Around Ardnamurchan into the North West

After a very quiet night at Tobermory we decided to head North around Ardnamurchan Point for Loch Moidart, described by our friends, Hugh and Nicola, (see Tarbert and Caladh revisited Blog) as secluded, sheltered and remote. What they didn't say was that it was also tricky to get in with plenty of rocks guarding the entrance and shallow patches further in. However, with the use of Antares charts, also recommended by Hugh, which are detailed, recent, surveys of many remote anchorages in NW Scotland, we found our way in and anchored in a very quiet spot next to the ruins of Castle Tioram. The loch certainly lives up to its description!

Rocks at Loch Moidart entrance.

Anchored off Tioram Castle, Loch Moidart.

After another very peaceful night, with plenty of overnight rain, we decided to head out to Canna, the outermost island of the Small Isles. The pilot book suggested leaving the loch at the start of the flood tide to avoid nasty seas at the entrance so we had a leisurely start. With a good SW breeze we enjoyed an excellent sail to pass East of Eigg and Rum, the larger of the Small Isles. In the lee of Rum we were subject to strong squalls off the hills, forcing us to put a second reef in the main. The last 4 miles to Canna harbour was hard on the wind, which increased to around 30 knots, needing the third reef in the main, which doesn't get used very often.

By late afternoon we entered Canna Harbour and anchored in the middle of the bay. Despite warnings of poor holding in Kelp the anchor dug in well straight away and we settled down to pre dinner g & t's and a glass (or two) of wine over dinner.

Canna Harbonur anchorage.

After another quiet night we headed ashore to get some internet at Canna Cafe and shopping at Canna community store. The store operates on a refreshing, unmanned, honesty basis. You chose your goods, write them down on a sheet, pay and take your change from an unlocked cash box. Wouldn't it be nice if the rest of the UK could operate on that basis?
We would have liked to stay longer in Canna but the weather was very grey and with more wind forecast we needed to head back to the mainland to be sure of connecting Robyn with her train in Mallaig on Wednesday morning. So, after a tea at the cafe and a short walk, making the acquaintance of some highland cattle we returned to the boat to head for Inverie, on Loch Nevis, only a short sail from Mallaig. Robyn had researched Inverie, where the Old Forge inn, the remotest pub in the UK, had free moorings to patrons, showers and an interesting menu.

Highland Cattle

We had another excellent sail, a reach in an 18 knot Southerly breeze, making over 7 knots for most of the time until the wind dropped of the Point of Sleat. We picked up a pub mooring and headed ashore. Showers were cancelled when the pub wanted £4 a head for them. We'll wait until Mallaig tomorrow! Whether the food is up to the listing in 'Welcome Anchorages' we are about to find out, but the view across the loch from our dinner table is certainly spectacular!

Robyn enjoying the sail from Canna.

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A wet start to the Hebrides

On Wednesday we had our day being a canal boat, very strange cruising along a narrow waterway at maximum 4 knots with not a ripple on the water. The lock staff and bridge staff were very efficient, ringing ahead when we passed through so the next lock/bridge was ready for us. We only had one lock to operate ourselves, when the lock keepers had gone to lunch. The whole process would have been much slower if we had to do them all ourselves. As we approached Crinan there was more traffic coming the other way, which meant a little wait to ensure that as we came out of a lock there was a boat coming the other way ready to go into it.

Ardrishaig sea lock and bridge.

Lacerta as a canal boat.

The only DIY lock we attempted.

At Crinan we topped up with water and were lowered down in the sea lock back into salt water, our introduction to the Hebrides and guess what? It started to rain! As there was no wind to add to the drizzle and poor visibility we decided on a short trip in Loch Craignish to Ardfern Yacht Centre where we picked up one of their swinging moorings and settled down to Robyn's excellent curry and an early night, we wanted showers and to top up the diesel in the morning but needed an early get away to have a fair tide through Dorus Moor and the Sound of Luing, heading for Loch Spelve on Mull.
We were in the showers at 0815 on Thursday morning and were ready for the fuel berth at 0945. Unfortunately we had to wait for a motor sailor, topping up 2 large tanks and then washing spilt diesel off their decks, not very eco friendly and very time consuming. We had a bit of breeze in Loch Craignish and made it through Dorus Moor with a fair tide but the forecast South Easterly breeze deserted us, replaced with drizzle, in the Sound of Luing so we needed the engine to make against the tide.
Our last visit to Loch Spelve was in 1977, our first charter, when we had brilliant sunshine. This time we had mist and drizzle but the place still had some magic about it. OK, there were now fish farms on the Loch but when we anchored at the South end there was only the sound of birds and sheep to keep us company and, as the light faded, total silence and wild scenery surrounding us.

