ctva
Well-known member
Left the Crinan Canal yesterday heading north, anchoring in Gometra Harbour. Sun rise at 4am.
Summer 2023 - West Coast
- Thread starter ctva
- Start date
srm
Well-known member
Keep going north, midsummer sunrise is a lot earlier in Orkney and earlier still in Shetland where it never gets fully dark for a couple of months as the sun skims just below the horizon.
ctva
Well-known member
Todays pic is now from Bay of Laig on Eigg looking at Rum.
westhinder
Well-known member
More of these pics please, they bring memories flooding back.
I need to go back to the Hebrides as soon as I can.
I need to go back to the Hebrides as soon as I can.
byanyothername
New member
Lovely pics - very jealous!
jlavery
Well-known member
We're in the area too. Magical night at Soa, just off Iona. Needed a line ashore to keep Arpeggio off the shallows ahead.
dunedin
Well-known member
Normal service seems to have resumed today, at least in the Clyde- heavy rain this morning !
jlavery
Well-known member
Yes, finally rain after so long with fantastic weather. Easing to sunshine and showers later today and the rest of the week, hopefully.
dunedin
Well-known member
Yes had a brilliant three weeks cruise in great weather with zero rain nor too strong winds. Sadly the school holidays being imminent that won't last!
ctva
Well-known member
You’re optimistic. I see a wee bit of sun in between prolonged rain! (Remember the party line, the weather is always pants up here.
)PS, lovely pic, I’m not brave enough for there.
Stop rubbing it in.
Todays lunch time pic looking up the stunning Sound of Sleat…
Aja
Well-known member
Damp and wet. Boat leaving JWD Marina this morning. Poor chap has wet weather gear on!
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ctva
Well-known member
After leaving Isle Ornsay at 0630 for the tide, indescision as to our plans saw us end up in a delightful anchorage north off Isle Ristol, a short 66nm trip.With the resident YBW pizza and gin man not here any more we had to slum it.
With a private sandy beach too…
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Minerva
Well-known member
Cracking wee anchorage that - we spent 3 nights there the season before last hiding from a gale. Dropped the hook in 25kts of wind at the beginning of the blow and when it dug in, it was like someone slammed on the handbrake!
Porthandbuoy
Well-known member
Got back on Monday afternoon (19th June) from my summer cruise: Very much ‘touch and go’ and all in glorious sunshine and light to no winds.
Rhu marina to Pladda, where we anchored for the night, before rounding the Mull of Kintyre to Craighouse (Jura). Thick fog once we passed the light, although we did spot a whale. There was a large rib appeared out of the murk full of people, standing up!. Chap at the front looked as though he was wearing priestly raiment (white foul weather gear?) and I thought at first we’d come across a funeral, a scattering of someone’s ashes perhaps, then we spotted the whale. My apologies if we scared it away, but if you’d had your ais on I’d have seen you sooner and given you a much wider berth.
Craighouse to Loch Staosnaig near Scalasaig (Colonsay) via the Sound of Islay. Visitors moorings and a pleasant walk over the hill to the hotel.
Scalasaig to Bull Hole (Iona/Fionnphort). Had a brief visit by a pod of dolphins en-route. Anchored. Stunning sunset. Woken at 05:00 by a duck stamping up and down the sidedeck "quack-quack", "quack quack" every time it turned around on it's beat.
Left Bull Hole by the north entrance (tight!) heading for Arinagour (Coll). Sailed between Lunga and The Dutchman’s Cap (Treshnish Isles) surrounded by thousands of puffins and guillemots. Don't go to Coll on Tuesdays; the shop is shut all day.
Arinagour to Canna. Moorings all taken, so anchored. So hot we drank cider over ice.
Canna, across the Sea of the Hebrides, to Loch Boisdale (South Uist). Nice wee marina and very friendly staff. Had a few beers with Callum, the hotel proprietor. Not a happy chap thanks to no ferry sailings for the entire month of June. Vodafone signal strength very weak here.
Loch Boisdale to Loch Harport and the village of Carbost (Skye). Had a pod of dolphins keep us company for a few miles; magical. Stunning entrance to Loch Harpool thanks to “The Castle” and the view down the Loch with the Cuillins beyond is beyond my powers of description. There are visitors moorings but we managed to squeeze onto the pontoon and step ashore. Arrived too late for a tour of the Talisker distillery so walked on to the the Old Inn which was pretty busy with thirsty hikers (and two thirsty yachties).
