Anna and Neil - entering the Kyles of Bute
Anna and Neil - leaving Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran
Minnie B on her Strangford Mooring
With Bertie, Greg & Carol on Strangford Lough
1 Some remedial hull finishing – early May 2006
When we got back to Northern Ireland we found that some minor remedial work was required to part of the hull finish, which involved a lift out at Carrickfergus in early May. The boatyard is run by Carrick Marine Projects (CMP), and the boss, Rory, and his team were fantastic. They were very considerate in handling Minnie B (it helps that Rory and other people at CMP are sailors themselves and appreciate the care that needs to be taken with boats) and specially bought in new wooden supports on which to set her with her keel up. Alubat sent over two Jeans – very nice guys who had not been in the UK before. We put them up and gave them a bit of a tour around Belfast and North Down as well. Since they spoke no English, it was a good opportunity to practice our French and they completed the work swiftly and efficiently in one day. The temperatures were below 10 degrees so it was a bit of a shock to them, having come from the warmth of Les Sables d’Olonne but CMP helped out with winter-weight overalls.
A minor leak in the forward head hatch was also fixed.
We were grateful to both North Sea Maritime and to Alubat for their excellent after-sales service.
2 To Scotland for some heat
On Saturday 27th May, we took Minnie B over to Largs for some heat – well, to have the Eberspacher heating fitted. We had been advised to get this retro-fitted as French boatbuilders are geared up for warmer weather and don’t really understand or have much experience with heating systems.
This was also an opportunity for Gale Force Greg and our friend Nigel to sail on Minnie B. We left Carrickfergus at 1000 and motored out of Belfast Lough the wind kicked in about 1230 with a SW F3-4, so a broad reach it was and a cracking sail too.
Around 1800 the wind started to build, veering northwest. We reefed the genoa and the main and by 1900 off Pladda at the south-east end of the Isle of Arran the wind was 32-35 knots and the full reefed genoa was struggling – it was time for the staysail. So, with Greg on the helm Phil went forward into the washing machine of a foredeck to rig the inner forestay, retrieve the staysail from the foredeck locker and hank it on. The running backstays had to be set up too. This was the first time the staysail had been used in the conditions it was designed for. With two reefs in the main, Minnie B settled into a very comfortable motion and romped along. We heard later that this same wind had done quite a bit of damage to the fleet at the Scottish Series racing in Tarbert, Loch Fyne.
By 1930 the wind had eased to F5 and we were tied up in Largs Marina by 2050.
Once again, Minnie B had proved to be the boat we wanted and had taken care of us.
We returned to Northern Ireland on the Troon-Larne ferry the following day.
3. Scotland in miniature
On Friday 2nd June Norma and Phil took the Larne-Troon ferry back to Scotland, and had Phil had a close encounter with some knuckle-dragging oiks who were most put out when asked to moderate their language in the presence of ladies and children. There was a serious threat of fisticuffs developing when the coach deposited passengers at the terminal in Troon, but the proximity of our pre-arranged taxi meant we had a quick escape. Yes, sorry to say and in no way doing any national stereo-typing, but they were Scottish.
The taxi driver taking us to Largs was also a bit scary since he had just been watching a pirate DVD of “The Da Vinci Code” and was convinced that there were direct descendants of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene alive to-day and that “the secrets of the Holy Grail” were true. Well, some people just want to believe there are conspiracies everywhere … maybe there are but we just don’t know about them.
The work on Minnie B had been carried out by DDZ Marine, who did an excellent job – very neat and tidy, especially as they had not fitted an Eberspacher to an aluminium boat before.
We also had fitted two inverters – a 200 watt pure sine wave for the laptop and a 2000 watt modified sine wave for power tools etc – OK, the “etc” really means the hairdryer for Norma, Anna and Julia. Again, a lovely job by DDZ, who also sorted out the problem with the radar which Simrad France was convinced was a software problem – it wasn’t. Two wires in the radome were connected the wrong way round. Doh!
