every which way off the crests of waves that squared off against a huge 20 foot ocean swell.  Despite 25 knots of wind out of the WNW, we were so closely hauled that we had to power with the engine on full to make way through the pounding surf around the imposing headland.  The cliffs off Achil...

Making way out of Clew Bay. Well, sort of. Aleria on her mooring in Clew Bay Greetings friends! We're off to Scotland, well sort of. As usual, it's a bit of a story. It’s been a while since Aleria took off on an extended trip, and it has been an interesting couple of years for Alex and me.  If you recall, we arrived in Ireland after crossing the Atlantic for the third time and started cruising up the coast when a big old heavy wooden fishing trawler ploughed into Aleria broadsides while she was at anchor.  We were thankfully ashore. So, Aleria went to the Shannon for repairs while we started a new business to keep us busy. A year later in 2011, we got her back, better than ever and cruised the islands off the coast of Ireland in our home waters.  We went to Galway for the Volvo Ocean Race finale, sailed to the magical Aran Islands, then Inishturk, Inishbofin, Caher and Clare.