First summer 2012 voyage.

8th July - Set off with Stan from Maryport on Sunday night at about 18:05 BST on engine at about 6 knots. Bearing was 260 degrees, avoiding wind farm. At 20:00 we changed to 270 degrees – the wind was dead ahead at about 10 knots. We topped up the engine tank with fuel.

9th July – Bangor At 4:45 in the morning we were about 9 Nm due south of the Rhinns. We arrived at Belfast Lough at about 08:30 and moored up at Bangor

Latitude: 54° 40'N Longitude: 05° 40'W - at 10:00 after refueling tank and spare cans. Then, after settling the boat, we had a v. late breakfast in some place up the way and checked out some chandlers to get something to try to lock off the shackle of the mainsail that was missing. We failed, though I got some batteries for the torch (AAA). Then we cleaned up – boat and ourselves - and I did some laundry work. We ate early at a curry restaurant and slept. The marina was notable for the presence of the buttresses in the old North Pier nesting places for the Black Guillemots (back in the early 1900s a small population became established. Today the Black Guillemots nest not only in holes in the North Pier, but also in nest boxes and holes in the Central and South Piers - indeed the population of breeding birds now exceeds twenty-five pairs. The Black Guillemots occupy Bangor Marina for much of the year, except during August and September when they are moulting into winter plumage on the waters of Belfast Lough. By January most of the birds are moulting back to their brilliant summer plumage - jet black with a large wing patch.

Normally the female lays two eggs around the middle of May and for just over a month, the male and female birds are occupied incubating the eggs. This is followed by a frenzy of activity as parent birds fly in and out of the Marina carrying butterfish for their every-growing and demanding young. The young stay in the nest holes for five to six weeks, after which they too, leave to join the adults in Belfast Lough. The process of 'ringing' the birds has revealed that they return to breed from about four years of age, and may continue to breed for another ten years or more.

10th July – Set off for Glenarm (from Irish meaning "valley of the army"). The halyard black came adrift from the foot of the mast. We managed anyway with just an uncomfortable looking angle on the halyard through to the clutches. We left the mainsail up even when we had to motor. We reached Glenarm - which also had the Black Guillemots too - a harbour whose village is in County Antrim, on the North Channel coast - north of the town of Larne and south of the village of Carnlough with only 582 people.

It was 4 hours to here from Bangor - and involved passing the Isle of Muck, Antrim - where we proceeded to get very wet - thanks to the overfalls. The water came up over the stern and the spray-hood.

I had only closed the hatches on the first closing point, so we got the bedding etc. soaked too. We made Glenarm harbour at last - which has long been a port for sailors and yachtsmen travelling to and from Scotland's island-studded western coast – it has 40 berths within the village's historical limestone harbour - it was used mainly for the export of limestone from the nearby quarry – and Puffers were frequent visitors loading out limestone. Then the harbour became too small for modern shipping, becoming an eyesore after years of disuse - at one time it was used as a dump for bits of fallen cliff face after winter landslides on the coast road. It was re-built as a marina in the early part of this century. We paid etc. at the Marina HQ then went for a drink in town.

11th July – Campbeltown. Set off from Northern Ireland at about 10:00 and by 13:00 we were halfway at +55.0600 -05.4400 - well into the North Channel* (Sruth na Maoile as it is known in Gaelic - alternatively in English as the 'Straits of Moyle'.

**Note of historical interest - HMS Drake - a 14-gun sloop-of-war - fought a North Channel naval duel with the 18-gun sloop 'Ranger' of the Continental Navy (the early United States Navy), commanded by Captain John Paul Jones.

Five of Drake's crew, including her captain, George Burdon, were killed, and after an hour-long engagement, Drake surrendered to the Americans. Jones was able to evade capture and deliver Drake to Brest, France as his prize on 8 May 1778. This was the first, and most decisive, American victory over any Royal Navy vessel in British waters.

We sailed / motored here from Glenarm and on the way passed Ailsa Crag*. Must have sailed for about 4 to 5 hours and did about the same on the engine - getting in and out of harbours especially.

**Ailsa Craig is a volcanic plug of an extinct volcano and rises straight from the sea bed to about 1,110 feet (340m) abover sea level. Located about 10 miles west of Girvan and about 2 miles in circumference it dominates the skyline for much of the outer Firth of Clyde and an excellent reference point.

As we sailed/motored towards Campbeltown we saw ahead Arran ahead as we moved on ...

... then we came past Sanda Island ...

