The phone rang and we received a notification that the batteries and an electrician will arrive to Kinsale in 20 minutes. We were still swaying in the Sandycove anchorage thus we quickly weighed the anchor and turned the bow towards Kinsale that was two miles to the north.
In Kinsale we made her fast and started quickly dismantling the salon table and floorboards so we’d be ready for the battery replacement. We have four 225 amp-hour AGM batteries, each weighting 70 kilos. It was the first really hot day of the summer and electrician with Andrus had the privilege of lifting the batteries to hot engine room. After all we had just arrived to marina and the 500 kilos of cast steel of Perkins were radiating heat. When the batteries were replaced and confirmed that they were functioning properly it was finally time to relax.
Kinsale was waiting for 120 boats to join the regatta so the harbourmaster had a tough job to fit us and other visiting yachts to the marina. Our plan was to spend only a couple of days but the strong wind on the Celtic Sea made us waiting for the better conditions before departing to the Isles of Scilly.
Kinsale is a cosy small town close to Cork. We had definitely changed the area because the towns in southern Ireland are rather different compared to industrial setting on the east coast. In Kinsale at each corner you’ll find a new narrow alley or a passage on the hill with a pub indeed. It is one of the places where you should not promise a pub-crawl, as you wouldn’t make it to the end.
As a wine lover I had a real surprise to find a prosecco on the tap in one of the cosy bars. And not only that! The ordering was not so simple. Would you prefer a plain prosecco or a mix from the cocktail list? The choices were too exotic, like e.g. prosecco w/ balsamic vinegar, so we made it simple and ordered just pure prosecco.
While arriving regatta boats filled the marina and the yacht club’s clubhouse was tuned by adding extra Guinness taps we took a bus to see Cork as well. After the 45-minute bus ride we arrived in sunny Cork. We immediately liked the town’s atmosphere. The day was spent by waving on the streets of central Cork. Shopping, listening street artists on the patio and of course the Sun made as feel real good.
Cork was definitely our favourite town in Ireland but unfortunately we did not come by boat. Do not make the same mistake as we did. If you ever cruise on the south coast of Ireland it is definitely worthwhile to sail upriver and spend some time in a smiling city.
When we stepped into the famous English Market that is the market hall of Cork, we almost cried that Suwena’s refrigerator is a bus-ride afar. We were drooling the delicious meats and different kinds of fish, delicious smelling fruits and of course the sweets. Several aisles full of stalls, selling excellent ingredients and all with very reasonable prices. We could have made a lot of gourmet dishes onboad. At least I managed to replenish Suwena’s spices. It is surprising how narrow here the spice selection is in the supermarkets.
As our salivary glands were on overtime we stopped to purchase at least some pastries. I had just asked that do they have any dairy free pastries when the Irish accent called “I now have the macaroons that were finished in Crosshaven”. I was astonished because in the middle of all the buzz of English Market we met a waitress from the Hassett’s Restaurant in Crosshaven. Already in Crosshaven she told that Hassett’s is famous for pastries and the selection of cakes in the restaurant was quite good. Unfortunately the dairy free macaroons were finished for that evening. But now I had a selection with several different fillings. The wonderful French cookies were added to the day’s catch, as well a hefty apple pie and freshly baked bread were carried back to Suwena.