Ludie, They say that even back then it took as little as three hours. No problem at all on a clear day. And of course, the first large scale settlement - the Hamilton & Montgomery Settlement of 1606 - started in May of that year, so the settlers had the wisdom to wait until late spring / early summer before coming across! It can be choppy in winter (right now it's just past midnight on Friday, pitch black outside and calm, but sometimes the storms are breathtaking, even across only 20miles of open sea the wind can really get going!) ------------- This quote is from "The Montgomery Manuscripts": "...They soon made cottages and booths for themselves, because sods and saplins of ashes, alders, and birch trees (above 30 years old) with rushes for thatch, and bushes for wattles, were at hand. 45 And also they made a shelter of the said stump of the castle for Sir Hugh, whose residence was mostlie there, as in the centre of being supplied with necessaries from Belfast (but six miles thence), who therefore came and set up a market in Newtown, for profit for both the towns. As likewise in the fair summer season (twice, sometimes thrice every week) they were supplied from Scotland, as Donaghadee was oftener, because but three hours sail from Portpatrick, where they bespoke provisions and necessaries to lade in, to be brought over by their own or that town's boats whenever wind and weather served them, for there was a constant flux of passengers coming daily over. I have heard honest old men say that in June, July, and August, 1607, people came from Stanraer, four miles, and left their horses at the port, hired horses at Donaghadee, came with their wares and provisions to Newton, and sold them, dined there, staid two or three hours, and returned to their houses the same day by bed-time," ------------- People often forget that the Hamilton & Montgomery Settlement of 1606 was focussed on Down and Antrim and was largely a freelance project. It took place 4 years before the Plantation of Ulster in 1610, which didnt need to include Antrim and Down thanks to the effectiveness of the Hamilton & Montgomery project. Its 400th Anniversary is next year, and plans are underway to mark this in a high profile manner. Regards, Mark