Chentleman’s Cruise 2006 - 11:49 PM, May. 7, 2006 |
Another wonderful Chentleman’s Cruise and I managed to get Silkie ready on time this year though the forestay again appeared on the list of gremlins.
Thursday 27th April
Arrived at Dunstaffnage in the middle of the afternoon and had an hour or so dashing about doing various last minute jobs before Kenny arrived. We stowed his gear (a significant additional weight of liquid ballast went into the bilge) and I pondered the provisioning failure which saw us with enough lunches and snacks to last a fortnight.
We set sail soonest and had a beautiful reach round into Oban Bay. We dithered over various moorings at Corran Ledge before picking up one at the sailing club just in time to see Shard arrive and take one next to us.
Silkie in Oban Bay
After a quick meal we cadged a lift ashore with Donald and Charlotte and repaired to the Oban Inn for pre-cruise drinkies with all the other cruisers except Dave who had a late flight. Much merriment and 5 minutes passage planning saw us arranging to meet Claymore and Avilion off Insh Island at about 1100 on Friday with an eye to Colonsay or Iona as the destination for the night and a circumnavigation of Mull as the ultimate aim.
Getting back aboard was considerably more difficult than going ashore since the tide was a couple of metres lower and the convenient slip which we’d used earlier was now high and dry. A quick nightcap (or two) was enjoyed by Silkie’s crew.
Friday 28th April
I awoke for the 0520 forecast (N/NW 3/4) and though I went back to sleep for a while we still set off early to be in good time for our rendezvous. Winds were light and variable and to our great joy it seemed that Shard was unable to catch us. No sign of the others at the appointed time and since the wind was still light and blowing from Colonsay (SW) Shard and Silkie held port tack across the Firth of Lorne to await developments.
Radio contact with the rest of the fleet was soon established and we sailed for Iona. The breeze freshened and veered, putting Iona on the nose, and it wasn’t long before Silkie had the first reef in and Shard was powering ahead under full sail. The breeze continued to build and with it came a modest but short sea and we seemed to be toiling with the waves knocking us back below 3 knots. We took the second reef in and hove-to (by accident) while we considered our options.
I bottled it and after some soul-searching I radioed the Cruise Director on Claymore.
The view from Claymore's conservatory
This was greeted with the expected hoots of derision and the immediate and heart-warming suggestion of a change of course for the fleet. “Would Colonsay be good for you, wee Silkie?” It was, and we were off on a superb close reach with the waves of no consequence at their new angle.
Avilion shows her paces
With the benefit of hindsight it’s clear that I wasn’t sailing Silkie properly. We were pinching (a frequent fault of mine) and despite being told so (thanks Donald) I still couldn’t get it right. We were last into Scalasaig and rafted alongside Avilion on the wavescreen in the soft swell.
The cruisers in Scalasaig
Drinks aboard Shard and Avilion were followed by a run ashore to the Colonsay Hotel where a convivial evening was slightly marred by an unfortunate contretemps with an incomer to the island from Wigan.
A party developed aboard Silkie and several occupancy records were established. At one point there were so many sailors in the cockpit that they were paddling in an inch or so of seawater. It was very very late before the last guests were safely(ish) home.
Saturday 29th April
I awoke to the sound of Kenny starting the engine at 0800 (or so he says - I couldn’t tell you whether it was last week or Las Vegas.) I just had time to drag my clothes on before the tiller was thrust in my hand, though I really wasn’t fit to be in charge of an oary boat on a puddle, far less an ocean whippet like Silkie.
Not completely with it
Following an inspired passage plan from the Cruise Director we were off to catch the last half of the ebb south through the Sound of Islay.
Avilion and Claymore motored ahead (determined to have lunch at Craighouse) while Shard and Silkie were content to sail. Winds were light and a little motoring was undertaken to ensure that we arrived at the north end in time to get through before the tide turned. By the time we were into the sound proper there was just enough wind aft to keep the goose-winged sails full as the tide swept us along. The GPS recorded 9.3 knots OG at one point.
As we rounded the southern end of Jura the wind fell light again and Silkie and Shard danced in circles for a while before finding just enough wind to glide up to Craighouse.
Silkie in the Sound of Jura
This had been discussed as a possible destination for the night (the thought of a siesta was all that had kept me going) so we were somewhat dismayed to see Claymore and Avilion motoring out through the Small Isles as we arrived. “Seems a shame to waste a fair tide” was the verdict of the Cruise Director.
