22nd June 2011 - To Troon

Jeff's blog of his life living aboard a yacht, at anchor, in the UK, with his wife, a dog and a baby.

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Jeff
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22nd June 2011 - To Troon

Post by Jeff »

Just realised how long it's been since I last posted anything up in here!

Since the last post we've been quite busy - really hard to remember all the places we've been and things we've done. I'll try...

Left Oban and went directly to the worlds tightest anchorage between the islands of Easedale and Seil. Gorgeous and interesting place with slate quarries and lots of fools gold. The venue for the world skimming championships due to the fact that the beaches are made entirely of skimming stones.

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Left Easedale next morning without using the engine. Navigated carefully out of the anchorage (20m wide 'S' channel) under sail only. Continued without engine. Passed through Cuil Sound, down past Shuna Island, through the infamous Dorus Mhor, and dropped anchor in Crinan bay. No engine use whatsoever. Stylish! Need more of this!

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Next morning weighed anchor and motored into the Crinan Canal. Nice canal. Most locks manually operated which was hard with just the two of us but we managed OK. Weather pants.

Found a whole (12 inches long, 3 inches diameter) Charles McCloud of Skye Black Pudding. One of my favourites. For sale in a Spar shop along the way, for just £10.99. Had to have it! But without shore-power we couldn't run the fridge without flattening the batts. Only thing for it was a 3 day black pudding fest. I'm salivating now as I remember it! Glorious stuff! Not salty like most.

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Two mornings later, left the Crinan and sailed all the way to Portavadie. So many people had told us we had to go there for the "5 star showers" that we just had to. Strange place! Middle of nowhere, but posh! Surreal.

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Departed next day, bound for the Kyles of Bute. Part way along, into day two of time booked off work so we could go places where there was no internet, client texts with urgent website problems. Redirected to Lochranza on Arran.

Arran is gorgeous! But the weather was not. Spent 4 nights here, had a tour of the distillery. Saw a golden eagle. Noted the deer that wander around like they own the place. Lunar had to be de-ticked daily.

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Left Arran without the keys even in the ignition. Sailed all the way to Great Cumbrae island. Sailed into Millport Bay, around the bay, found a spot to anchor between two islets covered in seals. Lunar barked at seals. Dropped anchor. No engine use whatsoever. Pride levels rising. Likelihood of a fall, following pride rise, increasing.

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Next morning weighed anchor without the engine on and sailed at 0.4 knots out of Millport Bay, bound for Troon. Lunar barked at seals a lot. Again. Got the fishing gear trailing behind us. Wind slowly picked up more and more. Reefed down to reduce heal. Caught two mackerel on the trailing line. Filleted and barbecued the larger of the two. Nice.

Sailed all the way into Troon harbour before using the engine for the last few moments to get parked up.

Going to be here a while now I think. Got to go to a wedding, and do some work. Rose v happy as they have a bath in the ladies facilities. Jeff v happy as the price is low and includes free electric and WiFi so we can watch BBC iPlayer to our hearts content. Lunar v happy as there's lots of walkies potential.

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Can't help feeling a little sad. The end is in sight and I don't want it to be. The optimism and excitement of travelling further and further away from the known, the excitement of being amongst the Scottish Islands - it's reducing along with the height of the surrounding hills, and the remaining miles to travel.

Here's some stats...

Motored: 77 hours 55 mins
Sailed: 42 hours 5 mins
Anchored: 12 nights
Marina: 22 nights
At Sea: 2 nights
Other: 31 nights (swing moorings, walls etc)
Fees: £788 (large chunk of which is due to canal fees)
Diesel: 205 litres
Logged: 488 nautical miles
Barbecues: 18
Fish: 2 fish, 1 crab

So far the average mooring fee per day is £11.76.

Seems we've used 2.63 litres of diesel per hour motored, which is high. But I've used the engine to charge the batts and warm the cabin (diesel fired heater) and I always try to warm the engine before we use it... but still that's a lot of diesel, especially at today's prices. Hopefully the remaining part of the trip will be more sailing than motoring, and more anchoring than marinas, to bring down the average.
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Post by Discus »

Sounding good, bit concerned about the pants weather though as I am sailing up there from a week Monday :x . Improvement needed me thinks!! How was Lochranza? Always put off a bit by reports of katabatic winds off the hills and wash from the ferry. We have always ended up in Lamlash on Arran which is nice. I keep getting daily updates from my dad about his fitting out at Port Bannatyne on Bute - just hope he pulls his finger out and gets the boat launched. Where are you heading after Troon? Are you planning on getting back to Plymouth this year? Oh and well done on the 2 fishes. Sailing sounds good, next thing you know you'll be pulling the engine out and using the engine bay for storage :lol:

Hope the weather gets better soon (for me as much as you)

Rob

P.S. We went to Portavadie back in 2007, before the main building had been completed and they had luxury portacabin loo's and showers :o - wierd!!! Hope you got across to Tarbert, had some good times there.
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Post by Discus »

........also shame you didn't make the Kyles of Bute - lovely and free moorings if you are willing to consume an ale or two at the local pubs, Kames Hotel or An Lochan (Orange juice for Rose of course!!!). Anchoring at Burnt Islands is stunning and Wreck Bay also a nice anchorage. Another free night mooring on the Colantrive Hotel moorings - nice food there but a little pricey :wink: . Invariably a downwind sail down the East Kyle to Rothesay for a fish supper and a few drams. :idea: RIGHT, I think I've just sorted myself out for the first few days of my trip up there. Yippeee!!!!
Jeff
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Post by Jeff »

Hi Rob,

The weather has been pants for such a long time now I'm sure it'll pick up for your trip. It's certainly starting to feel a lot warmer at least. Hope you have a nice time up around Bute, it sounds fantastic and I'm gutted we didn't make it there, even more now after your comments. But there's no net there I don't think and I had to re-route to Lochranza where the 3G signal was excellent. Lochranza only gave us super strong winds for one evening, but I think they were the same pretty much everywhere. Didn't really notice any bounce from the ferry particularly. Not a lot to do there though mind you.

Liking the engine removal idea! That space in there would make a perfect child's room! :)

Good luck for your trip!
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Post by Discus »

Hi Jeff
If I'm totally honest, the weather in the SW has been crap too, but not maybe as wet as up North. Looking forward to sailing up there again, not been up since 2008. My mum was born on Bute, hence the reason why my dad sails up there as they live part of the year on the island. Mobile internet is a bit sketchy up that way, I know my dad can get the internet on a 3 dongle in Rothesay but the other networks are a bit iffy. Keep forgetting you have to work en route. Kid's room? Didn't think of that, could be handy for you. Who needs an engine anyway?? Just hoping that this weekend is not a repeat of the F7/8/9 disaster of last weekend which meant we didn't even stay on the boat. Oh well, keep on trucking!!! :D

Rob
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