Wet weather gear for the first time for days and days

  

Safely tucked up in Loch na Lathaich on the N side of the Ross of Mull as the rain lashes down and the wind howls around us.   Having had 10 days of glorious weather we are hoping this is just a minor blip.   We spent Friday night on the north of Jura enjoying the antics of three bottling seals.  Went for an evening stroll to check out another anchorage and came across a herd of 14 deer & a stag.   We stared at each other for about 2 minutes before they quietly melted away.    Yesterday we motored through a very tame Gulf of Corryvreckan - hardly a whirlpool to be seen.   Even in calm weather it can have a standing wave of around 4m where the tide meets a step as the bottom rises suddenly from 230m to 30m.  (It might be only 160m - but its lots and we are in a pub!)  Anchored in a gorgeous cove on the south of the Ross of Mull - David Balfour’s Bay.    A glorious sunny evening saw us ashore enjoying a bottle of rose on the beach with only the cormorants for company.   We had planned to go to Iona today, but the anchorage did not look v. appealing in these conditions so we will probably return to explore tomorrow. 

Deer on Jura

Rich checking on Nomad in David Balfour's Bay

Selfie on beach in David Balfour's Bay

Weather change!  Passing Iona

And we are off to Iona.....

All current problems have been fixed (hopefully) in Craobh marina by Rich and a great electrical engineer who spent most of their fixing time happily swapping salty naval stories.    Spent last night anchored in Ardinamir,  Luing in balmy conditions.   There used to be an indomitable lady called Irene Machlachlin who lived in the croft there who logged every boat that visited from the 1940s into the 1990s.   Apparently signing her visitors book was not to be missed.    The nine volumes are now held by the Clyde Cruising Club.  The heat had persuaded most of the local cattle to cool off in the shallows - a sight more reminiscent of Africa than Scotland.    In the evening we walked up to Ardinamir Fort from where we had spectacular views but the flying ants launched a ferocious attack on us and we fled from the summit very quickly with only a few blurry photos to prove we were ever there.   We have now had our sprayhood down and our bimini up for longer than we have ever done in France or Spain!

Loch Melfort Hotel

Paddleboarding in Ardinamir

Cattle at Ardinamir

Nomad at Ardinamir

Internet at last!

Nearly missed the flight to Glasgow to rejoin Nomad as taxi driver turned up 15 mins late - thank goodness my phobia about being late meant we’d booked it just a smidgeon early anyway.     Problem with the autopilot, but the part is being delivered to Oban and we will collect from there.  Spent a night in the Kyles of Bute where something crashed into the side of the boat at about 4.30am - we both shot out of bed, but nothing to be seen.  Rich reckons it was seal not looking where it was going!    A rumbling wisdom tooth meant  a visit to the dentist in East Tarbert.    Spent a couple of days going through the Crinan Canal.   Paired up with another boat with 5 guys on board who took charge of us, taking our lines and working all the locks.  Think Rich and I would have taken forever to get through on our own.   Stopped for a night and took the opportunity to head off on the bikes to visit some of the 4,000 year old rock art.  Passed lots of boats heading to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games including an old Puffer whose crew were shovelling on tons of coal.   Came out of the canal on Monday in gorgeous, hot sunshine and made our way up Craignish Loch to Ardfern marina where we’ve had the engineer on board trying to fix a problem with the starter motor.    Nomad seems to be getting a bit of a Scottish ‘upgrade‘ before we head out to the Islands.  Weather has been fabulous - who needs the Caribbean?

Yesterday afternoon we anchored behind Goat Island in Loch Craignish - the total silence was only broken by the odd seal blowing & harumphing, the occasional Gannet plummeting into the sea or a curlew calling.   Rich wondered whether it is possible to suffer sensory deprivation?    Today we had a beautiful sail up to Kilmelford,  Loch Melfort and then back to Loch Shuna where we picked up a buoy belonging to The Loch Melfort Hotel.   I worked here for the summer in 1976 - cooking, bar maiding, chamber-maiding & waitressing, paid £18.00 per week!  The afternoon was spent swimming - really not that cold, but quite a few jelly fish so didn't hang around too much,  paddle boarding and generally lazing around in mediterranean heat.   

Sometimes we get it right!

Anchorage behind Goat Island, Loch Craignish

CLJ braving the jelly fish

Rich reading with his eyes shut!