Day 14 Friday – Boulder beach camp on Bere Island to Castletownbere Harbour by Frankie A
I was awake before the alarm I set to ensure I made it on the water by 8.30am. Camping mostly on the concrete of the road wasn’t anywhere near as comfortable as pebble/stone beaches. Despite my early start, I was last on the water at about 8.15 am. A drizzly damp morning turned into a beautiful calm and sunny morning for the short paddle across into Castletownbere harbour. The plan was to arrive after the 9 a.m. ferry to Bere Island had left. As we paddled towards a pink house or 3 on the mainland, we watched the ferry leave Bere Island and realised that we were going to be early and would have to hang out and wait for the ferry to depart before we could land. Really, I should have been slower getting on the water and held us up until 8.30.
Still, it was a very pleasant hop over to the mainland, we gathered together to decide whether we would try to find an alternate get out or paddle carefully round into the harbour and wait for the ferry to leave. The ferry timetable was again consulted at this point to be sure the slipway would be clear after 9 a.m. To the harbour it was, so we carefully made our way in through the entrance nearly getting run over by a small fishing boat that was on the wrong side of the road. We tucked ourselves away out of the shipping channel and watched for the 9 a.m. departure to leave.
There were showers around so we were once again treated to a rainbow as we waited to get off the water.
The ferry was spotted departing, so we paddled around to the get-off point and the straps were used for 4 person carry of the boats up to the cars. Strangely Andy was first off-the-water but his boat was last to be carried up the slipway, now why was that I wonder ……….
After unpacking boats and re-packing cars, there was time for a quick trip to Supervalu (what a lovely supermarket) for snacks and 2nd breakfast then it was time to head to Dublin. On the way, we saw the best rainbow yet, with the most vibrant and stunning colours, if only we had stopped for a proper photograph.
Once back at the Camac campsite, our kit was dried in the sunshine and plans for an evening meal were made. We headed to an Italian to enjoy a meal together, great main courses not so-great starters but a lovely evening to round off our trip.
