1st - 5th September. From Lough Key to Cootehall, Leitrim, and the Shannon Erne Waterway. Sailing on to Keshcarrigan, Kiltybardan and Haughton's Shore.

We spent a couple more days at Lough Key, enjoying the walking and the company there. When we set off on Monday the water of the lough looked very dark behind us.

However the sun came out on Oakport Lough, as we sailed on down the Boyle river, and gleamed on the surface of the lough.

We moored at Cootehall, and were treated to this sunset through the bridge.

"Life's a yawn!", says Shannon, as we rejoin her namesake, the Shannon river. The Iron Mountains can be seen in the background.

While Andy got some diesel at Leitrim, Shannon stalked a duck on the roof of The Puzzler. It is not really very worried at all.

 Moving on through the bridge for water, and some craic on Big Blue, we set off on the Shannon Erne waterway. A young helper controls the bows of The Puzzler.

Shannon came off at each lock to help. There is plenty of time to relax, below the control panel, while the lock is filling.

The weather has improved again, and is warm enough for shorts, here at Lisconor lock.

At Kilclare Middle Lock, the sudden waterfall over the top gates confirm that a boat is coming down the next lock.

Keshcarrigan seems a very lonely mooring, when you are the only boat on the jetty. Admittedly, there were three more boats here last night.

The village at Keshcarrigan nestles among the trees, beyond the long jetty.

There is work going on by the weir above lock 8. This is scheduled to go on for a month, but it is not clear what is being done.

Lock 8 is probably the deepest on the Shannon Erne Waterway.

Kiltybardan is a floating jetty, with no access to land. As we were mooring The Puzzler, Shannon found some fish scales which just asked for a dog to roll in them! Later on she discovered some fish bones, hidden down a crack in the jetty. Having been forbidden both of these treasures, Shannon was not impressed by the mooring. We like it here though!

As a protest, she decided to collapse across the barge pole, and go to sleep on the roof.

On leaving Kiltybardan Lough, Slieve Anierin can be seen again behind Andy.

Church Island is ahead of us on Garadice Lough. Shannon enjoys walking round the top of the roof,and is very surefooted. However, after leaving Haughton's Shore, she turned sharply to look at a horse on the bank, and fell in! Swimming at her full speed, she soon caught up with the boat, and was pulled back on board. She was a little shaken, but was back on the roof in no time.

Haughton's Shore is as peaceful as ever.

Walking along the shoreline back to Garadice Lough from the harbour, the distant woods and fields are a real Irish green.

Meanwhile, out on Garadice Lough, a cruiser approaches in the sunset.

30th - 31st August. Back to Lough Key. Shannon in action.

From Boyle we sailed back to the Lough Key moorings again. Shannon goes into the water at every opportunity, but this time she was caught by a wave!

She has really enjoyed the freedom of the woods here at Lough Key.

Now she is getting more adventurous with her tree climbing!

She will do anything for a treat!

Saturday was very busy at the Lough Key moorings as the Carrick branch were having a Care Day, with boat trips for the disabled. As the lough was definitely choppy, these trips were quite exciting!

We were pleased to be joined by Playtime again, with Brianne, Malachy, James, Ruairi and Michael.

25th - 29th August. Lough Key and Boyle.

After a slight detour up two locks on the Shannon Erne Waterway, we sailed on to Lough Key. Castle Island looks as impressive as ever.

We did the Lough Key experience, which firstly takes us through tunnels to the basement level of Rockingham House. This house was built by the famous architect, John Nash, in 1809/10. Here the cook tells us, via our handsets, what it used to be like in this great house, before it burned to the ground in 1957.

Next our tour takes us to the top of the Moylurg Tower, which gives a splendid view of Lough Key. Fortunately there is a lift to the top, as Brigitte damaged her ankle whilst at Carrick.

It is interesting to see Castle Island from above. It is further from land than it looks to be from the jetty.

This aerial walkway is Ireland's only tree canopy walk.

In the park this is the largest Yew Tree and creates a cave under the spreading branches.

On Tuesday evening the sky had a strange front across it, lying above Drumman's Island.

Shannon had great fun, playing with Oscar, when Martin and Marion, from cruiser Dicey, came to visit. Sorry about your heads, lads!

This is a rare sight. A sign post in the middle of Lough Key, which directs us to Boyle.

As we approach Boyle, the light is just right for reflections.

Boyle is a pleasant harbour, though the moorings are tricky for us. We have to use the centre doors for access.

Sunset at Boyle Harbour.John and Brigitte left us on Thursday. We have had a good week, with lots of games of manille every evening.

28th - 31st August. Derryvunny again, then back to Carrick.

On our return down Lough Key to Derryvunny, we were again impressed with the remoteness of this jetty.

The evening view across Lough Key from Derryvunny is wonderful.

Next morning, however, the wind was getting up, so an early start seemed a good idea. The wind can increase very quickly on Lough Key, and The Puzzler was not built for high wind on open water. We sailed on to Clarendon Lock, to await the lockkeeper's arrival.

Further on, at Knockvicar, this strange vessel came past us, looking like an insect on the water! His floats are designed to help him when he is putting out new markers.

To get through Knockvicar Bridge he had to fold his floats up very high.

The next boat past was an extremely fast hire boat, which had obviously not realised what damage his wash can do to moored boats.

This time we were not the only boat to stick out past the end of the finger jetties in Carrick-on-Shannon.

22nd - 27th August. On up Lough Key to Boyle Harbour. Circular trip to Derryvunny, Droman's Island and back to Boyle.

The weather has been getting into the pigeon loft so Andy has been catching up with the varnishing. We have moved back to Lough Key to take Palo Alto's place, and more importantly, electric point!

Sally has been rubbing the boat with baby oil, to renovate the paintwork. One boater, who shall remain nameless, suggested that he could be next!

On Thursday we sailed, in fine weather, on up Lough Key to Boyle Harbour. Both the washing machine and tumble drier in the service block were very useful today, as the weather worsened during the afternoon. Friday was a bike trip to Boyle for shopping. While at the Lough Key moorings we have been overwhelmed by the kindness of other boaters, who either took us shopping, or else bought us anything when we were short of essential food. We are so grateful to them all.

70M arrived at Boyle. She is another lovely barge, professionally fitted out by the skipper.

Our friends, James and Teresa, arrived on Saturday. We received a bad weather warning, by phone, from another thoughtful boater, so delayed our trip for a while. It was then a case of sailing slowly, close to the North shore of Lough Key, with a sharp lookout for rocks which might be lurking below the surface. We reached the new mooring of Derryvunny jetty safely, to join two cruisers from Knockninny there. One of them kindly moved across to tie to his friend's boat, leaving us the other side of the jetty. This is a very sheltered spot, with a lovely outlook across Lough Key.

The pirate ship turned near our mooring to sail back across Lough Key. She is a wonderful sight when in sail, only needing the jib today.

From Derryvunny we can see boats at the Lough Key Forest Park mooring, in the distance, behind the trip boat, on the right. The pirate ship is still sailing, to the left of Castle Island.

Tea-time!

Next morning it was nice to see Teresa  keeping a close eye on things!

After a sail down to Clarendon Lock to watch boats using the lock, we returned to Druman's Island to pull in behind De Eems. A walk past the bridge to Druman's Island was good exercise for the day.

Further on we saw some unusual fungus quite high on a tree trunk.

Having completed our circuit of the island, it was back to The Puzzler.

Looking back as we sail up Lough Key to Boyle again.The weather has been kind to us today.

Back at Boyle Harbour, with 68M behind us.