The most remote pub in mainland Britian

Inverie in a bay of the same name on Loch Nevis has only one road and it goes nowhere!  Land Rovers and tractors drive up and down with perceivable frequency between houses and hostels and whatever borders the road but there is no way into or out of the village apart from by sea. All the vehicules, supplies and stuff to build the village must have been brought in that way.  The heart of the community is The Old Forge pub which owns the 11 moorings just off the shore.  The mooring for the night is free as long as you have a meal in the pub, otherwise it would be £15 a night.  We had a wonderful sea food meal that evening in the pub!  There are wonderful walks through the woods and along the foreshore.  Left in the morning with a bit of a gale in the offing to head up north.

 Leaving Inverie

The aim of this day was to reach Plockton on Loch Carron as that had been recommended to us by other more travelled sailors.  The route was NE up the Sound of Sleat between Skye and the mainland, a little wiggle through the narrow Kyle Rhea cut into Loch Aish where we turn west and go under the new (1995) Skye bridge then take a right for 5 miles to Plockton.  Fortunately the wind was mostly behind us blowing force 4 to 5 giving us a maximum recorded speed of 8.4 knots.  About a 30 mile trip.

 View down Loch Aish showing where we had come from, taken from the centre of the Skye bridge. We took a train and walked to the bridge the next day.

Mull to port

Sailed north keeping Mull to port and missing Tobermory this time (as we thought it would be crowded on the week end) sailed into Loch Drumbuie (no distillery !).  The engine died so up mainsail and sailed onto the anchorage.

 Where's Wally? (Spring Breeze)

I had to climb up the rocks on the entrance to the loch to get any phone reception.  It was a great anchorage although a bit of a magnet for yachts on a Friday evening as it's just across the water from Tobermory.  Sailed on in the morning to Mallaig, a 35ml or trip north. We motored out through the Sound of Mull going west then turned north past Ardnamurchan Point, keeping Muck & Eigg to port although we didn't get much of a view of them as the weather was rather misty.  However, with a fair wind behind us, we made good progress, goose winged past the Sound of Arisaig.  Arisaig would have been a great place to visit but a bit scary for us as part of the route in requires us to go over drying rock and I think I would need a bit of water to do that!

So onto Mallaig which is another fishing harbour, past it's heyday as far as fishing is concerned but attracting yachts, wildlife watching boats and ferries to Skye.  It also a magnet for coaches of trippers as it is a pretty little harbour.  I ordered a new water pressure pump there as my repairs to the existing one failed - to be picked up when we pass south next.  We took on fuel and off to 

Inverie, just a few miles down Loch Nevis.

The one great feature of Mallaig is the way they power up their wifi.

Sailing north

Oban Marina is actually on Kerrera Island, just off Oban and the marina has to rely on bringing everything over from Oban by launch, including water (the stream has dried up and the de-salinator can't cope), diesel and all other supplies for a busy marina.  So water is very much rationed.  The one good point is that there is a free launch service over to Oban for those using the marina.

We made a couple of trips over to Oban, to shop, buy oil filters and I had a hair cut (hardly worth it).  We have an irritating red light showing on the engine control panel and I thought it implied the oil was clogged up and so I changed the oil and filter.  That didn't work! although it did need it as we had done a huge amount of miles under engine so far. 

 The marina on Kerrera Island off Oban

It's so nice to be in salt water again. We float an inch higher and our white waterline has changed from grubby yellow and black to almost white again.

Next sailed onto Loch Aline, on the right up on the sound of Mull.  The predominant feature in this loch is the silica mine (12mts deep seam that they are digging into when the demand is there).  We anchored for the first night but having to take on water and issues with the water pump, we moved onto the locally run marina.  I met up with Tom & Ros Cunliff on their boat Constance there.  First met them 40 years ago and since then Tom has become a world renowned yachtsman and marine author.

 The silica mine operation.

The Caledonian Canal

As the wifi is not existent, the O2 upload is poor and the AIS is limited then we have been rather out of touch for the duration of the canal / loch network.  Now we are out and motored to Oban yesterday.

So back to the overall Caledonian Canal experience, it was incredible.  From motoring through wooded glens with trees higher than our mast and glimpses of mountains in the clearings, the trip was unforgettable.  

We entered Loch Ness in heavy rain and a flat calm but within half an hour, it was blowing force 6 with    7 and dead on the nose. We plugged ahead as the only protected anchorage / mooring was in Urquart  Bay. Picked up the one substantial buoy in the bay and had a pleasent night.

