Thursday 12 June 2014

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