The alarm at 7 is slightly unnecessary, as a combination of sunlight streaming in, and the sounds of Waterford coming to life, have already entered the collective consciousness of Heydays. The plan is to have the boat ready to go as soon as the current in the river shows signs of reversing. High water here is 8.40, but at 8 there is still a 3 or 4 knot current in the wrong direction….no point in burning diesel for the sake of it…

As we start to prepare for a day at sea, we work through the normal glamorous routine….getting rid of rubbish, topping up with water and making sure that things that are likely to move don’t. We’re also building a list of jobs which will need doing over winter.

The stern gland, which for our less boaty reader keeps water outside the boat, is starting to drip a bit more frequently than desirable.  A few more turns on the greaser sorts it temporarily….but it definitely needs doing. We’re also experiencing a bit more vibration from the P bracket (holds the prop shaft), and it is added to the list. These are the occasional jobs that pop up every few years, and in our case, we’ve not had to renew the stern gland at all, and the P bracket bearing has given us 10 years.

However, our usual check of cooling water showed a smudge of oil on top. This is not good news, and try as we might, we can’t escape the most likely cause to be a blown head gasket. This is not a job for which we have the tools or the spare part. There are no marine services in Waterford,  but Dunmore East at the mouth of the river, 8 miles away, is a more likely place.

We decide to motor very gently to see how the engine behaves. There is no sign of water in the oil, no overheating and the engine is running smoothly on all 4 cylinders, so no big threats at present, and we’ll keep a close eye on the temperature.  With the engine just above tickover, and a now 4 knot current driving us, we’re making rapid pace down stream…and some options.

Waterford in the sun is delightful as we say goodbye, although we now have an accompanying slight anxiety. 

…and then all of a sudden, the bottlenose dolphins are back…

They stay with us for at least half an hour, and what a lift they are for the spirits….just what we needed.

Further downstream, the previously deadly quiet docks on Sunday, are now a hive of activity…

Waterford it seems is a busy coastal harbour, and the villages and little car ferry we passed in the drizzle on Sunday, are now much more cheerful.

So the options as we approach the mouth of the river are to pull in to Dunmore East to see if there is an engineer who can run some tests, or to continue to Kilmore Quay, which is a bigger marina with engineer on hand. Since there is nothing untoward, and although there is virtually no wind, we decide to continue as planned.

At Hook lighthouse we make a turn East…

…and head to the Saltee Islands which  are just south of Kilmore Quay, and which are visible on the horizon. With the engine just ticking over and little wind, we settle in for a slow and relaxing day in the sun.

The approach to Kilmore Quay is shallow and we’re not far off low water, so even though we only draw 1.4m, careful concentration is needed, especially as we seem to be heading disconcertingly close to a beach full of swimmers….and the entrance is very narrow…

The harbour master is as funny and helpful as they have all been so far.

“What’s your length” he says.

“Just over 10m” says James

“OK, 10m” says the harbour master

“10.5 to be exact” says honest John

“I’ll not ask ye again, 10m ” says the harbour master….we keep quiet after that and nod happily.

At home, just over 10m elicits a wolfish grin and a charge for 11m.

He also points us in the direction of the pub, the shop, the chandlery, and most importantly the engineer.

The little harbour itself is a funny mix of leisure craft and fishing boats with attendant chandlery and engineering, sitting next to a lovely little beach with the usual ‘chippery’, as they seem to say here, ice cream and buckets and spades.

Sadly, we’re not spending more time here. The engineer, though helpful. Is hugely busy trying to get fishing boats back on the waves, but he provides some reassurance about pushing on north to some other people he knows, provided we keep a watchful eye on the engine. We had planned a few stops and anchorages up this coast, but decide to head for Arklow, which will provide a few more options and opportunities to ponder….so an early start to catch the tide….again!