21st - 30th April. Leaving Enniskillen for the summer. Sailing through Upper Lough Erne, and on to the Shannon-Erne Waterway.

We had our interview last week with Lily Dane, from The Impartial Reporter, followed by a photo session with John McVitty. The article made its way to the paper this week, just after we had left Enniskillen for the summer's cruising, so autographs will have to wait until we return in September!

We took the route to the East of Inishmore Island past Carrybridge to reach Upper Lough Erne. These cruisers are all at home today on their island mooring, just past Carrybridge.

Our plan was to follow the Northeast side of the lough for about 5 kilometres, then cut across to the sheltered mooring at Tirraroe for the night. We had never stayed there overnight and were quite looking forward to it. It was nice to be out on the open waters of the lough again, with interesting clouds today too.

However, as we followed the line of markers between the islands across the lough, it seemed to be a long way. We then realised that all the markers near to us were 30C1 or 30C2 etc. A careful check of our chart showed markers 30B, 30D, 30E, 30F, 30G and 30H, together with various numbers, but no 30C markers at all! We did know that we were still on Upper Lough Erne though, so we carried on, eventually finding ourselves at the South end of the lough. We spent the night at Derryadd, which was a pleasant mooring with a lovely outlook over the lough. We discovered later that the 30C channel was newly dredged only last year, and is not yet on any charts of Upper Lough Erne!

Walking up the road from the jetty we met this fine pair of donkeys.

Next morning a mink swam across from Inish Rath, the island opposite to our mooring. Perhaps he had been across for some spiritual guidance from the Hari Krishna temple there. He came up the slipway and then set off for some beachcombing along the shoreline.

From Derryadd we continued southwards and went to Derryvore jetty in Trial Bay. The sheep had come across the cattlegrid to see what they could find to eat, but found thin pickings on the jetty.

Sailing on to leave Upper Lough Erne, we continued along the Shannon - Erne Waterway to Aghalane, where we spent a week last October. We were waiting for the water level to go down to a safe level as, at that time, it was over the bottom step at the far end of the walkway. We measured it to have been nearly six feet higher than it is now!

Corraquil is the first of 16 locks on this waterway. It was closed last October, soon after we had been through it, as the water level was higher than the top of the lock gates!

We needed water at Ballyconnell, so had to breast up to two hire boats, so as to reach the only available tap with a hose. The second one was rather surprised to find us there when he returned with his shopping.

This cute calf was surprised to see us gliding past him.

Log ahead! There was a tree happily floating down the river, ready to catch out all unwary boaters.

We eventually reached Haughton's Shore, and were able to move across to our favourite spot the next morning, after all the fishing boats had gone out of the harbour.

Andy has been shaping some hardwood for the front end of the roof. Hopefully this will stop any more unwanted drips. Not that we have had much rain at all in Ireland so far this year, as the weather has been lovely.

The fishing boats came back later. They were not too pleased to find us where they had been earlier, but managed to fit in behind us.

The sunset from our mooring, looking out towards Lough Garadice, was stunning.

18th - 19th October. Garadice Lough and Haughton's Shore harbour.

After staying overnight in Riversdale Marina, we continued on to cross Garadice Lough.

When we arrived at Haughton's Shore, three of the mooring bollards were under water, so we tied up in the corner. We were moored across the slipway, but it seemed very unlikely that anyone would want to use it.

The water level continued to rise during the day, and by late afternoon we decided that The Puzzler would be safer against the work platform, at the other end of the harbour. We did not want to wake up to find ourselves stranded on top of the wall!

Looking to the right of the harbour, the wall mooring was completely underwater.

This is a photo taken at the end of May, to show the water level as it was then.

At the far end of the harbour, the slip way can just be seen, in the centre to the left of the wall.The lifebelt is hanging behind the wall mooring on the left. Last night, just before dusk, a Carrick hireboat arrived in harbour and pulled in just beyond the lifebelt, not realising that there was a wall there! They stuck on top of it! However, by using our long pole to push them, they were eventually afloat again. They spent the night safely tied on to The Puzzler, and left early the next morning.

Access to land was across this floating bridge, created by the workboat. When Catkin came out here first, in the evening, it was dark, and she did not realise that we were now tied to another boat. She checked all round the edges then, as the water was quite calm and the harbour lights were reflected in the water, she jumped off at this end of the boat, thinking that it was her best option! By the time that Sally reached her, she had nearly swum to the harbour wall, and was soon clinging on to it, waiting to be pulled out. What a wet dog!

On to Ballinamore, + trip back to Garadice Lough 28th - 30th June

We sailed on across Garadice Lough, going south of Church island, and on to the Shannon-Erne Waterway, heading west this time. We called in at Riversdale, Graham's marina, below Aghoo Lock, and borrowed an impact driver. Andy eventually managed to loosen the screw-slotted bolts on the lid of the water tank. A canoe joined us in Ardrum lock, clinging on beside our stern. He looked quite worried when the paddles went up and the water swirled in, but relaxed as he just bobbed up and down a bit.

