Day 04 Tuesday – Connemara Coral Strand to Quay campsite by Gary Bunting
 The lifeguards hut on Coral Strand |  The beach was coarse bits of coral washed up by Atlantic swells |
Day 4 started with packing up the tents and a short drive from Salthills Campsite to the get-in at Coral Strand. This was a beautiful coral beach, with public toilets and a lifeguard hut announcing, “for assistance knock and stand back”. The door opens outwards!
After loading the boats for 3 (or possibly more nights) we paddled northwards up the sheltered Greatman’s Bay. Although we had ‘sunny spells’ it was still moderately breezy, reaffirming the decision to paddle in a sheltered area. Past another inflated aquatic obstacle course / bouncy castle and Inchamakinna (island) then across the bay with some choppy water to pass under Bealadangan Bridge. Getting under the bridge required a bit of eddy hopping as the tidal flow was against us, followed by ‘late elevenses’ / early lunch.
Then on east into Camus Bay, with spectacle views across the bay and foreshore to the Connemara hills. After unsuccessfully exploring a small, and tussock-covered, island as a potential campsite we moved onto a quay near Mucklinagh Road. There we set up tents on assorted sloping or flat pitches, one of which proved to be rather temporary as it was soon covered by the rising tide – necessitating a rapid move by the occupant.
We found some old coins, corroded to black, by the slipway on the first night away in Galway. I’ve cleaned mine up, 1943 Irish Halfpenny