Saturday 26 November 2011

2nd Oct back to the Mooring

Another quiet day little wind motored back in a calm day.. dead still as you can see when we got back to the mooring

Picture of  the boat looking south from the mooring

Pete taking the view in

1st Oct - Loch A Choire on to Loch Aline

Last outing of the season.  Went for a quick dash across Friday night from the mooring to Loch Choire with Pam (my Pam) and Pete. This is a morning shot of the hills around us.

Loch Choire


Had more of a motor in mist to Loch Aline. Stayed at the new pontoons, which were very nice, and hardly any one there. But a bit pricey considering all the facilities are still to come £25!   Walked into town,  where we had a drink at the Loch Aline Hotel  - passed it's best perhaps !   Should have gone to the working mens clubs that's where all the action seemed to be!

The evening sun set was brill however...

Tuesday 27 September 2011

28th August Oban Home








Wild winds 40knots got in shelter of Lismore and motored.  To wild for pictures that day so here is a little clip of the trip instead.

27th August Sunart to Oban



Brill Sail down Mull  to Oban

26th August - Moidart to Loch Sunart



Left Moidart for Coll and ended up going to Sunart - as the wind was on the nose the whole way to Coll (

25th August Tobermory to Loch Moidart




Woke to a wonderful morning  -  Headed out off Tobermory turned left towards Ardnamurcdan point, wind was mixed so bit of sailing and motoring towards loch Moidart.  The entrance entrance to Moidart was a challenge, having to wind our way through a channel in it what seemed like a expanse of water. But what a fantastic place.  Best anchorage by far on the west coast so far! Tucked in behind a forest covered island  next to another with a Castle on it.   Dave turned up within an hour of us and, anchored close by. We all went to visit the castle,  motoring over a mil pond,  Dave Neil and crew came over for drinks post dinner and just made it back!

24th August Night Sail to Tobermory

Motored up to Tobermory to get ahead. Wonderful evening as we motored in the sunset.   Got in about 10.30 in the Pitch Dark , which was interesting picking our way through the bouy's!



Sunday 31 July 2011

Oban - to boat house - 22nd July

Lovely lazy morning in the sun. Well not that lazy I spent the morning scrubbing the decks and Pam sorting below out.  Gordon and Mary were joining us at 11.00, to head off to the boat house.  We pulled along side to top up with water and make life easier.
Grania Along side at Oban

Before heading off once all were on board. Dodged the Mull Ferry on the way out,
Mull Ferry

and motored over to Lismore light house with the wind on our nose. Once around that and heading up Loch Linnhe we got  the sails up for a while and had a lunch .. just a small affair !!!!!.
Lunch just like we always have !!!

Before eventually we decided we were'nt making much headway , on came motor.  Shortly after wards it start to miss fire.. oh no  :-(  it never died but i decided that there was no way I was going in to Loch Chorie and the Boathouse and get stuck there!!  So back to mooring. Long story short did a full fuel filter change ( which was probably over due)  and she now runs sweet. Went along to port Appin (by Car) for a meal, and another sunset. 

M & G in full control

The Crew
Port Appin Sunset


Stalker Castle Just round the corner from the boat

Loch Melford to Oban via the Cuan sound 21st July

Lazy morning did not need to leave until 13.00 to catch the turn of the tide at the Cuan sound 3.5 miles away.  Went for a walk along the shore and enojoed the sun.  Was a bit worried starting the engine as the previous morning to took tow attempts to start, first time that had happened. But no worries she fired up first time. We pottered around to the Cuan Sound and went through ob the last of the ebb. Much better that being shoved through at  7 knots.

Out the other side Sun was still out bu the wind had gone Arrrg!  Motor sailed to Oban where we took a sailing club mooring as the Marine looked jam packed. Lazy evening reading and watching a glorious sunset.

Tayvallich to Loch Melford 20th July

A late start had us heading off into a Mist. Back the way came but turning right towards Loch Melford. It was a horrible motor up no wind and misty rain We eventually grabbed a visitor mooring out side the Loch Melford Hotel and the sun came out true Scottish day .  We had a meal up at their Bistro, where there are some fantastic views.  This was followed by a late fishing session as the tide was in ... 3 mackerel (one got away).


Two of the fish
Pam in the late evening sun with the Hotel behind

Saturday 30 July 2011

Oban to Tayvallich - 19th July

Route Oban to Tayvallich


8 o'clock start, in order to catch the turn of the tide at down at the sound of Luing. Got there  just as it turned.  We shot down doing 12.6 knots over the ground with just the Genoa up . ( see pic of GPS).

