Summer Sailing on the West Coast

[penfold]

Seeing as we're confessing errors, when we were leaving Sandbank I became so enamoured with my new-found ability to reverse a long keel without it veering wildly off hither and yon that I neglected to arrest the reversing in time to avoid nudging the pontoon finger with the stern. Entirely self-inflicted, no wind and practically no current to blame; just hubris, fortunately just leaving a black rubber streak on the gelcoat and an audience of people glad it wasn't them.

 

[dunedin]

Obviously the weather is going to be a big deciding factor [/SIZE][/U][/I][/B]
.....
Any sage advice would be much appreciated.

The key thing is what you wrote. So far done around 1,200 miles this year out west. But never decide where going till last minute, and often change on the day. One 2 week spell only had northerlies, mostly light but some strong. Another 2 weeks was mostly strong southerlies. Had wanted to go to Outer Hebrides, but went from Oban to Kinlochbervie instead. Recent gentle spell spent over a week west of Harris / Lewis.
Stay flexible and don't battle to a fixed plan would be my suggestion (plus CCC guises and Antares as others have said). Just so many options.
PS Up here May and June are often "summer", August is often early winter

 

[Quandary]

Just back after 10 days of motoring, we chose a very conservative route, herself is not so keen on big adventures anymore. Crinan to Loch Aline, brief stop at Tobermory then Mallaig (they expect you to prebook and I had to bite my tongue while I was reprimanded for berthing without doing so ) Mallaig has tiny showers and a pretentious pizza place which opens only at weekends but a great book shop in the Seamans Mission.
No pontoons at Kyle of Loch Alsh again this year and expecting Kylakin to be bunged we went the other way and anchored at Totaig opposite Eilan Donan Castle which looks very ordinary from across the loch, to compensate there is a broch half an hours walk away, (see if you can work out how they managed to build it?) Then we went to Applecross and anchored off Milton overnight, (in more normal weather you can go into Poll Creadha for better shelter). Then up to Flowerdale pontoon in Gairloch (my wife like pontoons as she is able to do stuff on her own) Usually in settled weather we would stop off at the beach At Redpoint in the mouth of Torridon but we skipped it both ways this year, our dog loved that beach. Couple of nights at Flowerdale, meal in the Old Inn walk through the arboretum and a top up of cheap diesel. You walk across the hill to one of Scotlands best beaches, along the beach to the golf club where you can get lunch then a bit further to the museum housed in a former nuclear bunker, fascinating incuding one of the biggest Fresnel lenses ever built from Rudha Reidh LH, next door is the Gail Centre and behind it the associated community Farm Shop which sells everything including stuff you last saw ten years ago. The home baking and jam making in both the Gail Centre and the Museum are unequalled. If you want a laugh walk on into Strath, to the Mountain Coffee shop, a menu of 50 different coffees and a level of incompetence only matched by their ambition. Back south by much the same route, stopping at Sandaig where that creep Maxwell used to torture the otters after he had finished slaughtering whales and basking sharks.
The Inner Sound has lots of other destinations Portree, Rona, Raasay Plockton and enough shelter from the west to make it easy to travel even in a more normal (windy) year, very little tide to worry about once you are under the Skye bridge but remember it floods southward up there.
Not very adventurous but we took it easy and we (herself ) enjoyed it.

 

[JumbleDuck]

If not already got, get Antares Charts to visit stunning and remote anchorages for unforgettable BBQ spots and wildlife watching.

Though treat them with a pinch of salt. We spent a night with 4.7m LWN at a spot where Antares says 1.0m. Since HW was 3.2m, that seems a bit unlikely. I'll be reporting it to Bob when I get back.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Seeing as we're confessing errors, when we were leaving Sandbank I became so enamoured with my new-found ability to reverse a long keel without it veering wildly off hither and yon that I neglected to arrest the reversing in time to avoid nudging the pontoon finger with the stern. Entirely self-inflicted, no wind and practically no current to blame; just hubris, fortunately just leaving a black rubber streak on the gelcoat and an audience of people glad it wasn't them.

Phew. I am not alone.

I have discovered this year that all my tricks for spinning the boat are much harder, or impossible, now that I have a much smaller propeller of the right size.

 

[dunedin]

Though treat them with a pinch of salt. We spent a night with 4.7m LWN at a spot where Antares says 1.0m. Since HW was 3.2m, that seems a bit unlikely. I'll be reporting it to Bob when I get back.

Where was that? Never yet found a discrepancy with Antares surveys (though he warns this is possible), but he has found many with the official charts.

 

[cherod]

Phew. I am not alone.

I have discovered this year that all my tricks for spinning the boat are much harder, or impossible, now that I have a much smaller propeller of the right size.

interesting , as i have just fitted two new props , slightly bigger than the ones i replaced ( estimated 30% more over the two ) ) , i dont know what the orig spec is , it now goes faster for given revs , handles better , is smoother , still to test " under sail " conditions .

 

[JumbleDuck]

Where was that? Never yet found a discrepancy with Antares surveys (though he warns this is possible), but he has found many with the official charts.

