Been

o Sound of Mull, Duart Point, Loch Aline, Tobermory & Calgary as well as Oronsay’s Loch na Droma Buidhe, Salen in Loch Sunart
o Seil, Phuilladobhrain including Tigh na Truish Inn & ‘Bridge Over The Atlantic’, Garvellach Islands, Colonsay, Oronsay, Lunga, Sound of Luing, Shuna, Firth of Lorn, Lynn of Lorn, Loch Linnhe, Port Appin, Corran Narrows, Dunstaffnage, near Oban, Kerrera, Lunga,
o Loch Etive & Ardtornish Estate, Ardamurchan Point, Small Isles, Arisaig
Doune Bay, Loch Nevis - The Old Forge’ at Inverie at Knoydart Loch Moidart, Loch Hourn, Kyle Rhea, Loch Alsh (Skye), Loch Carron & Plockton
o Scarba, Jura, Sound of Islay, Gulf of Corryvreckan, Iona, Ulva, Gometra, Staffa, Dorus Mor, Cuan Sound,
o Kyles of Bute, Inchmarnock, Arran, Holy Isle, Largs, Rothesay, Little & Great Cumbrae, Tarbert
o Mull of Galloway, Ireland (Bangor & Glenarm), Gigha Ailsa Crag, Sanda Island, Campbeltown, Mull of Kintyre
o Milford Haven, Holyhead, Isle of Man, Workington, Maryport
o Hamble, The Needles, on edge of IoW, Portsmouth, Portland, Dartmouth, Falmouth

At Maryport

Ginny and I drove up to the boat today. We got up at lunch time and had a snack on the "beach" - She enjoyed a walk along the coast first - even getting her haunches wet in the surf and waves ... brrr! The day was odd - a few smatterings of rain drops but bright clouds and even some sunshine. It was similar to last week when I went up for the first time (without Ginny on that trip).

I have asked three outfits to quote and given all the information below. A Rigger based at Keswick, a company based in Northumberland (Amble!). So far only MPM North, at Maryport itself, have responded! (Recession, what recession?).

Invitation to Quote
I have just bought in July this year, from a couple of blokes based in Hamble, a boat - SV Cryptic - a 1978 built Contessa 32, built by Jeremy Rogers & designed by David Sadler. After quite a few adventures with a mate called Stan we managed to get her berthed at Maryport 11 October but not without taking refuge in Workington where some of the damage was inadvertently done.
Her specs are:-
LOA: 9.75m. (32′ 0″)
LWL: 7.32m. (24′ 0″)
Beam: 2.9m. (9′ 6″)
Draught: 1.68m. (5′ 6″)
Sail Area: 52.2 sq m. (562 sq.ft.)
Displacement: 4309kg (9,500 lbs)
Lead Ballast: 2042kg (4,500 lbs)
Head Room: (6′ 1″)
Engine: 20hp Beta diesel - reasonably new / low hours.
Keel stepped mast / with an odd boom
Self furling Genoa but with furling very low down at peak.


Cryptic needs some work. I plan to leave at Maryport for the winter and will probably lift her out once I have decided on the rigging investment (!).

Regarding that, and hence my mail to you, her rigging has not been replaced in at least 10 years of the previous owners, (and I don't know when the current rig was assembled). So I wouldn't mind a quote to replace all of it. Mast, Traveller / Cars, Boom Running & Standing Rigging, Sheets etc. The current boom I think was a furling system for the mainsail but has never been used so, and I don't like it. I do like slab reefing and lazy jacks but the current cover is removable and ties on from the top - whereas I have seen systems where the sail folds into the cover, via the lazy jacks and would like to follow this up. It is currently rigged poorly I suspect, for example it doesn't have very impressive reefing. I quite like the idea of installing something that let's the main sail and reefing all, (or as much as possible), get sorted from the cockpit. Maybe a ZSpar single line reefing boom system? I will take advice though. For one thing I haven't sailed long enough to know a lot. If I can afford a new mast, boom, standing & running rigging etc. etc. - including a better forestay and furling system for the Genoa too then I will need either my current suit of sails re-cut to fit or some new ones and am open to a quote on these items too.