When we got back to Northern Ireland we found that some minor remedial work was required to part of the hull finish, which involved a lift out at Carrickfergus in early May. The boatyard is run by Carrick Marine Projects (CMP), and the boss, Rory, and his team were fantastic. They were very considerate in handling Minnie B (it helps that Rory and other people at CMP are sailors themselves and appreciate the care that needs to be taken with boats) and specially bought in new wooden supports on which to set her with her keel up. Alubat sent over two Jeans – very nice guys who had not been in the UK before. We put them up and gave them a bit of a tour around Belfast and North Down as well. Since they spoke no English, it was a good opportunity to practice our French and they completed the work swiftly and efficiently in one day. The temperatures were below 10 degrees so it was a bit of a shock to them, having come from the warmth of Les Sables d’Olonne but CMP helped out with winter-weight overalls.
A minor leak in the forward head hatch was also fixed.
We were grateful to both North Sea Maritime and to Alubat for their excellent after-sales service.
2 To Scotland for some heat
On Saturday 27th May, we took Minnie B over to Largs for some heat – well, to have the Eberspacher heating fitted. We had been advised to get this retro-fitted as French boatbuilders are geared up for warmer weather and don’t really understand or have much experience with heating systems.
This was also an opportunity for Gale Force Greg and our friend Nigel to sail on Minnie B. We left Carrickfergus at 1000 and motored out of Belfast Lough the wind kicked in about 1230 with a SW F3-4, so a broad reach it was and a cracking sail too.
Around 1800 the wind started to build, veering northwest. We reefed the genoa and the main and by 1900 off Pladda at the south-east end of the Isle of Arran the wind was 32-35 knots and the full reefed genoa was struggling – it was time for the staysail. So, with Greg on the helm Phil went forward into the washing machine of a foredeck to rig the inner forestay, retrieve the staysail from the foredeck locker and hank it on. The running backstays had to be set up too. This was the first time the staysail had been used in the conditions it was designed for. With two reefs in the main, Minnie B settled into a very comfortable motion and romped along. We heard later that this same wind had done quite a bit of damage to the fleet at the Scottish Series racing in Tarbert, Loch Fyne.
By 1930 the wind had eased to F5 and we were tied up in Largs Marina by 2050.
Once again, Minnie B had proved to be the boat we wanted and had taken care of us.
We returned to Northern Ireland on the Troon-Larne ferry the following day.
3. Scotland in miniature
On Friday 2nd June Norma and Phil took the Larne-Troon ferry back to Scotland, and had Phil had a close encounter with some knuckle-dragging oiks who were most put out when asked to moderate their language in the presence of ladies and children. There was a serious threat of fisticuffs developing when the coach deposited passengers at the terminal in Troon, but the proximity of our pre-arranged taxi meant we had a quick escape. Yes, sorry to say and in no way doing any national stereo-typing, but they were Scottish.
The taxi driver taking us to Largs was also a bit scary since he had just been watching a pirate DVD of “The Da Vinci Code” and was convinced that there were direct descendants of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene alive to-day and that “the secrets of the Holy Grail” were true. Well, some people just want to believe there are conspiracies everywhere … maybe there are but we just don’t know about them.
The work on Minnie B had been carried out by DDZ Marine, who did an excellent job – very neat and tidy, especially as they had not fitted an Eberspacher to an aluminium boat before.
We also had fitted two inverters – a 200 watt pure sine wave for the laptop and a 2000 watt modified sine wave for power tools etc – OK, the “etc” really means the hairdryer for Norma, Anna and Julia. Again, a lovely job by DDZ, who also sorted out the problem with the radar which Simrad France was convinced was a software problem – it wasn’t. Two wires in the radome were connected the wrong way round. Doh!