Hilary and Brian joined us on The Puzzler on Wednesday, for the day, as they are holidaying in Ireland this week. We sailed back down the Shannon-Erne Waterway with them to Garadice Lough, where Brian took the tiller, having worked a couple of locks with one finger!

After crossing the lough, we had a pleasant lunch at Haughton's Shore, even picking some wild strawberries, which were very tasty. The return journey across Garadice was extremely wet, with some wind and waves to make it more interesting too! The rain was so heavy that Sally, who was steering, could not see the markers at the far end of the lough. She had gone to the south of Church Island so as to meet the waves head on, and was thus off the regular route. Eventually, using the binoculars, she spotted a few white markers, far up the lough, so headed for them. When we got nearer, they surprisingly looked more like cows, but a left turn took us safely to the two pairs of red and white markers, which by now were emerging out of the rain.

However, the rain cleared up as we sailed back along the river section. Hilary became an expert at lock working, as we returned up Ballinamore Lock.

Ballinamore is a deep lock, as can be seen from the weir alongside. Ballinamore mooring can be seen beyond the footbridge over the weir.

Brian and Hilary were pleased to see the solar panels in use, as it was they who delivered them to us three years ago, part way down Devizes Locks!

Round trip of Upper Lough Erne plus extras. 22nd May - 2nd June

We continued on down the River Erne to Regal Pass mooring, in the middle of Enniskillen, to sit out the winds on Monday. These were blowing at 35mph with gusts of over 70 mph, lifting the tops off the waves as they rolled past us. This is normally a sheltered mooring. A small cruiser, with no one on board, sailed up the inside of our mooring, ending up against the footbridge!

Elaine, Andy’s sister, and Mary, our friend, joined us at the Ardhowen Theatre later in the week. We cruised back to Devenish Island, through wind and rain, on Thursday.
We moored at Devenish West jetty, going into the sheltered part of it, which is reminiscent of a narrow lock!

As soon as there was a break in the weather, we went to visit the ruins. Devenish West mooring is much closer to the ruins and the White Tower.

Elaine found an old rugged cross!

We walked over to Devenish East mooring, which was very exposed in this weather.

The spray from the waves was coming up through the jetty.
Do click on this picture to see it in greater detail!

After leaving Devenish we sailed along Upper Lough Erne, taking the east route this time. We visited Castle Crom and walked along to see the ruins. The original was built in 1610, at about the same time as Tully Castle.

There are two yew trees near to the ruins. These trees were fully grown in the time of Queen Elizabeth 1, over 400 years ago.

We continued on to join the Shannon- Erne- Waterway. This is Skelan lock.

We sailed as far as Haughton’s Shore, which is one of our favourite moorings. We managed to get the prime spot this time!

Before returning down the S-E-W, we sailed round Church Island in Garadice Lough, and stopped on the island to see the ruined church.






On our return to Upper Lough Erne, we cruised round Galloon Island, and visited Rachel and Chris at their mooring. We had met them earlier this year on the Shannon-Erne Waterway. We tied our bows to a handy post, while we went into their boat for a cup of tea. Fortunately there was a fisherman nearby, who gave us a shout, as the wind blew The Puzzler across their bows, and levered the post out. Chris was very quick to react, holding our bow rope while we leapt back on board, before The Puzzler sailed off on her own, with Catkin in charge!

The clouds were very impressive as we sailed up the lough.

When we returned to Ardhowen, the evening light was superb.
Elaine and Mary left us the next morning, after a most enjoyable week.

Shannon-Erne Waterway 21st - 25th April

We sailed back across Lough Garadice, past Haughton's Shore Mooring and on down the Woodford River. Even here the markers keep us away from the shallows.

A wind farm on a nearby hill.

We decided that Ballyconnell was too towny for us for a night mooring, but we look forward to shopping here at a later date. At Ballyconnell lock a small cruiser came up the lock, then we went down with a locaboat from Ballimamore. This hire company have a fleet of penichettes.

Below Corraquil lock many large attractive stones have been used in the construction of the lock mooring. We had thought we might moor in the inlet below this lock, but it was too full.

We carried on and found a super mooring in a sheep field. On this side of the waterway, we are now in Northern Ireland, as the waterway forms the boundary.

"What are you doing in my field?"





Playmates for Catkin? Probably not!

Pleasant though it was at this mooring, there was nowhere for Catkin to walk. We were also being thrown about by passing boats, several of which were putting up a breaking wash and so helping to destroy the river banks. Some were hire boats, but certainly not all of them.

We moved on about half a mile to Aghalane, passing under The Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge.

Aghalane is a recognised mooring, but is under repair and so officially out of use, while landscaping is going on.

We winded and moored just beyond the slipway, with good bow access into the field.

For those of you who think that life is just one long holiday on the boat, here is some essential maintenance going on! Andy has removed and sanded the front doors, and Sally is now varnishing them. This seemed a peaceful place to be without front doors overnight.


We later read that this area was the site of several murders, during the troubles. It is also very near to the Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge, which commemorates the end of the troubles.