by Antony Sluce

Crew: Antony, Justin and Rachel Sluce

Lepe is a 17 foot Express Pirate with twin bilge keels which I have slowly been fitting out from a set of mouldings. Additions this year were shelving on the bulkhead and a ventilator up forward, both put to good use on this cruise.

6th July — Wednesday

Set off by midday. We had been waiting for Rachel to finish at college and this was the first day she could get up to Manchester. The boat had been being loaded for the last two days. Justin and I had been to Safeway to buy provisions. I had been astounded by the quantity which J thought we needed and feared we would never get it stowed. We set off up the familiar route of the M63, M6 and on to Glasgow where we took the road to Stirling before cutting across through the hills to Crianlarich. I was surprised at the scenery and the tempting view of the hills for walking. The weather was intermittent showers. Justin did not attach the filler cap correctly at the filling station before the real Highlands so that we used nearly a tank getting through the hills to Oban before we realised. Just before Oban we turned off for the Loch Creran Moorings which had been mentioned to us by Peter Filshie, who had seen them in the Trailer Sailer Club newsletter.

We arrived at 2030 in a brief sunny spell and hastily got the mast up and dropped down to the water’s edge with the car. The boat was just in the water when the heavens opened. It was an absolute cloudburst. I stripped off and put on oilskins, Rachel sat in the car, and J got wet. We got the boat off and R got on board, and we handed all the stores down to her. The new fore ventilator was leaking steadily but she managed to get everything stowed away and nothing got too wet. We were able to pick up a mooring and the rain passed over. I parked the car and chatted to the owners of the moorings.

We cooked up the first meal under the cockpit tent as the rain still held off — stir fried vegetables, rice and tuna with steamed sponge pudding to follow. Thankfully to bed. I slept up forrard, J to starboard and R in the quarter berth. We had a quiet night with no worries on the mooring.

7th July — Thursday

The day dawned without rain and we got breakfast and tidied away the gear. Whilst it was not raining we re-seated the ventilator on Sealastic and it did not leak again. In no wind we started drifting around the upper part of the loch. Very soon afterwards the rain started at the cloudburst level. My Gore-Tex jacket was not nearly man enough for the job. We stopped for lunch close to the shore just short of the bridge. After lunch put on two oilskins as normal for the rest of the trip.

Just managed to sail back to the moorings. Then the wind picked up and we had a good sail to South Shian with the weather advancing in broad bands with gusts as each cloud passed over. Anchored close inshore inside the moorings. Clothing soaked through. Dried out between showers and cooked up meal — gammon, potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms and cheese sauce followed by yoghurts. As you might gather, I felt it was a race to eat the food before it started going off. Lunch had been mackerel and salad.

8th July — Friday

Up at 0600. Not raining to begin with. Hastily got under way and sailed out on the last of the ebb. Passed by the tender used for taking men to the Morvern quarries. Sailed up Lynn of Lorne and around Lismore to set course for Loch à Choire. Mists coming and going with rain at varying strengths. Saw porpoises bobbing out of the water and pairs of black guillemots, parent and child, busy cheeping at each other. The guillemots paddled faster than the boat. Nothing more depressing than trying to sail in the rain with no wind. Beat into Choire past fish farms and anchored at the edge of the shelf created by the beck at the head of the loch. Had late breakfast — potato omelette with gammon, mushrooms and side salad.

Sheltered from rain and then had Cheddar sandwiches and Branston with soup.

Rowed ashore to South Choire Farm hoping to meet relatives who rent the farm. No sign of them or anywhere to dump the rapidly accumulating rubbish from all the cooking. Walked to N Choire and then to main road and found no sign of rubbish bins. Compressed rubbish and returned aboard after filling water bottle from tank in field smothered with flowers including bog orchids,

9th July — Saturday

0945 got underway and beat out of the loch. Set genoa for the first time in Lynn of Morvern. Intermittent rain coming across in waves. As each wave approached the wind speed increased. Consequently no sooner had we set the genoa than the wind increased and J came on deck to help put two reefs in the mainsail and roll up half the genoa. Unfortunately broke a batten before we could control the mainsail when reefing. it is a while since I last broke a batten: in fact this was the first one since I started using the kicking strap. Found that the reefed genoa pulled much better than the reefed working jib. The clew was higher on the genoa and so kept clear of the seas breaking over the foredeck and I think the centre of effort was lower. Beat down past the quarry into short sea. R was forced out of the cabin by the motion and we all sat up to windward in the cockpit. Tacked just passed the quarry and sailed to Lismore. Much more comfortable on this tack taking the seas on the beam. More of a lee by the island so we beat up inshore to a little cove for lunch at 1400. Weak sunshine.

