{"id":2935,"date":"2026-08-30T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=2935"},"modified":"2026-08-27T09:48:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T08:48:53","slug":"a-kerry-ferry-skipper-on-why-half-his-september-sailings-turn-back-%ca%bcit-is-never-the-wind-people-expect%ca%bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-kerry-ferry-skipper-on-why-half-his-september-sailings-turn-back-%ca%bcit-is-never-the-wind-people-expect%ca%bc\/","title":{"rendered":"A Kerry ferry skipper on why half his September sailings turn back \u2014 \u02bcit is never the wind people expect\u02bc"},"content":{"rendered":"

The tourist<\/strong> summer fades in Kerry, but the sea<\/strong> does not. September brings a softer light, warm mornings<\/strong>, and the kind of quiet that makes a crossing feel promised<\/strong>. It\u2019s also the month when a seasoned skipper<\/strong> glances past the calm hedgerows and decides to turn the boat<\/strong> around.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never the wind<\/strong> people expect,\u201d he says, eyes on the swell<\/strong> line more than the sky. \u201cThe trees<\/strong> can be still, the harbour like glass<\/strong>, and a mile outside it\u2019s standing up<\/strong> like a wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

September\u2019s deceptive calm<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

On the pier, the breeze can feel friendly<\/strong>, the water polite<\/strong>. Folks look at flags, not period<\/strong>, and they judge the sea by surface<\/strong> alone.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But September is swell<\/strong> season on the Atlantic<\/strong> fringe. A storm three days and a thousand miles<\/strong> away sends long, muscular<\/strong> waves into every sound<\/strong> and around every headland<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s the yesterday<\/strong> wind from somewhere else,\u201d the skipper shrugs<\/strong>. \u201cIt turns up when you\u2019re smiling<\/strong> at a blue sky<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The wind you don\u2019t feel<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Out past Slea Head<\/strong>, water stacks where tide meets fetch<\/strong>, and the gaps between islands become funnels<\/strong>. A light easterly onshore can mask<\/strong> a heaving westerly ground swell<\/strong>, the kind that lifts your stomach<\/strong> without warning.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s wind\u2011against\u2011tide<\/strong>: a recipe for short, angry<\/strong> seas. In places like Blasket Sound<\/strong>, the tide hurries<\/strong> west while the breeze leans<\/strong> east, and every second wave<\/strong> breaks square to the bow<\/strong>. \u201cYou turn the wheel<\/strong>, and the sea changes the plan<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s the bit radio forecasts<\/strong> don\u2019t explain to visitors<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Decisions on the bridge<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Turning back is not a single sign<\/strong>, but a stack of small signals<\/strong>. The skipper reads the water<\/strong>, the boat\u2019s trim<\/strong>, even the silence of passengers<\/strong> who stop taking photos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cSafety isn\u2019t just a rule, it\u2019s a rhythm<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cYou feel it in the hull<\/strong>, in how the boat breathes<\/strong> over the top of a set<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Factors weigh into the call<\/strong> long before the bow meets the bar<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Long\u2011period swell<\/strong> from distant storms, even on calm<\/strong> days<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Spring\u2011tide timings<\/strong> near the equinox, tightening windows<\/strong><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Wind\u2011against\u2011tide in known races<\/strong> and over shallow ledges<\/strong><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • Passenger mix<\/strong> and seasickness risk on a rising sea<\/strong><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • The return\u2011leg forecast<\/strong>, not just the trip out<\/strong><\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cIf two of those go amber<\/strong>, I\u2019m already thinking home<\/strong>,\u201d he adds. \u201cThree, and you don\u2019t argue<\/strong> with the ocean<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Turning back with dignity<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Half the runs in late September<\/strong> end in a careful pivot<\/strong>, bow coming gently round<\/strong> where the swell shows its teeth<\/strong>. Some people clap, some people curse<\/strong>, and a few quietly thank<\/strong> the universe for a decision<\/strong> made early.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cThe sea keeps the timetable<\/strong>, not the brochure<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ll bring you back dry<\/strong> and a bit disappointed<\/strong>, rather than out there wet<\/strong> and very sorry<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Good seamanship is as much manners<\/strong> as maths<\/strong>. The skipper explains the why<\/strong>, points to the white water on a reef<\/strong>, the stacked sets at a headland<\/strong>, the way the tide<\/strong> stands up in an hourglass<\/strong> of current. Information takes the place of bravado<\/strong>, and the boat goes quiet<\/strong> in a respectful way<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Why the month bites harder<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    September sits near the autumn equinox<\/strong>, when spring tides<\/strong> run taller and faster through narrow gates<\/strong>. Offshore, the first real lows<\/strong> of the season start marching across the ocean<\/strong>, their energy banked<\/strong> in swell that outlives any local breeze<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Daylight shrinks, slack water<\/strong> windows do the same<\/strong>, and the margin for safe adventure<\/strong> narrows. Even familiar bars and bights<\/strong> take on new moods<\/strong>, shifting sand and standing<\/strong> waves where July felt forgiving<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The myths passengers bring<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    People anchor to what they can see<\/strong>: flags limp, boats idle<\/strong> at moorings, a child dropping a pebble<\/strong> into slick green<\/strong> water. \u201cThey think wind equals weather<\/strong>, but swell equals sea<\/strong>,\u201d the skipper says<\/strong>. \u201cOne you can feel on your cheek<\/strong>; the other you feel in your knees<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Apps suggest tidy arrows<\/strong>, clean numbers<\/strong>. Offshore, reality runs in layers<\/strong>: local breeze, remnant swell<\/strong>, tide like a slow river<\/strong> moving under the skin<\/strong> of things.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    How to travel smarter<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The skipper\u2019s ask is simple<\/strong>. Build flex into your plans<\/strong>. Book the earliest window<\/strong> after a settled spell<\/strong>, and don\u2019t hard\u2011wire connections you can\u2019t miss<\/strong>. Pack real waterproofs<\/strong>, not city\u2011proof jackets<\/strong>. If you\u2019re prone to queasiness<\/strong>, eat light and take what your doctor<\/strong> recommends.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Above all, trust the boat<\/strong>. \u201cIf you hear us say we\u2019re turning back<\/strong>, that\u2019s your lucky day<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cIt means everyone gets home<\/strong>, and the sea keeps its mystery<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    By month\u2019s end, the phone still rings<\/strong>, and the pier still fills<\/strong>. The skipper watches the swell breathe<\/strong>, waits for the right lull<\/strong>, and takes the boat as far as the day will allow<\/strong>. Some journeys are measured in miles<\/strong>. In September, the better ones are measured in judgment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2988,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2935"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2960,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2935\/revisions\/2960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}