Fairwinds Takes Her Departure - 1:00 AM, Aug. 23, 2006

Sunday 30^th July - Tuesday 1^st August

Several short day sails were spent adjusting my new DIY stand-up genoa sheet blocks

On one, I’d planned to circumnavigate Shuna but chickened out when I realised that one of the legs would involve short-tacking into F5.

A first was achieved when I managed to complete another sail without using the engine at all though I'd warmed it up both before leaving and before returning, just in case.

Wednesday 2^nd August

Happy Birthday to me.

Nick and Kathy had had the use of a friend’s private pontoon in Clachan Sound (while I was on their mooring!) to complete Fairwinds’ provisioning and Nick hailed me on 16 to say that they were ready to cast off.

I'd planned to sail with them for a bit but conditions were just too good for them. A beautiful hour running downwind in F4 would probably have required 4 hours tacking back into F4/5 and a knot of foul tide. So I bobbed around outside Balvicar Bay instead and took pictures as they cruised serenely past with just the new genoa up.

Sensibly, having gone to Craobh for diesel they decided that that was quite far enough for their first leg and that a moment to attempt to relax, recuperate and assimilate was the seamanlike course of action. The longest journey begins with a single step.

Bon Voyage.

Miles this trip 23

Miles this season 258 (s/h 72)

The Cruise That Wasn't - Part I - 9:32 AM, Aug. 14, 2006

This was to have been the start of Silkie’s summer cruise but various problems meant that I would have to make do with three shorter periods afloat rather than a full fortnight.

Saturday 22^nd July

Arrived in the middle of the afternoon and set off immediately to catch the end of the flood through Cuan. This was my first time as skipper (solo too) and I was a trifle trepid.

For any readers not familiar with the area this is one of several industrial-strength tidal gates to be found within a ten mile radius. Spring rate in both directions is 7 knots; the 110 degree bend in the middle is adorned by the famous Cleit Rock and it’s deadlier but unnamed brethren less than a cable to the north which lurk just under the surface; the west reach is about a cable wide and winds are fluky; eddies and overfalls abound in the wrong conditions. Of course if you’re sensible (read feart) none of this need be a problem.

Frank Cowper’s description is a belter. "I have never had such an awful piece of steering. The helm was always in movement, sometimes very slightly, and the vessel's head would remain in mid-channel. Then there would come a more violent rush, or the surging eddies would catch her stem, and away the old craft would sheer direct for the lurking mischief on the right, or the open destruction on the left."

Tide tables and pilots were checked to within an inch of their lives and the passage was untroubled.

I’d had plans to head south for Loch Tarbert, Jura but the forecast F4 was conspicuous by it’s absence and I drifted north to Puilladobhrain instead, going south of Easdale.

Enjoyed a little VHF confusion on the way. After speaking Fairwinds on 77 (Nick hailed first on 16) another vessel hailed Silkie, as I thought, on 77 and a dialogue developed about anchoring at Puilladobhrain. Turned out it was Selkie and her pals who were also bound there.

I had to set the anchor twice. Despite the gentle conditions earlier a bit of a puff came through and the bow began to blow off before I had reached the intended spot the first time around. I allowed myself to think “Ach, it’ll be alright” (at my age you’d think I’d know that this is never the case) and heaved the anchor over. Sure enough Silkie ended up about 10’ in front of another boat whose crew were ashore fortunately and so I was able to repeat the process without the benefit of any glowering.

Met Nick and Kathy for dinner in the T’n’T.

Sunday 23^rd July

A late start since Cuan wouldn’t open before 1700ish. Tacked down to Easdale in a decent southerly breeze but fired up the engine to go through the Sound and managed to pass 30m south of the correct beacon this time (see Learning Curve) Continued motor-sailing through Cuan but silenced the beast to ghost back up to Balvicar.

Miles this trip 27

Miles this season 235 (s/h 49)

Barnacle Power - 8:55 PM, Aug. 11, 2006

Saturday 8^th July

Went up to the boat in the early afternoon. There was a fresh breeze blowing directly into the bay so I fired up the engine and cast off. Opened the throttle and.. nothing.. not half a knot. There was just enough power to bring her head through the wind and pick up the mooring again.

A quick glance into the well told all and I pulled the engine up into the cockpit. The Venerable Yamaha had been attempting to produce forward motion with a ball of barnacles in place of a propeller and a couple of hours were required to return the bottom half of the outboard to more efficient proportions. The hull’s a bit hairy too. Either the water’s richer in Balvicar or my “I’ll take the cheapest please” anti-foul isn’t up to the job.

Sunday 9^th July

Sailed off the mooring at lunchtime (no wind earlier) and started short-tacking down the Sounds of Seil and Shuna. I was strangely out of sorts however and not enjoying the sail so I turned round and returned to the mooring after a couple of hours. A crisis of confidence perhaps.

Miles this trip 7

Miles this season 208 (s/h 22)