At 09:30 after a shave, shower and shopping, we departed from Glenarm. The wind initially was very fluky, but by 10:00 it had steadied into the SW. Engine off and sailing along at a nice 6.0kn. We passed Frank Smith’s boat Kitto making her way north at Muck Island – over the VHF Frank muttered about it being unfair that we could afford the time to cruise around Ireland for 6 weeks. He was taking a 1-week RYA practical course.
Around midday, we stopped opposite Blackhead Bay to join the gannets in some mackerel fishing and caught the first 3 mackerel of the season.
Then off again southwards across the mouth of Belfast Lough and by 13:40 had passed down through the Donaghadee Sound. The run down the Ards Peninsula coast was sunny with the occasional black thundery cloud, but we managed to avoid the resultant downpours. This was the first sunshine of the week, although still with a very cold wind blowing!
By 16:40 we were down by the South Rock and took the inshore route past the Old Light House and the Butter Pladdy.
Around 18:30 we shot the lobster pot off Ardglass harbour, baited with the mackerel heads and proceeded into Phennick Cove Marina. Distance travelled 50nm.
That evening after a shower and change, Susie prepared grilled mackerel for starters on board, followed by dinner in Aldo’s Restaurant.
Photo taken by Mo (Beken of Bangor) Rainey, during the 2002 Autumn Series