Clifden Bay County Galway Republic of Ireland

We needed to leave pretty promptly on Thursday 12 June to make sure we had enough water to get out over the charted muddy bar off Rossaveal and so we left just before 0800hrs. There was a good 17kt easterly wind blowing – perfect for making ground west and then north – and we made best use of it with full main and genoa, the latter poled out until we headed north at Slyne Head. Going downwind towards Slyne Head was very odd as we had a pretty strong wind from dead behind us and a huge (3m+) swell rolling in from the west. It felt all wrong after all our time ocean sailing in the trades when the wind and the swell are going in the same direction.

Slyne Head

Even a mile off at Slyne Head, the swell crashing on the cliffs was impressive and there was a surprising, and slightly worrying, amount of white spume on the sea where we were. We continued north towards Clifden, somewhat concerned about the bar at the entrance to the inlet given the size of the swell, despite the rocks and islets lying off the entrance which might (or might not) break the swell. We need not have worried. The islets and rocks did, indeed, break the swell, gradually, granted, but very definitely. By the time we were a short way off the entrance, rounding up to drop the mainsail was very easy, and the shallow water over the bar was perfectly smooth, whereas similar depth water a couple of miles outside was breaking fiercely. Turning in past the headland to cross the bar we were shocked to see what looked like a small freighter and a submarine not too far ahead of Blue Velvet.  But, of course, it was actually a fisheries support vessel and several fish farms all taking up the south side of the loch. Clearly we wouldn’t be anchoring there, which was unfortunate, given that the forecast was for fresh to strong SW winds.

Views from the mooring

However, approaching the recommended anchorage, we saw that there were a number of Co Galway visitors’ moorings. Given the depth of water and the fact that we were on a lee shore, we decided to pick one up for the evening, and were rewarded with an excellent night’s sleep.

Clifden Bay, County Galway, Republic of Ireland