A lovely sunny day, though you wouldn’t know it from the forecast. The bad weather seemed to hang over the Mayo and Connemara mainland, where there were great storm clouds. Motorsailed in light winds past the 2000 foot cliffs of Achill Island, with Clare Island in the distance, to Inishboffin.
Sadly, we didn’t think we had time to explore the lovely Clew Bay – or rather we feared from the longer range forecasts that the weather was turning away from the summer heatwaves and that if we stayed north too long we would be fighting our way against the return of the more usual strong summer winds from the south west.
There is a very tight entrance between rocks to Inishboffin Harbour, with leading marks and daytime leading lights, but once in, past the ruined Cromwell Barracks on the point, it is well sheltered from all directions. You turn in sharply when the barracks are abeam.
Found a buoy and motored the dinghy ashore, took a 3 euro shower in the community centre (much investment has gone into the centre, which advertised lots of activities) and dinner in a pub, with mussels nearly as good as the ones I got off the buoy at Ardbeg. No charge for the mooring.
Very much a holiday island, with several hotels. No sense of remoteness at this time of year, unlike Tory, which retained a feeling of distance. Several 5 to 8 km walks available round the island but for once we resisted the temptation. Got very annoyed at the behaviour of people driving Ribs at high speed near swimmers in the harbour. But otherwise a pleasant, friendly place.
Passage notes:37 miles, 7.5 hours, max SW3, min SE 2, visibility good.
