Cracking Weekend Sail

[BlowingOldBoots]

Myself and a couple of friends turned up at the boat on Thursday and sailed off on Friday. Glorious weather!

Friday was sailing all day in a SE Force 2 to 3. We sailed round Shuna, circumnavigated Loch Melfort, then headed through the Cuan Sound at just over a drift. Exiting the Cuan sound brought clearer wind and the Sound of Easdale beckoned. Surprisingly no lull in the wind in the Sound of Easdale and off Inch. With a good tide under us, we easily had 7 to 8 kts over the ground. After Duart Point, taking the port passage through the narrows, ground speed was 10 its, even at 1 day before neaps. Approached Loch Aline and had one tack to get through the narrows and tied up. A solid 12 hours of non stop sailing through passages that never get boring. At Easdale, that starboard hand beacon's steal framework, east of the ruined pier, looks as if it might not survive this winter, but then again, it has looked as if it is about to fall over for some time now, distinct corrosion and obviously missing metal near its base. Some good craic, drink and lasagne before bunks. It pissed down all night and got quite windy as well.

Next morning up early and with the wind ESE, F3 with a F6(7) forecast, we headed off with the tide southward again. Tacked through the narrows and managed to lay a line for Duart Point. The wind picked up to 30kts and spilling wind and digging in her gunwale, it was obvious that I could not lay Duart Point. Thank goodness for a wind shift, that gave the necessary lift to round the point. I freed off for the Sound of Luing and with full sail the Rival picked up her skirts, powered up to 7 / 8 kts and settled into the groove, the wind also settled down to F5 before dropping off at the Sound of Luing and heading us. With 8 to 9kts of ground speed I suspect a lot of the header was simply tide wind. Tacked over to the wee island north of Scarba and got a good look at the tide flows jetting out of both sides of the island and an amazing lee bow boost! Down through the Dorus Mor, the usual rudder slap and hull shimmy, before slowly running up Loch Craignish for the wind to drop off. We drifted, and as Private Ryan said, "then God turned up", but from the NE at 30kts again. I rolled away the genoa and with just staysail and main, tacked down the loch. Berthed at Ardfern where I saw the good ship Claymore looking in fine fettle. It poured down on the Saturday night, all night, cats and dogs.

Up early, motored out, and the wind was up but we just decided to motor back round to Craobh with the auto helm on, in the rain. Back at my berth, the sun came out and it warmed up very well. I had driven up on my motorbike and what a drive home in the glorious, warm, sunshine via the Dunoon Ferry. The roads had been cleaned nicely by the heavy rain and dried off, so good grip for some fast cornering was fully exploited when safe to do so. Scottish weather at it's best, a mixed bag, with great sailing.

[wully]

Nice

[BlowingOldBoots]

Indeed it was. A wee picture in Seil Sound sent to me. It is not often I get to see my boat on the high seas, "Sruth", a Rival 41C.

[Gardenshed]

makes all the hard work worthwhile

[claymore]

The smairtest shup in ra tred....

[claymore]

Sounds a lovely weekend - did you have tide most of the way to Loch Aline?
Easdale is fascinating is it not - In 1992 we tied off to the pier and had breakfast - couldn't do that now!
I always have to check when heading towards Oban that I've got the beacons right - I've nearly attempted to go the wrong side at high water a few times

[BlowingOldBoots]

Thanks for the “smairtest shut” comment. Yes, tide all the way up, even through the Loch Aline narrows. The Cuan Sound was smooth and tame, but still a fair lick of knots and the sudden ferry glide at Cleit Rock, even at neaps.

[claymore]

Thanks for the “smairtest shut” comment.
I don't think I said that

I thought at first you might be suffering from FFS - (Fat Finger Syndrome) but looking at my keyboard - its a fair stretch from T to P
which means either drink had been taken or you have the biggest fingers of any living man - in which case I shall always be nice to you