Rounding the Mull of Kintyre

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Some hairy moments while rounding the MoK and heading north to Gigha, we were really lucky with the good weather.
Best thrill I have ever had!

Pics taken from video, hence poor quality.
C_W

 

[OGITD]

Good One E!

Who’s taking the photo’s/video & did you get the tides right?

Post the video to YT & then embed it (or I will for you if you want?)

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Who’s taking the photo’s/video & did you get the tides right?

Hi again John.
My mate Besula Bob took vids, yes had tide with us on inner passage, though we had a F4-5 against tide making it a bit lumpy, but it only was for about 30-40 mins till we got to the light house then it flattened a bit.
Good fun though
Eamonn.

 

[Sgeir]

Nice one Eamonn. What day was that then?

Oh, and do we get to see the vid, please?

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Nice one Eamonn. What day was that then?

Oh, and do we get to see the vid, please?

Hi Donald, it was sunday 20th June early morning after stopping overnight in Sanda bay.
Most of the chop after the mok was a remaining sea from a w-sw the night before which made for a rough early part to the night in Sanda.
Hope you are keeping well.
All Bobs videos from the trip have been edited into one long video, probably too long to upload to youtube. maybe show some of the original clips if I can get them from him.
Eamonn.

 

[wully1]

I call that stretch 'The Egg Boxes' as there is always a nasty, lumpy section no matter how calm it may be everywhere else round the Mull.




And it seems to follow you as you change course to avoid the worst of it...

Still, better than a day swinging lock gates.

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

I call that stretch 'The Egg Boxes' as there is always a nasty, lumpy section no matter how calm it may be everywhere else round the Mull.




And it seems to follow you as you change course to avoid the worst of it...

Still, better than a day swinging lock gates.

Actually it was only choppy from the se corner to the lighthouse where it flattened down a bit, then got choppy out from Macrahannish to south of Cara.
I reckon it was still quicker than rounding the outer passage which would have put at least another 1-1/2 hrs on to the passage time.
We did return by the outer passage as we were comming from Port Ellen and wanted to have a look at south end of Sanda and Ship light, we had to alter course south to avoid the overfalls out from the se corner of the MoK as they looked a bit nasty.

 

[Spyro]

Looks like a thrilling ride Eamonn and pictures never really do it justice It always looks calmer in pics.
Looks like you were a bit too far offshore, Bob seams to be sitting in a bit of calmer water, he must have been if he could get his camera out
50m is more than enough but if the conditions were like that close in I could see why you would want to stay out a bit.

 

[eljocko]

MOK. Hummingbird.

Well,
That's seamanship indeed!
Your lensman must have come through and beyond your sea or, indeed, been coming towards you.
Which I doubt, as, you say you had the tide with you and an F4 - 5 on your nose.
Altogether, good footage.
Are you putting the video on youtube?
I'll now stick to the Crinan...
Fair winds to you,
EJ.

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Looks like a thrilling ride Eamonn and pictures never really do it justice It always looks calmer in pics.
Looks like you were a bit too far offshore, Bob seams to be sitting in a bit of calmer water, he must have been if he could get his camera out
50m is more than enough but if the conditions were like that close in I could see why you would want to stay out a bit.

Hi Ian, we started off quite close in but moved out a bit as we got nearer to the light house as it seemed a bit shallower, odd that there was no big breakers on the shore, tide must have been cancelling them out or having some sort of effect on them.
Here is a video taken by Charlie who was on Emma
and a couple taken by my mate as we came out of the worst bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU3I2OjpppA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yJRS5dfvRw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo8iw8CdMu0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqlSQH5YKnw&feature=related

Be aware I'm not looking my best in one of them

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

Well,
That's seamanship indeed!
Your lensman must have come through and beyond your sea or, indeed, been coming towards you.
Which I doubt, as, you say you had the tide with you and an F4 - 5 on your nose.
Altogether, good footage.
Are you putting the video on youtube?
I'll now stick to the Crinan...
Fair winds to you,
EJ.