Set off again with reduced wind and soon had full genoa and main. I rested below until we were abreast Bernera island when I took over and J and R went below. Wind increased slightly as we beat towards Mull so I pulled in a couple of rolls in the genoa. Tacked at Duart Castle standing through tidal race without reducing sail. R joined me as we sailed towards Kerrera island. Tacked opposite highest point of island and were able to lay straight down the firth parallel to the Mull coast. As we passed the island (which looked like a submarine) off the S end of Kerrera the wind increased and we reefed using the lines I had rigged at lunch time for the slab reefing. Tacked when we were clear of the island and stood in towards the entrance to Kerrera Sound. Crew decided we had to be in an anchorage before 2100 or they would start the motor. I was determined to get to Puilladobhrain now and reckoned we would make it before their deadline.

We had to tack before the entrance to the sound as we were being set down on to the rocks. The wind was bending as we approached the coast. After tacking we could lay the entrance to Puilladobhrain but after a mile the wind headed us off and we finished up with a series of short tacks as we closed the entrance. The last part of a beat towards shelter is always a pleasure as the seas become smoother and the boat speeds up. By 2100 we were anchored in the pool with the tent up and supper under way. We had sailed 38 mile through the water and about 20 miles in a direct line between our start and finish all against the wind. Despite this and the rain the boat was dry inside. The ventilator was proving to be a great improvement.

Puilladobhrain (or black pool) is a rock-girt pool very popular with the locals and packed at the weekend. The holding is very good, we were to discover, the bottom being heavy mud. Cooked up tortellini with tomatoes, mushrooms and onion sauce filled out with corned beef. Retired exhausted to bed. Alarums at dusk as 40 footer near by was dragging. When they got their anchor up it was smaller than ours!

10th July — Sunday

Breakfast 1000 — mushrooms, bacon and eggs all mixed together. We had sorted out the sitting by this stage. For cooking I sat on the food box in the cockpit with the Primus in front of me so that the crew could hand me the things from the cabin. They could sit either side on the bunks and the boat remained upright. When we ate they sat either side of the table and I sat on the step which moves to be in the correct position for the table.

Wind was forecast 5-6 SW veering W which meant we were quite exposed to the wind although there were no real waves because of the rocks all around. Went ashore at 1200 to go to the pub at Clachan Bridge, get water and spy out the rubbish situation. We are so concerned about pollution now that the old days of ditching it or ‘bucket and chuck it’ have gone.

Clachan Bridge is a hump backed bridge over a sound which used to provide a short cut for boats going N or S. The sound is a bit silted up now and given the height of my mast I did not fancy trying it. Good facilities at the pub, water and washing, and we had lunch sitting in the sunshine. I walked back to get the rubbish as we had found a suitable bin. I could hardly row back from the boat as the wind had got so strong.

Later we walked back from the pub with the water and got aboard safely. Tempted to go sailing but worried by the gusts. Played cards. Forecast gales for tomorrow. Raining continuously. By the evening it stopped and we had some good skyscapes. Salad and soup for supper.

At anchor in morning, sheering around and pitching, wind howling in rigging. Got ashore about 1200. Could not row against the wind and used a rope to get back and forwards. Dinghy going flat very quickly.

Had coffee at Tigh an Truish inn and discovered the inn was where the soldiers changed from kilts into trouser when joining their units on the mainland. Walked to Balvicar for provisions. Very attractive area with lush vegetation. Sweet peas climbing all over the gate of one house and palm trees at the pub. Good shop at Balvicar but no sign of the boatyard which must have gone bankrupt. Back by 1530. Wind dropped as we rowed out. I lost my waterproof trousers which I was trying to dry on the boom crutch. I had got wet in the dinghy because J had reflated it without emptying it of water.

By 1730 we decided to move. I realised the boat was lying to the anchor weight and so the wind must have dropped. There was still the occasional howl. The anchor was well dug in but came up after I held the cable up and down for a bit. The boat immediately paid off towards the rocks. I just managed to get the jib unrolled in time to gybe her round. Unrolled about three feet of the genoa and blew out of the pool with the boom firmly lashed in its crutch. As we cleared the rocks I hastily checked the expanse of water ahead towards Kerrera Sound to be sure that there were no breakers. Once we were clear of the headland we would not be able to beat back with the wind as it was. I had put the frighteners on R before we left by getting out the life jackets and safety lines.