A drizzly, windless, Loch Spelve.

This morning we left at 0900 heading to Tobermory via the Sound of Mull to avoid the forecast force 5 to 6 SE breeze. What we actually had was light and variable winds and pouring rain. The Admiral decided there was enough work to do down below to prevent her coming on deck, leaving the Vice Admiral and Skipper to do the wet stuff! She did keep us fed and watered!
We didn't achieve much sailing until we were in the Sound of Mull, with a fair tide under us. We could afford to drift through the light patches. We experienced winds from all directions and from calm to 21 knots for a while, all in the rain. The best bit of the day was as we approached Tobermory with the weather clearing and the sun coming out, tempting the Admiral on deck. We anchored inshore of the visitor moorings and the girls rowed ashore for an exploratory foray in the town while the wet gear was spread over the cockpit to dry.

Foray ashore in Tobermory.

We are now ashore in a pub, the only source of wifi to write the blog, as if we needed an excuse to go to the pub! Heading further North tomorrow with strong winds forecast.

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Phase 2 starts. Inverkip to Ardrishaig

We have had a good, and busy week at home. The house was in good shape and not too much post to sort, thanks to Richard and our good friends and neighbours, Dave and Julia. The Solitaire du Figaro single handed race series arriving in Torquay on Wednesday and leaving on Sunday provided plenty of interest and Debbie managed a trip to London on Friday/Saturday for an FLP success day.
The trip back to Inverkip on Monday was uneventful, the trains arriving on time, and we were met at Inverkip station by our daughter Robyn who had also stocked us up with fresh food on her way across from Aberdeen.
The forecast for Tuesday was variable 3 or less and so it proved. We left Inverkip mid morning with a 12 knot Southerly breeze and bright sunshine. Robyn was tempted into shorts, the parents were more cautious! This lasted until we entered the East Kyle when it dropped away and we reverted to the engine. We picked up breeze again in the West Kyle and sailed to windward until Ardlamont point at the end of Loch Fyne, looking forward to bearing away and even using the spinnaker when we headed North towards Ardrishaig. It was not to be, in its perverse Scottish way the wind followed us round and came from ahead again in Loch Fyne, eventually fading away so the last 2 hours were under engine again.

With 2 Admirals on board now the skipper stands no chance of getting his hands on the wheel!

One of us was brave enough for shorts!

We are now on the waiting pontoon at the Crinan Canal entrance, ready for the first lock in in the morning. Dinner, a Spanish style stew prepared by Robyn was followed by a quick walk to the Co op for ice creams and back along the canal bank where we had our first experience of the dreaded Scottish midges, hopefully they will sleep in in the morning!

On the waiting pontoon, ready for the morning lock.

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The end of phase 1

We are now in Kip marina where we are leaving the boat for a week and catching a train home tomorrow morning at the end of phase 1 of our journey. When we return on Monday 23rd our daughter Robyn is joining us and we head for the Crinan Canal and the Hebrides.

Picking up where the last blog left off. Last Sunday, in anticipation of better weather, we left James Watt Dock, slightly delayed by shipping traffic. When we reported in to Clydeport Control before leaving the dock the captain of the CalMac ferry 'Argyll' came on the radio to say that he was in the commercial part of James Watt Dock with two tugs attached to pull him out stern first and would we mind if he went first. Churlish to refuse when he was so polite but with tugs across the dock mouth we wouldn't have had much option. Anyway, we followed Argyll out into the busy Glasgow channel and hoisted sail (2 reefs in the main and 1 reef rolled in the Genoa) when we cleared the shipping channel for a beat to the West and Loch Long. As the forecast was improving with some sunshine and showers dying out we thought we would have another look at Loch Goil and Carrick Castle in particular. We sailed up to the end of the Coulport naval jetty but as the loch narrowed the wind became too fickle to sail without entering the exclusion zone, something that the police patrol launch was clearly not going to allow us to do! So we finished this part of the trip under engine. Clearly Loch Goil had not heard the weather forecast as it was still raining when we approached Carrick Castle so we turned tail and ran back down to an anchorage off Ardentinny, on the West Bank of Loch Long, where the sun was still shining.

