Review of 2018

[cpedw]

Then I managed to set the boat on fire.

Dave, you can't leave us hanging like that! You must tell all in a swashbuckling style.

Glad you got a feplacement.

Derek

[marisca]

The hordes that crowded out the Doric in December were held enthralled as Dave regaled us with his tale. Film rights must be taken up soon.

[lady_stormrider]

I'm sure it started with: 'It was a dark and Stormy night....'

[ash]

2018 was a good sailing year for us, we spent over 70 nights on board. Some of these nights were simply spent at our home berth, but that isn't a great hardship on a walk ashore pontoon in Tarbert, Loch Fyne.

Our main summer break in July and August was 7 weeks long, but we left Kylora on a mooring in Oban for 6 nights in the middle while we went come for family commitments.

During the first 3 weeks, we rounded the Mull of Kintyre west bound in company with other SCS boats and then made our own way to Oban. We took advantage of the settled weather to circumnavigate the Isle of Mull clockwise in company with 2 other yachts.

The weather forecast for the second part of our break wasn't so settled, so we abandoned a plan to round Arnamurchan and cruised Loch Linnhe instead, in company with one of the yachts from the earlier trip. Passing under the bridge to get into Loch Leven was heart stopping in spite of the prior calculations.

We came back via the Crinan Canal eastbound in company with the other yacht from the first trip, plus 4 friends to provide experienced shore crew.

We've anchored a lot more during 2018 than usual, both on our own and in company.

We hope to make even more use of the boat in 2019.

Cheers

Ash

[fairy nuff]

Our four week cruise last year (2018) was mid June to mid July, and plagued by a severe lack of wind. We went from Craobh to Canna, where we assisted an unfortunate gentleman who attempted to pass between our stern and the ferry pier, and came to a sudden halt on the reef on a falling tide. All good fun, and he eventually got off safely.
Then out to the Wizard Pool and Lochboisdale, from where we intended to head for St Kilda. After an uneventful passage through the Sound of Harris (my first time, and not nearly so fearsome as the Pilot Books would have you think), we set course for Hirta, only for the engine overheat alarm to go off after about ten miles. We reluctantly sailed back to Leverburgh, where we could find no obvious cause. A local diesel mechanic was equally unhelpful. We then made our way slowly up the West coast of Lewis and into Loch Roag, where we anchored below the Callanish Standing Stones - very atmospheric.
On the slow way back to Craobh we made good use of our Antares charts, and visited lots of new anchorages. The rest of the season was taken up by various experts looking at the engine and attempting to diagnose the overheating problem. Still no cure in sight. Meanwhile I tore a rotator cuff muscle in my shoulder attempting to hook onto a mooring buoy in Coll, and am typing this with my arm in a sling, having had the tear repaired in December. A very frustrating year, with a few high points.

[wully]

A good year in lots of ways but bad in others..

We planned to quit work and clear off to the Baltic in May but the Admiral incurred a bad skiing injury that kept her off the boat all summer..
All was not lost as I got some good work in Copenhagen so drove out in the van and was joined by the Cripp courtesy of Sleazy Jet once work was done. We then drove round the Swedish coast we intended to visit, along the Gota canal on over to the Norwegian west coast to check that out for our still planed Scandi / Noggie cruise.

Here’s to 2019.

[BlowingOldBoots]

..... the engine overheat alarm to go off after about ten miles........ where we could find no obvious cause. ..... attempting to diagnose the overheating problem. Still no cure in sight. ......

That symptom can be caused by scaling in the exhaust elbow.

[wully]

We were planning on setting of to the Baltic in May but the crew blew out her ACL skiing last March which canned sailing pretty much last year apart from some solo cruises and a gentle sail for a week anchoring around Jura and Islay as the crew was confined aboard by the bust knee.

Three solid months planned this year

Will be longer if we sell the house - anyone wanna buy a house in Ardfern?

[Mavanier]

Missed this thread until now, nice to hear how much use everyone is making of their boats.
We didn't do much by most people's standards, but it at least was an improvement on 2017 (where we only had two day sails, although I did a delivery trip too).
So 2018 was alright. Two blocks of two weeks booked off work, which is about all you can do when you both work full time, run a small business as well, and have a toddler in tow.
First fortnight was in early May, and the first half was lost to bad weather. But the remaining week was good, and we did a little circuit from home (west Skye) to Uist, working our way down via various anchorages to Eriskay, then across to Canna for a couple of night, and finally an absolute blast home on a broad reach hitting 8kt at times (should probably have reefed!).
Second fortnight was a bit more ambitious, and crossed over to Loch Ewe and then worked our way up that coast as far as Kinlochbervie, before turning for home again. Lots of excellent places to explore (KLB was easily the low point, we only stopped in there because we needed stores, and even that was disappointing). Edrachillis Bay and Kylesku are fantastic- I feel another magazine article coming on.
The cruise was marred somewhat by the boat performance... she had been antifouled at the end of the previous summer, then wintered afloat, and had a lot of growth on her by July. In particular the prop seemed to be badly fouled, and our flat water speed was under 5kt at full revs. Throw in a bit of a headwind and a chop, and our speed and range were really restricted. This is what made us abandon our plan to reach Stornoway, as 12 hours plugging into a headwind across the Minch isn't something that a 2yr old is likely to appreciate. It's the second year in a row that we have missed the Heb Celt and sailing festival, so we will have to try harder in 2019.