PS I also think her guard rails could do with renewing too. (How much for a netting rig for the dog?).


I also want to service the Beta engine and repair some small damage to the starboard stern quarter toe rail and cleat that got ripped out while she was moored during some bad weather in Workington Port. I also need to replace the wood on the top of port locker. Could some or all of this be of interest too?

Sailing - 2nd to 6th June 2014 ...with Dave Hanna .. Around Mull

Monday 2nd - Went up after Amy visited us – at about 12:30 … Got up about 18:30ish and got the keys from the lad on reception (until 19:30).



Tuesday 3rd - Next morning Dave turned up at 09:00 as arranged … we went over the boat after settling him in and then unsecured and set off at about 12ish.

this is him helming SV Silurian

Had a late lunch in Loch Aline; (I let Fishnish Ferry through entrance) on a mooring and then sailed up to Tobermory to stay on a pontoon. We didn’t get in and moored until about 20:00 so we had a meal at MacGochans (Fish n’ Chips) then went for a walk and then bed.



We walked around and then look over the Northern Coast / Cliff I saw Cryptic at anchor ...



Wednesday 4th – Set off around 10ish and motored around the west coast of Mull – could see Coll and Tiree. Aimed for Coll and its forbidding and grim eastern coastline.

Then we sailed down – past Loch Mingary, Loch Cuan & Calgary Bay to The Treshnish Islands and anchored just off Lunga; inflated the tender and went ashore.



Populated until the 19th century Lunga still bears the remains of blockhouses up in the northeast of the island lies the remains of the now ruined village; (which was abandoned in 1857). Grey seals inhabit the waters surrounding the island, while birdlife breeds included storm petrels, kittiwakes and manx shearwaters, guillemots, puffins and razorbills and on the Harp Rock, - a sea stack separated by a narrow gut. Barnacle geese appear each winter.

Then we sailed on past Staffa & past Gometra Harbour (we could see some boats anchored there) into
CRAGAIG BAY where we anchored for the night in the South East section of the bay; (there were two yachts in the west bay). Saw cows, calves, goats and some deer (9!).



Thursday 5th Next morning from the anchorage we sailed to the entrance of and then motored down the Sound of Iona



- past Bull Hole on Mull and Iona Martyr’s Bay as well as Fionnphort. We looked into Tinker’s Hole, (motored around most of it),



then we went into David Balfour’s Bay for lunch.



After lunch we went past Traigh Gheal, Ardalanish, past Loch Buie. We continued, - past Ardencaple Bay then motored - and late at night – about 10:30 pm we anchored in Puilladobhrain.



Got to bed at about 12:30am and we were up at 08:00 and set off for Dunstaffnage Marina.



Friday 6th Plan was to get in and tidied up the boat and leave about 3pm latest. Left at 14:30 and got home at about 20:00.

West Coast Scotland - books etc.

West Coast of Scotland Pilot United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
North Coast of Scotland Pilot United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
The Yachtsman's Pilot to the Western Isles Martin Lawrence
The Yachtsman's Pilot to Skye and the North West Coast of Scotland Martin Lawrence
The Yachtsman's Pilot To The Isle Of Mull Martin Lawrence
The Yachtsman's Pilot Clyde to Colonsay Martin Lawrence
Imray Charts
Nautical and Astronomical Data HM Nautical Almanac Office
Tidal Stream Atlas: North Coast of Ireland, West Coast of Scotland United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
Tidal Stream Atlas: Firth of Clyde and Approaches United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
Reeds Nautical Almanac: 2011
Reeds Looseleaf Almanac 2011 UK & Ireland
Reeds Western Almanac: 2011 (Scotland and Ireland)
The Waypoint Handbook - West Coast M.D.Tuck

Northern Sporades - with Stan in 2014

Northern Sporades - in Greek, Βόρειες Σποράδες are made up of the scattered islands of Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos, Skyros, Pelagos or Kira Panayia and the uninhabited Peristera, Skantzoura, Yioura, Piperi and Psathoura. Indeed "scattered" comes from the Greek "sporadikós" and presumably gives the name to the Islands.

