Port Ellen to Ballycastle

Mark Rosenthal

Today’s plan is to sail south to Ballycastle Slight increase in pressure Departure 10:00 High water Rathlin 14:28 Cast off at #10:01 Motored to exit the harbour to get a good line to the starboard cardinal mark. Raised the main and turned to point to a waypoint to the west of Rathlin Island. Initially 2 reefs with wind speeds of 19kt and the threat of showers. Course 190 deg 11:30 It is now sunny and the wind speed are dropping off to 11kt. We took out the reefs and resumed our course, now max,185 deg Winds varying and affecting our course but making good progress until 13:00 when the winds died down so that we had to motor sail to keep us west of Rathlin Island as the tide would start to carry us eastwards shortly. As we crossed the TSZ there was a survey vessel, Corystes, running along the centre of the TSZ to the west. As it was directly on our bow and travelling very slowly I checked on the VHF to ask if we were OK to transit her stern. Having received their permission with a warning that they were towing some survey equipment we continued to head up to regain our westward cross track difference. 13;30 engine off eased our course back to a heading of 190. So far we had sailed bSlowed to avoid the next showered between the rain showers and not got wet so we slowed down on this next section to avoid the incoming next heavy showers which were now covering Ballycastle and the west end of Rathlin Island. Over the course of today we have seen lots of groups of gannets flying in their long perfect lines as though it was just one joined up tail swinging low between the now rolling atlantic swell. . Passing the western end of Rathlin Island Called the harbour master at Ballycastle to check on moorings, told to ring back when we were 15 minutes out. Having confirmed the location of our berth we entered the harbour after checking with the dredger, on operations in the harbour, that we were good to pass ahead of her. This was the same vessel which we had seen in Portrush in the early days of this cruise. On the pontoon for 15:16