On the way to Lamlash Bay the wind was light and we only had a couple of hours sailing, but this did give us the opportunity to mark the mainsail for the chafing areas at the various reef points so that we could get sacrificial chafe protectors applied – Anna went up the mast and Neil and Norma lowered the sail for her to mark the sail. Excellent job again.
Lamlash Bay was quite busy with lost of visiting yachts as well as many on summer moorings. However, Minnie B’s design proved of benefit as we were able to anchor close into the north-west shore of Holy Island. With the keel up we were well inside the other boats moored there, apart from a Leisure 23.
The island looked fascinating as it is now owned by the Samyé Ling Buddhist Community who belong to a school of Tibetan Buddhism. The settlements on the island include the Centre for World Peace and Health, on the north of the island. This is an environmentally designed residential centre for courses and retreats. It has solar water heating and a reed-bed sewage treatment system. The approach from the ferry jetty is decorated with Tibetan flags and stupas (mound-like structures containing Buddhist relics), which was very colourful and an unexpectedly lovely sight.
4. Loss of a good friend and pottering
We returned to the sad news that one of our sailing mentors, John Moore was seriously ill. John used to run Ulster Cruising School where we both developed our sailing skills, both on shore-based and practical courses. With John the craic was always mighty and he had a fund of untoppable stories from his varied sailing experiences in fishing boats, round the world trips and Ocean Youth boats. Sadly that week he passed away. John had visited Minnie B in May when we were in Bangor marina and it was good to know that our mentor had seen the fruits of the guidance, teaching and advice he had provided over the years. He is missed.
Minnie B was to be taken to her permanent, swinging mooring in Ringhaddy Harbour,Strangford Lough, so on Sunday 11th June friends Brian, Gilli and Sally joined us for the six hours trip. The skies were blue, the sun shone, and there was no wind – we motored for all but 30 mins.
The entrance to Strangford Lough was accompanied by Van Morrison singing (well speaking, actually) “Coney Island” as it describes a road trip in the very area.
This was our first attempt to pick up our mooring at Ringhaddy – success on the third attempt seemed not to be too embarrassing and there weren’t too many people enjoying that favourite sailor’s pastime: watching other people screw up. As the sun was shining we had to toast our successful arrival – it got a bit Russian, with lots of toasts, but fortunately we gave the vodka shots a miss.
The rest of June and most of July were spent getting to know Minnie B and exploring Strangford Lough on day sails. The new cruising chute was tried out with friends Greg and Carol and Nigel and Bertie – didn’t get the lead for the lazy sheet right first time and gybing was very difficult, but later sorted. Confidence was growing, as was our satisfaction with the choice of boat.
In late July, we returned to Bangor Marina on what started as a windless day so that we could prepare for the start of our short summer cruise. Daughters Anna and Julia joined us on 22nd July for the sail which was in bright weather – we carried the cruising chute (it is such a bright pink) through Donaghadee Sound but just after turning west at South Briggs buoy the wind increased to over 15kt and backed. The chute became a handful. Running downwind we blanketed it behind the mainsail and pulled the snuffer down sharpish. It worked well and everything was quickly under control. The wind then died as we turned across Ballyholme Bay and we were quickly tied up and cleared up in the marina.
5. Summer Cruise
We decided we wanted to undertake our summer cruise just the two of us, so we could get to know Minnie B even better. Our passage plan was simple – head north. This meant either to Islay or to Cambeltown and the determining factor would be the weather.
To Glenarm 30th July
We left Bangor marina at 1130 with the intention of a short sail to Glenarm. The barometer was at 1007 and the forecast was for south-east or southerly winds F3-4. Hm it was more like SSE F2, so we motored north and about two hours later the forecast wind arrived, so we sailed and by 1500 the wind had increased to S F5. By 1540 we were just off Glenarm when one of the blackest clouds appeared. The wind veered NW F4 but then we were hit by a squall and a sudden increase to F6. Fortunately, we had taken the precaution of reefing so Minnie B behaved well. The squall passed quickly and we were able to enter Glenarm in light winds and some bright sunshine.
