'Mistral's summer jaunt

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Last night (Thurs) on Lochgoilhead Jetty Trust VB. Big, round, yellow, rope riser, clearly marked, and with pick up buoy. Supposed to be 10, but could see 2 lying on the shore (big claw style anchor) so maybe only 8 available. Suggested donation, £10 for first night, then £5 per night. Substantial jetty for leaving dinghy or could be used for drop off / pick up by mother ship. Strong wifi signal by inkspot something or other but they wanted £4 per day. Couldn't lock on to the wifi by the LJT, then I lost all wifi. Only found out today that I had managed to disable my wifi device.

Had a look at Arrochar today, just to say that we'd done it - mostly under engine but did manage to beat back down Loch Long for a while.
Tonight we're on Carrick Castle Boat Club no2 VB. Their system remembered my login details from last year so I'm using their free wifi. Much stronger signal this year, but this buoy is nearer the white house. Still 2 VB - blue cylinder with pick up buoy. £10 per night.

Planning to hide from the wind at Holy Loch marina tomorrow night.

Ash

[ash]

Sitting in the persistent drizzle here in Holy Loch marina, having taken advantage of the their 'second night at half price' deal.
Wind hasn't been too bad here, but I think that we're well sheltered. I asked for a finger pontoon so we're sitting with the wind forward of the beam, and blowing us off the pontoon, with wet mooring lines so no squeaks. Much better than being pressed on to the breakwater. The finger is 12 metres long, and substantial, and the berth has free electricity and water. WiFi is available, but you would need to pay for it so I'm using my O2 dongle which is a bit hit and miss. Good free showers and washing machine / tumble drier available at reasonable cost.
We walked over the hill to Dunoon this afternoon, and there was plenty of wind there - white horses all the way across to Cloch. Had an excellent Indian Buffet in John Street - http://www.bangladeshtandoori.com, and then a taxi back because the bus is only every 2 hours.
Hoping for better weather tomorrow.
We've no agenda, but hope to work our way to Tarbert for the coming weekend as it's Tarbert Fair, and the KCC are having a muster there.

Ash

[ash]

I've just discovered that the WiFi service at Holy Loch, provided by WiFiSpark ltd gives 20 minutes free trial. Only 0.5 to 0.8 download speed though.

Ash

[ash]

Decided that the rain wasn't going to ease so togged up and motored round to Port Bannatyne Marina. Went inside Dunoon Bank, and The Gantocks - my first time ever - could barely see Cloch and the Kip chimney through the mist so thought it would be better to stay out of the way of the big boys and take my chances with the Argyle Flyer / Ali Cat.

Discovered that a 27' boat can be turned end for end within an empty Port Bannatyne double berth after I made an ar5e of berthing! It started to go wrong when I unknowingly put her into reverse at idle instead of neutral as we turned into the berth and a slight head wind. We lost way before the crew could safely alight onto the very wet finger. I 'saved the day' by lassoing a cleat with the stern line, tied it off, stuck her in ahead at idle and stepped ashore. We fumbled the passing of the bow line as my stern line started to slip so there we were. I'm on the pontoon - the crew is on the bow - the engine is gear ahead - and the (long as it would become a spring) bow line is in the water. No shouting! - persuaded the crew to come aft and she put the gearbox in neutral as I dragged the stern into the berth. It almost looked as though we had intended to spin her round! I then decided that the small fender hanging off a pontoon cleat indicated that the berth was allocated so we motored out and reberthed next door with no drama. I don't think that anyone saw our antics. Luckily we were safely tied up before a Scotsail Training Hanse parked next to us.

We've been listening in to the Coastguard's PanPan and Mayday Relay broadcasts - think that the first one has had a happy ending but haven't heard the outcome of the Mayday yet but don't think that it will end well.

The rain has stopped at last so we had a wee stroll along the front after dinner.

Ash

[ubergeekian]

Discovered that a 27' boat can be turned end for end within an empty Port Bannatyne double berth after I made an ar5e of berthing!

You are not alone in that discovery, friend.

[ash]

On Tuesday we had good sailing, beating up the Kyles from the Ardyne Buoy to the Kames Hotel mooring buoys. Buoys are round, red, marked, and have pick up buoys. We even managed to tip toe past the Colintraive ferry without waking the sleeping giant. Chickened out by adding a little engine when going through the East passage past the Burnt Isles. Met a flybridge mobo just after exiting the narrow passage who seemed determined to push me to my starboard. I watched him transiting the passage and he was hard over to his port side of the channel. I think that he was confusing UK road driving with helming. A walk to Tighnabruaich and back before dinner in the Kames Hotel.

