Anchored at Cahore Point

A nicely place anchor at Cahore Point. I even fashioned a chaffing protector out of some spare hose to protect the anchor rope.

[text written a couple of days later]

I obviously have not yet mastered my iPad alarm clock. Instead of waking to the sound of cuckoos, I woke up as the sun was getting high in the sky. It must have been 0930 when I got up. I had had quite a big day yesterday, so a lie in was not unreasonable.

It was a difficult day to sail. There was not much wind. We sailed a bit out of Dun Laoghaire and in a few other places, but there was also quite a lot of motoring going on. Other boats were motoring too. The wind only really started to kick in when we got to the anchorage: Cahore Point. The problem was that the wind was from the wrong direction and was going to make the anchorage a pretty bumpy affair.

The Wicklow hills looked good on the way down. The Great Sugar Loaf is a fantastic feature: a little mountain that really does need climbing. Some of the higher Wicklow Hills looked like rounded boggy things. That isn't to say that they aren't nice hills: just that they are rounded and boggy. The other interesting spot was Arklow Hill. This is a roadstone quarry. They have quarried most of the hill away. There is a separate port for the quarry. It's odd to see an almost decapitated hill like that.

The weather started off dull and overcast, with the Wicklow Hills covered in low cloud, but by the end of the day it was a real scorcher: bright blue skies and it got pretty hot. This made lounging around on the boat quite a pleasant affair.

[text written at the anchorage, on the day]

Cervisia is now anchored off a place called Polduff at Cahore point. I have quite a lot of chain and rope out on the anchor and the anchor seems to be quite well set. The forecast is for variable winds with some northerly component. This is not exactly the best wind for this anchorage as it is exposed to northerly winds. I think the winds will not be too strong and we should be ok. I will have the iPad on anchor watch, so if we do drift, it will wake me up. If the winds pick up, it will probably also get wavy and this will also wake me up. I think we will be ok. It is nice being at anchor again. I am not sure I will touch dry land again until Portshead!

I am hoping to get up quite early as it will be a long crossing. That was my aim this morning too, but we didn't set off until 0930. I was tired after the day in the Wicklow Hills and I haven't yet mastered my iPad alarm clock!

I am hoping that I get woken by the time alarm and not the anchor alarm!