We were delighted by our visit. The marina staff were welcoming and friendly. Glenarm, southernmost of the nine glens, is among the most under populated of the glens and is home to the Glenarm Castle Estate that spans the glen. Claiming to be the oldest town in Ireland after being granted a charter in the 12th century, Glenarm is a tiny village with narrow little thoroughfares. It has a couple of OK pubs, but don’t expect a thriving nightlife – fortunately we were not in search of one. The Castle grounds offer great walks though and the coastal scenery is stunning.
The Inshore weather forecast was predicting S/SW F4-5 increasing F5-7 for Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre, with the next 24 hours S/SW F-5-7 and veering NW F5-6. The Area forecast was for gales in Rockall and Malin. So, discretion being the better part of valour it looked like Islay would have to wait.
The Inshore weather forecast was predicting S/SW F4-5 increasing F5-7 for Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre, with the next 24 hours S/SW F-5-7 and veering NW F5-6. The Area forecast was for gales in Rockall and Malin. So, discretion being the better part of valour it looked like Islay would have to wait.
To Cambeltown 31st July
The Forecast was spot on so we left Glenarm at 1120 after a leisurely start to the day in 20-25kts and had a cracking sail across the North Channel. By mid-afternoon we were in the lee of the Kintyre peninsula and our final run up to Davaar Island and Cambeltown Lough was under motor.
We had been to Campbeltown on many occasions and knew what to expect. There is one pontoon and rafting up is commonplace. We were outside two boats, including ‘Schiehallion’ a Moody 38 and we got to know David and Margaret over drinks. The forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday was poor so it looked like we were staying put.
Campbeltown 1st and 2nd August
So what of the fleshpots of Campbeltown? Where would we be able to take a walk on the wild side? Not many people know this but the public loos in Campbeltown have won awards – for the best kept public loos in … er …Argyll.
Campbeltown 1st and 2nd August
So what of the fleshpots of Campbeltown? Where would we be able to take a walk on the wild side? Not many people know this but the public loos in Campbeltown have won awards – for the best kept public loos in … er …Argyll.
Well, apart from the Ardshiel Hotel, eating out is unremarkable. The Ardshiel, though has one of the best whisky menus that we have seen - The Usquebaugh Bar has a superb choice of over 200 malt whiskys including a fine selection of Springbank, Cadenhead, and Islay Malts. No, there wasn’t enough time to try them all, but we did visit the Cadenhead Whisky Shop in town. This was one of those “Oh Shit, what the hell” moments when Norma’s favourite 14-years old Ben Nevis Malt was twice the expected price, but then it turned out to be over 54% proof. Cadenheads are quite interesting as they are independent bottlers so you will see well-known Highland and Islay Malts named but bottled under their brand and many of them at much higher proofs. So they have to be treated with the utmost respect.
With a strengthening wind blowing on to our side of the pontoon, the inner of the three boats was in danger of popping fenders. A space had been made behind us by the departure of a converted fishing boat crewed by some hardy souls from East Europe (we were impressed, but less so when they returned an hour later, to moor against the harbour wall). So, we rigged a bow spring and under the watchful eyes of the ‘Schiehallion’ crew we sprang off and then went into the vacated space. Relief all round. On the opposite side of the pontoon was a steel ketch of some 40 feet.
With a strengthening wind blowing on to our side of the pontoon, the inner of the three boats was in danger of popping fenders. A space had been made behind us by the departure of a converted fishing boat crewed by some hardy souls from East Europe (we were impressed, but less so when they returned an hour later, to moor against the harbour wall). So, we rigged a bow spring and under the watchful eyes of the ‘Schiehallion’ crew we sprang off and then went into the vacated space. Relief all round. On the opposite side of the pontoon was a steel ketch of some 40 feet.