Carbost to Mallaig for a shower and a meal ashore. A very busy harbour with ferries, fishing boats, day trippers, charter boats and the noise coming from the boatyard. Lovely atmosphere though and loads of places to eat.
Mallaig to Tobermory (Mull) for fuel and a pint or two at the Mishnish. Spotted two other Neptunian 33’s here. And there’s me thinking they were rare beasts.
Tobermory to Ulva for a plate full of Langoustines and focaccia from The Boathouse. Highly recommended. There are a few pontoons on the Mull shore now but we anchored.
Ulva to Carsaig Bay (Mull) going south about the Torran rocks because we had some wind that allowed us to sail down the Sound of Iona and just keep going in that general direction. Spent the night at anchor with the sea like glass. Good holding but I wouldn’t want to be there in an onshore wind.
Carsaig Bay to The Garvellach Isles where we anchored for lunch and waited on the tide for . . .
THE CORRYVRECKAN. Excuse the capitals, it was my first time through. Must have done my sums right as we never saw a ripple, eddy, swirl, whirlpool or standing wave. Almost, but not quite, disappointing. Only experienced 1.5 kts of ebb to help us through.
Anchored off Eileen Nan Gabhar (Goat Island) up Loch Craignish where we met the lovely couple who sail a Westerly Renown ketch and who prompted me to search for something similar. Had to thank them.
Next day, on to Port Ellen (Islay) for yet another beer and another shower to remove layer upon layer of factor 50 sunblock
Back round the Mull of Kintyre (no drama), just as far as Sanda, where we spent the night at anchor. Spotted another whale en-route. Thought it might have been the humpback that's been loitering in these waters recently.
Sanda to Brodick (Arran) where we were woken at Oh My God O’Clock by a swell coming in from the east that almost rolled us out of our bunks. Left for . . .
Colintraive up the Kyles of Bute. Had the best sail since the Sound of Iona. Past the Cock of Arran, inside Inchmarnock and up the West Kyle at 6+kts under partial jib and mizzen. Colintraive Hotel is open and the visitors mooring have been serviced. Early to bed that night after such an early start.
Last day. Colintraive to Rhu. It rained for the first time in over two weeks. Good job too, ran out of sunblock yesterday.
Navigation by iPad mini running Navionics, plus Memory map for UKHO and Antares raster charts. Used C63, 64, 65 and 66 Imray charts most evenings for passage planning.
Just under 600 nautical miles. 183 litres fuel. 94 hours under engine at just under 2 litres/hour (4 cyl Yanmar). 1x4.5 kg gas cylinder. 1 bottle rum. Bought bags of ice cubes at every opportunity to chuck in the coolbox which kept the perishables from perishing. I plan to convert that to a fridge for next season.
If you habitually eat ashore anywhere then you'd be wise to phone ahead and book a table. Everywhere seemed pretty busy, except Loch Boisdale.
Rhu marina to Pladda, where we anchored for the night, before rounding the Mull of Kintyre to Craighouse (Jura). Thick fog once we passed the light, although we did spot a whale. There was a large rib appeared out of the murk full of people, standing up!. Chap at the front looked as though he was wearing priestly raiment (white foul weather gear?) and I thought at first we’d come across a funeral, a scattering of someone’s ashes perhaps, then we spotted the whale. My apologies if we scared it away, but if you’d had your ais on I’d have seen you sooner and given you a much wider berth.
Craighouse to Loch Staosnaig near Scalasaig (Colonsay) via the Sound of Islay. Visitors moorings and a pleasant walk over the hill to the hotel.
Scalasaig to Bull Hole (Iona/Fionnphort). Had a brief visit by a pod of dolphins en-route. Anchored. Stunning sunset. Woken at 05:00 by a duck stamping up and down the sidedeck "quack-quack", "quack quack" every time it turned around on it's beat.
Left Bull Hole by the north entrance (tight!) heading for Arinagour (Coll). Sailed between Lunga and The Dutchman’s Cap (Treshnish Isles) surrounded by thousands of puffins and guillemots. Don't go to Coll on Tuesdays; the shop is shut all day.
Arinagour to Canna. Moorings all taken, so anchored. So hot we drank cider over ice.
Canna, across the Sea of the Hebrides, to Loch Boisdale (South Uist). Nice wee marina and very friendly staff. Had a few beers with Callum, the hotel proprietor. Not a happy chap thanks to no ferry sailings for the entire month of June. Vodafone signal strength very weak here.
