Not up at sparrow-fart time today; indeed a lazy start to the day with scrambled egg and fresh rolls, followed by getting the dinghy inflated and set up so that we could go explore the small estuary of Rinagabella. K helmed us upriver, and we caught the flood as we went. Once we were around the corner, we were able to turn the outboard off, and just drift on the tide for a bit before motoring further on.
Found a wreck of an old tug to take photos of, and then meandered back to Blue Opal to set up for our departure to Kinsale. Lunch was gnocchi with a tomato sauce, and then we meandered out of the bay around 1500 to discover that the forecast we were working with from 8 am wasn’t correct any more – how Met Éireann can give a forecast at 6 am that’s completely wrong by lunchtime is incredible.
Exploring Ringabella, Blue Opal at anchor 
The dinghy has been christened the “putt-putt” due to the engine 
A wreck up-river 
Alongside
Anyway, the wind was again not in the expected direction, or of the expected force – we ended up motoring almost the whole way from Ringabella to Kinsale, “tacking” across the swells (wind against tide) to keep up the boat speed. We tried catching fish as we meandered out from Ringabella, but had no luck.
At least one close call with a fish pot later, and we were passing the Sovereigns outside of Oyster Haven, and I decided that we were close enough to our destination to be able to try for fish again. Line paid out, and a scant 15 minutes later as we closed out the entry to Oyster Haven and K said she thought she’d caught a fish. She had indeed, two of them in fact! Biggest mackerel we’d caught yet (ok, we’d only caught 2 up to this point), and a slightly smaller one.
Got them off the hooks, hit them on the head with a winch handle, and tossed them in a bucket of seawater. Fixed up the line, put it back out, and before I’d even finished letting it out, I had a bite on the line. Hauled in in, and had three more mackerel hanging off of the hooks!
All told, 1.1 kg of fish after topping, tailing, and gutting.
Mackerel on the line 
Decent fish 
Topped, tailed, gutted, ready for the fridge
The biggest one was over 300 grams after top, tail and gut; K had most of that one for her dinner, and I had the rest plus a smaller one.
We’re in Castlepark Marina for the night, and there are no showers (COVID, but also they demolished them for refurbishment), no laundry facilities (COVID), and the gate has a sign saying the water on the pontoon taps is not drinkable. 36.40 EUR for a night – but at least it’s a safe berth with power to top up the batteries and keep the calorifier hot. The COVID excuse doesn’t seem right, as other marinas are able to provide these facilities despite the COVID restrictions. Getting in to the berth was also a bit of a tight fit, but doable with no wind.
Squeaky entrance 
Tight, but doable
The nearby pub only does alcohol, no food, so it’d be a dinghy job across to Kinsale proper to go for food, but it’s late and we’re tired.
Average speed: 3.89 knots
Total time: 03:36:15