Avilion set off across the Sound of Jura since Dave is a skipper who knows how to get the most out of a tidal stream atlas (I really must get one) while Claymore toyed with her spinnaker (the joys of being fully crewed) and Shard bobbed about taking photographs. We had spotted boats to the north which seemed to be enjoying a good sailing breeze and motored up the sound to investigate.
I’ve not seen such a clear line on the water before. We were motoring north in a flat calm and a cable away a bigger boat coming towards us was enjoying F3/4. A minute later the positions were reversed and we were on the wind on port tack. Ten minutes later and it was time for a reef as the wind picked up. It wasn’t long before we were discussing a second reef but the wind freed off a couple of points and we went storming along with one reef and a couple of rolls in the genoa, opening up quite a lead on the fleet, admittedly because we‘d found the wind first.
Silkie was in her element and it was definitely the best sail of the weekend for me though I think Kenny preferred the crossing to Colonsay. Sadly the log is hugely under-reading and we only have the GPS which consistently showed high sixes to low eights though of course we were now carrying the flood north. Shard began to reel us in however and sealed the matter by bearing away. It wasn’t long before Donald came on the air with advice from Nick to do the same, which we duly followed.
Avilion was the next to go past as we approached Loch Craignish. The wind eased as we came into the more sheltered waters of the loch and magically all four boats entered Ardfern Marina within ten minutes, Claymore actually overtaking us at the entrance. A cracking sail after Friday’s debacle and at nearly 50 miles almost twice my previous longest day on Silkie mainly thanks to the CD’s plan which gave us a fair tide almost all the way.
More high jinks in the marina and at The Galley and another party aboard Silkie. It was Dave’s fault this time. There really can only be one answer to a man who invites himself aboard with a jumbo-sized bottle of Balvenie.
Sunday 30th April
A lie-in at last. The forecast for Monday was most discouraging and no-one wanted to be wending their way home (hungover) from Puilladobhrain if it was even half true. Claymore returned to Loch Melfort, Shard as far as possible towards Dallens Bay (making Dunstaffnage) while Avilion and Silkie sailed for Balvicar Bay.
As we left Ardfern we were hailed by one of Silkie’s previous owners who said nice things about how well she looked. Unfortunately I was too stupid to ask anything very sensible or even get their names. (Do get in touch should you happen to read this.)
We motor-sailed down Loch Craignish in a light headwind until we could get a slant to take us through the Dorus Mor. It was a pussycat on this occasion but the current was still impressive. We ran up Shuna Sound and as we passed Torsa, goose-winged, a very shiny Bavaria 42 appeared tacking down. It probably wasn’t necessary but they were on starboard (as were we strictly speaking, and to windward) so we gave a little curtsy to port just to let them know we were paying attention. As they passed in front of our bows her skipper called over “Lovely boat!” Sailing Silkie sometimes reminds me of driving my first car (a lhd 2CV in the days before they were officially imported) which had the extraordinary ability to make people smile wherever we went. Plenty of people have a soft spot for the Hurley 22 2.
I’d half a notion to attempt to sail onto Nick’s mooring but we couldn’t immediately spot it as we sailed into the bay so we did the sensible thing before eventually identifying it and that was the end of the sailing part of the cruise for us.
The next 24 hours were a logistical nightmare for Kathy “Retriever” Bowles as she ferried sailors firstly to the Tigh an Truish from the various locations they’d left their boats, then to shelter for the night and finally back to their cars or boats the following morning. A BIG thank-you.
An adequate description of the party itself is beyond my meagre literary skills; communal singing that compensated for mixed abilities with volume; solo singing of extraordinary emotional power; beautiful music, delightful recitation and side-splitting yarning. All in a night’s work for the Chentlemen Cruisers. I even enjoyed that part of John’s official closing speech that wickedly parodied our transmission on Friday in a plaintive girlie squeak “Claymore, Claymore, Claymore this is Silkie, Silkie, Silkie. We’re awfy wee and these waves are awfy big...”
Getting back aboard again was a trick. Jill had the only torch among the four of us! Dave's electric outboard is so quiet that it was hard to believe we were moving through the inky blackness and I blessed Silkie's solar-powered light for the umpteenth time.
It was a privilege and a joy and the best of all possible starts to the season again. Thanks to all the cruisers who helped make it so, especially the Cruise Director and of course to my long suffering crew Kenny.
Miles this trip 106 Miles this season 121 (s/h 15) |
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