There’s a saying among sailors I’ve heard before that boats and people rot in marinas and harbors. While being in a marina has certain perks, like nice, long, hot showers and easy access to laundry, boats are built to be sailed. We loved our time exploring Northern Ireland, but after five days tied to a dock, we were ready to move on. But, as is often the case in sailing, you can’t just do what you want when you want. Our plans are determined by weather and tide. 

We arrived in Ireland on July 6th. Over the last six weeks, we’ve been exploring Ireland’s western shore. To say that we have fallen in love with Ireland would be a massive understatement. I am so glad we decided to take a more rugged path, sailing along the shores of the Wild Atlantic Way. 

The Wild Atlantic stretches around 1,600 miles along Ireland's western seaboard—running between the historic harbor town of Kinsale in County Cork in the south to the Inishowen Peninsula (starting at Malin Head) in County Donegal in the north.