We were a six strong gang in three boats, yes Besula was probably a half mile ahead using a digital video camera which I saved some clips (pics) from.
The side on shots (closeups) were taken while I was running alongside him heading up towards Gigha.
I must try to get the video's from him.
My prefference is now the MOK, having done the Crinan, dont really want to do it again unless totally unavoidable.
Welcome to the forum, your grammer seems familiar! Are you at one with nature?!!!!!!!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Stay In Very Close The Whole Way Round To Avoid The O'Falls

Hi Ian, we started off quite close in but moved out a bit as we got nearer to the light house as it seemed a bit shallower, odd that there was no big breakers on the shore, tide must have been cancelling them out or having some sort of effect on them.....

That is correct. You have to get right in close for the inshore passage to be bounce free and stay close in. I have done this a few times but always feel I am too close to shore. However, that is where you have to be to avoid the overfalls. I prefer the outer passage for this reason.

I once messed up my tides big time and spent 4 hours surfing the MOK overfalls (towards C'town) with a grand ground speed of 0.25 kts.

 

[andymcp]

We arrived at the MOK headine west to east in may, at night, in fog, with the only wind we'd seen for 3 days coming directly behind us against the tide as we tried to get round with 4 other boats. Spent 3 exhausting hours surfing at what appeared to be 8kts boat speed with the lighthouse resolutely staying on exactly the same bearing until we finally crawled round as the tide slacked off. My shoulders were locked solid for hours afterwards - we only just missed sneaking through thanks to a wind hole between Jura and the Mull that set us back 3 hrs....

Thankfully last time I did it a fortnight ago there was calm winds, helpful tides and hardly any sign of overfalls anywhere - if you're heading east to west they seem much less dramatic towards the end of the tide.

 

[starboard]

I went round westbound a week last Monday, planned to get into the Sound of Sanda at 0400 leaving Troon at 2100 hopefully to just get the tide as it turned....as it happened we got a good 20kts of wind from the south so meant our passage from Troon was some what faster than planned....approaching the Sound of Sanda early the wind died so we motored all the way to the lighthouse before the 20kt southerly filled in again.......the sea was flat and the max tide we got was only 2kts!!! In all the times I have done that trip I have never seen it so flat or so little tide. I reckon you could round the Mull 100 times and see 100 differant set of conditions!!

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

We (Hummingbird, Besula, and Emma) left the Cumbrae centre poontoon at aprox 0630 sat 19th June for our trip out west.
The first point of interest was Pladda lighthouse to starboard and Ailsa craig to port and a first sighting of Sanda almost ahead.

Not long after that we were making way towards the Aranmans Barrels to leave us in a good postion for a transit into Sanda bay using the white boathouse half way around the bay, where held up for the night albeit a bit bumpy.
We had dinner in the Byron Darnton, although had to bring our own booze which we consumed after the meal, that was funny!

If one walks to the top of the hill to the west of the BD, you will get a good view of the MOK and Sanda sound, a good way to check out the tidal races, the one shown is from the south west corner of Sheep island and runs out into the sound.

Good views can be had from the Byron Darnto restuarant.

Another early start on the sunday morning and a pleasent passage down to the start of the MOK and as described, a bouncy but enjoyable passage to Gigha via the inner passage.

Arriving at Ardminish bay in time for an early barbacue lunch, albeit cooked on a burner attached to the top of a Camping Gaz bottle, dont like the taste of smoke on my food anyway.

Monday morning we cast off under a shroud of fog and had great fun with the air horn for the next half hour, even picking up another vessel who decided we were better at navigating than them so they would follow us out through the obstructy bits.
We had little wind so had to be patient while waiting for the cotton wool to blow away. Slowely we weaved our way to Craighouse where we almost drained the resources of anything that fitted in pint glasses in the Jura hotel which was surprisingly devoid of locals, apart from one interesting character.
Beautiful little bay that was lighted by a glowing red sky even after midnight
and adorned by gorgeous paps, if Jura was a lady, she would never have wet feet in the shower.

