BLUEMOMENT

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Domestic upheaval means our sailing has been postponed to late August/September, by which time I expect a fabulous Indian Summer to have kicked in.

In the meantime I think of friends who have gone North and South and look at the weather . . . is this Summer even more miserable than the last three, and how are those of you afloat coping with it? Is it windier, wetter and greyer than usual or is it just a malfunction in my rose-tinted rear view mirror?

I measure the goodness of summer by several objective measurements and despite your perceptions this one is nae sae bad. My nose peeled before the end of June, there's at least 2 stops difference in shade where my sandal strap has been, the factor 30 bottle is about half done and there's enough brown slime to justify wiping her bottie.
So you'll no be in S'way this week?

marisca wrote:I measure the goodness of summer by several objective measurements and despite your perceptions this one is nae sae bad. My nose peeled before the end of June, there's at least 2 stops difference in shade where my sandal strap has been, the factor 30 bottle is about half done and there's enough brown slime to justify wiping her bottie.
So you'll no be in S'way this week?

Sadly no, please give my regards to everyone. Might get up on the bike later in the year.

Well my summer is going pretty badly.
Trying to finish building a house which has bumped sailing down to the bottom of the list.
Kelpie has been sat on her mooring since the end of last summer, at least I had the foresight to properly strip her down this year.
Discovered a seized water pump a few weeks ago when I went to fire up the donk to service it. Courtesy of local RNLI shed it's now rebuilt with new bearings and seal. Hoping to get Kelpie beached for antifouling some time later in the month, and then maybe take a break from house building and get some sort of a wee cruise in.

No SY for us either this year- first time we'll have ever missed one.

Mine's been one of no wind when I go out, so far.
Haven't done as much as usual, only one trip to the west so far, but another planned. Like 2015, more motoring that I'd like.
Exception was 2 weeks on a motorboat on French rivers and canals. That was nice weather, but not sailing!

Hoping for some better conditions and the time to use them before the snow starts.

More gloom I'm afraid. We booked in to Port Bannatyne for a few weeks in order to have lunches in the Kyles etc.
We've been out of sync as every time we have to come home for 'business' the weather improves, and every time we go back the clouds descend to MLWS.
Or is it that we've chosen the wrong place and it's just a local weather thing?
Anyway, we're like Nick,waiting and doing the Sundance for the weather to come...

We have had a couple of good separate weeks but several weeks (5) trapped having work done.

I seem to be having a series of 1 week cruises, not the extended periods of cruising I envisioned on retirement.

I need to stop inviting folk and throw the calendar away.

A couple of pluses though, I finally met the infamous Wully. And had a chat with Geoff (mm5aho) in Crinan basin.

Going well - Now that I have turned my back on Scotland, we have had some wonderful sailing on Coniston on the little boat. (Micro 18)
Granddaughter is with us for a week or two and seems to be showing an aptitude for helming
Back in Craignish later in August when the sun will be cracking the flags.....

It's ridiculously sunny in Stornoway - thought you'd like to know

Still ashore at the moment. We tend, due to other commitments, hobbies etc, to just go afloat for a summer cruise these days. Last year's such trip wasn't much fun entailing as it did a month of rain and near-gales (plus a few real ones). Keeping an eye on the weather for August, which we have free, so might just try out Creran Marine's smart new travel-hoist and get afloat for a while.

I'm hoping for good weather and fair winds on 4th August as I head from Gourock to Mull for that weekend.

There were surprisingly few boats on the Clyde today. Weather was better than the forecast predicted.

Beautiful weather up here at 62 degrees North
Donald

mm5aho wrote:
There were surprisingly few boats on the Clyde today. Weather was better than the forecast predicted.

There were about 20 headed to Holy Loch for an SCS muster from a variety of starting points. Toward and Hunter's Quay were a bit lumpy. It was a beat all the way from Tarbert, Loch Fyne despite numerous direction changes. The best sailing was the whizz up Holy Loch but that didn't last long. Barely a breeze today, Sunday.

Ash

We seem to be in the right place for now. Orkney and Shetland have had mainly brilliant sunshine for the past 2-3 weeks. There was a very wet day in Fair Isle and a gale 2 weeks ago and some quite strong winds odd times but overall we've been having a very good time. We didn't expect it to be warm and it hasn't been. Sorry for those who haven't had decent weather. We're heading south soon so hopefully it will improve!

Just back from a brilliant 10 days on boatie including a 7 hour cruising chute run in shorts..

The last couple of days weren't so much fun though.

All good so far this season , 3 trips done, how many more can I squeeze in??