Aleria's Adventures

Leaving Bere Island in cool misty but windy conditions We spent a reasonably calm evening at Bere Island but decided to press on to Valentia in the morning despite a continued small craft warning (SCW). The SCW was for SE winds of F5-6. Aleria loves those conditions. The day before it was for SW winds F5-6, increasing to 7 for a time and we did okay. Right from the beginning, this trip took a turn from a being a cruise to being a delivery. I don't think we've really done that before. Perhaps only the first trip up from the Chesapeake to Long Island Sound when we first bought Aleria.  Interesting - I wonder what has changed. We raised the sails inside Bere Island then sailed through the cut at Ardnakinna Point, which was not easy as the seas were pretty big outside and nasty in the cut, but it saved us 2.5 miles in and 2.5 back out around the back of Bere Island. It was about 15 miles out past the end of the Beara Peninsula and we motor sailed that part while refrigera...

Visitor moorings in Clifden By Daria and Alex Blackwell Pontoon at Clifden Boat Club makes access easy This summer, we spent a month sailing Ireland’s beautiful southwest coast. We encountered many foreign vessels, more than we’ve ever seen before, mostly from Britain and France. The first questions a cruiser asks when arriving in a new destination are: Are there visitor moorings and are they secure and easy to pick up? Is the anchorage sufficiently protected from wind and seas and does it offer good holding?  What type of bottom composition does it have? Where is the access to shore? Is it a pontoon, a pier, or a beach? How can I dispose of garbage and recycling? Are there showers and toilets ashore? How far are the closest restaurants and pubs? Can I get water and fuel? Is there a shop for reprovisioning? Are there laundry facilities? What's the best thing to do here?

Graphics: Oliver Lüde / CC: Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, ZHdK / plasticgarbageproject.org No more messages in a bottle For generations, blue water cruisers have separated out garbage underway to dispose of  the "degradable" items from garbage into the sea.  Food scraps were definitely in that category, as was paper and glass. Metal tins were often considered degradable as well, given how quickly things rust away if left on their own.  But no more. MARPOL Annex V adopted for international waters as of January 2013 delineates that discharge is prohibited of plastics, synthetic ropes, fishing gear, plastic garbage bags, cooking oil, lining and packing materials, paper, rags, glass, metal, and bottles.