Elvins Summer Cruise

We left Salcombe on 21th April for Falmouth and then rounded Lands End and across to Cork.

We went up river to Cork city and then circumnavigated the Fastnet rock and explored the

harbours of SW Ireland. 

We had wonderful weather to visit lots of the islands and harbours of

the Atlantic coast of Ireland including Clare Island and all the Arun Islands.We loved Galway

and went all the way upriver to dry out in Donegal. Then along the North coast to twice get a

rope around our props and an interesting trip down Loch Foyle to Londonderry. 

A very warm welcome in Coleraine before crossing to Islay and Jura and visiting many distilleries and then

Oban and proceeding to the Caledonian canal and through Loch Ness and out at Inverness and

up the NE coast of Scotland to have a few days in the Orkneys. 

We had a spectacular rounding of Cape Wrath and crossed the Minch to Stornoway and then worked our way down the Outer

Hebrides. We crossed to Tobermory on Mull and then whilst on a broad reach with all sails up

and no engines , on our way to Oban in a 40+ Kt squall the cleat on our running backstay gave

out and immediately the mast snapped. Both of us were on deck about to get the jib down and

thankfully no one hurt.

We recovered what we could and then had a week exploring around Oban before heading

South to Jura and Islay again and then crossed to Northern Ireland and Strangford Loch. We

stopped and had wonderful welcome at the Royal St George at Dun Laoghaire and a day in

Dublin. Then Arklow and in one day crossed the Irish sea to Cwm yr Eglwys , North of Fishguard,

changed crew, Kevin Anderson, re fueled from a local garage, round Pembrokeshire via Ramsy

sound and Jack Sound, overnight in Dale then 100 miles exactly to Longships Lighthouse.

Carried on to Newlyn overnight and then Falmouth to fuel again and into Salcombe once more

on 19th June, less than 2 months since we left Salcombe and in good time to be able to sail in

Merlin Rocket week.