Circumnavigation of Ireland 2009

We started our trip on May 30. In good weather we left the port of Dun Laoghaire. The sea was calm and the weather beautiful. The first week we made good progress. On the east coast our paddling schedule was build according to the current table.We paddled in the morning till the current switched. We usually took a break on the beach and fell asleep next to our kayaks. In the late afternoon we continue paddling until we found a suitable camping spot for the night. During the second week the weather changed and the sea became rougher. We enter the south coast and during one of the crossings from a bay Marian ran into a basking shark. The basking shark dived under her boat. It was scary and it took awhile to calm down some nerves. Marian clearly prefers high waves over sharks on an open ocean.

On the South West coast Johan Jorrtisma joined us for a week. It was a rough week at sea. We crossed Mizen Head and several large bays. The coastline is rough but beautiful. The ocean swell increased and we paddled on top of high waves. The biggest wave took eight paddle strokes to complete before we reached the top. It was impressive. When Johan said goodbye we were almost halfway on the "challenging waters of the West Coast" so the Irish call it. The next day we crossed the The Mouth of the Shannon with strong west wind 5 to 6 Bft. It became an exercise in high and low braces to keep the kayaks upright. To go around Loop Head was too risky with this wind so we landed on a stony beach near the point. We sat down there two days because of the storm. When we finally could go we went towards the Cliffs of Moher. We reached the cliffs on a foggy day. We could see nothing. It was a shame but we went on.

On the mid West Coast Albert-Jan joined us for one week. Not the most spectacular part but nevertheless beautiful as well. We passed Belmullet and entered Donagal bay. The sea was calm and we saw many dolphins. In Easkey we said goodbye to Albert-Jan and we went for Inishmurray. This island is famous for its centuries-old ruins. We slept there all alone. Not even woken by ghosts, only the gulls kept us awake. The following days we paddled towards the North coast. The weather deteriorated. Thunderstorms chased us for several days. Therefore we could not paddle as much as we wanted. Sometimes we had to remain ashore and make the best of it. We visited Downings and enjoyed ourselves in the local pub. The next days were hard. We had to paddled into a headwind on rough sea. We pass the northernmost point of Ireland. To pass Malin Head we must rely on the current tables. There's a big tidal race. We passed on a safe moment but nevertheless we paddled into high waves and rough sea. Big fun do!

We paddled into Northern Ireland. The coastline is stunning. We passed the Giant's Causeway and camp in White park bay. From our tent we could see Scotland. Our next day was one we will not soon forget. We studied our current table for awhile before going around Fair Head. First we passed the rope bridge. We could not paddle through because there was not enough water under the bridge. So with a little delay we continued. On the left we saw Rattlin Island and in front of us Benmore or Fair Head. The first waves of the tidal races appeared. Our speed according to our GPS increased till finally we rounded the Head with 16 km an hour. It was impressive. Then we arrived in an area with five tidal races in a row. It seemed endless. But we were back on the east coast again.

We started with the last part of our circumnavigation. It was not the most easiest part. Every day we were faced with headwinds. Therefore we could not paddle the number of miles we wanted. Another problem we faced was finding a campground. There is a road along the coast so we were unable to land. That meant we had to find caravan parks to stay the night. Fortunately we were in Killoug invited by Kieron to camp in his garden. Now we could prepare ourselves for the final miles. Those last days were weird. We long for the end and at the same time we would paddle forever. It's our life. All the things you need you carry in your kayak. All that really matters is the weather and the sea. Life as we find beautiful.

St patricsk's Island was our last stop. What remained was a trip of 35 kilometer. After checking our equipment we left the beach for the last time. We paddled in wind, rain and sunshine.All kinds of weather passed by on that last day. Just before crossing Dublin Bay we played awhile with a seal. He climbed onto our boats and would not leave. When we finally got rid of him we could start our crossing from Dublin Bay. With the VHF we announced our crossing to the port authorities. We were told that there we two vessels, one in and one outgoing. Knowing that we started the 10 km crossing. The weather deteriorated. On top of that the outgoing ferry suddenly turned and was now on collision course. Anxious moments followed. Eventually the ship passed behind us less than 200 meters. We could see the people on the bridge. Shocked we paddled into the harbor. Another arrival then expected but we did it. After 43 paddling days we arrived in Dun Laoghaire again. We paddled 1577 km, 36.6 km a day.

Many thanks to Karel Vissel, our sponsors and everyone who made our trip a success.