We had to explain the problems of putting an aluminium boat between two steel boats when the Harbourmaster suggested that an arriving steel boat should come alongside us. It didn’t make any sense anyway, since it would have been to weather, when tying up outside the steel boat across from us would have had them to lee. Doh!
So to that walk on the wild side. We did two. First on Tuesday 1st August; to the east of Campbeltown, at the entrance to Campbeltown Loch, is Davaar Island which is connected to the mainland by a causeway, known as the Doirlinn. Every day there is a chance to walk over to the island and return within the space of 6 hours – 3 hours either side of low tide. The best route is to follow the rocks on the Campbeltown Lough side of the causeway as the sand can be soft.
There is a famous – well, it’s famous in Campbeltown – cave on the south side of the island with a painting of Jesus Christ on the cross. It was painted in 1887 by local teacher Archibald MacKinnon We climbed to the top of the island for the views up and down Kilbrannan Sound and to the Isle of Arran. It was very windy but the views were stunning.
Our second walk was on Wednesday 2nd August in the direction of Beinn Ghuilean – the local mountain. We didn’t make it to the top as the paths didn’t seem to allow without an off-piste scramble through a variety of undergrowth and large ferns. We did a circuit, getting good views to Macrahanish and west to the Isle of Jura, and went to the pub. It had a great atmosphere and doubled as a bookies since other drinkers were placing bets through the barman. None of the locals seemed to have been anywhere near the summit of Beinn Ghuilean so our street cred was high, even if the Beinn was not - at 190 metres.
To Tarbert 3rd August
The forecast was good – NE F4. We motored out of Campbeltown Lough at 1005, hoisted full sail at 1025 and had a superb sail to Tarbert.
There is a famous – well, it’s famous in Campbeltown – cave on the south side of the island with a painting of Jesus Christ on the cross. It was painted in 1887 by local teacher Archibald MacKinnon We climbed to the top of the island for the views up and down Kilbrannan Sound and to the Isle of Arran. It was very windy but the views were stunning.
Our second walk was on Wednesday 2nd August in the direction of Beinn Ghuilean – the local mountain. We didn’t make it to the top as the paths didn’t seem to allow without an off-piste scramble through a variety of undergrowth and large ferns. We did a circuit, getting good views to Macrahanish and west to the Isle of Jura, and went to the pub. It had a great atmosphere and doubled as a bookies since other drinkers were placing bets through the barman. None of the locals seemed to have been anywhere near the summit of Beinn Ghuilean so our street cred was high, even if the Beinn was not - at 190 metres.
To Tarbert 3rd August
The forecast was good – NE F4. We motored out of Campbeltown Lough at 1005, hoisted full sail at 1025 and had a superb sail to Tarbert.
We had to put in a few tacks but it was one of our best sails to date, in glorious sunshine if not a lot of heat.
‘Schiehallion’ left just before us and we caught up with her off Lochranza. She had a reef in the main and looked magnificent so we closed and took photographs. David and Margaret reciprocated and we have some great shots of Minnie B under sail in the Kilbrannan Sound. Then, the race was on. You just have to don’t you. We trimmed and tweaked and pulled away – once a racer, always a racer.
We arrived in Tarbert just after 1700. We had drinks in the Victoria – one of Phil’s favourite pubs from taking our previous boat ‘Sirius’ a Sigma 33 to the Scottish Series racing for several years – and ate in the Corner House Bistro. The food was good (franglais) and the ambience convivial. A nightcap in the Victoria again and the end to a perfect day.
Tarbert 4th August
When we awoke we were not to know what momentous events were about to befall us. Lives would be changed for ever and a small fortune would have to be spent. But before this, we went for a walk … in the drizzle … to Stonefield Castle.
Phil had been there on three or four occasions to eat and wanted to show Norma. Built in 1837, the Castle is just north of Tarbert and commands quite spectacular panoramic views over Loch Fyne. We had a pint and a walk round the grounds – it’s lush with masses of shrubbery rather than being manicured and precise. The food was good too the last time Phil was there – in 2001.
