BLUEMOMENT

About 45-50 miles.

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By yacht I assume you mean . . .

50nm perhaps . . . no serious tidal probs.

When I suggested that I was thinking Tobermory Friday, Bunessan Saturday and Puilladobhran Sunday - Pullers to Dunstaffnage is only a couple of hours tops. Tinkers Hole is nearer to Puilladobhrain than Bunessan though so would be a better bet for the Saturday. It's only about 35nm from the Hole to Puilladobhrain.

Thing is, this is very weather-dependent as it can be pretty rough off the W. of Mull in a blow, not to mention the Torran Rocks. 'Twas only a suggestion, I am most emphatically not taking on the mantle of Cruise Director for this one.

Possibilities if we head up to Tobers Friday and see which way the wind blows would be:

round Ardnamurchan to Sanna Bay or Moidart (ambitious)
down to Iona and Tinkers Hole (needs good weather)
out to Coll (nice plae but a long haul back to Oban)
into Sunart and as far up as we care to go (sheltered but a dead end)
back to Lochaline (good pub, but we've done all this before)

OR

erm . . . that's it from me - someone else must have some ideas. We need a bad weather plan as well - maybe Lismore, Port Appin or up to Ballachulish / Glencoe . . .

Claymore, your thoughts?

Tobers Friday is fine - the Muz and I are involved in a "Senior Management Activity" on the Friday so depending on how fast we can skive out - we may have to get the ferry from Oban and then get a bus up to Tobers.

Saturday - all weather dependent of course but Coll looks a nice wee hop and then back to Pullers for the Sunday - which means that Jimi could take my car from Oban up to Dunstaffnage and I could pick it up there on the Sunday.

Early May - It will be inevitably a bit cool and perhaps blowing a bit ( it has done at some point over every one we've done so far so I'd be a little cautious about ambition. Our trip to Colonsay was a diversion from our intended destination. I also wondered about having a look further up the Sound of Lorne - Creran or Dallens Bay but that would not be much of a trip for Shard.
We could of course always consider a sail out beyond Ardnamurchan and back to Tobers for the day on Saturday.
Do we know has the Pub re-opened in Salen (Sunart) that is an iteresting area - sheltered of course and gives Shard the opportunity to demonstrate his depth sounding abilities in Loch Teacups.

All written of course as the Non-Director - perhaps I should consider myself as a consultant of sorts?

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So are we to take it that Tobers is Friday's destination, with the world our mollusc thereafter?

(Written as even less of a CD than Claysie and not even a smidgeon of a consultant you understand)

( do we need a sloping shoulders smiley? )

Jesus Nick its only february. Between now and May anything can happen. Sea levels will rise dramatically. Matt will get arrested on the way up. Claysie will be appointed moderator-in-chief at ybw and too busy to attend. I'll start making a useful contribution to fora..
We'll probably spend the weekend in Dunstaffnage but I'm sure it will work..!

Some eminently sensible suggestions but it's a shame that Claysie & Muz can't make the start and Jimi has to leave early. So Friday night has to be somewhere that the Fleetwood twins can reach by public transport from Oban (assuming tcm is sailing on Friday) and Saturday night needs to be within striking distance of Dunstaffnage.

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Let's just spend the weekend in Puilladobrain and get blootered - that should fit in with everyone's scottish excrement tedule . . .

Hey Cruise Director material despite all the protestations...!

Nick wrote:.
Let's just spend the weekend in Puilladobrain and get blootered - that should fit in with everyone's scottish excrement tedule . . .

That ticks all the boxes for me.

And me!!!

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RU coming then?

Do you require a berth on Fairwinds?

Chentlemen..

The Salen Hotel, Loch Sunart, changed hands a few years ago and is now greatly improved. The bar is very pleasant and the food is good. (Mrs Ocklepoint likes it for Sunday lunch, linen tablecloths and that sort of thing)

There are also building works going on with showers to be made available for dirty boaters.

(no commercial relationship, just an occasional customer)

I understand though that there are problems with overpriced moorings in Salen bay and I have also heard rumours of yotties being charged vast sums for the use of the privatised pier for dinghies. There is talk of forming some sort of community group to sort it out.


All the best

Good information, for which many thanks.

Ocklepoint wrote:There is talk of forming some sort of community group to sort it out.

What are the chances of the landing situation being sorted out for the first weekend in May?

Re. landing at the old pier

I don't see any real need to use the old stone pier at Salen.

There are plenty of little beaches further up the bay, and therefore closer to the pub.

Easy fence free access from the shore to the road.

I think people only use the pier because it is there.

Don't hold me to any of this though, I have never actually landed in Salen, been driving back and forwards through it for 35 years, my mooring is about 5 miles west in Glenmore Bay.(no pub but I think the restaurant/cafe in the Natural History centre may have a table license))

I'm fairly sure that the Clan Morrison Hotel, Glenborrodale is also now closed for business, which is a shame as not only was it possible to anchor in Glenborrodale Bay, but the pub had a wee pontoon.

There are refreshment opportunities to be had in Strontian, bit a of a trek down a cul de sac, but perhaps an idea for you chentlemen should the weather be more intemperate than usual.

There is of course the Kilchoan Hotel. Always a bit hit or miss. I went there to watch the last Scotland Italy European Cup game, Saturday, 5.00 pm, pub shut. A miss I guess.

There are old HIDB moorings in Kilchoan Bay, now supposedly maintained by the Western Ardnamurchan Mooring Assoc. Not sure when they were last checked. Very exposed to anything with a bit of west in it.

Cheers

Strontian is a bit of a drag - very expensive hotel there which will suit TCM.
The pier at Salen is just handy for the moorings and a dry foot experience - also quite a pleasant walk up through the village.