Fairwinds 2005

The Crinan Canal For Me . . .

Kathy and I went down to Ardrishaig on Wednesday lunchtime (13th April) to meet friends bringing their new (to them) Mirage 36 up from Ardrossan to spend the season on her mooring at Seil Island.

Colin and Julia hadn't done the canal before, whereas I am an old hand and Kathy has done the Caley and the Crinan once each with me. We soon got into the swing of things, and Jacobea's crew were left in peace to handle the lines and worry about the new fenders getting scratched.

We only got as far as Cairnbaan, as last locking is 4 o'clock until May. Total chaos getting moored up there as it was launch day for the Cairnbaan yard and there were boats rafted up both sides on the pontoons. I pulled a raft  consisting of a Sigma 33 and a Sigma 38 forward a little to squeeze Jacobea in and discovered that the 38 on the outside had its stern line laid on the 33's side deck near the cleat but not actually fastened to anything, so tied up whoever's boat that was for them then got Jacobea snugged in. We were warned that mast craning and further lift-ins could be expected first thing, so an early start was in order. We were bought a very pleasant meal in the hotel, had a couple of pints of Piper's Gold and retired to Jacobea's forepeak to sleep in thermals and big sleeping bags.

Lock 12, Dunardry 

Thursday we started up the flight at Cairnbaan at 08:30 and were sitting on the pointoon at the top just before ten eating breakfast. 11:30 saw us at the top of the Dunardry flight, and even though all the locks were set against us Kathy and I had Jacobea down through the five locks and the bridge in an hour and a half. The basin at Crinan was reached in time for a leisurely lunch before locking out as the tide turned.

Jacobea and the Vital Spark in Crinan Basin

Kathy took the car home, while I  helmed Jacobea through the Dorus Mor. She was surprisingly eager to go for such a beamy, heavy boat. First time I had sailed a ketch, but the excitement didn't last as once through the DOrus Mor the wind was on th enose all the way to Seil and some very chilly motoring was in order. The 3-pot 40 horse Yanmar made short work of the journey, and we were soon tied up alongside Nick Hunter's pontoon and off to the Oyster Brewery for some Oyster Gold.

The Song of the Puffermen

Oh! The Crinan Canal for me,
I don't like the wild raging sea,
It would be too terrific to cross the Pacific,
Or sail to Japan or Fiji.
A life on the Spanish Main,
I think would drive me insane,
The big foaming breakers would give me the shakers,
The Crinan Canal for me.

Chorus:

Oh! The Crinan Canal for me,
I don't like the wild raging sea,
The big foaming breakers would give me the shakers,
The Crinan Canal for me.

It's the Crinan Canal for me,
From sea terrors there you are free,
There's no shark or whale that would make you turn pale,
Or shiver or shake at the knee.
I would nae like leavin' ma bones,
In a locker beside Davy Jones,
From Ardrishaig to Crinan's the best trip A'hve bin in,
The Crinan Canal for me.

Chorus:

Aye the Crinan Canal for me,
It's neither too big nor too wee,
Oh! It's lovely and calm when you're frying your ham,
Or makin' a nice cup of tea.
You can go for a stroll on its banks,
To loosen your muscle bound shanks,
You can darn your socks while you're still in its locks,
The Crinan Canal for me.

Chorus:

Boat jumble, birdshit & bullshit

It was Craignish Boat Club boat jumble this morning, so off we went to Kilmelford. Bought some shackles and (tempting fate but they were only three quid each) two charts for next year of Finisterre-Gibralter and the Canaries. The elderly couple running the stall had already been out there and done what we want to do - and now they had returned and sold their boat, the wanderlust (presumably) out of their system. Will that be us in a few years' time?

Also bought a few  blocks - something we were a bit short of. Kathy bought an enormous spinner in the hope that this year we will finally find something other than mackerel on our line. Just as we were leaving I spotted a tribuckle hanging on the wall with a price tag of just £15. It had obviously been mounted on a rail for some time - the bag was very faded - but inside it looked as good as new. As this has consistently been rated as the most effective MOB recovery device we snapped it up.

In the afternoon we decided to take all our new gear plus some supplies out to the boat so we would be ready for the off as soon as the weather improved. (School holidays, a clear two and a half week window for a circumnavigation of Mull, chart of the Sound of Iona and the Torran Rocks purchased). It was a beautiful afternoon, but with the weather forecast to deteriorate we decided to get the boat ready then make our holiday pilgrimage back East to visit friends and family in the hope that the weather would improve for the second week of the holidays. (Did it? did it b . . .)