We arrived in Tarbert just after 1700. We had drinks in the Victoria – one of Phil’s favourite pubs from taking our previous boat ‘Sirius’ a Sigma 33 to the Scottish Series racing for several years – and ate in the Corner House Bistro. The food was good (franglais) and the ambience convivial. A nightcap in the Victoria again and the end to a perfect day.
Tarbert 4th August
When we awoke we were not to know what momentous events were about to befall us. Lives would be changed for ever and a small fortune would have to be spent. But before this, we went for a walk … in the drizzle … to Stonefield Castle.
Phil had been there on three or four occasions to eat and wanted to show Norma. Built in 1837, the Castle is just north of Tarbert and commands quite spectacular panoramic views over Loch Fyne. We had a pint and a walk round the grounds – it’s lush with masses of shrubbery rather than being manicured and precise. The food was good too the last time Phil was there – in 2001.
The walk to and from Stonefield Castle is not exactly low stress, as it is along the main road from Inverary and some quite large goods vehicle fly by as well as hurrying cars and vans. There is no footpath and safety dictates occasionally jumping into ditches or climbing the banks at the roadside. Nevertheless, it was a pleasant afternoon and we enjoyed the exercise. We needed to call at the Victoria when we got back to Tarbert, though – well, some-one has to.
Dinner was booked for the West Loch Hotel – it is located just across the isthmus between Tarbert, Loch Fyne and West Loch Tarbert and has excellent views down the West Loch.
Phil has enjoyed many a dinner there and again, wanted to share the experience. So, we took a taxi – much too far to walk and the new owners hadn’t been able to keep the free pick-up service running – and the gin ’n’ tonics were poured when Phil’s mobile phone went. It was Neil, boyfriend of daughter Anna. Neil doesn’t phone. Another “Oh, shit, what’s happened?” moment. Then he started into small talk about our cruise. Neil doesn’t do small talk. So this must be seriously bad and he doesn’t want to tell us. Then “Actually, I’ve phoned to ask if I can marry you daughter”. So Phil says “Which one?” He rephrases it: “I would like to ask for Anna’s hand”. Phil quips “That’s fine by me as long as you take the hand that spends a lot of time in my wallet”. Actually I made that bit of the conversation up. What really happened was he asked away and I said I wasn’t sure and in the end put him out of his misery and said we would be delighted – he’s a good guy.
We enjoyed our meal and counted the cost to come. Lives would never be the same and a small fortune would be needed.
We enjoyed our meal and counted the cost to come. Lives would never be the same and a small fortune would be needed.
Back to the Victoria for a celebratory nightcap.
To Largs 5th August
The forecast was for SE F2-4. We left Tarbert at 1045 and motored towards the Kyles of Bute – more F2 than F4. After an hour the wind picked up and we sailed, turning up the West Kyle. This only lasted a couple of hours, but as we started to drift it was an opportunity to try out the fishing gear. After just a few minutes we caught our first mackerel. This was good, but whacking it over the head with a winch handle resulted in blood and fish head all over the cockpit sole. When we caught another two, placing them in a plastic bag before dispatching them did the trick. The wind never returned and we motored to Largs.
The forecast was for SE F2-4. We left Tarbert at 1045 and motored towards the Kyles of Bute – more F2 than F4. After an hour the wind picked up and we sailed, turning up the West Kyle. This only lasted a couple of hours, but as we started to drift it was an opportunity to try out the fishing gear. After just a few minutes we caught our first mackerel. This was good, but whacking it over the head with a winch handle resulted in blood and fish head all over the cockpit sole. When we caught another two, placing them in a plastic bag before dispatching them did the trick. The wind never returned and we motored to Largs.
Anna and Neil drove down from Glasgow and joined us for dinner, but not a word was said about the pending engagement – it was all a bit weird as we all knew that we knew. Hm. They took the mackerel home for breakfast.