Wednesday saw us motoring out of the Kyles in the sunshine before finding enough wind to beat from near buoy 47 to off Portavadie, then motorsailed to Otterferry. Buoys are blue cylinders with shackles on the top and a mooring strop and with a pick up buoy. A good floating jetty for small boats and dinghies (spell?). 9 out of 15 pub ( The Oystercatcher ) buoys are occupied, lots of cars in the carpark, and the bar is very busy for food. My Cullen Skink and the pasta maincourse all arrived at the same time but didn't want to send anything back in case it didn't reappear. Food was good, and it was warm enough in the sun to sit outside and eat. I can see the free WiFi from the mooring but can't lock on to it – couldn't even lock on from our outside table but it was OK actually inside the bar.

Awoke on Thursday to a dry, sunny, flat calm day. Motored to Ardrishaig, just to have a look and to practise my pilotage - white house in line with block of flats, then motored across to Portavadie Marina. Crew put some dirty washing into the laundry machines and we retired to the canteen in the new Lodge Block for a pint and use of their free WiFi. They have Loch Fyne Ales in bottles – Pipers Gold, Highlander, Vital Spark, Maverick, Avalanche. I tried the Highlander, and it was very pleasant, sitting outside looking down on the fish farm and the ferry. I've been writing this up in OpenOffice so might be forced to buy another pint so that I can post it!

Friday started wet and windy, and now it's just damp and windy. Did have sunshine for a while. Have postponed the pleasures of Tarbert for another night in Portavadie. Going to console ourselves with dinner in the (posh) restaurant – well we are on holiday! Can't get the WiFi at the Lodge to work, can't get a signal on my O2 dongle, don't want to pay spectrum £3.50 / hour or £7.50 / day so I'm internetless.

Aaarrgghhhh! I've lost my Tilley hat!, and it was a Christmas present from the Crew! Left Portavadie to head for Tarbert - fenders and lines all stowed – bit breezy and cold so asked the crew for my hat. “Where is it?” “I don't know” Boat searched but no sign. Last remembered sighting was on a walk round the marina, which was followed by a quick visit to the boat to pick up the netbook before going to the canteen in the Lodge. Was I still wearing it? I don't remember. I remember changing seats to get access to mains and left frustrated cos I couldn't get access to the internet. Slowed the boat down, phoned the marina but no one had seen it. Decided to go back and search for myself so fenders and lines back on and back into the berth that we had left 30 minutes previously. Didn't find it – left my phone number but don't have any expectation of seeing it again.

Dinner in the posh restaurant at Portavadie was good. I had the veal, and the crew had the duck from the A la carte, but you could have had fish n chips, etc from the bar menu at lower prices.

Berthed in Tarbert, using their free WiFi. Late afternoon on Saturday and the weather has improved. Dry, less windy, and there have been blinks of sunshine. Had a walk along the front to check out the side shows - this is Tarbert Fair Week(end). Tarbert is looking a bit tidier and a bit more prosperous than of late. The shows are very quiet though – maybe get busier tonight.

Ash

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What is it with us and the Island of Arran? The forecast couldn't decide whether the wind would be W or NW, but the trend seemed to be that the wind would back and drop so Lochranza seemed an acceptable bet. Left Tarbert in drizzle but had a great, fast, short sail to Lochranza, on starboard tack all the way. A reef in the main and a beam reach till clear of Skipness Point, with the TP coping during the rain showers, then a reef in the genoa and hard on the wind right into the bay. Picked up VB no. 11 and the weather improved with sunshine during the afternoon. Read the Sunday papers, had a snooze, then watched the Waverley dropping off passengers, then returning 40 minutes later to pick them up again. The weather had dulled but wind from the W so blew up the dinghy and we rowed ashore to near the castle. Had a walk, left something in the LCSS donation box and had a drink in the hotel. By this time the wind was from the NW and the waves were rolling into the bay. Carried the dinghy upwind and launched from the beach. Sitting on the stern tube, the crew had shipped 2 waves before I had even got aboard. Boarding 'Mistral' via the stern ladder was an adventure. Crew started preparing dinner ***, and the pitching fore and aft wasn't too bad but then the wind went back to W but the waves were still NW so corkscrewing about tended to upset the wine glasses – non-slip stops them moving but then they're in danger of tipping over! Managed to save the wine without resorting to tumblers and things seem to be calming down a bit now.