So - I got on with stowing gear and doing a few jobs while  Kathy spent four hours scrubbing bird shit off the decks and from under the sprayhood. The previous Saturday, returning form our trip to Craobh, there had been some little birds sitting on Charlie's plastic gaffer onteh next mooring. K remarked on the 'sweet little birds', and there were three sitting sweetly on our dinghy. Obviously a migrating flock. Anyway, they certainly left their calling card.

While Kathy scrubbed I finally discovered the leak in the heads pump which meant the starboard under bunk locker was always wet. Dried it all out, but had to throw away our rusty Coleman oven which was lying in there. I also took the log out (always fun, even when you have the blanking cap to hand and are expecting the  fountain that shoots up into the boat) and cleaned it. It had three inches of weed growing out of it and was full of those little flea things leaping about and covered in a hard coating that had to be scraped off with a knife.

I did a few other jobs as well - replaced the dodgy topping lift shackle, stowed both non-bower anchor rodes sensibly in big buckets in the port locker and generally tidied out the lockers. We stowed all our new gear, including the huge inflateable orange fender (2m x 40cm diameter) I got on Ebay. We intend to use it as a fender board, but it may also be amusing to deploy it on approach to expensively occupied marinas and watch faces.

The irritating motor cruiser mooring saga continues. There is a nasty tatty old motor cruiser on a mooring next to ours. We were originally offered a mooring spot a sensible distance away, and  paid to have our mooring laid. We were then told it was in the wrong space as the Association had decided to squeeze another mooring in. When the mooring was moved we discovered it was too close to the MoBo for comfort and that  the MoBo swings around wildly (only a rope riser as well). We sustained some gel coat scratches last year that could only have come from this monstrosity, and now the mooring appears to have moved even closer to ours. The Moorings Association have written to the guy, but he apparently has no intention of moving it, bringing it up to spec or generally doing anything. The latest is that the Association have said they will move our mooring free of charge, but I don't know where we can move it to - there are far too many moorings in the bay now. Watch this space for the continuation of this saga . . .

Lazy Easdale Sound Sunday

We were feeling a bit ropey this morning as we had been at the opening of the new pub in Ellenabeich last night . . . very nice, microbrewerey & restaurant. Had a meal with friends and drank 'till midnight then cycled back over the hill by the light of the full moon. Got up this morning a bit groggy needing to get out to the boat before the  tide dropped too far to get off the mooring. (It probably wouldn't have, but it's equinoctial Spring tides and tides in the bay can be a bit unpredictable anyway)

So - first time through Cuan Sound this season . . . low water, Kathy was driving (no wind) and got a little close to the Cleit - showed 1.8m under the keel. Once clear of Cuan we throttled back and drifted a bit while we cleaned the Winter grime from the cockpit and stern of the boat, then headed on over to Easdale Sound.

Cleit Rock

Into Easdale Sound, never showed less than 2.5m going in - chart shows 1.8 at LAT and we  draw 1.05, so this isn't such a low spring tide after all. Picked up the Eilean Easdale mooring near the pier and read the paper while Kathy cooked sausages, mushrooms and eggs. Very civilised.

I rowed ashore to collect friends while Kathy tidied up and cleaned down below. Chris, who has an engineering workshop in Ellenabeich, had volunteerd to witness/assist with the installation of a new thermostat, which I hope will cure the temperature fluctuations and overheating the engine is still exhibiting.

I brought Ruth back to Fairwinds first while Chris finished a job in the workshop. Drank coffee and stuck some sail tape over the damage on the mainsail (batten pocket at 3rd reef torn at the inner end). I had intended to sew it, but there was a gusty wind on the mooring so decided tape would have to do for now.

Easdale Sound, early Spring

I then went back in the dinghy and picked up Chris. We changed the thermostat and impellor then went for a bit of a sail, but the wind died . . . we drifted about for a bit, but were being carried on to the Southern shore of Insh, so we had to start the engine and motored back. The engine seemed to run steadily at 60 to 70 deg with no rapid temperature fluctuations.

Once back in Easdale Sound we went ashore briefly to get the air cleaner beadblasted and blown out in Chris's workshop. Rushed off to try to get home in time for the brand new series of Dr Who. Willie gave us a tow out to the mooring with the Easdale ferry, which sped things up.

Raining and a light breeze bang on the nose, so motoring for Cuan. Too early for a real spring tide thrill ride - we picked up just two or three knots on the way through - but the water had an interesting look about it at the Cleit.