As Gareloch was the only loch we had not visited East of Kintyre we decided to pay it a visit. The Welcome Anchorages brochure said the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club, at Rhu narrows, had visitors berths, free if you used the club facilities, and did bar lunches. That set the plan for Monday, with a light wind from the North we set the spinnaker to run down the centre of Loch Long. The navy unfortunately spoilt our plans, there were more than the usual number of patrol boats around, we were buzzed by a black navy RIB and a chunky marine very politely asked us to sail across to the West as a submarine wanted to play in the bit of water we were using. Very polite these Scottish chappies but in any case you don't say no to a big burly marine, especially when there are lots of patrol boats about, some with guns on their foredecks! So, our trip was extended somewhat by taking the circular route via the entrance to Holy Loch and Gourock. At least nobody stopped us taking photos of the submarine.

I The sub that interrupted our passage.

The police keeping us clear of the sub.

We were late getting to the RNCYC moorings and found that they no longer do lunches on Mondays anyway! Kyle, the duty boatman, showed us to our mooring and gave us a lift ashore for showers and a tour of the club, which is based in a magnificent listed building with many old photographs of racing on the Clyde and half models decorating the walls. Unfortunately the toilet and shower facilities didn't match the rest of the club, definitely in need of a refurb, and the hot water didn't work until the boiler was fiddled with! The moorings are no longer free but the inclusion of a boatman service was a luxury compared to what would have been a long, wet, trip in the dinghy. Kyle and Sandy, the duty boatmen, were more than helpful and we took the opportunity to fill up our water jerrycans and took a walk towards Helensburgh on Tuesday morning.

RNCYC interior

Topping up the water at RNCYC

 

We could have stopped for lunch as caterers were in for a Probus meeting but, as the weather was good, with light winds from the North West we took the opportunity to sail down to Millport, on Great Cumbrae. This turned out to be one of the nicest sails of our trip so far. It started very gently, racing down the Clyde against a pretty Sadler 26, whose crew were trying very hard while trying to appear not to be trying. Refusing to look directly at us was the giveaway! Once the wind built sufficiently for us to get up to hull speed we left them for a beat down the Clyde in a breeze which built to 18 knots, and fortunately veered from SouthWest, which would have been no good for Millport, to West as we approached the North end of Cumbrae. The first sail of the trip in shorts!

Legs exposed!

Millport Bay turned out to be delightful, seals basking in the sunshine on the rocks in the harbour and the houses along the seafront making a colourful backdrop in the evening sunshine.

Our Wednesday plans were to stay in Millport (free moorings helps!) and hire bikes to explore the island. There are a number of bike shops along the seafront but we were directed up the hill, away from the sea to a sign above what appeared to be a side entry in a row of terraced houses. Bremners cycle hire turned out to be a treasure, a real Aladdins cave of cycles and cycling bits, not least was the helpful chat from Gordon and Suzanne, the proprietors. Gordon was a mine of useful knowledge about the island and sorted us out with a couple of nice bikes.

We cycled around the island shores, about 11 miles in all, returning to Millport for lunch in the Garrison House. Millport developed as a base for revenue cutters trying to prevent the enormous trade in smuggled goods around these shores and the Garrison House was, as its name suggests, the base for the crews of the revenue cutters before becoming a private house, the home of the actor, Duncan Macrae and his wife Peggy, both of whom were involved with dealing with wartime evacuee children from Glasgow. The house has now been restored and contains a museum of Cumbrae life and an excellent cafe.

The Cathedral of the Isles.

 

A break on the way up to the Glaid Stone.

At the high point of Cumbrae.

After lunch we visited the Cathedral of the Isles, the smallest cathedral in the British Isles and took the inland route to the Glaid Stone, the highest point on Cumbrae, at 127 metres not exactly high but with fantastic views. We took the long steady climb up and the steeper, windy hill down, definitely the best way to do it. All in all a fantastic day, warm sunshine all day and calm on the mooring overnight, calm enough for breakfast in the cockpit on Thursday morning. Debbie paid an early visit in the dinghy to the seal colony, 20+ seals on the Eileans, the islands in Milport Bay.

Breakfast in the cockpit.

Who is watching who?

We completed phase 1 with a sail up the West side of Cumbrae with the spinnaker up for 2 hours until the wind died and we reverted to the engine and tidied up the sails for the last hour before entering Kip marina.

So we are now about ready for the trip home, the dinghy floor has gone to Ocean Safety to have the valve repaired, the spray hood has gone to Saturn Sails to have the rotten stitching replaced and the new clamp for the wind generator has been delivered and fitted so we are good to go again. We have made a few new friends while in Kip and a few old ones, Oppie parents, Tim and Ruth Taylor are up here with what seems to be a huge fleet of Cornish Shrimpers, cruising in company. We also met Sam Lewellyn again, who has his Corribee moored next to us.

Sam Llewellyn, also in tidying up mode.

 

We have just enjoyed an excellent meal at Inverkip Hotel and just need to pack the rucksacks for tomorrow's long train journey back to Torquay.

