Midlifekayak

Our day weatherbound in Kilkee was spent washing and catching up with what’s going on in the world. We also found an amazing cafe and bar which benefited from our custom for several hours each (no surprises there then).

We had set up camp just below St George’s headland, in a public shelter out of the driving wind and rain. We watched the large Atlantic swell crashing in over the reef that extends halfway across Kilkee Bay. Think we made the right decision to stay off the water.

The next morning we broke camp and were on the water by 8.30am. It had stopped raining and the winds had reduced slightly and veered westerly now. So although the swell was smaller, there would be a lot of confused clapotis around any west facing cliffs.

We picked our route out of the bay to avoid the reef and turned right along the coast. The boats bounced around in the confused water but they (and we) felt comfortable. 

We rounded Donegal Point and headed into Mal Bay. We had thought we could stop off at Spanish Point mid way through the bay but seeing how far it in it was we decided to push on toward Mutton Island and then Hags Head. 

It was a low speed day. The wind chop and swell and stream conspired to keep us to an average of just over 3 miles an hour. Slow but not too painful.

The swell was still fairly big. Geoff and I would lose sight of each regular as we sat in the troughs between swells. 

As we approached Hags Head I could see on the chart a large area of submerged rock. That would likely cause the swell to break in impressive fashion. True enough, as we got closer we could see and hear the roar as the swell broke.  We turned into the wind and worked our way around.

As Hags Head slowly disappeared behind us, Ireland’s next coastal attraction emerged before us. The Cliffs of Moher.  For the next four miles we paddled in some exciting clapotis with an incredible back drop – the cliffs rise to over 700 ft. Tourists were dotted along the edge at the top – probably they wouldn’t be able to make us out at that distance. It also appeared that one of the Doolin sight seeing vessels couldn’t make us out either as they made course straight for us. Geoff and I adjusted course a couple of times and just as I was reaching for my radio, they finally seemed to spot us and gave us some room.

Doolin ferry port is something else. Protection from the swell is only afforded at the very last minute and although a nearby rock helps to shield the quays it also helps to cause some very confused water. Just as we approached, three ferries and two sight seeing boats were lining up to get in. We would have to wait in the confused water with swells breaking either side. Slowly we edged forward and as the last ferry dropped its cargo of passengers and headed back to sea we paddled for it and landed on the slip. 

Cold and tired from another slog of a day, we got some soup and rice on the boil to warm us up.

Today (Day 17) we crossed to the three Aran Islands. First thing, the sun had been out giving us hope for a warm days paddle – just a mile into the first crossing the fog and the rain descended. We spent the next four hours tracing our way up the north east coast of each of the Islands until we reached Kilronan. We had to rely on our chart reading skills and our ability to follow a bearing as the Islands had all but disappeared.

Our bodies weren’t into it today. We don’t know why. Perhaps the first 17 days are just catching up with us but we decided to stop on Inishmore and as the rain and the fog didn’t look like lifting, we checked in to a B&B and get some food in us and sleep. It wouldn’t have been a safe option to push on in fog around some of the small Islands that are coming up anyway. 

So our 4th shower in 18 days and our first night in a bed feeling positively spoilt.

Big thank you to Val for a very generous donation to our charities. Thanks so much!

 Inishmore Quay…  

Irish stew …

Something missing?