Urban sailing

 After a windy night on uncle Ian’s mooring we decided to cut our losses and leave Colonsay with insufficient diesel, water and food and head to the relatively urban delights of Oban in order to stock up. We had a pleasant rather gentle sail up the Firth of Lorn then inside the Island of Kerrera to reach Oban. Both of us managed a two-hour sleep on the way so we were ready to party when we hit the big city lights. We filled up our spare diesel can at the Kerrera side marina then sailed across to the north pier transit marina, dodging an outgoing ferry, and moored up on the pontoon which is so conveniently placed for town centre restaurants and shopping. It is 21st June 2021.

On Oban town pier

(more photos to follow when we get some reasonable wifi)

Although we can claim to have ‘been away from it all’, for example we have only watched two movies and one live football match since setting out a month ago, it was actually quite nice to go into town. Even just shopping in a  fairly standard size supermarket seemed very sophisticated and we stocked up on all our favourite foods. For Mark that means eggs, crumpets, builders style tea bags and milk. There is no fifth item, it just goes back round to eggs. Pete is more of an Earl Grey, red peppers and Bonne Maman raspberry conserve kind of guy. We do both agree on good Italian style coffee and making a mess with a cafetiere, even when it is blowing a hoolie and the boat is on a slant, is a daily ritual, and on a long day might even happen twice.

In Oban it was great to be able to meet up with some friends for fish and chips and a couple of beers. With diesel, water and food replenished we felt ready for anything and went to bed ready to head northwards.

 Passing by a more reliable form of transport by which to explore the Scottish Islands

We left Oban at a leisurely time to catch the tidal flow that squirts through the Sound of Mull going northwards. We sailed across the Loch of Linn to enter the sound and as we passed into the narrow south-east entrance of the sound we suddenly picked up in speed by one, two then eventually three knots (roughly mph for landlubbers). Another pleasant sailing day, but eventually, after a few hours, the wind was on the nose (straight against us) so we resorted to sail-motoring, pretending that the sail was doing something useful. However, the wind increased and backed towards the north-west and we fell back to sailing with some excitement towards a less urban but more famous harbour and town of Tobermory. Tobermory is famous for its vista, a seafront row of terraced properties painted in pastel pinks, blues and yellows. Tobermory is also famous for its Cafe Fish and although they were too busy to answer the phone we used the ‘turn up in person at 5pm and see if there might be a table later’ technique. That got us a table at 9pm on the day and 5pm the next evening so it was fish and seafood or fish and seafood on the menu for these ‘living on the edge’ adventure sailors.

We studied the charts and pilots (books giving detailed local advice for cruisers on tidal flows and anchorages) for Skye and the far north, round Cape Wrath to the Orkneys. We worked out how we could do it, with relatively short passages because the boat is not so fast, even when the motor is running. A typical favourable tidal flow will help you for up to six hours but then it turns. So, a typical long day will include some time against the tide. We are now experts on passages and anchorages in the far north and have a brilliant schedule all worked out.

However, on balance, with an eye on the wind forecasts, on our sailing performance so far, and most significantly on our date of planned return to other commitments, we made the huge decision this morning to go through the Caledonian Canal rather than go on to the far north and round Cape Wrath. In some ways it feels disappointing, we had always intended to go for it, but in other ways it is fine. Going through the canal will be a laid-back mini adventure in itself, and we still have the challenge of the North Sea and getting down south along the east coast to look forward to. We have promised ourselves a return to sail round Cape Wrath and visit the Orkneys maybe with much more time or with a bigger, faster boat. We had a flexible arrangement to meet up with our friend Peter, who also has a Hunter yacht, in Orkney, and so had to make contact and let him know we would not be making our date in Stromness. We vaguely agreed, rather than pushing north, to sail round Mull, which five years ago we did in a Wayfarer dingy, but this time we would be going anti-clockwise in a gin palace. Maybe this does not seem like progress but in this game you write your own rules, so circumnavigating Mull, and also successfully sailing round the UK (but via the Caledonian Canal) is our new summit of achievement for this adventure. 

 The classic view of a lovely place. Tobemory waterfront.

A still and silent night in Tobermory - time for reflection and time for turning.

After a full-in rest day in Tobermory, we are ready to set off tomorrow with a possibility of a new Scottish Island as a destination.