[Corona]

Our sailing year was influenced by our dog, Toby he came over to Argyll with us as a pup in 2004 and had really enjoyed working on the canal and sailing the West Coast with us in the four boats we have owned since. We launched and stepped the mast in April but a gap in the headfoil more than half way up proved awful hard to close so it was late May before we got the genoa on. Working up the mast is easy compared to trying to do anything clinging to the forestay. In the meantime I was busy helping Hugh take boats through the Canal. Took Corona across to her berth in Crinan late May and spent a week doing a circuit of Mull, mainly motoring in scorching weather, long pauses at Tobermory and Ulva Ferry but had a problem at Ardlanish where it proved impossible to get the old dog up the cliff and he would not go on the rocks, moved back to Traig Ghael and he was really happy on the smooth sand and surf. Fantastic place but like our favourite beach anchorage at Red Point in Torridon you need settled weather. Stopped on a mooring At Cullipool, first time we have been in there in 40 years. We had a cuckoo tied up on our berth at the Rings so spent all last summer in Crinan Basin, careful not to complain, much closer to the bar and the coffee shop.
In July we set off round Skye via Loch Aline, Canna, Loch Harport and Duntulm. (Another anchorage the old dog could not cope with). Then over to Flowerdale for a few nights on a pontoon. Mallaig (with a short dog comfort stop at Kyle) then home via Tob. and Kerrera. 14 days this time.
Back to work on the Canal then off to Inverness via Oban getting back mid September. The Cally trip with its short hops and pontoons was to suit the dog but he was in too much pain to even enjoy that so when we got back in September I took him to the vet. Euthanasia for old demented dogs is very swift and painless, pity we did not have the choice. A good year, though Toby's increasing discomfort affected us all, after a mispent youth in the boat on the hills and chasing sticks the arthritis had caught up with him.
This year with no dog we should be able to make room for our bikes again but as an eternal pessimist I can not imagine the weather being as good again.

[wully]

.

[claymore]

Ok - so we had a decent time of it. A shortish shakedown cruise with the new engine took us around Mull with stops at Kerrera (lunch)
Lochaline (Overnight)
Tobers (Overnight)
Staffa (Lunch)
Tinkers Hole (Overnight)
West Loch Tarbert (Lunch)
Craighouse (Overnight and seemed to lose a day)
Ardfern.

The family joined us at the end of June and we had a great adventure with our 5 and 10 year old grandchildren where we did a lot of land-based adventuring which included my Grandson (5) being offered employment at Lochaline driving one of the big machines and my Grandaughter fishing the loch empty.
We found and made friends with the Tobermory Cat
We went to an afternoon String Quartet concert in Tobers and really didn't enjoy Fish and Chips on the pier
We laid siege to Dunollie Castle
We really enjoyed Fish and chips in Oban
I was marooned in Pullers by a mutinous crew
I turned the tables on the scurvy swabs in Carsaig Bay
We all came back to Coniston and we explored Wild Cat Island, Kangchenjunga and sat on the Peak in Darien.
I fell fast asleep whilst the crew sailed us back the length of Coniston

Hoping for more in 2019

[mm5aho]

I missed this thread too - wonder how?
Started out in April doing the CCC opening muster, then in May off to Oban rounding the Mull of Kintyre for the 1st of several times that year. Started the SIPR race, but decided not to prolong the misery of one runner, and we turned round near Gigha and went back north for the Crinan Canal and wimped out. In June, round the MoK (lunch at Sanda) to Rathlin for a race to St Kilda. Storm Hector blew that night, and although we started, it was rough, and we cut short to Port Ellen, and next day sailed up the "inside" to Lochmaddy. Back south again via Rum for a 2nd go through the Canal. In July left Gourock again, rounded the MoK, through Sound of Islay, and north stopping for only 30 mins for a meal in Tinkers hole then on to Castlebay. After joining two other Rivals, we sailed south a little, round Barra Head, then due west for a couple of days. Saw a rock, went round it and sailed east for another couple of days and saw St Kilda from the west, so stopped there. Two crew had never been ashore there, so they did, at 0400! I slept!. Next stop Lochmaddy for a second visit. Next off to Hyskeir, stopped there for a meal, and on east and south through Snd Mull in thick fog. Cuan sound, and on south eventually back to Gourock. August a quick jaunt to Loch Spelve (Mull) for a weekend and lost of mussels and back again (another 2 roundings on MoK). Later in August, Gourock to tarbert and back, and Sept, a few jaunts round the Clyde. L. Long, Gairloch, Tarbert again, and eventually washing up in Gairloch on the hard for the winter. About 2500 miles.
Now what for 2019? Must try to do better in these races, no more being kind to seasick sailors or runners!

[fairy nuff]

..... the engine overheat alarm to go off after about ten miles........ where we could find no obvious cause. ..... attempting to diagnose the overheating problem. Still no cure in sight. ......

That symptom can be caused by scaling in the exhaust elbow.

Thanks, BoB, engineer "checked thermostat, impeller, coolant level, heat exchanger, water pump and exhaust elbow, and all looked good". Latest theory is that the boat is over propped, and the propeller has been re-profiled. I'm not convinced, but we will see when it goes back in the water.

[pagoda]

Missed the thread earlier on...

Busy 2018. Main event was Round Ireland clockwise. June to August Decent weather a lot of the time.
The coast from Cork South and West round to Bantry Bay is pretty (East coast from Strangford south is not exciting in general)
North from Galway is pretty deserted and much like Scotland. (ditto weather)
ALL our dealings with Irish folk were great. Very friendly and helpful throughout.
We managed 67 days on board, out and about. Work no longer intrudes!

Outer Isles this year.

Graeme