Craobh - ideas?

[1stmate]

We're sailing out of Craobh over the August Bank holiday weekend with two young adults to keep amused. We'll be looking for interesting places to anchor for lunch and also good anchorages/moorings for overnight stops where we can eat out. Suggestions from others who know the area would be helpful.

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[Mike2822425]

Beware the "Midge" at this time of year! During the mating season, they are as big as Wasps and just as bl**dy minded!

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[snowleopard]

if you fancy an exciting trip, make the passage through cuan sound between seil & luing. essential to have a detailed chart and accurate tidal calculations. tide runs at up to 6 knots! we've done it twice, great exercise in team navigation, reading the chart and the water.

round into loch craignish is a good trip or up to oban & kerrera.

bear in mind that the sound of mull will be like the solent that weekend with boats heading for tobermory. if you want a berth there you'll need to leave early.

another great way to spend a day if the weather is calm is a trip down the sound of jura. last time we passed through we saw around 10 schools of dolphin and 3 pods of minke whales.

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[Spacewaist]

The qualifier "....overnight stops where we can eat out" limits your options for a 2/3 day sail out of Craobh unless you want to spend the whole day at sea. Suggest you read a pilot; the only easily accessible places I can think of are Puilldobrhan (Sp. ??) pub in walking distance and Loch Melfort Hotel. There's also Gigha and Islay (by the distilleries on SE side) a bit of a thrash south.

My view though it's shame to tie yourself to shore facilities. You sd be self sufficient take good food and wine and use the many anchorages around there.

For example, for your last night, there's a nice anchorage in the inlet at the N End of Shuna. Need to ''feel" your way round an obstruction, but anchoring off the old jetty can be idyllic.

There's also a good anchorage out of the current in the bight of Cuan Sound (the bit between Lung and Seil). From here you can watch the antics of yachts getting wrong (as many do) what Snowleopard reckons to get right!

<hr width=100% size=1>A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2003

 

[1stmate]

Thanks for the advice. We don't do crowds so will probably avoid the Sound of Mull as suggested. Unfortunately we are flying to Glasgow then train to Oban so carrying loads of groceries could be a problem. We normally manage 35 miles with just the 2 of us but reckon on closer to 25 with the "kids". Pilots and charters ordered but Islay and Jura are looking possibilities at present

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[1114C]

Tayvaliich is always worth a visit in my opinion - nice anchorage and reasonable restaurant

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[Solitaire]

We spent a week out of Craobh in 1997. Have just been checking my log. We only had a cuddy boat and stayed in a cottage about a mile from the Marina. Our day trips took us up to the Crinan Canal and Tobermoray, Loch Craignish and past Eileau Righ. Went to Ardern. Most dramatic was a trip to the Gulf of Corryveckan. You need to check local conditions here. The sea bubbles and blows in some places, in others it is so flat and still that it resembles dark ice. There are whirlpools everywhere, some larger than others. Its a great trip.When we were there at the end of July the nidges were not too bad!

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[Spacewaist]

How do you intend to get from Oban to Craobh? Presumably by car/taxi. In which case do your provisioning in Oban. There are some splendid shops there - 20 Argyll So for example, a delicatessan selling whisky game and cheese who provided you bought their cheeses etc, used to be prepared to do all the shopping and have it available for collection.

If you want to do 10-15 mile hops then :

1 Gigha - off the East side (much written about this place)
2 Up the Sound of Islay (on the tide). Anchor off the town at Colonsay (a bit basic and a bit rolly) or better in Loch on the west of Jura, just at the exit from the Sound of Islay.
3 Up north round Jura, leave Gulf of Corryvreckan to Starboard (if you pass when the stream is runnung it makes a wierd growling noise) and then down Cuan Sound to anchor. (probably a bit more than 15 miles!)
4 Back to Croabh.


Good luck!

<hr width=100% size=1>A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2003

 

[claymore]

Tayvallich, Crinan and Ardfern are all good for sheltered sailing and decent grub
Macormic Isle is interesting.
Its all good.
If you haven't been around there before I'd be tempted to avoid Cuan Sound - Sound of Mull is fine - crowded up there is not crowded in Solent terms. Loch Aline is really pleasant as is Drumbuie but there's no need to be putting in hard miles just for the sake of it. No need to go further N than Puilldoran and there's wonderfully peaceful sailing in Loch Craignish.

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Claymore
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[webcraft]

Ardnamir's a bonny wee anchorage only four miles from Craobh - accessible HW+/-4 for most boats, but read the pilot, it's very narrow entrance. It's not usually crowded, at least by Puilladobrain standards!

Even nearer, the Loch Melfort hotel has mooring buoys free for patrons.

Jura (Craighouse) is a half day's sail with fair wind and tide, but best in really settled weather 'cos the anchorage (or mooring - there's free visitors moorings) can be a bit rolly. Hotel is friendly and the food resonable. Showers etc in a block behind the hotel.

From there it's another half day across the Sound of Jura and up Loch Sween to Tayvallich, with a lunch stop at the McCormack Isles if you fancy it. The pub in Tayvallich does excellent food.

Have fun, it's a beautiful area.

- Nick




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[claymore]

I just remembered

Carsaig is a nice wee place for morning coffee, lunch or tea and stickkies. Shelter and a mile by road over to Tayvallich so you can do some sneaky reconnaisance!
If you are going into tayvallich for the first time make sure you identify the correct pier if you are taking the fairway in - otherwise turn left once in and wander through the moorings to the anchoring area.

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Claymore
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[1stmate]

Oban to Craobh is the difficult bit - the bus leaves 5 minutes before the train arrives ! - so I guess taxi it will have to be. Also my partner and I are on restricted diets (no alcohol or dairy products) so we will probably use Citylink to send up a food parcel - only £5 for 10kg. Thanks for all your suggestions - final question, what are the chances of my son catching supper for us if we manage to take a fishing rod ? Anything to keep him amused !

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[Aja]

"Also my partner and I are on restricted diets (no alcohol or dairy products) "

Makes things a bit difficult on the west coast.

As for catching supper, cows and sheep will obviously be hard but fish should be easy to get.

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[Twister_Ken]

Best idea yet.

Will keep junior amused. One tin of white pain, one tin of black. Find any sign saying Croabh and paint it out using white paint. Then paint the sassenach name Crove on in black. Hours of endless amusement, and a chance to see how fast the locals can run wearing kilts and claymores.

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[claymore]

Re: Best idea yet.

Kenny ye senile delinquint - there's a side tae youse that isnae wholesome sometimes.

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Claymore
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