Sunday 20 July 2014

Tobermory, Mull to Isle Ornsay via Ardnamurchan point and island of Eigg.

In brief, Tobermory, Mull half hour fuel stop to Ardnamurchan Point passed without incident, despite the  tidal gateway's reputation. Glassy sea and passed very close inshore. Photo attached. 

No wind of any type for the whole day, presaging the change to rainy weather and evidenced by falling pressure. Motored the whole way on one engine at 6 or 7 knots, then stopped off in the Isle of Eigg for anchored lunch. Heavenly.

Spectacular, separate photo to follow. Dolphins, an otter, seals in the harbour, utter stillness, four other yachts, all serious players from their rig. This is getting to be frontier territory!

No wind at all, so followed on with a motor to Isle Ornsay. Intended to pick  up a swinging buoy in the bay as arranged, but the directions were 'find a  buoy with writing on it, don't know the colour, or location, somewhere near the hotel, don't know which way the hotel is facing, what it looks like, can't see [the conspicuous sight of Alexandria in the bay outside what we think is the hotel, skipper on the phone probably looking unappreciative] because our informant is not near a window'. Sense of humour failure, especially with rocks all around and 1.5m under the keel. Found the buoy, no thanks to instructions, and it was now raining heavily.  Scottish rain which they call 'soft weather'. 15 minutes constructing bridles, picking up the (very well maintained) buoy, then launching the tender, all meant we were very wet. Into the tender and motored about half a mile to the hotel, but we could not land it on the beach. Vincent, in shorts still, who already had immersed his feet and deck shoes in seawater, heroically stepped out into the water, and pulled us up a way, with huge thanks from David and I. We arrived on the beach, slippery, seaweed, life jackets on, full foul weather gear and found the elegant restaurant. Imagine the scene. WET WET WET! Smart diners inside. So, I announced our arrival and claimed our table, and nobody bothered in the slightest as we, some shoeless, in shorts, all looking as if we had been ship wrecked and might have swum, sat down to eat. Wonderful, as was the food. The return tender ride was quick, still light up here at 2300, and much drier, but we put the boat into full wet weather mode. Shower room redefined temporarily as a wet room for oilies and wet clothes, AC dehumidifier on laundry mode drying it all out, and heating ready to go on, though not needed, Everything worked well, and we had a good uninterrupted sleep secure to the swinging mooring, and put on the AC generator for the first time at about 6 this morning as the batteries were, not surprisingly, getting too low to start the main engines.

More to follow re a change to our schedule, later this morning.


 David and Vincent, celebrating our safe rounding of Ardnamurchan Point lighthouse.



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