X Marks the What? Darryl Hughes Blogs About His Irish Circumnavigation

3,355 views | July 18th, 2014

Darryl Hughes, an instructor with First Class Sailing, is sailing around Ireland and sending back illuminating stories, tips and posts to add to our sailing knowledge. In this blog he has a couple of photos that highlight the differences sailors can expect when travelling beyond areas they are used to, or where did their initial training.

Maybird is making her annual circumnavigation around Ireland and is currently in County Kerry in the scenic fishing port of Dingle, taking a few days respite before sailing on up the west coast to the Aran Islands.

I’ve added a couple of photos that some of you may find interesting and will hopefully help when you visit this port in the future.

Northerly cardinal mark just off the western end of Bere Island, Castletownbere.

One above of a northerly cardinal mark just off the western end of Bere Island near Castletownbere.

The purpose of drawing your attention to it is just to remind you that cardinal marks and lateral buoys are very often different structures from those one may get used to sailing around the Solent.

The colours / topmarks and lights are of course the same but the basic structure may not be a floating buoy. This particular northerly cardinal mark is a very solid concrete structure!

The photo below is of Maybird on the pontoon at Lawrence Cove on Bere Island with a very famous landmark behind her.

In the distance is Hungry Hill, which was written about in Dapne du Maurier’s novel of the same name.

Notice the metal post not far from Maybird’s bowsprit indicating an isolated dangerous rock – just a few metres from the end, on the opposite side of the pontoon! (close-up below)

Also take note of the large yellow buoy laying on its side on the shore – as we mariners know – sometimes things are not quite as they appear on the chart!