Sailing to Kinsail with "Lille Per"

Still black night at 4am, the lights of Kilmore fade to starboard as we sail west. Meanwhile the day lightens to the east.

The morning brings a good sail in northerly beam winds. Our never tiring, ever dependable, "Wind Pilot" windvane is now christened "Lille Per". He's our third crew. The original Lille-Per was Ørnulf´s uncle. He taught young Ørnulf the ropes in his 35 ft. Colin Archer cruising boat. No motor.

We arrive at Kinsale at 18:30. Gliding into its pastoral bay. Sort of a duck-pond. The docks are occupied, but we tie on to a friendly boat whose home port is Kilmore Quay.

Kinsale, outside Cork, is our launching pad for the Bay of Biscay crossing, a milestone. There are no conversations here, we discover, that don't include the weather. This summer seaside town, with its brightly painted houses along winding lanes, is a popular place for dinner dates. Most of the roads are lined with pubs, cafés and restaurants.