Fairwinds 2005

Summer Cruise 2005 - Day 1

(throughout this log you can click any pictures for a larger version)

Left the pontoon in Seil Sound at 12.30 with a view to making Lochaline the first stop, easing into the passagemaking gently. We had to motor to the top of Insh, where we finally got a good sail, with a fair wind and tide for our destination.

I had mentioned to Kathy that the lazarette smelt rather dieselly when I had stashed something . . . now the engine was quiet I had a quick look in the engine bilge. Aaargh! Half a gallon of neat diesel. Now, the old Volvo may be a hideous smoky overheating superannuated wreck that would be better used as a mud weight, but it has never been incontinent before.

A quick change of plans saw us diverting to Kerrera, tacking in through the N. entrance to Oban Bay and tempted to sail right onto the Oban Yachts hammerhead to avoid starting the thing. However, discretion overcame us and we started the engine, only losing about a pint in the process. (Kathy had already cleaned up the original leakage with a packet of disposable nappies that I bought at the start of the season in a strange fit of prescience).

We found a diesel mechanic as soon as we had tied up and by a strange coincidence it was a guy we knew from back East – originally someone we knew’s kid but now very much a person in his own right, and a sailor to boot. We last met him two years ago at a drunken Aberdeenshire party . . . he had just returned from Tenerife in his Rival 31 after abandoning plans for an Atlantic crossing.

Anyway . . . to cut a long story short it was just a knackered compression washer, and it cost us half an hour of Tristan's time - £18.50 - plus a £10 charge for a (very) short stay. It's £20 a night now for a pontoon berth irrespective of length, so we decided to cut our losses and head on up to Lochaline even though it was now 7 o'clock and we had lost the tide.

And guess what – it was a beat when we had been expecting a run. A pleasant enough sail though until we tried to tack through between Lismore and Lady’s Rock and encountered three knots of tide. The wind of course dropped immediately, and it took us an hour to make about a mile.

The rest of the sail was grand, although we had to tack every inch of the way, putting the donk on about half a mile off the entrance to Lochaline and motoring through the narrows at low water.

We went up to our favourite spot about a mile up on the left hand side (site of the infamous whisky drop) in what was now almost total darkness. I could dimly make out shadow boats, but thought I must be imagining it. No, there were six other boats anchored there – the most I have ever seen, although we usually go early or late season.

We dropped the hook in eight metres at one o clock in the morning and put all our chain out, had a very late and overdue supper of spicy mince and rice with a glass of plonk and fell into bed.

.. and they're off!

9:49 AM, Jul. 7, 2005 .. Posted by Silkie

Good to hear that you're under way finally even although still having the occasional technical problem. Hope it all goes smoothly for you now. Looking forward to the pix.

Dave

Summer, What summer

10:40 AM, Jul. 7, 2005 .. Posted by albavoyager

It can only get better. Say hello to Orkney for us.

Tom and Anne