Oronsay gut, Loch Sunart. Another boat was using Antares too and agreed with us about the discrepancy. I suspect a tidal height calculation error.

 

[dunedin]

Oronsay gut, Loch Sunart. Another boat was using Antares too and agreed with us about the discrepancy. I suspect a tidal height calculation error.

Interesting. Not sure which side of Oronsay that is (there are a lot of Antares chartlets around Oronsay, some from the earlier days) but I am sure Bob would welcome the feedback so it can be checked out.

 

[ctva]

When you consider the number of UKHO corrections (not updates) and they have a large professional team compared to Bob on his own. Of course, all this info is no substitute for Mark 1 Eyeball and a depth sounder.

This year after using them for the past 6 or so years, I found the first error in Dunvegan, a drying height, Emailed to Bob whilst there and the update was on the front page within days.

Antares charts, with all the warnings of 'not to be used for navigation', is the best thing since sliced bread for sailing on the west coast.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Where was that? Never yet found a discrepancy with Antares surveys (though he warns this is possible), but he has found many with the official charts.

I found an error on the chart of back of the pond at Cullipool. There was an island discrepancy compared to the chart. I reported it, but it's not a major navigation highway, so it didn't really matter.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Where was that? Never yet found a discrepancy with Antares surveys (though he warns this is possible), but he has found many with the official charts.

I found an error on the chart of back of the pond at Cullipool. There was an island discrepancy compared to the chart. I reported it, but it's not a major navigation highway, so it didn't really matter.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Now at Craighouse, after a gap of 30+ years. No visitor moorings, though I was told they plan to put them in some time. Quite a good shop, if you overlook the rudest service I have ever encountered. So grumpy it was almost funny.

We spent two nights in West Loch Tarbert, in the basin between the two narrows. Didn't dare try the Cumhainn Beg; tides were wrong, winds were gusting and my bows are high. The crew went through by dinghy and reports no sign of the markers for Transit 4.

 

[SaltIre]

Now at Craighouse, after a gap of 30+ years. No visitor moorings, though I was told they plan to put them in some time. Quite a good shop, if you overlook the rudest service I have ever encountered. So grumpy it was almost funny.

We spent two nights in West Loch Tarbert, in the basin between the two narrows. Didn't dare try the Cumhainn Beg; tides were wrong, winds were gusting and my bows are high. The crew went through by dinghy and reports no sign of the markers for Transit 4.

Do you mean West Loch Tarbert or Loch Tarbert, Jura? Presumably the latter...

Cumhainn Beg:

 

[JumbleDuck]

Do you mean West Loch Tarbert or Loch Tarbert, Jura? Presumably the latter...

Cumhainn Beg:

The one on Jura. I've always known it as West Loch Tarbert, so apologies for any confusion. Where is your Cumhainn Beg?

Now at Ardminish on Gigha. Nice but would be a lot nicer if a big Red Bay cabin RIB, labelled "Corryvreckan" hadn't pumped so much diesel overboard at the pontoon that the entire bay is covered with a sheen of it and the smell reaches as far as the shop. Definitely the winners of my "Antisocial B*st*rds of the Year" award. Unless it disperses we'll head back to the old steamer pier in the Sound of Gigalum for the night.

 

[SaltIre]

The one on Jura. I've always known it as West Loch Tarbert, so apologies for any confusion. Where is your Cumhainn Beg?

I did a search for "Cumhainn Beg" and found that image on a sea-kayak site. It seems to be the "scary narrows" near the top of Loch Tarbert, Jura, that you mentioned and through which your crew went by dinghy.
Here's my "smug grin of relief" pic from 2005:

The shore off the port quarter is shallow, hence the exaggerated "loop" before turning to port for the next reach:

 

[penfold]

The one on Jura. I've always known it as West Loch Tarbert, so apologies for any confusion. Where is your Cumhainn Beg?

Now at Ardminish on Gigha. Nice but would be a lot nicer if a big Red Bay cabin RIB, labelled "Corryvreckan" hadn't pumped so much diesel overboard at the pontoon that the entire bay is covered with a sheen of it and the smell reaches as far as the shop. Definitely the winners of my "Antisocial B*st*rds of the Year" award. Unless it disperses we'll head back to the old steamer pier in the Sound of Gigalum for the night.

A wee word with the coastguard might be in order, discourage them from doing it again.

 

[SaltIre]

There's a current thread on here about somebody who deliberately discharged 20litres of diesel into a marina after it was accidentally put into their water tank!

 

[JumbleDuck]

I did a search for "Cumhainn Beg" and found that image on a sea-kayak site. It seems to be the "scary narrows" near the top of Loch Tarbert, Jura, that you mentioned and through which your crew went by dinghy.

Ah, thanks. I only saw it from the outside, where it is - as I am sure you remember - very, very much narrower than that. I'll take the boat through one day ...

 

[JumbleDuck]

A wee word with the coastguard might be in order, discourage them from doing it again.

I have sent a report in to SEPA: Report Environmental Events to SEPA