Tuesday morning under bright sunlight it was now time for the fast sprint on a favourable tide squeezed up through the sound of Islay, well at least as far as Bunnahabhain where we hooked the bed for lunch after a starter of Black bottle, courtesy of the distillery, as our visit was expected.

Back onto the main flow northwards and next stop was Scalasaig, Colonsay.
A grand peaceful spot adorned with bare rock and more bare rock.
After using nearly all my lines and fenders securing HB in anticipation of the dreaded swell, we had a glassy still bay for the night, which was probably the reason why none of us missed any of the (felt like) hundreds of rungs on the ladders to the top, cant ever remember having a pint at such an altitude, apart from the drink I had on the plane to New York, what a sinking feeling climbing back down after half a dozen pints!
The attitude of the hotel barman was far from welcoming, even the guests did not get served after 23.30.

Wednesday morning after a short passage we once again dropped the hooks in Caolas Mor bay Oronsay, a must for any visiting boats.
It was like being ship wrecked on a desert island, only our ships were well secured to a white sandy bottom where the anchor could be viewed with ease. Like the barman in Scalasaig the Oyster catchers were eager to hunt us away, only there cry was more plausable.
We took nothing but memories and left nothing but footprints.

Returning down the sound of Islay was no where near as pleasent as the outward passage, strong south westerly winds and dirty squally showers and driving rain made visability difficult and preventing me from motorsailing as HB healed to port starving the engine of cooling water, so sails binned and more coal got us to Port Ellen before bed time but too late to visit any of the pubs, or should that be pub? Dident count.
Plenty of wildlife in the marina, including a rat spotted on the slipway, hide the booze.
Thursday the tide times for the return around the MOK gave us a chance of a lie in, so after a brunch we were once again pointing at the MOK while dipping and diving on a long swell, probably remaining from the previous day's wind, yet the water was generally oily calm.
It was pleasing to be able to see Fair head to sb and MOK to port, at least we knew we were heading in the right direction!
Another stop over at Sanda, which was like a millpond, well outside one of the boats anyway, as we had a premature big celebration of our double success, (not having to do the Crinan either way)
Beautiful sunset that night. infact it was pure magic!

Friday morning with a few sore bonnets among, us we opted for Lochranza, seeing as there were a group of German students there and it was the night before Germany played England, we reckoned it could be interesting, it was indeed, hence no photos from there.
The strangest place name (a rock face/cliff) I passed was "The Ba*t*rd"
Who knows where it is?
C_W

 

[Dougie_the_Mate]

Hi Ian, we started off quite close in but moved out a bit as we got nearer to the light house as it seemed a bit shallower, odd that there was no big breakers on the shore, tide must have been cancelling them out or having some sort of effect on them.
Here is a video taken by Charlie who was on Emma
and a couple taken by my mate as we came out of the worst bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU3I2OjpppA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yJRS5dfvRw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo8iw8CdMu0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqlSQH5YKnw&feature=related

Be aware I'm not looking my best in one of them

Is Emma a Westerley Centaur by any chance.

 

[Dougie_the_Mate]

I see from the later photies that she is not!!!! Sorry!

 

[andymcp]

The strangest place name (a rock face/cliff) I passed was "The Ba*t*rd"
Who knows where it is?
C_W

It's before you reach arranman's barrels if heading from Campbeltown round to the west. Apparently it's a fairly small hill near the shore. Gave us a laugh when the name appeared on the plotter heading round April last year, my companions at the time immediately re-named the boat Ogun The B*astard, and the tender B*stard Son of Ogun....seemed very amusing after a few beers on Gigha later that evening....

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

It's before you reach arranman's barrels if heading from Campbeltown round to the west. Apparently it's a fairly small hill near the shore. Gave us a laugh when the name appeared on the plotter heading round April last year, my companions at the time immediately re-named the boat Ogun The B*astard, and the tender B*stard Son of Ogun....seemed very amusing after a few beers on Gigha later that evening....

Well done Andy, you win the Goats head and intestines.

 

[wully1]

Lovely pics Clyde Wanderer.