... then up past Daaver Island and arrive eventually in Campbeltown ... in Scottish Gaelic it is 'Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain' - a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre peninsula - it was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell (Earl of Argyle) was granted the site in 1667.

Davaar Island (in Scottish Gaelic 'Eilean Dà Bhàrr') is located at the mouth of Campbeltown Loch guarding the approach. A tidal island, it's linked to the mainland by a natural shingle causeway (called the Dhorlin apparently), visible at low tide - the crossing can be made in around 40 minutes approximately.

Campbeltown became an important centre for shipbuilding and Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing port. The town's remote location near the far end of a long peninsula makes for a difficult road journey, noted by Fiona as we paid at The Royal Hotel - "Glasgow is 136 miles away", she told us! We had rafted up at about 6pm, next to a couple who were from Northern Ireland. We strolled along Kinloch Road, popped into Tesco's, put away our shopping and went for a meal in the Harbourview Grille, in The Royal Hotel's grill - having had a drink first in the pub inside the hotel called "The Black Sheep Pub" (not brilliant!). We didn't refuel and set off at 0930 as our neighbours told us they pushing off then ... (they didn't!).

12th July – East Loch Tarbert next - took most of the day to get there sailing and motoring. We reached it at about 17:30. The place, which I thought was lovely, sits around a harbour in an attractive horseshoe shape - it's a natural amphitheatre surrounded by heather covered hills. We moored up on the pontoons and went ashore to pay and to find out where we might find a to replace the broken block that was meant to be securing the mainsail halyard at the base of the mast. No luck, so Stan used an old fisherman's trick (thanks Gilbert for the tip) of super-glueing the thread lightly and the block was refitted. We ate at The Anchorage restaurant. Sea Bream with lovely vegetables for main - lovely and we shared some prawns to start. Very good (met some Dutch guys who were cycling to Campbeltown - two of whom claimed to have sailed the Atlantic!).

The harbour is overlooked by the castle of Robert The Bruce keeping a watchful eye at this strategic position and looks out to Loch Fyne. The harbour seems to be the focal point of the village - with a small productive fishing fleet, facilities for sailing yachts an some pretty touristy shops and restaurants.

The village of Tarbert, as it seems to be known, lies at the eastern side of the Kintyre peninsula - it is a part of the much larger Loch Fyne. (East Loch Tarbert is separated from West Loch Tarbert by an isthmus only 1.5 kilometres long). Whilst walking around the harbour we noticed two skiffs - 'Iolair' (originally built in Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute) and 'Wee Dooker' (the local nickname for Guillemot). These are replicas of the clinker built timber boats propelled by oar and wind used on the West coast of Scotland since earliest times with boatbuilding methods and design showing a clear Norse influence. There are many variations but these fishing boats were generally double ended craft built of Larch and Oak with a Lug sail and in later years a jib and bowsprit. These boats had a distinctive underwater shape and steeply raking stern post. This became known as “The Loch Fyne Skiff” designed in the mid 1880s for a "new kind" of fishing - involving the use of two such vessels surrounding a whole shoal of herring and netting them.

All in all - a pretty place ... here's three more photos showing the place.

13th July – Largs. We set off - at 09:05 to be precise ... and shortly after clearing the harbour area we set sail. We were impressed with the view as we left ... and humbled by the lovely houses that had been built around this anchorage.

We sailed ... and tacked quite a few times .... as we moved down Loch Fyne ... until we came to the departure point ... wither we did the Kyles of Bute or continued down to the bottom edge (southern tip) of Bute and turned below Great Cumbrae and above Little Cumbrae. Stan suggested we practised mooring in Millport. Sounded good - especially as the Kyles' weather looked rainy and cloudy.

We successfully moored - twice - and then motored over to Largs. I had let Steve Cockerham know where I was and found to no surprise that he and Jenny with two friends - were heading to Largs for the weekend sailing in 'Wavecrest'. He was keen to come over and see 'the beast' (though his is a Sadler 34 ... so mine is smaller!). It happened that Richard turned up first and after introductions and settling him on board (Stan seemed keen to try the quarter-berth!) Steve, Jenny and friends came over to look 'Cryptic' over. They went for a drink and then were heading back to cook on board. Richard took us for a curry in Largs town.

14th July – We set off for Campbeltown (again!), dropping Stan off after breakfast and shopping in the local Largs supermarket. Wet motored out - around 12:30 and then after an hour Richard and I chose to sail down the eastern side of Arran until we got to just short of Holy Isle at around 15:00, when we put the engine on again. We switched off again north of Pladda Isle (it lies off the south east coast of Arran and the lighthouse has apparently two lights to distinguish it from the many other lighthouses in the area).

