Day 10, Arrival in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland!

0930Z 10AUG23, Day 10, Arrival in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland! We were alongside at 0830Z and consider our passage to be 9 days and 22.5 hour as the last half hour was in the marina getting set up and parked. 

Current Position: 51 42N / 008 31W Kinsale Yacht Club Marina

22.5 hour progress: 137nm, 6.1kts avg SOG. Our fastest day!

Passage Summary

1,229 nautical miles sailed

9 days 22.5hours (238.5 hours)

5.15 knots average speed over ground

31 hours of engine time

1 fish, a small Mahi Mahi

Casualties: none! 

Our last day was our quickest sailing of the passage. We were close reaching on a starboard tack and moving along well, pointed directly at Kinsale. By 10am the winds had built enough to put a second reef in the main. 

Around lunch time we experimented with sail configurations as we expected the winds to build some more and we were wondering if we could get a better (ie comfortable and fast) setup. 

We ended up with the 2 reefs in the main and 2 in the genoa. We really didn't need to sail as fast as possible as the goal was to arrive after sunrise. 

By mid afternoon we put a 3rd reef in the main. We were starting to see higher gusts and we still expected the winds to build some more. Soon the wind dropped so we rolled out a reef from the genoa. This in turn brought more wind again and we eventually put the second reef back in the genoa. This continued for the late afternoon hours into the evening. 

We settled on a conservative configuration as the boys took their watches. They both did a great job. They adjusted course as needed to keep us pointing directly to Kinsale and watched to see if the winds would build. 

By the overnight watch it seemed the winds really weren't going to build any more and a reef came back out of the genoa. Zephyros was getting pushed around by a bit of current as we made our way along the South Eastern Irish coast. 

Just before 6:30UTC (7:30am local) we were rounding the Old Head of Kinsale which was barely visible in the fog! Good thing we waited to make landfall during the day! We were grateful that GPS and electronic charting is so good but also used the radar as we piloted our way in. 

We fell off around the corner and had a nice sail up towards the head of the river. We then turned on the engine, rolled in the sails and brought down the main. We then turned up the river and motored in to Kinsale. 

There was quite a bit of current bringing us in and we quickly moved past the two old forts that guarded the town. The fog had lifted, a little. So we could see enough to make it down the river and to the marina. We ended up alongside in a visitor berth and were very happy that the Kinsale Yacht Club was able to find space for us. 

We were warmly greeted and welcomed. Then we set to cleaning and organizing. Soon customs arrived and did their checks and inspections. Then Jon went to check in with the marina and the harbor master. 

We made appointments with the Department of Agricultural to check-in Poseidon and called immigration to see whether they needed to see us. As we are US citizens they did want to see us and stamp us in so an appointment was made to meet them at the police station that evening. 

We then welcomed Saga, catching their lines. They arrived about 2.5 hours after us and were given the berth right in front of us. 

After that it was showers and off to a lunch of fish and chips. Then the check-in appointments and a walk around town to pick up dinner and have a pint. Whew! A busy, busy day. 

(And then Friday featured a little sun so we were out exploring and this post is even later. Thanks for following along!)