Floris

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Baddox

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It looks like it's going to get a little breezy on Monday with forecasts predicting gales gusting F10.
We followed some of the boats in the Oban to Craobh West Highland Week feeder race yesterday. Tomorrow they are due to sail back up in the other direction with the wind behind them and depending on timings strong tides against them. Rather them than me if it goes ahead.
We're tucked up in Ardfern, secured with a heavy chain and bridle to a mooring waiting out the weather.

Check your lines and take care wherever you are.
 
Hope everybody and their boats are safe in this bad storm impacting Northern waters.
We were fortunate to secure a berth at Ardfern, but appreciate that there are massively more boats out sailing than there are safe harbour pontoon berths, so lots of boats will be on moorings and lying to their anchor. This is when the better anchor and extra chain you bought becomes a good investment.

Safe day all.
 
Balmy summer's day in Lochinver. It's warm, the sun's out, what's not to like? Or maybe it's the eye approaching. I'm the only visitor. At least 6 empty berths if anyone wants to pop up.
 

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dunedin said:
Hope everybody and their boats are safe in this bad storm impacting Northern waters.
We were fortunate to secure a berth at Ardfern, but appreciate that there are massively more boats out sailing than there are safe harbour pontoon berths, so lots of boats will be on moorings and lying to their anchor. This is when the better anchor and extra chain you bought becomes a good investment.

Safe day all.
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We're aboard our boat o a swing mooring at Ardfern. The swing part of the mooring is living up to its name.
I'm impressed with the staff at the marina who have promptly been out in a rib to attend to boats which have sails unfurling or other problems despite the gales. A boat on the pontoons had a jib partially unfurl, the flogging was making a tremendous noise but it was soon sorted, hopefully before much damage occurred.
 
The sun is out now and the wind due to ease. The photo doesn't do justice to the maelstrom of white horses that the wind can whip up on the loch.

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AngusMcDoon said:
Only 16 knots in Sumburgh 30 minutes ago, so they will only just have noticed that the air is moving. They are under the centre now. They get a bit o' a breeze about midnight tonight.
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Sadly this is proving to be a serious storm and not pleasant or funny for many. Reports of some boats driven ashore, one in Oban Bay, and the lifeboats active assisting owners.
Let’s hope not too many are damaged and nobody seriously hurt.
 
I was on an Easyjet flight landing at Manchester last night. We had an abortive landing having "touched down". It was definitely a brown trousers moment. The Airbus 320 was blown about like a leaf
 
So did everybody and their boats survive Floris unscathed? Certainly hope so.

PS. I was surprised to see the small trip boat St Hilda depart Rum at around 11am, which would have been around the start of the worst weather, then less surprised to see a U Turn and very slow return to Loch as resort, at times making less than 2 knots.
Blue Clipper with is multiple masts and square rig must have a huge windage, and looked to be repositioning itself within Loch a Craignish a few times, which is understandable. One of the most tricky boats to handle in a storm with that windage.
 
We enjoyed a bouncy day without incident on the mooring. The heavy pick-up chain inspired confidence and I feel that there is less wear and tear when moored than tied to a pontoon.
 
Friends were in Plockton and the videos they took were mental, 80kts were recorded on the moorings, We were in Stornoway in a van and kept our heads down.
 
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