Loch Boisdale to Loch Harport and the village of Carbost (Skye). Had a pod of dolphins keep us company for a few miles; magical. Stunning entrance to Loch Harpool thanks to “The Castle” and the view down the Loch with the Cuillins beyond is beyond my powers of description. There are visitors moorings but we managed to squeeze onto the pontoon and step ashore. Arrived too late for a tour of the Talisker distillery so walked on to the the Old Inn which was pretty busy with thirsty hikers (and two thirsty yachties).
Carbost to Mallaig for a shower and a meal ashore. A very busy harbour with ferries, fishing boats, day trippers, charter boats and the noise coming from the boatyard. Lovely atmosphere though and loads of places to eat.
Mallaig to Tobermory (Mull) for fuel and a pint or two at the Mishnish. Spotted two other Neptunian 33’s here. And there’s me thinking they were rare beasts.
Tobermory to Ulva for a plate full of Langoustines and focaccia from The Boathouse. Highly recommended. There are a few pontoons on the Mull shore now but we anchored.
Ulva to Carsaig Bay (Mull) going south about the Torran rocks because we had some wind that allowed us to sail down the Sound of Iona and just keep going in that general direction. Spent the night at anchor with the sea like glass. Good holding but I wouldn’t want to be there in an onshore wind.
Carsaig Bay to The Garvellach Isles where we anchored for lunch and waited on the tide for . . .
THE CORRYVRECKAN. Excuse the capitals, it was my first time through. Must have done my sums right as we never saw a ripple, eddy, swirl, whirlpool or standing wave. Almost, but not quite, disappointing. Only experienced 1.5 kts of ebb to help us through.
Anchored off Eileen Nan Gabhar (Goat Island) up Loch Craignish where we met the lovely couple who sail a Westerly Renown ketch and who prompted me to search for something similar. Had to thank them.
Next day, on to Port Ellen (Islay) for yet another beer and another shower to remove layer upon layer of factor 50 sunblock
Back round the Mull of Kintyre (no drama), just as far as Sanda, where we spent the night at anchor. Spotted another whale en-route. Thought it might have been the humpback that's been loitering in these waters recently.
Sanda to Brodick (Arran) where we were woken at Oh My God O’Clock by a swell coming in from the east that almost rolled us out of our bunks. Left for . . .
Colintraive up the Kyles of Bute. Had the best sail since the Sound of Iona. Past the Cock of Arran, inside Inchmarnock and up the West Kyle at 6+kts under partial jib and mizzen. Colintraive Hotel is open and the visitors mooring have been serviced. Early to bed that night after such an early start.
Last day. Colintraive to Rhu. It rained for the first time in over two weeks. Good job too, ran out of sunblock yesterday.
Navigation by iPad mini running Navionics, plus Memory map for UKHO and Antares raster charts. Used C63, 64, 65 and 66 Imray charts most evenings for passage planning.
Just under 600 nautical miles. 183 litres fuel. 94 hours under engine at just under 2 litres/hour (4 cyl Yanmar). 1x4.5 kg gas cylinder. 1 bottle rum. Bought bags of ice cubes at every opportunity to chuck in the coolbox which kept the perishables from perishing. I plan to convert that to a fridge for next season.
If you habitually eat ashore anywhere then you'd be wise to phone ahead and book a table. Everywhere seemed pretty busy, except Loch Boisdale.
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Minerva
Well-known member
That sounds a wonderful trip! How long were you away for?
I've been into Loch Harport twice. Once with friends and second time with my wife. When we were entering the loch, but before we did the 90 turn to starboard, I asked my wife to go down below to make me a coffee. I knew that when she came up on deck again, she'd be blown away with the Cuilin Panorama in front of her.
We were not disappointed! I have a wonderful photo of her, sitting on deck, feet over the bow, a blue sky above her and the majesty of the Cullin behind with her as she wears the biggest beaming smile. We opened the fizz that night!
jlavery
Well-known member
What a great trip, thanks for sharing.
Porthandbuoy
Well-known member
3rd to19th June.
ctva
Well-known member
Arrived in Lochinver to a moody sky. Tomorrows target shrouded in cloud.
ps. Great trip there PHB.
ps. Great trip there PHB.
ctva
Well-known member
After an unexpected invitation to a neighbouring boat here in Lochinver which included a few malts… an early start.was made on Suilven, 18miles with 731m (950m inc all the ups and downs). G&Ts (plural) being enjoyed now in the sun. 
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jlavery
Well-known member
Fantastic pics. Suilven is on our target "sailing, walking running" trip this year.