 

 

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Scottish weather - ups and (mainly) downs

On Wednesday the weather eased off and allowed us to sail from Port Bannatyne, heading up the Clyde to Holy Loch. Apart from a brief squall at the start we had a good sailing breeze all the way into Holy Loch with bright sunshine and white clouds for a change. Nice sailing if a little chilly still, just over 16 miles so an easy trip.

Leaving Port Bannatyne.

Heading North up the Clyde.

There are a number of anchorages shown in the pilot book in Holy Loch. It took us a little while motoring around to decide which would suit us best, eventually settling on a spot inside the moorings East of the marina and close to White Farlane Point. The wind dropped and with the sun out it was pleasant enough for a drink in the cockpit. Not for long though as we discovered that one of the clamps supporting a side stay to our wind generator mast had broken so we had to devise a temporary fixing and ring the manufacturer to arrange for a new clamp to be sent to us. We are getting used to arranging for parcels to be delivered to us around the country!

Sunset on Holy Loch.

 

The local sailing club were out for their Wednesday evening racing making a nice backdrop before the wind faded altogether at sunset allowing us to have a very quiet night. In the morning there was still no wind but there was rain! Debbie rowed ashore to post some letters before we set off in the drizzle for Loch Long and Loch Goil. As we entered Loch Long the rain stopped and a gentle breeze sprang up from the North, on the nose but it was nice to sail for a while, following a minesweeper, patrolling at the end of the loch while a nuclear submarine came out of Gareloch. After an hour the wind dropped and the rain started in earnest so we motored past the Coulport Navy jetty and submarine repair shed with attendant MOD police patrol launch keeping an eye on us, a boring job but at least they were dry inside the wheelhouse of the launch while one of us was out in the wet.

Delivering the post!

 

Entering Loch Goil the scenery would have been spectacular if it hadn't been for the low cloud and the rain. We gave up our original plan of anchoring at Carrick Castle on the West shore of the loch as pointless in the rain and continued up to the head of the loch, picking up a visitors mooring close to the landing jetty so we didn't need to put the outboard on the dinghy to get ashore.

Mist and low cloud over Loch Goil.

The rain eased off in the evening and the loch was like a mirror, making for some nice photographs and allowing us a pleasant walk around the head of the loch. If we hadn't already got dinner on board sorted we would have been tempted to visit one of the local hotels, as it was we decided that if the weather stayed fine in the morning we would stay another night and do some more walking.

On a mooring Lochgoilhead

Reflections.

 

10pm at Lochgoilhead

It was not to be! Rain started in the night and by the time we got up it was raining heavily and the wind had picked up. We reverted to the original plan of heading to James Watt Dock marina at Greenock, the wind was now from the South, on the nose again so no sailing, just motoring. It was a thoroughly miserable trip with low cloud on the surrounding hills and the rain reducing the visibility by the time we got to the end of Loch Long enough to warrant us having navigation lights on together with the radar, as well as the AIS. We headed across the main shipping lanes to Gourock then reported in to Clydeport Control before joining the dredged channel and mooring at the marina in the early afternoon. The weather then relented and the sun came out for a while, while we prepared for the next gale, which was forecast to come in overnight and continue through Saturday.

Keeping an eye on the radar in poor visibility.

James Watt Dock has a lot of history, being completed in 1886 to serve the sugar industry which saw the formation of Tate and Lyle in 1921. The huge Titan crane at the dockside was erected in 1917 and the sugar warehouse along the South side of the dock forms a prominent landmark. Tate and Lyle closed their Greenock operation in 1997 and the marina has been gradually developed since 2010. The marina staff are very helpful and the facilities good with future plans to restore the sugar warehouse and create a much bigger marina in the adjacent Grand Harbour.

James Watt Dock Marina, the Titan crane and sugar warehouse.

The weather has lived up to the forecast today, rain, mainly heavy, all day with associated strong winds, the gusts creating quite a bit of movement of the boats, even in the shelter of the marina. Greenock in the rain is not a pleasant place to be, though I doubt it would be much better in the sunshine! Grey buildings with most buildings of any architectural merit seeming to be hidden behind 1960's municipal monstrosities. Walking into the town from the marina demonstrates that more thought has been given to keeping the traffic moving than to making the pedestrians life anything like pleasant. The marina is a good place to shelter from the weather, pick up crew or leave the boat for a while with a local train service into Glasgow, other than that there is not much reason to come here.

The forecast is for much better weather for the next few days. Other than needing to be in Inverkip next Thursday ready for leaving the boat while we travel home for a week we don't have a grand plan, we'll see what the weather is doing in the morning.