We then and a lovely lazy sail and motor at times down to Tayvallich.  We were fortunate to grab one of last visitor mooring bouys as i didn't fancy anchoring there as it's a very busy little place.  We'd been there year back when we hired a cottage so this was the first time back, so we went ashore and for coffee and a shower in the cafe before a stroll about, which included booking a table at he restaurant for later that night .




Mooring to Oban - 18th July

A late start to the weeks sailing due to the forecasted weather...which never came!! Got to the mooring late Monday afternoon to be met by glorious sun and very little wind.  Motor sailed down to Oban.  Entering Oban bay an odd site met us a big fishing boat in the middle and a RNLI boat.  I've been into Oban many times, but for some reason i got it in to my head  there were only 2 cardinal ( in fact there is 3) as that is all i could see!! The idea being buoys  2, 3 you can pass between as it is a shallow patch and a rock near the 3rd buoy.  Any way i head to wards what i though was the 2nd of 2! to leave it to my port.  Mean while i was getting distracted by the RNLI boat and the stationary fishing boat.  As i got to the buoy i suddenly realised it was a northern buoy which I should be leaving to be starboard side!  I suddenly remembered there was  3 buoys  but the fishing boat , which i now realised was aground (which was why it wasn't moving ) was block my view of the 3rd. Any way it was nearly high tide and i had 6 meters of water under me so i carried on over. But collected a friendly slapped wrist from the lifeboat for my efforts.

Friday 3 June 2011

June 3rd - The local neighbour hood & Engine concerns

 
Walk about

Chilling at the Boathouse


Grania

Escaped early on the Friday once Owen was done with Driving lesson. Got up to boat about 5.30pm, still lovely and sunny.  Had some engine concerns as exhaust alarm went off!  Checked EVERY thing all seemed ok so fired her up again and monitored all, but temperature was fine, so disconnected the alarm!   Northerly winds were foretasted so decided to nip down to Appin which gives better protection than the mooring.  Went to the pub, and was let off the mooring charge!  Next morning a Northerly F6 was blowing with a few wavelets!   With that and the concern on the engine, decide to stay put, then eventually decided to nip over to Loch Corrie, where the sun came out. Went for a walk and finished off at the boathouse restaurant balcony in the sun, with drinks ( and eventually got sun burnt) .  Met up with a Dutch couple who were cruising the west coast Scotland.   He popped over later that night for drinks – turned out he was a civil engineer, he took Owens details as he had a friend looking for folk – lets see what happens?  Leisurely start next day got back to mooring after lunch so we could get back to sooner to sort front room out.

The Big view !

Sunday 1 May 2011

30th April Shake down sail.



Got to the boat on the 28th April and spent half a day fitting my new present to the boat..... a solar panel .. brill.. then we nipped over to loch corrie to the boat house restaurant  for a very nice meal. Lazy next morning then headed down the west side of Lismore towards Puilladobhrain ( pool of the otter) none of those were to be seen. Sail was brill if not a bit windy 36knots was hit. Pam not to happy!!. Puilladobhrain was fantastic beautiful afternoon of sun shine, walked over the hill to Clachan pub ( bridge over the Atlantic!) .. had a pint,, then back for a curry on boat ! As it was a shake down cruise front toilet needed a service ! .. then another speedy sail around kerrea to oban, in another sunny windy day. Lazy pm in Oban, shower playing up so another hour sorting that out.. good thing Owen was along, to get to those places I couldn't. Headed into town got some mussels. To cook on the boat..another sunny lazy day....

Sunday 17 April 2011

2011 Season Kicks off. 8th April

Another seasons starts with a great weekend. Dave (mate) lent me his spare van, which meant I was able to load ALL up for the boat and Gordon and Pete my generous crew, volunteered for another weekend of scrubbing painting, and abuse from me ( if they are to be believed :-) ) Considering I'd not been to the boat for months, our first day was brill all the big jobs done, including rigging boat sails etc.. Next day sun still out and we started on my 'list' ..sea cock lubrication ..exciting or what .. several hours later after cutting the boat up to reach a 'bugger' of a seacock that sheered off and had to be replaced and my arms being so bruised from working in a 10inch square hole that i'd looked like I had been abused! We rewarded ourselves with a Guinness at the wide-mouth frog pub. Next day we launched to be met with 36knots of wind and rain...Scotland for you !! And my boat now sits on mooring ready to go! Cheers G & P