SAILING BREAKS: Itching to test out your sea legs? Irish waters are teeming with deals, writes SANDRA O'CONNELL
GIVEN THAT WE'RE surrounded by the stuff, it's perhaps surprising that we don't make more of our biggest leisure amenity – the sea. If you fancy trying out as a salty sea dog and you live in the capital, one of the quickest ways is to sign up for one of Go Sailing's ( gosailing.ie) Dublin Bay Cruises. Run by Aaron O'Grady, coach to the Irish Olympic sailing team in Beijing, excursions last two to three hours, during which time you can learn how sails work, steer through a number of manoeuvres or just sit back and soak up the views.
Passengers are limited to 12 and sailings take place each day from Dún Laoghaire marina, a short walk from the Dart station. Tickets start at €35. O'Grady's boat, which is the most luxurious and most advanced licenced passenger yacht in the country, is too big for regular learn-to-sail courses. For these, he teams up with neighbouring school Irish Offshore Sailing ( irishoffshoresailing.com) which runs Start Yachting practical weekend courses for €250, also in Dún Laoghaire.
If you live in the southwest, or fancy combining sail training with a holiday, check out Niall MacAllister's West Cork Sailing ( westcorksailing.com) based in scenic Adrigole. His boat Jessy is licensed to take up to eight people, with a qualified skipper. "Of course you don't have to bring eight people, two will do," says MacAllister. "We have had everyone from honeymoon couples to retired brothers out on sailing adventures." Last year, two families joined forces and chartered the boat for five days – at €2,000 it worked out at €250 per person for a skippered cruising holiday. "It was a great success as the children navigated, helmed, trimmed sails – as well as fishing, swimming, rowing and singing sea shanties," he says.
“Children love the marine life, as dolphins play with the bow, seals bask on rocks and sea birds dive around the boat. The big thrill, though, is leaping off the back of the boat while at anchor in a secluded little cove, followed by a hot shower off the bathing platform.”
Parents of non-exam teens can take advantage of low-season prices in June, when MacAllister’s five-day skippered break costs €1,600. If that’s still too rich for your budget, you can always book a kayak and paddle the sheltered waters of Adrigole Harbour from €10 per person.
The great thing about sailing in Ireland is that, unless there's a force 10 blowing, it's an activity that actually suits our weather. "It's a great thing to do if it's raining, for example," says James Lyons of Sovereign Sailing ( sovereignsailing.com) in Kinsale. "With our trips everybody is kitted out in waterproofs anyway, so you don't have to worry about getting wet." Based at the Trident Hotel marina in the town, it offers "walk-in" three-hour sailing trips, providing a hands-on experience for even the novice, from €45 per person, or a family rate of €150 for up to six passengers. These will bring you out around the Old Head of Kinsale, where the scenery is simply stunning.
Alternatively, John Moore's Heir Island Sailing School ( heirislandsailingschool.com) is based on an island in beautiful Roaringwater Bay, Skibbereen, accessible by a four-minute ferry crossing. One of Carbery's 100 isles, Heir is 360 acres in size and has a resident population of 25, a figure that swells to 150 in summer. The sailing school, which caters for a maximum of 21 students at any time, is offering a price of €250 per person, based on a party of four, for five days' sail training – including accommodation. Available in June and September, the deal represents a saving of €150 per person off the standard price.
But if all that seems like too much hard work for a holiday, you can always, as it were, paddle your own canoe. At adventure centres such as Carlingford's ( carlingfordadventure.com), €45 will get you a full day's fun messing about in boats, kayaks or canoes, plus lunch.
Meanwhile, down in Wicklow town, Wicklow Boat Hire ( wicklowboathire.ie) in the harbour will rent you an easy-to-use motor boat for €65 per half day, perfect for scudding up and down the coast to see its impressive cliffs, seal and seabird colonies.