We departed slightly earlier than planned, as the inside boat decided to leave and there were two boats outside us. As the ropes were being shuffled around, we decided to motor away, making it easier for the inside boat to manoeuvre out. The downside of this quick get away was that we (genuinely) forgot to pay the overnight berthing fee.
We motored out past Charles Fort and on past Preghane Pt, inside of the Bulman Rock buoy. Once we turned west we were able to hoist the sails and switch off the engine. At 08:15 we were abeam Big Sovereign Rock and could see up into the anchorage at Oyster Haven (one for the next visit!). Then on past Newfoundland Bay and Reanies Bay towards Cork.
By 10:00 we had to take the sails down and continued under engine inside of Daunt Rock and on towards the entrance to Cork Harbour at Roches Point.
There was some shipping to avoid as we passed through the entrance buoys, after which we had a trip around Cohb Harbour and then back to the Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven, where we tied alongside at 13:10. Distance travelled 27nm. Marina fee €23.
Activities at RCYC were now winding down after Cork Week. There was the same collection of empty marquees that we saw on our earlier visit prior to Cork Week, but the buzz of anticipation had changed to a mood of ‘thank God that’s over for another 2 years!’
Being the Sunday after Cork Week, Crosshaven itself was very quiet but we managed to get a late lunch at a makeshift restaurant at the entrance to Salve Engineer’s Boatyard.
In the afternoon we pulled out the anchor chain and gave it and the anchor locker a good hose down to get rid of the Union Hall goo.
Spent a few hours planning our route and destinations for the rest of the trip back to Bangor.