Ballycastle to Bangor

To take the tide with us around the coast, we needed an (early for us) departure just before low water. Casting off at 8:20am is so uncivilised on so many levels. Still, the departure was exciting. The depth sounder showed 0.2 meters for a (stressful) while and then momentarily dipped to 0.0 as we headed out of the harbour entrance. Think it needs some dredging, just like Peel. Luckily we didn't do the dredging for them.

It was nice and calm out to sea after several days of strong winds and big waves, albeit a bit grey. The headland to the east of Ballycastle is pretty impressive - just less so in the grey clouds. Anyway, here is Fair Head:

We had a beam sea for a while and so the captain was instructed to put on the stabilisers. That was as dramatic as it got this trip. However, we did cause a fast ferry to divert his course just off Larne harbour. He was the give way vessel and we kept on our course as per the rules. Actually we couldn't have done much anyway bar make a U turn as he was doing 30 knots and we had a few rocks around us. Watching him jink astern of us with a 10 degree course alteration was satisfying. We probably cost them a few gallons of diesel extra on that trip so sell your P&O shares now. The Larne to Stranraer ferries are as ugly as the ones in the Channel Islands, just bigger:

In the background you can see "The Maidens" and their lighthouse - one to add to the photo collection we are building on here. This time it even flashed at us:

From here, the run into Bangor was very calm. A couple of ferries coming out of Belfast were well clear of us and we only had to dodge anchored ships - not too hard! Of course, we gave our little wing engine some exercise and then a blast at wide open throttle for the big Lugger before entering the harbour. For those of you who stalk us on the AIS tracking systems, that is why we went a whole lot faster just before arrival.

We were given the choice of two berths but found that one had a lifeboat on it so we backed in alongside them. Kind of a comforting feeling having a neighbour like this:

even if it is an elderly Tyne class lifeboat that is probably up for retirement soon. We feel quite strongly that retired things can still be useful of course.

The trip was only around 45 nautical miles so not too taxing. Funnily, arriving in Bangor felt a bit familiar. Things got even more familiar when David and his brother arrived to do some work on Serenity, David's yacht that was moored astern of us. He was the first person we met in Norn Iron last year and we've kept in touch ever since (we met up in Oban last month with Andrew and Linda too). Coffee was called for and an engine room tour for David's brother of course. Busy little life we have....