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Nice run up the Sound of Jura yesterday - top of Small Isles Bay to Ard Luing in just over 3 hours, pretty consistently over 7 knots with 11.4 knots over the ground at one point.
Been a funny old high pressure up here though. Indian Bummer really.
Jura Music Festival was good, but the driver of the new Carsaig-Craighouse fast ferry nearly sank friends of ours in an open boat when he passed within 20ft at 30 knots in heavy seas - if he is reading this, may I recommend a quick course in seamanship to avoid any outbreaks of Rib Rage . . .
Nick wrote:.
Been a funny old high pressure up here though. Indian Bummer really.
Not half. The forecast cold front came through on Saturday more or less on cue, but yesterday was expected to be drifting / motoring in the sun. In the event we ended up with three reefs in and going like a train through an extremely bouncy sea and heavy showers!
Maybe we should have had one in then . . . we held on to all plain sail on a beam reach in 16 - 22 knots all the way up the Sound, but had to hastily roll a lot of genny away just before we reached Shuna Sound when we were caught in a big squall with the wind well forward of the beam.
Hurtling across the maelstrom between Corryvreckan and Big Doris trying to work out CTS from moment to moment and with the SOG constantly in double figures was enormous fun though, much better than drfiting lazily in the sunshine . . .
We'd spent the night in Loch Aline, got up too late to make the morning tidal gate south, so had a leisurely start then puttered across to Duich. Anchored off the jetty in about 3m (sand, fairly good holding) and visited the castle. Now W3, and spent an hour or so off Duich peacefully stemming the tide and going nowhere (fine for having lunch and mending the dinghy bag). Eventually put the motor on to get out of the tide then, crossing over to Seil, the wind got up - and up. Close hauled through Inch Sound and past Easdale in an increasingly rough sea was very "lively".
I should have dropped the main before bearing away for Cuan, but stupidly didn't, and consequently had a right hassle doing so under motor before entering the Sound. Conditions at the entrance were as rough as I've seen it.
It was a Mayday Relay by Clyde Coastguard saying they had an indication of distress on a boat in Loch Linnhe - I forget the name of the vessel - and did anyone have any information?
I suspect an EPIRB had gone off inadvertently, but I didn't hear any more.