***BTW, can recommend M&S Bacon and Cheddar Pour Over Sauce – excellent with chicken, broccoli, and new potatoes.

Ash

[Clyde_Wanderer]

What is it with us and the Island of Arran? The forecast couldn't decide whether the wind would be W or NW, but the trend seemed to be that the wind would back and drop so Lochranza seemed an acceptable bet. Left Tarbert in drizzle but had a great, fast, short sail to Lochranza, on starboard tack all the way. A reef in the main and a beam reach till clear of Skipness Point, with the TP coping during the rain showers, then a reef in the genoa and hard on the wind right into the bay. Picked up VB no. 11 and the weather improved with sunshine during the afternoon. Read the Sunday papers, had a snooze, then watched the Waverley dropping off passengers, then returning 40 minutes later to pick them up again. The weather had dulled but wind from the W so blew up the dinghy and we rowed ashore to near the castle. Had a walk, left something in the LCSS donation box and had a drink in the hotel. By this time the wind was from the NW and the waves were rolling into the bay. Carried the dinghy upwind and launched from the beach. Sitting on the stern tube, the crew had shipped 2 waves before I had even got aboard. Boarding 'Mistral' via the stern ladder was an adventure. Crew started preparing dinner ***, and the pitching fore and aft wasn't too bad but then the wind went back to W but the waves were still NW so corkscrewing about tended to upset the wine glasses – non-slip stops them moving but then they're in danger of tipping over! Managed to save the wine without resorting to tumblers and things seem to be calming down a bit now.

***BTW, can recommend M&S Bacon and Cheddar Pour Over Sauce – excellent with chicken, broccoli, and new potatoes.

Ash

Ash I want to crew for you sometime, just for the food alone.
Glad you are enjoying the Clyde.
Sadly due to various factors I havent managed any further than Kilchattan bay this season so far.
Am planning on Tarbert in mid august for a night.
C_W

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YaHooo! We're in Campbeltown – and it looks as though we might be here for some time!
Left Lochranza fairly sharp (for us) on Monday morning, and after tacking out into the Sound, managed to hold a course to Carradale. Got there by early lunchtime, but I'm totally confused by the visitors buoys.
From what I could work out, there are between 4 and 6 moorings, all in a line, and to my eye – fairly close to each other. Each mooring has a ground anchor with a new looking, big, round, red buoy sitting directly above it tied by a lightish line. This line has something under the water – either spare line tied up or maybe a device to adjust the length of line. Also attached to the anchor is a large diameter (maybe 35mm dia) floating line which is about 60 feet long, doesn't have a spliced eye, but has another large, round, red, older looking buoy tied on to it. Most of the moorings had a large portion of this heavy line coiled up and secured by a large cable tie. I cut the cable tie, OX ed the line with difficulty on my big, old fashioned fore cleat then ran the spare back the length of the 27' boat and cleated it on a stern cleat! I wasn't happy with my lack of knowledge of the mooring and I wasn't convinced that the wind wouldn't have backed to the East by morning so decided to press on to Campbeltown. Recoiled the spare mooring line, used a spare line to tie it up, then cast it off.

Had a great sail in increasing winds under single reefed main and jib sized genoa, managing to hold a course towards the lighthouse on Davaar. The wind was howling out of the loch so motored in to the visitors pontoon, where we got the second last alongside berth. Berthed behind 'Talisman' from Troon C.C. Boats coming in after us had to raft up, but no one wanted to raft to us because we're too wee! Dinner on board was an carry out from the local Indian restaurant and a couple of bottles of cider. Had a drink later in the Royal Hotel so that I could use the WiFi to check the weather forecast as you can't hear the Coastie in here.

We've decided to stay here for another 2 nights, and then decide where we'll head on Thursday. We've now moved and are rafted to a big permanent berther on the N side of the pontoon. The crew has to be back at work on Monday, but I don't so the worst scenario will be an InterCity bus for her and single handing for me! I would have liked to have rounded the south end of Arran and home via Lamlash, Troon, Cumbrae but it might have to be Kilbrannan Sound and the Kyles.

Low tide today was to be 17.15 so we walked round the bay and across the spit to Davaar Island. We walked anticlockwise round to the cave with the painting, then (I) decided to continue all the way round. Different outlooks have different terrain, round stones, massive boulders, broken scree, bare wet rocks – not sure which is the worst but all hard work. I don't know how the mountaineer chaps do it uphill too. We followed the shore line till below the lighthouse where we scrambled up a near vertical grass cliff following a track which I think had been made by the resident goats, then walked on grass back to the spit. We had moaned slightly that the walking on the spit was hard going on the way out, but it felt like walking on carpet on the way back! The weather stayed dry, dull and windy most of the day and we were almost back before the rain came on. The last time that we were on Davaar must have about 25 years ago when we stayed in a caravan site near Tainloan but we then had to keep up with adventurous pre teenage boys though I'm sure that we probably took the car round to the layby and only walked to the cave and back.

We've just made use of the yachties private toilet / shower facilities at the Aqualibrium. The space is great but the actual shower cubicle is a bit grotty and the charge is slightly steep at £3.40 each. ( unless you managed to sneak some extra bodies in through the fire door!)

