And Still the Wind Blows ...

The days have become weeks, and we are STILL in Dublin - the forecast always ends with a Force 8, usually from the South or Southwest, which is where we want to go.

The appeal of Dun Laoghaire had worn thin, so we took advantage of a slight break in the weather to go North across Dublin Bay to Howth - a much smaller marina, but with much more going on.

Frustratingly, the dire weather predicted by the forecasters never really seemed to materialise - if anything that was more frustrating than actually having bad weather!

The rather fine Memorial to those Lost at Sea kept us firmly in Howth while we waited out the weather.

Howth is a peninsula - we did the 10km round Howth coastal walk - Howth Marina, and view to the North.

View to the South across Dublin Bay to Dun Laoghaire and to the South.

And the view out to sea, Ireland's Eye and Lamby Islands and Northern Ireland.  Just where exactly is this bad weather ???

Whilst on the walk around Howth, parts of the route were very overgrown, we suddenly found ourselves on a Golf Course.  The golfers were used to this, and pointed us back on our way.

Howth Marina is also Howth Yacht Club - the largest in Ireland, with over 2,000 members and dates back to 1895.

The Marina Workboats - a certain olde worlde charm!

The outer breakwater and lighthouse, 1817.  Complete with geraniums in window boxes.

The Outer Harbour

And the Inner Harbour

There was also the Fishing Boat harbour - it was a very busy place.

Fishing boats were squeezing into every little corner of the Harbour - maybe this weather was on the way, after all.

Then there were the J24's:  Howth was hosting the European Championships during the coming week - once they had been thoroughly checked for conformity with their 'One Design' rules they also squeezed themselves into the Marina.

J24's in front of Howth Yacht Club

Forming an orderly queue

Filling the Car Park

And then, finally, the weather did arrive ...

Zilla struggles to stay on her feet

The outer Breakwater

The Outer Harbour

The world's oldest surviving One Design Keelboat Class (that still actively races), The Howth Seventeens on their moorings, just!

And as if all this wasn't enough to keep us occupied, there were the Harbour Seals to watch:

And Finally ...

So now all that is missing is the weather window so that we can leave the land of Guinness.......