We sailed on quite quickly - with Richard helming - until around 19:20 (55deg 22min 05sec) when we realised we couldn't furl the genoa. I strapped on and went to try to free it. In spite of taking some of the line out of the furler and re-threading it I couldn't get it to work so reluctantly cut the job sheets as close to the bowlines tying them to the sail as I could.

I got a nasty cut on my forehead too ... luckily I only noticed after the job was done. I beat a hasty retreat to the cockpit and Richard gave me Stan;s towel (which was to hand) to try to staunch the blood. By now we were in a Force 6 and heading west into the sun, and I found it hard to keep on course. Richard was below and plotting well. By 20:40 we were off Daavar and heading into calming water where we could bring in the mainsail. The engine was still on and the jib flapping away uselessly but dangerously. We rafted at 21:40 (relatively gently - though I scratched the wood on the wooden fishing boat I was encouraged to moor up against), with a lot of help - mainly some visiting yachtsmen from the Midlands (retirees and spending a few months sailing W. Scotland from Wales in their centre cockpit Moody 35s. The owner of the fishing boat had seen us come and came down to tear me off a strip - which he proceeded to do until he realised I was cut and bleeding (and not really paying him any attention!)... Then bless him, he took me up (with his wife driving) to the Accident and Emergency Dept of the local hospital.

I got cleaned up an the cut was scabbing so the nurse left it and then checked my head for other injuries. There were none, so after tea and a shortbread I got a taxi back to find Richard had made pasta for himself. We turned in.

The next day dawned OK but most yachts were staying put as the weather out at sea was poor. After a wash etc. at the local 'Aqualibrium' (Swimming baths/Library!) I felt a lot better. Richard & I had breakfast in The Royal Hotel and then, as promised, the owner of the fishing boat came down to see how I was. He was fine about the small damage (scratch) I had made to his boat and then the Midlanders helped us sort out the furling gear and the genoa. Then later - at about 12 noon - we got called by one of them to look at the 'Waverley' that was coming in as part of its tour ... it docked on the fishing quay.

We had to wait its arrival but it was a warm, though windy afternoon. It came at last - the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world - built on the Clyde in 1947 to replace the original which was sunk at Dunkirk. She had a lot of brass on board and must have some powerful mighty engines! Big mooring warps too ... They were fed up to the quay from some lighter lines thrown ashore by the crew and wrestled on to the quayside bollards. She docked and was due to depart about 12:30 - cruising around the Mull of Kintyre and up to Oban. A route we were going to follow soon....

That evening we walked on a pleasant evening to the Ardshiel Hotel where we enjoyed a meal (in the Garden Restaurant - and Richard a malt whisky). The buildings on this side of Campbeltown seemed rather grand - apparently lots of whisky barons had homes here in the past!

15th July – A big day - the plan is to round the Mull of Kintyre and anchor up at Gigha in Ardminish Bay. Before we cast off and after I cleaned my teeth/washed etc. I filled up two diesel cans, (with road diesel), and I eventually bought some oil for a two stroke and a petrol can and filled up with fuel. Off we set about an hour later than planned - at 0930. At 11:20, motoring, we passed Latitude N 55 19.5 Longitude W 5 33.6 - 'Arranman's Barrels' - a group of small stacks to the NW of Oitir Mor - a rocky isle.

By 11:40 we were abeam Macharioch buoy and then Southend. To our South lay Sanda and Sheep Isle. We continued - in a flat calm - and passed some overfalls that in rougher weather would be fun!

We moved West gradually ... and then, at around 14:30 we now started to move North! We had rounded the Mull! It's worthy of note is that the Kintyre Peninsula extends about 40 miles south from the mainland and protects the Firth of Clyde from the Atlantic so this area is fairly sheltered. There is a large tidal difference between either side of the peninsula which causes strong tides around the Mull of Kintyre.

The name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Maol Chinn Tìre – or in English: "The rounded headland of Kintyre". The Mull is at the extreme southwestern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, approximately 10 miles from Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Western Scotland. At its closest point, mainland Northern Ireland is only 12 miles from the Mull. It is about 8 miles beyond the southernmost village of the peninsula, Southend. Ailsa Craig and the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland and Rathlin Island are all often clearly visible from the Mull though the area is often being plagued with sea-mists.. Notoriously strong currents plague the tip of the Kintyre Peninsula creating a hazard to sailing craft.

