Day 35

When we woke this morning as per the forecast the wind was blowing a gale and the rain was bucketing down. We knew we werent going to get on the water. We got up around 10 a.m. and went into town for breakfast. The fact that we were so close to home and we couldnt get out was a major disappointment for everybody. We decided to hold tough to see if the winds would ease up in the afternoon and maybe we could make some progress towards home. At around 3 p.m. things took a change for the better, the skies cleared and the wind eased. We packed up all the gear and were on the water before 4.30 p.m. James Twomey who came to see us last night drove ahead in his car so we would be in communication with land if there were any difficulties. Our initial plan was to paddle out of Kilmore Quay and head for Slade Head. The wind was at our backs and the sea was not too rough so when we reached Slade Head we decided to paddle on for Hook Head and cross the Waterford Estuary to Dunmore East. Conditions stayed reasonable for the duration of the paddle and we eventually got into Dunmore East around 9.30 p.m. We had a great welcoming committee from Mick O Meara, Dermot Blunt and Brian Fanning - guys who had all paddled around Ireland before. James Twomey was also there to meet us when we landed. It was great to see familiar faces, finally realising we were only one day from home. We stopped in Tramore for a chinese takeaway and are back out in Micks house where we are going to stay the night. The plan is to be up early in the morning, be on the water in Dunmore East for 9 a.m. and hopefully be home in Dungarvan at around 5 p.m. Looking forward to seeing everyone - its hard to believe that the 5 weeks are coming to an end.....Keep an eye on the blog tomorrow for any changes to the arrival time. 21 miles in total today and 5 hours 20 minutes on the water. See you all tomorrow hopefully! Goodnight from Dunmore East!