longjohnsadler
Well-Known Member
Prior to a recent skippered cruise off the west coast, I contacted the master of the vessel to enquire about wet weather gear.
'Well you can bring it if you like, but it's going to be mostly fine,' he said.
On the second day it started raining soon after midnight. By mid-morning it was difficult to see the shores of Loch Aline from where we were anchored due to air-borne moisture of every persuasion. Occasionally the skipper would poke his head out of one flap or another. 'It's definitely getting brighter. Oh yes, look at the sky over there.'
By 3 pm it was still lashing down, so we pressed on to Tobermory. That evening, between heavy showers, we were sipping G and Ts in the wheelhouse when a bedraggled young German couple walked past.
'Are you local?' they enquired.
'No, we're a couple of rich yachtsmen,' quoth the skipper, winking at the young fraulein.
'Oh. We're going to Ee-ona tomorrow,' they said glancing at the sky.
Our skipper seemed to sniff the breeze and study the horizon for a while.
'Well at least the weather will be better,' he said. 'Dry with sunny intervals.'
They splashed back down the pontoon looking rather relieved and grateful.
Next day we were rather grateful for the windscreen wipers which fought to cope with the continuous deluge. Occasionally the skipper would rise from his bunk, peer into the gloom and say, 'Oh yes. Definitely. Going to clear soon.' Before returning below again.
By evening we were moored in Balvicar Bay while the gusts heeled the boat and the rain lashed the windows.
My eye caught the barometer on the bulkhead.
'That's funny,' I said. 'It's pointing to "Fair"'.
'Oh bollox,' said the skipper, and disappeared into his capacious toolbox, returning with an electrical screw-driver. He opened the barometer up, turned a small screw, and stepped back. The needle was pointing to "Rain". He made another small adjustment and it moved towards "Change".
'There, what do you think?' He said, looking rather pleased. 'That about right.....?'
'Well you can bring it if you like, but it's going to be mostly fine,' he said.
On the second day it started raining soon after midnight. By mid-morning it was difficult to see the shores of Loch Aline from where we were anchored due to air-borne moisture of every persuasion. Occasionally the skipper would poke his head out of one flap or another. 'It's definitely getting brighter. Oh yes, look at the sky over there.'
By 3 pm it was still lashing down, so we pressed on to Tobermory. That evening, between heavy showers, we were sipping G and Ts in the wheelhouse when a bedraggled young German couple walked past.
'Are you local?' they enquired.
'No, we're a couple of rich yachtsmen,' quoth the skipper, winking at the young fraulein.
'Oh. We're going to Ee-ona tomorrow,' they said glancing at the sky.
Our skipper seemed to sniff the breeze and study the horizon for a while.
'Well at least the weather will be better,' he said. 'Dry with sunny intervals.'
They splashed back down the pontoon looking rather relieved and grateful.
Next day we were rather grateful for the windscreen wipers which fought to cope with the continuous deluge. Occasionally the skipper would rise from his bunk, peer into the gloom and say, 'Oh yes. Definitely. Going to clear soon.' Before returning below again.
By evening we were moored in Balvicar Bay while the gusts heeled the boat and the rain lashed the windows.
My eye caught the barometer on the bulkhead.
'That's funny,' I said. 'It's pointing to "Fair"'.
'Oh bollox,' said the skipper, and disappeared into his capacious toolbox, returning with an electrical screw-driver. He opened the barometer up, turned a small screw, and stepped back. The needle was pointing to "Rain". He made another small adjustment and it moved towards "Change".
'There, what do you think?' He said, looking rather pleased. 'That about right.....?'