Largs 6th August
We explored the town of Largs and chilled – well, there was no choice as it was only about 12 degrees. It doesn’t take long to do everything there is to do in Largs. Still, it’s quite nice in a “days of former glory” kind of way.
To Bangor 7th August
We left Largs at 0915 with wind NW F3/4. We made about 6 knots but in the middle of the day the wind eased and our speed dropped. We arrived back in Bangor at 2030, happy with Minnie B and with a pending engagement for Anna and Neil.
We left Largs at 0915 with wind NW F3/4. We made about 6 knots but in the middle of the day the wind eased and our speed dropped. We arrived back in Bangor at 2030, happy with Minnie B and with a pending engagement for Anna and Neil.
6. More Pottering
On Sunday 13thAugust we took Minnie B back to her mooring in Strangford Lough - a decent sail pretty much all the way. This stretch of coast is becoming very familiar.
On Sunday 13thAugust we took Minnie B back to her mooring in Strangford Lough - a decent sail pretty much all the way. This stretch of coast is becoming very familiar.
Through August and September we had lots of day sails and overnights on Minnie B. Just so relaxing and Strangford Lough is very peaceful.
On the weekend of 28th and 29th October we had an end of season sail with Greg and Carol, and Nigel and Bertie. Destination Ardglass – the exit from Strangford was a bit bumpy and there was some mal de mer among the novices. A trip to the ‘Commercial Arms’ pub in Ardglass soon put that right. Sunday was sunny and windless, so a lingering breakfast and the Sunday newspapers seemed appropriate.
Anna and her boyfriend Neil were medical students in Glasgow, so they came down to Largs to join us on the return trip to Northern Ireland.
On Saturday 3rd June we headed north through the Kyles of Bute.
This is a very pretty and Phil has fond memories as it was one of the first places he sailed to when doing the Competent Crew course back in 1988. The passage through the narrows separating Eilean Buidhe from Eilean Mòr and Eilean Fraoich is always exciting for novices and challenging for anyone in a blow – hm, not sure “challenging” is the right word since in current politico-speak it usually means “a problem that cannot be solved”.
Our destination was Lamlash Bay on the Isle of Arran for an overnight. Arran is known as “Scotland in miniature”, since (according to Wikipedia) it is divided into "Highland" and "Lowland" areas by the Highland Boundary Fault which runs northeast to southwest across Scotland. I hadn’t realised this geological feature was the reason for the sobriquet and always thought it was simply a scaled down Scotland – great to learn.
On Saturday 3rd June we headed north through the Kyles of Bute.
This is a very pretty and Phil has fond memories as it was one of the first places he sailed to when doing the Competent Crew course back in 1988. The passage through the narrows separating Eilean Buidhe from Eilean Mòr and Eilean Fraoich is always exciting for novices and challenging for anyone in a blow – hm, not sure “challenging” is the right word since in current politico-speak it usually means “a problem that cannot be solved”.
Our destination was Lamlash Bay on the Isle of Arran for an overnight. Arran is known as “Scotland in miniature”, since (according to Wikipedia) it is divided into "Highland" and "Lowland" areas by the Highland Boundary Fault which runs northeast to southwest across Scotland. I hadn’t realised this geological feature was the reason for the sobriquet and always thought it was simply a scaled down Scotland – great to learn.
We returned to Bangor marina in Northern Ireland on Sunday 4th June, in very light airs, so the engine was on then off for a while then on again. We were presented with another opportunity to try out the newly-fixed radar as we encountered fog in the North Channel – we were able to pick up the ferries crossing from Loch Ryan to Larne and Belfast as well as other shipping on the north-south route. This provided much improved security and safety but complacency was not the order of the day and the full fog routine was put in place – lifejackets, harnesses ready to be clipped on, lights, sound signals and a good lookout.
Our new cruising chute
Sailing on Strangford Lough