Fully equipped we kept up to windward whilst we were in shelter so that we could get on a dead run to the entrance. As we cleared the land the seas built up till we were surfing down them in great style. J had to steer carefully to keep them on the stern although sometimes it was like sawing when he got it wrong. R and I hung on the handrails on the cabin top as without guard rails there is nothing else to hang on to except the jib sheets. The boat rose to the seas in a way which gave us increasing confidence but they were the biggest seas we had been in in the boat. Occasionally the mast appeared to be horizontal as we reached the top of a wave and a squall hit us at the same time. The only worry in my mind was the entrance where there might be breakers we could not see from seaward. In fact there were none and the seas slowly declined as they felt the bottom and in no time we were surging up the sound. The Little Horse Shoe bay opened on the left and we turned in out of the wind and seas. It was such a relief to get out of the howling wind into a sheltered little bay. We cast around to find a good place to anchor, having to unfurl a bit more of the genoa in the shelter of the hills. Cooked supper and enjoyed the sunshine until it was cut off by the hillside. Not tempted to go ashore because of the state of the dinghy.

12th July — Tuesday

Sun came up between showers. We had a pleasant time getting up and I even carried out my ablutions in the cockpit to the amusement of the crew. Set sail at 1000 for Oban hoping to buy new dinghy and then get round to Loch Etive before the tide turned. Tied up to pontoons in harbour and went ashore. Found Nancy Blacks and bought their smallest dinghy. It was huge in its packing case and weighed a ton, Carried it back between us until we found a trolley on the ferry quay which we borrowed. I then took the holding tank from the loo on the trolley to empty it at the toilets in the town centre. Assumed a nonchalant air as I passed the people waiting for the ferry. Set sail at 1330, too late for Loch Etive. Passed out through the N entrance and inside Maiden Isle. Then headed for Lismore and threaded our way between the islands in glorious sunshine. Nearly removed my winter sweater but resisted it.

Landed on Eilean Dubh using the new dinghy. Very pleased with it especially as we can all get in it at the same time. We had landed on the island a few years ago but in May and there was no bracken. Now the bracken was so high that we could not get round the island. Also I had not got any shoes and only had sandals which was a bit disastrous for walking in the rough. Continued on towards N end of Lismore and then motored into Port Ramsay at 1800. Anchored 200 yards off the beach and did not bother to check the depth as the chart showed plenty of water. J and I went ashore for a walk just as it started raining. R did not come and was feeling a little depressed having seen what the trip could have been like with better weather. When we got back she had cheered up and we cooked supper. Port Ramsay has a post box and a telephone.

13th July — Wednesday

Had to move anchor in the middle of the night as we gently grounded. J and R not disturbed by the anchor being got up as I did not haul all the chain on deck. Paddled boat out into deeper water and retired to bed. The wind had gone N and was blowing straight into the harbour. Decided to move at 0700 and beat out against the wind which looked as though it was going to increase. In practice it did not and we drifted back to the Lynn of Lorne and made for the entrance to Loch Creran. Tried to sail against the tide cutting inside a reef of rocks but the wind dropped at the last moment and we had to retreat backwards out of danger. Started the motor and ran against the tide into South Shian. Picked up a mooring and had breakfast. My indignation about the food had diminished by now and the menus were not recorded. Needless to say we were nearly out of paraffin by this stage. Usually my container lasts a fortnight.

Set off after breakfast to sail up loch against the tide. Just managed to stem the tide through the narrows with the dinghy on the foredeck to reduce the drag. We ran onto a large rock trying to stay inshore out of the tide but by dropping the main we backed off and were able to take another route. Anchored off the Marine Life Centre and went ashore to look at the exhibition. They had a shoal of herrings swimming in a doughnut shaped tank. The main attraction was the seals. We felt rather landsick, and all the people were a shock after being in our own world on the water.

Sailed and motored back to the moorings. Started unrigging the boat as we had showers. We had just started cooking supper when Jock came to warn us that strong NW winds were forecast which would make recovery awkward on the slip. So we recovered at 2100 using their tractor. They also have a hose available to wash down the trailer and boat which is useful. We parked the boat in the camping field beside the moorings and went off to the pub. We slept in the boat and it rained all night. Nobody slept well.

14th July — Thursday

Off at 0800 and had breakfast at Crianlarich, lunch at Linlithgow to drop R off and were home by 1815. We could have stayed longer but the thought of another few days of the same weather was too much. It was the first time we had taken advantage of the potential of our boat. The West Coast is ideal for our size of boats with an anchorage every ten miles or so. It is interesting though we only saw one other boat of our size cruising and they had five people on board! Most boats were bigger with space to be able to sit out long periods of bad weather. With three adults a 17 footer is crowded. If the weather is fine this does not matter but when it is constantly wet it becomes claustrophobic. The fore ventilator kept the cabin free of condensation for most of the time whereas previously with only two on board we have had drips to mop up every day. J and R were enjoyably enthusiastic about it all and looking forward to another trip but it is probably the last time they will be free together. As I write this, R is sailing off the coast of New Zealand, enjoying sailing in a swimming costume for the first time since she was a child on holiday in Devon, and enjoying the heave of the Pacific swell.