A Day Sail to the Skelligs and back.

 I feel I ought to apologies for the number of photo's that are included on this day out.  But, it was so fabulous and we took so many !  In this pic we are off Valentia Island, Bray Head.
We decided to go to the Skellig Islands - it would take us all day but the weather was good and the sea calm.
We put the boat on the auto-pilot as soon as we were clear of the harbor entrance - and of we go !  Half way across the bay a motor launch roared very close. Simon Berrow!!!  What a surprise.  We had enough wind to sail all the way back to Dingle at five knots in a lovely ten knots of westerly breeze. Berthed at seven o'clock  in time to have supper and ramble out to hear Eoin Duignan and Tommy O'Sullivan in the Courthouse Inn.

 

Jill had made a chicken curry for lunch and we ate it when we were off Valentia Island - about half way to the Skellig's. It was delicious and had all the trimmings such as raita, naan bread, red  lentil dahl and hedgerow salad.  

   And we ate it outdoors since it was so nice to sit in the sunshine.

As we approached Skellig Beag there were five or six small passenger boats which had taken tourists out to the island from Portmagee.

Here they are waiting for their passengers to have a look around.  There are no guides on the island - too early - but "beggar's can't be choosers"

Here is the lighthouse on the Skelligs.  It's a bit of a small affair really - but the island is somewhat large when you are close to it.

This is  Skellig Beag which is covered by the Gannets at this time of year.  Most of them had not started nesting yet but they are an impressive and very large seabird. We saw lots of guillemots, razorbills and puffins!

The Gannets  use up every inch of the island.  Here is one of the two arches through the island.

Breda looking out at them.  But even though it was quite warm, it was cold by Caribbean standards !

When we were on the way out there Common Dolphin's came with us for miles.  Some would stay for about half an hour and then head off, to be immediately replaced by a dozen more.  We had them with virtually all afternoon.

Here is a rather poor photo of a Minke Whale.  We saw two of them on the way back but, as ever, they are the trickiest thing to photograph.