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Ocean Froggie Specs

Left Kilmore Quay 1100 bound for Dunmore East, mooring buoy, went ashore for a few hours, had lunch in WHSC where we received a very warm welcome. Then cruised up the Waterford Estuary towards the beautiful Barrow and Suir rivers. Arrived in Waterford City marina at 1630. The Marina is excellent, run by the council, and about 1/2mile long. Great security, 220v, water, and fab city centre scenery. Marina shows what can be done with a will to do it. TG a developer has bought the old run down eastern wharf and is going to develop a small city over there. In years to come Waterford city will have one of the nicest waterfronts in Europe. The scenery up the River Suir was fantastic. Colregs were useful today when I met a dredger, a tug, an massive bulk carrier that at great speed left its mooring and did a 360 in front of us in the narrow channel with the aid of a tug - impressive manoeuvring! Met an IWAI boat cruising out from behind Kings Island. Heck of a tidal stream on the city marina jetties, you have to moor bow into which every direction the tide is flowing when you are tieing up. In our case the tide was ebbing heavily when we changed berth HW+2. Wonderful access to this historic city's attractions. Went to the cinema for a break from the salt. We got diesel from a road tanker with a long hose the next morning.

This was a real trip down nostalgia lane for me. Cruised past my late fathers old home on the river bank just outside the city. Reason for reverse was to collect family off Wexford train in Kilmore Quay, then on to Waterford by boat. Weather permitting we are hoping to go to Dun Laoghaire for a week or so, before the slow cruise back to Killaloe on Lough Derg over a number of weekends.

Heading back westwards past the Hook Head light house.

WHSC mooring buoy at Dunmore East. Nostalgic visit to one of my child hood haunts. WHSC (Waterford Harbour Sailing Club based in Dunmore east) were very welcoming and assisted us pick up the mooring

Badgers Cove, Dunmore East

Plastic or Real?

Sailing school kids diving during lunch break

View from WHSC balcony as we had a welcome lunch.

Heading up the Waterford Estuary - Passage East Ferry

Light drift nets being hauled in JUST before shipping starts upstream with the flood

Scenic Waterford Estuary – Railway bridge and junction of Barrow and Suir rivers

Waterford's new container port now downstream of the city.
This guy did a 360 right in front of us - Impressive Manoeuvring

Waterford City Marina - Gate swipe cards and 220v tokens available from nearby Tower Hotel if manager is not on duty

Waterford is world famous for it’s hand crafted crystal glass and now has a beautiful marina and pedestrianised wharf with all the attractions of a city. Waterford hosted the 2005 Tall Ships race, and is hoping to do so again in 2011

Visiting yachts from far and wide visit the historic Viking city.

The old commercial wharf opposite on the east bank is to be developed into a marina, park, apartments and shopping park. We spent one night in Waterford before heading back to Kilmore Quay the next evening.

Departed Waterford 1715 on 31nm passage with the ebb heading back to Kilmore Quay. Waterford Castle hotel and golf club on Kings Island.

A southerly F6 wind against tide awaited us once we left the serene confines of the estuary. We got bashed a bit and had to peg the speed back to 12kt to avoid slamming off the tops of the short swell. We steered well away out to sea from the seething over falls off the Hook head, but when we turned east into the beam on sea and were able to increase speed to 20kt. The Broom was fantastic in such conditions and rolled very little once we got the speed up. Relieved to arrive in a sunny Kilmore Quay around 1935.

Kilmore Quay - The marina was packed due to the Cork week fleets were returning to the UK, France, CI and Dublin. We were rafted 5 deep out in the middle between the jetties, so my clever son suggested a simple rope ferry to get ashore using the rib rather than climbing over boats with the folding bikes.

Day 7 – 15nm+17nm @ 15kt AET 2h15m (lunch break in WHSC)
Arrived Dumore East 1255 for lunch in WHSC, explored childhood haunts in rib, left for Waterford city at 1455 arriving in the city marina at 1610

Day 8 - 32nm @ 15kt AET 2h15m
Bumpy ride back to Kilmore Quay in F6, but forecast for the next day looks good for our passage to Dun Laoghaire