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Sun 26 April 2009

Stromness.....and all that jazz.....

Lack of wind necessitated motoring to Orkney from Cape Wrath, but meant we could round spectacularly close in under the cliffs and lighthouse, and pass well inside the Duislic Rock. A long, uneventful 13 hour passage took us in through Hoy Sound and up to the marina behind Stromness Pier. There a local marine electronics man helped us fix the autopilot - its like having an extra crewman back again. Once more we took advantage of free buses to do some sightseeing and climb another hill. The Stromness Hotel is hosting most of Orkney's Jazz Festival (a rather grandiose description of two trad bands from Edinburgh playing over a long weekend) so last night we enjoyed some good old traditional jazz from Bill Salmond's Louisiana Ragtime Band and the Diplomats of Jazz. An interesting character was the bass player who played in both bands, dressed in tuxedo playing euphonium in one band and casually dressed on double bass in the other. Fortunately he was a also quick-change artist between band sets. We went across to Hoy this morning but the exposed anchorage, cold wind, and cloud nudging the hilltops dissuaded us from a hill trip - so we will return on another occasion and in better conditions.

Posted by skipper at 06:10 PM | Comments (3)

Thu 23 April 2009

Hill Names, Long and Short

A grey, wet morning came as a surprise after ten days of good, dry weather, but the wind was a steady SE F5, giving us good sailing up past Stoerhead and across Eddrachillis Bay to Handa, the bird reserve island. Here the breeze faltered but the weather brightened, and we motorsailed the rest of the passage to Kinlochbervie, arriving in mid afternoon. We were only the second visiting yacht at the brand new pontoons in the outer harbour. Although bright, it stayed cool so the evening stroll was kept short. Today, in beautiful weather again, we took the Durness - Lairg bus, the Mate going on to Lairg but the Skipper dropped off at Kinloch, Loch More to climb the Corbett Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill. This hill has the distinction of the longest hill name in Scotland, beating runner-up Meallan Odhar Doire nan Gillean by 3 letters. This turned thoughts to the shortest hill names, of which 9 have only 5 letters (An Dun, Arkle, Belig, Eaval, Hecla, Orval, Smean, Sotan, Tinto) and 26 runners-up have 6 letters. Brevity prevails, it seems. We hope for a fair forecast for rounding Cape Wrath, but there is a likelihood of strong to gale force winds overnight.

Posted by skipper at 06:12 AM | Comments (1)

Mon 20 April 2009

Lochinver

A short hop round Rubha Coigach and across Enard Bay took us in to Lochinver by 1000, where we tied up at the now extended pontoons in the harbour. The weather was perfect, warm and sunny after a cool start, so we spent most of the day relaxing and reading in the cockpit, save for a walk round the village bay. The Skipper bought a nice wee book "Of Big Hills and Wee Men" which tells of the adventures of some Clydeside boys on the Munros at much the same time as his own earlier days. Next morning, the early bus took the Mate to Ullapool and dropped the Skipper near Inchnadamph for an ascent of the Marilyn Beinn Reidh. With only 2 1/2 hours before the return bus, it needed a bit of a push, but was comfortably done. Back aboard by 1115, a mist descended for a few hours but cleared later to restore the view of the dominating peak of Suilven.

Posted by skipper at 05:31 PM | Comments (2)

Sat 18 April 2009

Coigach

A second day at Portree saw the Skipper climbing Beinn Dearg Mor in the Red Cuillin and Beinn na Greine above the town, while the Mate went to Armadale to visit the Castle, Gardens and Museum of the Isles. Moving on again, we continued up the Sound of Raasay and through Caol Rona to the Inner Sound, where a sailing wind got up. In fact it was soon gusting to Force 7, and we charged along double reefed to Loch Gairloch and put in to Badachro, which was sheltered. Conditions were excellent today - bright sunshine, clear blue skies but cool, giving good visibility for the Coigach Hills of Cul Mor, Stac Pollaidh and Cul Beag as we approached the anchorage at Isle Ristol near Achiltibuie. Golden Eagles were spotted from nearby Meall na Fheadain, which also gave fine views of the Summer Isles and a panorama of weel kent hills. Later we enjoyed a visit aboard from Paul and Clare, a holidaying couple the Mate met at the Altandhu Smokehouse.

Posted by skipper at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)

Wed 15 April 2009

The Storr

The fine weather and our good progress on the way to Orkney have tempted us to spend a little time based at Portree. Skye is not always so kind with its weather! The place is busy with tourists (one is never a tourist oneself!) so the Skipper went off up the hill and climbed the two Grahams (2000ft+) The Storr and its neighbour Hartaval. The former is particularly dramatic with its cliffs and pinnacles, notably the Old Man which is much visited, but few venture to the summit. The return to Portree was along the southern end of the Trotternish Ridge, which forms the spine of this northern part of Skye. Visibility was good, except where smoke blew across from heath fires set on the western moors.