Just chilling with a glass of wine before wandering across to the Royal Hotel for dinner in The Grill Restaurant.

Think that it might be the Distillery Tour tomorrow.

Ash

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Dinner last night was good. The hotel appears to have been refurbed recently but it still has a very traditional, even old fashioned look and feel. I think that the hotel is tied in with the Machrihanish Golf Resort. The menu is a bit bizarre – I can't remember the prices of some of the steak dishes but they were a bit eye watering though the crew's fish and chips was reasonable but I had to pay £3.93 extra to have bacon in my Tagliatelli Carbonara. The wine list is a bit random with the price of some bottles so high that it looks like a printing error. The Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon was OK at £18 but it does hurt a bit to think that I have a 3L box of much better wine on the boat that I paid £9 for on the ferry back from Zeebrugge. The cheese board can be 3, 4, or 5 cheeses. We had one 5 cheese plate at £10 to share – it was great – 12 oatcakes, chutney, and five bit bits of local cheeses – it also had frozen grapes which the crew seemed to like but they did nothing for me – there is no way that a single person could eat their way through it.

Had a long lie this morning and lay listening to the wind and rain. I think that it must be pretty stormy out there – the Kintyre Express Redbay Stormforce 11 Ribs parked behind us haven't left there berths. The rain had stopped by lunchtime but still very windy. We were just getting ready to leave for a 1400 hrs tour of the Springbank Distillery when the crew spotted a boat blowing quickly across the bay towards the Aqualibrium, she had broken free of her mooring but the keel seemed to stop her on the 45 deg stonework before her topsides touched. I phoned the guy who looks after the pontoon, and he phoned the lifeboat. We couldn't wait to see the recovery, but I'm told that the inshore lifeboat got a line on to her and the big one towed her off stern first. She's a double ender so would have OK in reverse. She's now berthed in front of the big lifeboat and seems to be OK.

The distillery tour was good – we got a wee dram and a miniature to take away. We also had a look round the Heritage Centre but couldn't find the owls as they've moved to Lothian. It was dry and sunny during the afternoon but the rain is back on again at 1800 hrs.

We're eating on board tonight – small venison steaks and some venison sausages to eke it out a bit, local tatties, what ever veg we have on board, and a slab of Springbank Whisky (fruit) Cake which feels as though it will be very moist for afters – yummy!

Ash

Edit - Although posted on Thursday - the post was actually written and refers to yesterday -Wednesday.

[Telo]

Had a long lie this morning and lay listening to the wind and rain. I think that it must be pretty stormy out there – the Kintyre Express Redbay Stormforce 11 Ribs parked behind us haven't left there berths. The rain had stopped by lunchtime but still very windy.

Just shows you how localised the weather is. We sailed (and motored for too much of the time) from Loch Drumbie to Mallaig today, most of the time in glorious sunshine. Very hot as we approached land. We had a breeze in Loch Sunart, enough to get us round Ardnamurchan and beyond against the tide. We made reasonable progress until south of Eigg when it went variable and then died.

[ash]

Had a long lie this morning and lay listening to the wind and rain. I think that it must be pretty stormy out there – the Kintyre Express Redbay Stormforce 11 Ribs parked behind us haven't left there berths. The rain had stopped by lunchtime but still very windy.

Just shows you how localised the weather is. We sailed (and motored for too much of the time) from Loch Drumbie to Mallaig today, most of the time in glorious sunshine. Very hot as we approached land. We had a breeze in Loch Sunart, enough to get us round Ardnamurchan and beyond against the tide. We made reasonable progress until south of Eigg when it went variable and then died.

Sorry for the confusion - I had written up the post in Open Office on Wednesday, but didn't get a chance to upload it - I didn't realise that I hadn't mentioned the day of the week.

We sailed some and motored a lot from Campbeltown to Troon today, Thursday, also in sunshine. in too little wind and too much lumpy seas left over from the storm.

Just enjoyed a carry out from the The Jade Dragon.

Ash

[Telo]

Not surprised about yesterday, Wednesday.... miserable day.... stayed in bunk.....

[Telo]

Just enjoyed a carry out from the The Jade Dragon.

Sit-down at Mallaig's Fish Market Restaurant, very good. Been celeb spotting too.....

[ash]

Ash I want to crew for you sometime, just for the food alone.

C_W

The excellent feeding is all down to the crew - I don't cook!

Glad you are enjoying the Clyde.

C_W

It's great because it is still so new to us.

Sadly due to various factors I havent managed any further than Kilchattan bay this season so far.
Am planning on Tarbert in mid august for a night.
C_W

Sorry to hear that - I must admit that I've only once heard Besula, Besula, Besula, this is Hummingbird
I'll keep an eye and ear out for you this month.

Ash