The next day sailed up to Foyer Dock for lunch

Decided to motor up to Fort Augustus that evening to get Simon needed to sort his travel arrangements out for travelling back south.  Picked up a Scouts rescue boat that had broken down (diesel in their spare tank, not petrol !) and towed them to the port.

Stayed their a couple of nights, the second night after locking up a flight of locks.  After loosing Simon onto a bus to Inverness, we motored on to Loch Oich where we moored for the night on a pontoon close to a Troll (like Pam & Alans) but covered in plants.

The next day we did some more Loch sailing, this time on Loch Lochy and anchored for lunch close to the southern end.  That evening we motored on to the top of the Gairlochy Locks and moored for the night.

In the morning we moved on down (yes going down the locks now) through various locks to Neptunes Staircase which is a set of 8 connected locks.  A bit daunting but we were getting the hang of them now.

So once out, through the swing bridges and winding our way along the canal we get our first glimpse of Ben Nevis.

Out into the Corpach basin ready to go through the sea lock, Alice goes off shopping but we are asked to lock out into Loch Linnhe because of a naval ship needed our dock space.  So I had to take Spring Breeze out through the last lock without Alice.  She came back to find the boat gone!  There was a pontoon outside the lock so crew and boat re-united, we motored off down towards Oban.  The wind was against us again!  Magnificent views all round of mountains with so few boats around to share it with. Made Oban by early evening and a seafood chowder each.

The canal holiday starts

A rather short trip today of about 1 mile out of Inverness Marina and into the Caledonian Canal, through 2 locks. Very weird a sea going vessel passing through a tree lined canal.

 In the sea lock - 3mts rise for lock 1, 28 locks to go.

Tomorrow, Loch Ness ! ....

Inverness and the start of our canal holiday

Left Buckie at 09:30 and only after half an hour, had enough wind to sail - but only for an hour or so. We did see some dolphin glimpses but little bird life on this leg.  Some decent sailing later however but with rain and a good bit of wind which was fortunately of a useful sailing angle. As we closed the Inverness Firth coasts the hills and mountain scenery came in to greet up and it all became interesting, but for the rain!  We needed to dodge various sand banks in the Firth and by the time we reached the Kessock Bridge at Inverness, the tide was very much against us even up to 5 knots under the bridge.

 

We had 6 metres spare !

  Lunch on the move in the aft cockpit.

Now moored up in Inverness Marina and into the canal tomorrow.

Turning west at last

Left Peterhead at lunchtime and motor sailed against an adverse tide and wind up to Rattray Head.  From then onwards we could ease the sheets and eat the miles up along the Moray Firth south cost. We had a great 4 hrs of sailing at 7 to 8 knots with a good force 4 on the beam. We were accompanied by a Dutch yacht of the same size as Spring Breeze who were also moored in Peterhead the night before.

We made Buckie for the night.  A quite fishing harbour well past it's heyday with 4 massive docks designed to accommodate trawlers.  So we needed our scaffold plank against the concreat dock walls and very long mooring wharps. At least it was a cheap mooring!

 Spring Breeze dwarfed by the dock.

 Buckie's history 

Firth of Forth bypassed

As the Aberdeen Coast is really very limiting for a vessel such as ours - with a draft of 8 ft - the best option was to sail from Eyemouth to Peterhead in one 100 mile go.  Peterhead is an easy accessible commercial harbour with a cute marina in the south west corner of the harbour. As the tides are coming back onto springs, we found Eyemouth had a 'soft spot' for Spring Breeze and at low tide the water left us by at least a foot.

We attempted to leave Eyemouth at 10 in the previous evening but there was very little wind and a serious swell that made the prospect of a 17hr trip intolerable so after an hour north we turned round and ran back to the harbour.  Eyemouth is a tricky harbour in the day having to navigate between clusters of rocks on leading lights to a very narrow entrance, but doing it at night was seriously worrying but putting your trust in the instructions fortunately paid off and we arrived back on our pontoon.  So the next day we set off on the midday tide with the prospect of arriving at Peterhead in the early hours of the next morning.  Simon wisely opted to go by bus and train to Peterhead and stay in a guest house there.  Alice was now addicted to the power of the Quells (which seem to work a treat) and preferred to be with me thankfully than seeing me off to sail into the sunset (metaphorically).

So the sail up to Eyemouth was slightly uneventfull with little wind to start with and then some splendid goose-winged sailing with Ollie (the auto pilot) in control.

At 8 pm our electrics went dead and we quickly deduced it was the 12v batteries gone flat so started the engine and motor sailed for the remainder of the trip (to 4 am in the morning) which was also sensible as the wind was too low to maintain the 6 or so knots we had to achieve. 