North Cuan

Once through Cuan we got the dinghy in and tidied up ready for a quick disembarkation. The engine was back to running at just under 80 deg for most of the way back up Seil Sound(boat speed of  of 4.5 - 4.8 knots), but as I cut the corner going into the bay (HW, wouldn't normally do it) the temperature started climbing and by the time we were almost back to our mooring it had reached 90 deg. I cut the throttle and it plummeted back down to 50deg - think it was some sucked in weed from my short cut over the kelp beds, but time will tell.

Got home just as Dr Who was starting. That's the boat ready for a cruise during the school Easter holidays now - a leisurely circumnavigation of Mull is the plan. Watch this space.

Distance - 8 miles

Engine Hours - 2.5

Total for season - 18 miles

First time off the mooring . . .

It's actually warm in the sun onshore, with a light breeze from the South-East. Time to kick off this year's sailing season.

I untie all the extra bits of string I'd attached just before the hurricane force winds we had in the January storm. Fairwinds has survived her Winter swinging to her mooring in the bay with nothing worse to show - I think - than a thin  beard of weed round her waterline.

The engine starts with one cylinder decompressed . . .  must get round to fitting the 'new' dynastart I scored a couple of weeks ago form a lucky Vega owner who is re-engining with a new Beta 13hp. I check we have forward and reverse from the dreaded Combi mechanism before dropping the mooring, and we motor out of the bay. There's the usual blue smoke, but everything seems OK . . . or is it? I motor for 15 minutes and the engine reaches its operating temperature ( a fraction over 80 deg C) then the temperature goes up to 90, then drops suddenly to 60, then rises to 90 and stays there for a while.  Should I have changed the impellor? Why is it doing this again? It seemed to have settled down at the end of last season. We  raise sail and cut the engine, two seasons with Fairwinds has taught us not to think about our crappy old Volvo MD6A too much - it's too frustrating. ANy anyway - it's a sailing boat for God's sake.

The SE wind means long tacks then short tacks as we beat down the Sound under full sail. We are heading for Craobh Haven to fillup with diesel and water for the start of the season.

As we come out into Loch Shuma past Degnish Point the wind strengthens. It is blowing directly out of Croabh, so we hold the Port tack until almost at the fish farm at the top of Shuna Sound. 22 knots over the deck and she's overpressed - time for the first reefing manoevfre of the season and it goes OK - usually something happens: last year the first time I put a reef in I tore the luff, the year befoire I forgot the toppin glift . . . but this year it all goes smoothly and soon we are sailing much more comfortably, still making over 5 knots close hauled in spite of the beard.

We tack past the bottom of Eilean Scoul (or Robin;s Rock as we now refer to it, after the Minister's husband wrecked his boat there last year) and head towards Arduaine.

A couple more long tacks and we are half a mile from the entrance to Craobh. The wind goes gusty then light, and we drop sail and motor in. Operating an Albin Vega in a confined space is always a little trying - long keel, offset prop with no propwash over the rudder, plus the dreaded Combi variable pitch prop - but the fuel berth in Craobh is fendered and coming alongside it is a non-traumatic first marina manoever of the year.

We fill up with 48 litres in total - 20 in the jerrycan and the rest in the main tank. Must have been pretty low - we should have left the tank full over Winter, but we didn't . . . and I haven't changed the filters either. But at least we have those spare filters we bought in Galway last year on our trip round Ireland. As I do the tank cap up again I casually chuck my best pliers into the water beside the fuel berth. Oh well, every season needs a sacrifice to Neptune at the start, and at least this was cheaper than last year's start of season offering. (A full bottle of Speyside malt lost during a dinghy transfer between boats in Lochaline).

There is very little  wind as we leave the marina, and we have to motor out to the island before we can sail at a reasonable speed - the clocks have not gone forward yet, and it still gets cold and dark early. The engine threatens to overheat again. I vow to order a thermostat and impellor before next weekend.

Once we get the sails up and the engine off we enjoy a great run back, sometimes goosewinged, sometimes reaching in the gusty wind blowing out of Loch Melfort. Once back round Degnish the wind gets flukey with some strong gusts that have us close reaching at well over 6 knots, interspersed with light airs and calms. We sail back then motor onto the mooring . . . ten miles logged, sea legs back, the season has started.

Off mooring:        14:00   Back on mooring: 18:20   Distance Logged: 10 nm   Engine Hours:      50 min     To Do:   Mend mainsail (torn at fwd end of 2nd batten pocket)   Fit new impellor and thermostat to try to improve engine temp-erature fluctuation