Two Scotsmen, an Englishman and an Irishman: Day 72

Today we have explored a small bit of the beautiful Strangford Lough.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/strangford-lough

We left our overnight buoy this morning at 11.30 am and sailed West and then South for an hour and a quarter, only 5 miles but good fun. There is a regatta on the Lough today and we had to weave our way through a good number of various types of sailing boats and dinghies.

We are only exploring a small part of the Lough because the Lough is huge and the further we go in the further back we have to travel. The top of the Lough would be a full day of sailing to get up there and another one to get back. Plus a good few hours to time our exit.

The exit is trickier than entering because the exiting tide hits an opposing tide from the Irish Sea and the boiling sea they create, effectively stops you from leaving. So you have to wait for the tide from the Lough to be turning, 15 minutes from the slack tide to be exact to escape. Get there too early and you hit potentially big seas or too late and the incoming tide of 6 knots takes you back in, whether you like it or not. So timing to the mouth is key. We will have to leave here, Quoile Yacht Club at the head of the River Quoile. Close to where legend has it is the final resting place of St Patrick, at 4.45 am.

Out exit slot we believe is 07.15 am and we are heading to Carlingford Lough on the Southern side.