Heading South for the sun!

For a cruise heading clockwise around the UK heading South looks like an odd thing to do but that's exactly what we have been doing for the last couple of days.

We had a quiet night at anchor at the Burnt Isles. Even though the wind was howling the water was totally flat and allowed us a good nights sleep. On Tuesday morning we set sail, heading SE down the East Kyle for a short, 6 mile sail to Port Bannatyne. We passed our friends from the Corribee/ Shrimper flotilla who were ashore taking a morning constitutional and headed off down the Kyle with a small amount of genoa unrolled and no mainsail. The wind was gusting from 12 knots up to 30 so we were making over 6 knots. The weather following us looked very grey and threatening.

30 knot squall.

Threatening weather behind

By lunchtime we were tied up in Port Bannatyne marina, a small, well sheltered marina with good, if basic, facilities and very friendly staff. Even though their toilets and showers were portakabin based they were better than many of the more permanent facilities we have used so far on the trip.

Port Bannatyne Marina

We were visited in the afternoon by the Beardsmore girls, including Jean, who, at 85 managed climbing onto the boat and the steps down into the cabin very well. A couple of hours in the warmth of the cabin with tea and cake went down well while the cold wind howled outside.

Tea and cake with the Beardsmores.

In the evening we opted for dinner out. The Port Inn proved to be a good choice for a beer (or cider in Debbie's case) and dinner, although we passed on the puddings after our afternoon cake eating! We had an interesting discussion with landlord, Dave, on the sources of his many varieties of single malts and how many of the distilleries we can get to by boat.

This morning the weather had quietened down so we part gently sailed and part motored past Great and Little Cumbrae. Off the South coast of Little Cumbrae we were close inshore and in 100m deep water! No wonder the navy likes playing with submarines up here!

100m deep close inshore - submarine country!

Out into the wider Firth of Clyde the wind swung round to the West and allowed us to use the spinnaker for the first time this trip. We had an hour's pleasant spinnaker reaching before the wind deserted us and the engine went on again for the rest of the trip to Troon.

The spinnaker stops cluttering up the fore cabin!

We were heading South to Troon because we had arranged for Debbie's FLP May delivery to be delivered there along with some spare mainsail sliders from Westaway Sails as we broke one on the sail from Liverpool to Douglas. When we ordered them we had to estimate where we would be. We underestimated how far we would get and had to backtrack. As we will be in this part of the country for a month before returning home by train for a week backtracking wasn't really a problem and Troon Yacht Haven is very sheltered with excellent facilities. We are due to feel the effects of another depression tomorrow so will probably have a short sail across to Lamlash Harbour on Arran, a downwind sail if the forecast Easterlies arrive.

 

 

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