After asking the harbour master in Peterhead if we were in the right berth for our draft, he replied in a deep Scottish accent, that 'you're fine where you are but you won't get out !'  Implying the entrance to the marina was a bit silted up and only accessible 2hrs each side of high water.  We came in 3hrs after HW so I knew it was a bit thin but we must have been ploughing a groove through the entrance.

Scotland at last !

Sailed from Blythe to Eyemouth, in the boarders, yesterday starting off in a splendid wind. About a force 4 reach, auto pilot on and reeling off the miles.  However we did have to motor sail for a few hours as the wind died at times.  Sailed inside of the Farne Islands to a prolification of bird life.  Unfortunately the visibility was clamping down so we didn't push our luck (thought about anchoring off Holy Island) so sailed onto Eyemouth.  About a 75 mile trip.  Fortunately the harbour had been dredged the week before so, although it was tight, we moored up inside with out a problem.  Greated by the 3 resident seals in the harbour.

 Eyemouth entrance - rocks off the entrance to be avoided!

Will stay here for 3 days as Simon is flying up tomorrow to Edinburgh and we have hired a car to pick him up and do some site seeing.

The AIS report from this trip is not complete as I switched the box off by mistake half way up the coast.

Wet North Sea

Left Whitby into another howling force 2 but with added delight of it poring with rain.  Eventually the rain did stop and we did have about 3 hrs of great sailing but 6 hrs of motor sailing.  All a bit overcast as we passed the industrial centres of Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle and Tynemouth.  Our destination for the night was Blythe, a commercial harbour but with the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club nessled in the corner of the south harbour.  The club house is an ex wooden lightship having served in stations off the Isles of Scilly, Seven Stones, Shambles off Weymouth and finally off Calshot Spit.  It's externally a bit worse for wear but inside very luxurious.

 Headquarters of the Royall Northumberland Yacht Club

Whitby for fish & chips

Sailed from Grimsby after topping up with diesel with a forcast SW 3-4 gusting 5 or more. At least the wind would be in the right direction for once even if it could turn out a bit strong at times.  As the trip was 75 miles and we had to leave Grimsby Fish Dock in free flow through the lock and get into Whitby at high tide we had to achieve an average of about 7.5 knots over the ground. All started well and when the wind failed to fully materialise, we motor sailed for a bit until the engine died!  The problem was water in the fuel filters but fortunately I had 3 spares and it needed all 3 changing.  I haven't changed the filters on a diesel before (never had the need) but after a considerable amount of time, together with bleeding the system, it was achieved and we were off again.  The engine at that stage was needed as it was a F2 and we had to make up lost time.

Off Flamborough Head we were greated by an abundance of wild life, puffins, guillemots, gannets and fulmars and I even spied a dolphin or maybe a porpoise.  A wonderful site.  Arrived at Whitby at 20:00 at the correct time and had the bridge open for us to motor upto the marina.

Do you see the short cut across Spurn Head - saves so much time off your journey!

 Barry & Dawn (Christine's cousin) met us in Whitby and showed us round the splendid town including a trip on the very rare steam bus.  Went back to Spring Breeze for tea and cream scons kindly baked by Dawn that day.

 Took the 199 steps up to the abbey after lunch.

Sunny Grimsby

After a 03:00 start from Lowestoft we arrived in Grimsby 17hrs later of which nearly 15 of those hours were motor sailing. We had a steady force 2 gusting 3 (rarely) on a close starboard tack for most of the trip but as we had to keep the speed to a target level to reach Grimsby at high tide, then motor sailing was the only option.  It was about a 100mile trip but got us past the Wash and other low lying areas not available to us.  However for the 2 hrs we did sail it was magic!  We're greeted by seals, coming into the Humber estuary, bobbing their heads up and looking around which was a great sight.

No land in site

The marina in Grimsby, which is part of the old fish dock, is run by the Humber Cruising Association and is a small very friendly club.  The pint of bitter at the end of the trip was great!

 The straight line from 06:30 in the morning until about 19:00 is because the AIS signal is not being received by any shore based location.  So our son Sam was concerned when he couldn't see a regular AIS update and phoned the coastguard to be reassured that we hadn't sunk.

 The blue dot is our mooring in Grimsby at the old fish dock.

We visited the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre which is excerlent.  They have re-created the complete life of trawler men with actual parts of a trawler (wheelhouse, galley etc) plus the sounds and smells of that life.  Coupled to the center is a 1957 trawler in the dock that we had a guided tour round.  It was a very hardy life!