The other Greek Island groups, in the wider Aegean Sea, include - to the South, the Cyclades (Greek: Κυκλάδες), south-east of the mainland.

Sometimes thought of as the Eastern Sporades - the islands of Lesbos, Limnos and Chios are in fact the North Aegean Group.

The Southern Sporades are now known as the Dodecanese (or in Greek: Δωδεκάνησα, Dodekánisa), which includes Rhodes, Patmos and Kos.

The Saronic Islands are an archipelago, just off the Greek mainland. The main islands are Salamis (where the ancient Greek navy defeated the Persians), Aegina, Angistri, and Poros. The islands of Hydra, Dokos and Spetse are sometimes included in this group.

The Aegean Sea itself (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος, Egeo Pelagos is part of the the Mediterranean - located between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey and in the north, connected to the Marmara Sea, (and therefore Black Sea), by the Dardanelles and Bosporus. The Aegean Islands are within the sea and some bound it on its southern periphery, including Crete and Rhodes.

The sea was traditionally known as "Archipelago" (in Greek, Αρχιπέλαγος) - presumably widened in use because of the Aegean's spectacular number of islands.

Sailing map of the Northern Sporades

The bigger islands have some small number of inhabitants - mostly of "craft sellers to tourists" as well as farmers and fishermen - and the only proper towns double as ports: Skiathos town, Skopelos town, Patitiri on Alonissos and Linaria on Skyros.

On Skopelos island Glossa - near the port of Loutraki and on the island Brian has a place - Alonissos - the port of Steni Vala have some relatively good tavernas within their narrow, winding alleys.

There's plenty of lovely bays to anchor in - beautiful scenery and gorgeous beaches plus wildlife if you can spot it - for example the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus), the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), the striped dolphins (Stenella coerruleoalba), the long finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) as well as Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) and the red, with a small black spot, on billed Audouin's gull (Ichthyaetus audouinii) - the latter like a small Herring Gull - but not a scavenger. Rather it feeds on fish and hunts at night!


Skiathos itself (in Greek: Σκιάθος), is only a v. small island; the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group and the mainland of Greece and Magnesia* lie to the west, while the island of Skopelos lies to the east. The name of the island dates back to ancient times.

*Incidentally Magnesia is the homeland of the mythical heroes Jason, Peleus and his son Achilles. The word magnet comes from the Greek "magnítis líthos" (magnesian stone) and the names for magnesium and manganese are derived from this.

Main tidal gates for West Scotland

Main tidal gates for West Scotland

Kyles of Bute,
Mull of Kintyre,
Sound of Islay,
Grey Dogs
Dorus Mor,
Gulf of Corryvreckan,
Sound of Luing,
Cuan Sound,
Duart Point,
Kyle of Loch Alsh,
Kyle Rhea (Skye),
Pentland Firth,
Inner Firth of Forth.

Italics I have done 2013 or before

International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet & Phonetic Numerals

International Phonetic Alphabet
(Accented syllable in bold.)

A Alpha
B Bravo
C Charlie
D Delta
E Echo
F Foxtrot
G Golf
H Hotel
I India
J Juliet
K Kilo
L Lima
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
P Papa
Q Quebec
R Romeo
S Sierra
T Tango
U Uniform
V Victor
W Whisky
X X-Ray
Y Yankee
Z Zulu

International Phonetic Alphabet Numerals
(Accented syllable in bold.)

0 - (zee - ro)
1 - (wun)
2 - (too)
3 - (three)
4 - (fow - er)
5 - (five)
6 - (six)
7 - (sev - en)
8 - (ait)
9 - (ni - ner)