Gigha Island - lying 3 miles from the western peninsula of Kintyre. It is some 7 miles long and 1 mile wide with Ireland 30 miles south, Islay 10 miles west and Jura 10 miles north-west. The views are stunning with the Paps of Jura, Ben More 50 miles away on Mull, Goat Fell on Arran 20 miles away to the east - 55°39'N., 5°46'W. It's a hilly populated island lying 3 miles off the coast of Kintyre. Cara and Gigalum (55°38'N., 5°45'W.) are small islands lying off the S end of Gigha. All these islands are encircled by foul ground and above and below-water rocks and reefs. At Ardminish Bay (55°40'N., 5°44'W.), on the East side of Gigha, there is a pier and anchorage. We moored (successfully!) and got out the tender (an old .... old Avon Redstart), and, eventually having inflated it, put on the outboard. I practiced - narrowly managing not to sink after I hit the mooring buoy. Then Richard boarded and we managed to get to shore.

We left the tender and wandered off - after booking the Boat House for a dinner - to see the gardens - Achamore. These are situated within the Community-owned Isle of Gigha and the garden is Oceanic, Atlantic and is influenced by the Gulf Stream. Frosts are rare and snow even rarer.

Rainfall is reputed to be only 100cm in comparison to the mainland which can be double. The gardens originally were laid out for Rhododendrons and lay between 10 metres to 100 metres above sea-level. Fertile acid sandy loam with some clay and gravel subsoil. ideal growing conditions for a wide variety of plants from around the world including lower-order Bryophytes and Ferns.

We returned and had a dinner that was fine ... not brilliant, but OK. We returned to the slightly decompressed tender and managed to get her back to the yacht and carefully loaded her back on deck after taking off the outboard and stowing it. Note - must get a more reliable tender and a new outboard!

16th July – Set off at 11:30 for Craobh Haven - we switched the engine off at 12:35 and had to put it back on at 13:00 - wind was tiny and anyway against us. We steadily motored up past the East coast of Jura in a poor visibility and past Loch Sween and then Loch Craignish. We continued up past the Northern edge of Jura - past a weak Gulf of Corryvreckan and then past Scarba noting the Small Isles abeam ... ahead, to starboard was the entrance to Loch Coalisport - then there is the MacCormaig Isles.
To starboard the entrance to Loch Crinan and the Dorus Mor. Heading up Loch Shuna leaving Scarba Luing and Shuna to port and Eilean Arsa to starboard. Then there is the sheltered entrance to Craobh Marina.

It was wet by now - raining ... and after mooring up we went for a meal at 'The Lord Of The Isles' pub.

17th July – In the morning left at 11:30 bound for Kerrera Island, Oban. We first rounded the South side of the first Isle in front of Luing - one of the Slate Islands - home of the "Grey Dog" tidal race, which runs in the sea channel to the south, and reaches 8 knots in full flood. ... then North of Luing itself into the Cuan Sound.

Thanks to Richard's pilotage we moved through a difficult passage - the tidal gates - with some ease, though it was neaps and calm. Still, just before we broke out of the passage we got rough waters and hit considerable waves as we moved out into the Firth of Lorne.

We passed the islands of Easdale and Luing and looked back to see the whereabouts the ‘Bridge over the Atlantic’.

We got overtaken by a CalMac ferry - between Colonsay and Oban - then we entered the Sound Of Kerrera. We pushed on around the buoys and into Ardantrive, where we moored at 15:00. After all the formalities - (I booked the boat in on the basis of probably wanting an annual berth but let's do a month first - sadly the boss, Sue Deacon, wasn't available) - we went to Oban (North Pier) via the Marina Ferry*.

There Richard walked up to the folly - McCaig's Tower - a prominent folly on Battery Hill. It was built to provide employment during winter months for the local stone masons. Me? I settled for a drink in the local hostelry. When Richard got back we had a look at the Oban Distillery and then went for a meal at a bistro restaurant - Room 9 - Richard had found. A brilliant meal - the main course was beautifully done Hake.

(*NOTE - summer shuttles from 1st April 2012. First shuttle leaves Oban North Pier @ 08.10hrs, shuttles will then run every hour on the hour from the island, and every ten past the hour from the North Pier. The last shuttle will return to the island at 22.10hrs. During June to August,two shuttles will run every half hour, one on the hour and one at half past the hour from the marina. The last shuttle will be 23.10hrs).