 

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Lurking from the weather, Port Bannatyne

In common with most of the UK we have experienced very strong winds and heavy rain over the past few days. On Saturday morning the forecast for Saturday night and Sunday was for winds gusting to force 8 and rain showers with winds gusting to force 10 on Sunday night and Monday so we decided to return to the marina at Port Bannatyne to ride out the storm tied to a reasonably sheltered pontoon where we could get ashore.
As Saturday was the calm before the storm we opted to make the most of the sailing and sail as far as we could up Loch Scriven, which is steep sided with deep water up to the edge of the loch and dramatic hills. With a westerly wind which got up to 10 knots in the East Kyle we were able to hoist full sail and turn off the engine as soon as we had passed the Colintraive ferry. Down the Kyle was a pleasant broad reach followed by a gybe and reach into Loch Scriven.

Loch Scriven backdrop

Some rare blue sky!

Because of the steep sides in the loch the wind became very light and variable but we weren't in any hurry so coasted along up as far as Ardbeg Point, about 2/3 of the way up the 7 mile long loch. With the loch narrowing at this point the wind became extremely fluky so rather than disturb the peace by resorting to the engine we turned round to sail back towards Port Bannatyne.

Beating out of Loch Scriven under full sail, windy high level clouds Indicate what is to come.

Sailing back the wind shifted towards the South, varying from S to SW, starting at 13knots and gradually building to 17knots giving us a good beat to windward with no reefs in the sails for a change. We were moored in Port Bannatyne by 1800 and got the cockpit cover on ready for the oncoming storm. When we settled down and checked the Internet we found that Hugh Kilpatrick from "Sarah" had emailed us pictures of us sailing when we passed them in the West Kyle on Friday. As we don't often get pictures of "Lacerta" under sail I can't resist putting a couple into the blog.

Lacerta with 1 reef in the main and a reefed Genoa.

Beating up the West Kyle.

True to form, on Sunday the wind was blowing hard with strong gusts in heavy rain squalls. Nevertheless there were enough clear patches between the squalls for us to walk across to the West side of the island to Ettrick Bay, where we sat out a heavy hail squall in the Ettrick tea rooms with tea and huge slices of cake, Debbie's banoffee pie nearly defeated her but she bravely struggled through to the end of it! Good job we had a 3 mile walk back!

Threatening sky towards Ettrick Bay. The track is the line of the old tramway, which was closed when buses took over in the 1930's.

Monday was a horrendous day. Heavy rains and strong gusty winds kept us on board all day, the rain only easing off in the evening long enough for us to walk to the Post Inn for a pint and a bit of socialising. During the day Debbie hit the computer and phone with FLP business and David stripped and serviced the main halliards and sheet winches so the day wasn't wasted.
Today the wind was still strong though easing down from overnight and the rain squalls were fewer. As we needed to stock up with fruit, bread and milk we jumped on the bus to shop in Rothesay, 3 miles away. As well as the Co-op, (the Co-op seems to have a monopoly on supermarkets in the Western Isles), Rothesay boasts such delights as a fully preserved, original, Victorian gents toilet with original urinals and plumbing, 30p for a tour, including the ladies, interrupted every time a man came in to actually use the facility!
We opted not to pay for a visit inside Rothesay Castle, a good move as we found that the Bute Discovery centre, on the sea front, had all the information on the castle and lots more, all for free! There was some fascinating film footage of Rothesay in the 1950's, when steamers delivered holiday makers in their hundreds from Glasgow, sometimes racing each other to be first alongside the pier and cutting each other up, culminating in the captains being fined for reckless navigation! Good job that the CalMac ferry captains are more disciplined. Included among the ships in the film was the, then relatively new, paddle steamer, "Waverley", still plying her trade around the UK coasts.
Looking at the old pictures of Rothesay and Port Bannatyne you realist that, apart from the marina at Port Bannatyne and at the dock by the ferry terminal at Rothesay, very little has changed in both towns. The buildings along the sea front are exactly as they were years ago, it's like a step back in time.
While looking at the castle exterior we found, across the road, the Coffee Stop cafe, just the thing for a coffee and a warm up. We were surprised to hear Essex voices in the cafe, Richard and Kim, husband and wife owners, had moved to Rothesay 8 years ago and served excellent coffee and locally made cakes, really good value, so much so that we returned for a late lunch of soup and freshly made sandwich.
We look to be having a quieter spell of weather for the next few days so we plan to head up the Clyde to visit Holy Loch, Loch Goil and Loch Long, ending up in James Watt Dock Marina at the weekend where Debbie's next delivery from FLP should be waiting for us.

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