Posted by skipper at 08:35 PM | Comments (1)

Onwards to Skye

The tide helped carry us north through the Kylerhea narrows, through Loch Alsh and under the Ske Bridge into Broadford Bay. The first glimpse of the Cuillin of Skye revealed some lingering snowbeds, a reminder that despite the fine weather it is still only mid-April. We passed through Caolas Scalpay, a narrow channel which all but dries completely between Scalpay and Skye, with a least depth of 6ft of water under the keel. Despite careful tidal calculations, there is always a frisson of excitement as the moment of truth draws near! Then through the Sound of Raasay, noting the extensive works in progress for the new ferry terminal in Churchton Bay, and on to Portree with its multicoloured frontage rivalling (and probably surpassing) that of Tobermory.

Posted by skipper at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)

A Visit to Eigg

Laig Bay (of the 'singing sands') on Eigg provides temporary anchorage in offshore winds, so we took advantage of such conditions for a short visit. While the Mate walked the road over to Galmisdale, the Skipper took to the heights above Cleadale. Steeply up through a breach in the imposing cliffs, then easily but dramatically along the cliff edge to the summit - Sgorr an Fharaidh 1,115ft - then a descent from the north end of the cliffs. As there was no summit cairn, a small one was started with the hope that others will add to it in future. As the camera had been left aboard there is no photo of Eigg, but this shot of the Rum Cuillin from Orval makes amends - there can be few, if any, neater mountain groups in Scotland. The SE breeze gave us a good sail up the Sound of Sleat to Isle Ornsay, where we spent the night.

Posted by skipper at 08:34 PM | Comments (0)

Mon 13 April 2009

Round Ardnamurchan

A bright morning saw us leave Crinan after a leisurely start, to catch the tide at the Dorus Mor and go with the flood up the Sound of Luing, past Pladda, Easdale, Insh and Kerrera to Oban, where we tied alongside a fishing boat for an hour while stores were replenished from Lidl ('the last until Orkney' bemoaned the Mate). It being Easter weekend, the town was busy and we were not tempted to linger. Off again, we crossed to the Sound of Mull and down to Loch Aline where we spent the night. The morning gave us beautiful weather and perfect visibility for continuinig down the Sound, round Ardnamurchan Point (the westernmost point of mainland Britain) and north past Muck and Eigg to Rum, where we anchored. The Skipper was landed ashore for an evening ascent of Orval, about five miles distant from Kinloch.The effort was rewarded by a summit circular panorama of hills, islands and sea. The photo from above Kinloch looks back down the glen and across to the hills of Knoydart.

Posted by skipper at 09:29 AM | Comments (0)

Sat 11 April 2009

Round the Mull

With the gale continuing, we pottered about Campbeltown and the Skipper climbed Beinn Ghuilean just outside the town. Gale driven mist and a knolly plateau made finding the actual summit difficult, and involved much distance and effort - too much for a wee hill! In the morning we put our faith in the forecast of easing winds and set off in a SSE gusting over 30kts, giving us a hard slog down the Kintyre shore. However, as we bore round towards Sanda , the wind began to moderate, the sun came out and soon all was well with the world again. We caught the tide at the Mull of Kintyre and rode it up past our intended destination of Gigha and right on up to Crinan - a total distance of 62 nautical miles. We anchored off the sea-lock, but were too tired for a sortie ashore.

Posted by skipper at 04:06 PM | Comments (2)

Thu 9 April 2009

Whisky Macs

Fully equipped again, we were glad to get away from Largs Yacht Haven where we had been dwarfed by large motor boats. The forecast was for strong westerlies and we were not disappointed! Passing through the Cumbrae Pass and past Garroch Head on Bute, we made straight across to the Arran shore to seek some shelter from the head-on seas. Following the coast round to Lochranza, we were finally able to make way under sail alone, down the Kilbrannan Sound to Campbeltown. The wind was a steady F6 with 30kt gusts and we made good progress under single reefed sails. The sun came out and the sea turned a sparkling blue, lifting our spirits and raising false hopes of rounding the Mull of Kintyre on the morrow. Instead, we have a SE gale and poor visibility - not weather for our intended passage - and are lying fairly comfortably, if somewhat bumpily, alongside in Campbeltown awaiting better conditions. We found this aptly-named bar close to the harbour, two doors along from Rab's Chippie - apparently the gastronomic centre of the town!

Posted by skipper at 12:21 PM | Comments (1)

Tue 7 April 2009

Arctica Sets Sail

It is so good to have water under the keel again and feel the boat come alive - so different from the unnatural, static stance on the hard over the winter. We left Dumbarton just before HW on the first day of our 2009 cruise. With some east in the breeze we were able to motorsail downriver to Toward Point, then run goosewinged across Rothesay Bay and down the East Kyle to the Burnt Isles. There we turned in to a stiffening wind and motorsailed down the West Kyle and across to Lochranza on Arran. We were none too early as a team was still at work setting up the visitors' moorings for the season. Reminding us of our early season start, it was latterly cold and raw out on the water, so the first hot Whisky Macs of the trip went down well on arrival. Trying to send this blog entry later on our newly installed state-of-the-art communications setup (thank you, Finlay) , we discovered that a vital piece of kit had been left behind, so are having to go back to Largs for a trip home to collect it. As 'senior moments' seem to inexorably multiply, we hope they don't escalate into a 'senior season'!

Posted by skipper at 06:39 PM | Comments (4)