Dublin Fair City

The Skipper checked the weather at 0500, and reported -  Wind: 0.0kts, Visibility: Pitch Black, Plan:  Back to bed!  The next opportunity to leave was at the more civilised time of 1000, by which time it was sunny and the wind was up - so off we went.  A 75nm beat followed, taking us 13 hours.

We passed the Rockabill Lighthouse as it was getting dark on our way to Dublin Bay. 

We were headed for Dun Laoghaire Marina (pronounced Dun Leary) on the South side of Dublin Bay - dodging unlit race marks as well as ferries and container ships as we approached.

Dun Laoghaire Harbour was built between 1817 and 1842 at a cost of approximately £700,000 back then.  They thought big!  The harbour arms encompass 250 acres, and there is about 2.5 miles of inner and outer breakwaters and it is a 3 mile walk from the Starboard entrance beacon to the Port one. 

Fishing was the thing to do at the end of the Breakwater.

No Port would be complete without some Art - This time it was quite fun!



Lifejackets:  Useless Unless Worn

Dun Laoghaire Promenade

We walked 'The Metals', the route that rocks were transported along for the construction of the harbour - a nice walk, but there were quite a few rules, not that we could always understand them!!



The 40'  - This is one of the Sea Swimming locations round the bay - with rules, of course.

In case Dun Laoghaire isn't what you are looking for, there is always Bullock Harbour, you can even rent a boat here and go fishing - there was also a huge chandlers here, catering for your every boating need.

Time to visit the City - we took the Dart Train, then an open top bus tour of the City.

Naturally a stop at the Guinness Brewery was on the agenda.

Arthur Guinness started the business here in 1759, when he secured a 9,000 year lease of the massive site and water rights for an annual rent of £45 - clearly a sign that he was a good business man!

Naturally there were Rules



Inside the Home of Guinness



It is a spectacular building, on 9 floors, with much of the old machinery forming the displays.  3 Million Pints of Guinness are produced daily at the new Brewery on the same site - in earlier times 1 in 30 of the Dublin population was employed by Guinness, but now there are only about 800 employees.



The old barrels - each holds 720,000 pints of Guinness

Boiled with hops in these little pots.



The Copper - holding 172,000 pints for distilling.

Barrels of a more manageable size.

And on to the Guinness Bar - for yet another free sample

Quality Control - up in the Gravity Bar, at the very top of the Guinness Building - with 360 degree views of Dublin.  A perfect outing.

Back to the boat, where we await a break in the weather - we are sheltering with the best of them, as Sanya, one of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race yachts is also in Dun Laoghaire. 

So - now we wait:  Forecast today - Force 6 to 7, gale 8 later, occasionally strong gale 9.  I don't think we'll be going out to play today!