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Monday 14.04.2008 John Joe´s Marina - Quigley´s Marina - Ballykeeran Lough

Length of boat trip: 1.4 hours

Motto of the day: Sun and relaxation

There is nothing better than to enjoy the quiet and peaceful Inner Lakes on a sunny Monday outside the season and that’s the only thing we do today.

We say goodbye to Norbert and go to Quigley´s Marina to refuel. Here we relax on the flybridge and show off Sven's Boarnstream.

After a trip around Coosan Lake we put into Ballykeeran Lough and tie to the mooring buoy, which has "grown" since last year.

The double-digit temperatures and the lack of wind lets the sun burn. For the rest of the day we take a break from everyday life and let our souls relax and our feet dangle.

Tuesday 15.04.2008 Ballykeeran Lough - Lecarrow - Lanesborough - Roosky

Length of boat trip: 7.3 hours

Motto of the day: Sun on Lough Ree and through the land of swans on Camlin

Light morning fog rises from the water but has dissolved, when we start early.

We drive on the glassy Inner Lakes to Quigley's Marina.

Lough Ree shows its sunny and calm side.

We're going first north and then behind St. John's Wood on the west side of the lake into the canal to Leccarow.

Despite the cool weather of recent weeks, the channel is already weedy.

In Lecarrow many boats are overwintering in the harbour and there is only one free place for us.

After this break we return through the canal and alongside some islands that are densely populated with birds, in the direction of Slieve Bawn to Lanesborough, where we have our next stop.

Some young climbers are showing us their skills. It gets cloudy but remains dry.

Further on, we continue up the Shannon until shortly before Termonbarry, right in the entrance to the Camlin, we pass through the Cloondara Lock. Here WI has cut many, many trees and the old, wild, overgrown, green tunnel has disappeared. Instead, the lock is redesigned with a picnic area as a tourist destination. The lock-keeper, however, gets no house but he is allowed to continue in his container.

The Camlin River flows from the east with two branches going into the Shannon. One is located north of Termonbarry, the other leads south. A flat landscape with swampy, wet meadows lines the confluence. The northern arm is navigable, as too is the southern, to the bridge at Cloondara. Then the downward gradient increases and the navigation leads with a canal, parallel to the river, with a lock to the Shannon.

Coming from Lough Ree we cruise up the southern arm (Map 5). The Camlin, in which in 2006 we had a strong shower of hail, is this time, a peaceful countryside full of swans, who are somewhat puzzled by our "big white swan". They nest close to the waterway. Hopefully, all boats go here very slowly. Today, we don’t meet any other boats and we enjoy the sunny river landscape.

Via the northern arm, we return to the Shannon and then onto Lough Forbes and further on, Roosky, where we moor overnight, with Tony’s agreement, below the lock.