So II..

[Silkie]

It's all a bit discombobulated this year as you will have read and so far the only given is that those who can will meet up on the pontoons in Loch Aline on Thursday. I'm out for a fortnight so might well bump into you somewhere. Is Storyline the name of your boat and what is she?

Any gibberish you hear on Ch77 will probably be us.

[Storyline]

Hi Silkie
Thanks for reply
Yes, Storyline is the name of the boat and she is a westerly conway based at Ardfern.
This is our first cruise of the season and we are only up for one week so will probably not go too far. As I said earlier, I think the north going tides are middayish at the beginning of next week so we will not be able to get a ride all the way up to Tobes in one hop.

Silkie - is that your boat name etc ?
I will keep an eye on the forum and listen out on 77 early next week and see what happens .....

[DaveS]

Well the pre cruise cruise has started. I'm currently back in Craobh from Ardfern and awaiting Claymore.

[ParaHandy]

Well the pre cruise cruise has started. I'm currently back in Craobh from Ardfern and awaiting Claymore.

Knackered steaming light (essential for a motor-sailor) will delay our departure until tomorro ...

[DaveS]

Well the pre cruise cruise has started. I'm currently back in Craobh from Ardfern and awaiting Claymore.

Knackered steaming light (essential for a motor-sailor) will delay our departure until tomorro ...

Ah, that explains the no show. I was beginning to think it was something I had said.

I've spent today in Craobh with wifi access and catching up on various jobs. A replacement 75Ah battery at over £93 caused a sharp intake of breath... Off to Loch Aline tomorrow.

[Nick]

I've spent today in Craobh with wifi access and catching up on various jobs. A replacement 75Ah battery at over £93 caused a sharp intake of breath... Off to Loch Aline tomorrow.

Got 2x110ah for £150 inc. delivery online from Alpha Batteries, arrived prontalisticlly.

See you tomorrow all being well.

[wully]

Knackered steaming light (essential for a motor-sailor) will delay our departure until tomorro ...

If it's a steaming drunk light you'll be needing that right enough...

[ash]

Got 2x110ah for £150 inc. delivery online from Alpha Batteries.

At that size, I take that your batteries no longer live under the saloon floor.

Iirc, your fuel tank doesn't live there either.

Are your batteries in the starboard locker? To balance the fuel tank?

Ash

[Nick]

Are your batteries in the starboard locker? To balance the fuel tank?

Yes.

[claymore]

Kerrera.
I was not aware that a crew member has posted unsolicited mail regarding lighting issues.
The fekker will be publicly flogged in Lochaline at sunset

[ParaHandy]

Knackered steaming light (essential for a motor-sailor) will delay our departure until tomorro ...

If it's a steaming drunk light you'll be needing that right enough...

Got that right!

[Nick]

.

Well, the rendezvous at Lochaline happened. Some of us are still here, some have gone South.

Windy, and now wet.

[DaveS]

.

Well, the rendezvous at Lochaline happened. Some of us are still here, some have gone South.

Windy, and now wet.

Yes.

As one of yesterday's departees, after advising Silkie that I was in flat calm in the Sound of Mull (which was perfectly true at the time of the conversation and lasted for maybe 10 minutes) things livened up significantly. Over 7 knots beam reach in the flattish waters of the Sound approaching Duart under a very heavily rolled genoa (all the reefing calibration marks rolled out of sight and then some more) was interesting, but a close reach in the big, short waves of the Firth of Lorne gave some of the nastiest conditions I've seen for a long time. One problem was that the very small foresail area was well forward of the keel, so that when the bigger plunges killed boat speed there was a tendency for the boat's head to fall off. The violent motion meant that there was no way I was prepared to climb on to the coach roof to try to deploy the main. If I had been able to hoist it I think that even on reef 3, it would have had to be spilled to the extent that damage by flogging would have been a distinct possibility. I did discover, however, that by standing at the back of the cockpit, my windage helped to counteract that of the head sail and we fell off less often. This "manual mizzen" method is not a technique I've come across before, so another new experience...

I was one of only two boats in Puldobhrain last night (which, given how we were sweeping in the gusts from one side of the anchorage to the other, was no bad thing: the motion was enough to put me off my dinner), then overnight it settled down and I left at 0530 this morning to motor back to Craobh in wind of F2 max., with the first hour actually dry.

[Telo]

We had a really great sail up to Tobermory with a following wind about F5/6, though that did drop away from time to time. Two reefs in the main and the whole genoa out, it was a fast passage. Wind was very fluky coming into Tobermory, with total change of wind direction and gusts in excess of 30 knots.

Kieta came in, soaked through as we were, about an hour and a half later. It was gusting over 40 knots when they came in. We had a joint meal of lamb and couscous and one of Banjo John's great curries, washed down with a couple of bottles of red. We all had an early night.

We are picking up crew somewhere in the Oban area on Monday morning, so we'll head back down the Sound this morning. Another soaking.......