Gale Warning: Crookhaven looking like refuge

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We were tracking a system which appeared likely to form a gale over Ireland and track to the North. We would have southwesterlies veering to northwesterly. We knew we'd need to find safe harbour for Tuesday night into Wednesday.

We had spent plenty of time in Bantry Bay and it was time to move on. At first we thought Schull as we hadn't been there in a long time, but as the forecast developed we realized that Crookhaven would be safer. Schull is open to the south east and any southerly swell might come around Long Island. So Crookhaven it was. Completely protected from the south, north and west, it's an easy harbour to access and hunker down in.

As we sit here at anchor writing with our unlimited 3 Three wifi, working away, the storm rages around us. We had hoped to get off the boat and go to the Mizen museum which sounds great, but we didn't want to leave Aleria on her own. The revised forecast was for SW F7-8, occasionally F9, veering to the NW and backing down to F5-6 by morning. Aleria shudders as the F9 gusts hit but the anchor, our trusty Ultra, is holding firm.

They just updated the forecast to tell us that the gale force winds will continue through tonight. Oh joy!



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