- Iona is a home designed and built 13 foot double-ender

Over the weekend the promised rain and gales kept me ashore so that it was 14th. July before it was fit to sail again in a small boat. Inshore forecast 5 decr 3 W. LW 4. 30 pm. Decided to grab a last opportunity to head west. Left at 11 am, managing to hold starboard tack to within 1 nm of Camasinas whereupon 4 tacks carried me into the 'sea urchin bay' again for lunch at 12.15. Sailed thence to Dun Ghallain which is a fortified hummock on the largest of a group of islands forming a natural harbour on the north side of the loch. Rowed inside, landed, climbed the Dun much to the annoyance of an oyster-catcher and then, after a fruitless beachcomb on the mainland, set out for the eastern entrance of Loch Teacuis. This loch is a narrow 2.5 nm long branch off the S side of Loch Sunart. The isle of Carna sits in the entrance like an ill-fitting stopper leaving only narrow channels each side. I anchored temporarily by a small islet just N of Drochaid Carna. The latter is a rock which might have been purpose designed to strike fear into sailors: a solid wall which stretches straight across 2/3 of the channel width. One hour from LW it was easily visible: at HW springs only a small bit in the middle shows above the surface! Took a quick look at the Clyde Cruising Club sailing directions to identify the various features of the safe passage and set out to motor in against the last of the ebb. The latter remained surprisingly strong and progress painfully slow, even with the old 40+ roaring away at full throttle - there is a similar effect around HW.

Inside, Teacuis seemed a different world, small and enclosed after the open vistas of the main loch. A pleasant spot for an overnight I'm told... but not then! I knew I had only a short time before the incoming flood would trap me inside for 6 hours so leaving again promptly was required!* Another quick 'crib' at the sailing directions, and I set off out again through the slightly less tortuous western entrance, this time with the last of the ebb to help me. The dense oar weed visible through the clear water seemed a perilously short way down, and we gave thanks for our keelless state. Once out of the constricted part of the channel I turned into the little cove by Doirlinn House which marks the eastern entrance to Lock Na Droma Buidhe, the name given to the bit of Sunart trapped between Oronsay and the south shore - another useful anchorage. This entrance is dry most of the time but near HW springs a narrow route through the boulders may be attempted by intrepid dinghy sailors... but not me... not yet! Anchored for tea, then sailed back through Carna Narrows (5.30 pm) and enjoyed a steady run back to Resipole where (7 pm) a father and four kids helped push the boat right back to the van.

A casual glance at the chart might lead the reader to conclude that during the main flood up Loch Sunart, water will enter Teacuis by the western entrance, and leave again by the eastern, reversing for the ebb. This is not so. Loch Teacuis fill simultaneously through both entrances, and on the ebb drains likewise. The whole flow in and out of inner Loch Sunart passes north of Carna. Spring rate for all three narrows is 2.5 kts.

15th. July - Inshore forecast W 3-5, rain, HW 11.30.

As HW moves towards midday, the tides become less suitable for trips beyond Carna, but instead it becomes easier to pass the Laudale Narrows, (spring ebb 3.5 kts), and visit Strontian and the inner loch. Launched 10.30 and motored to the Narrows passing south of all the islands with their off lying rocks. Anchored for lunch in a little bay just beyond at noon. It was millpond calm with steady rain, and I was running low on fuel so set off again rowing. A faint wind prompted an attempt at sailing in the bay west of Eilean a Mhuirich, which I drifted past at 1.30 pm. Decided to risk motoring to Strontian where I could probably buy petrol at the PO/garage. Landed just below the same, and soon, with fuel and sundry food items purchased, was brewing up, anchored in the river. I forbore going to the end of the loch, and set off back under motor again at 2.30 pm. A west'southwest wind appeared at Eilean a Mhuirich, so up sail and off with engine to beat steadily back towards the narrows. The weather was now changing to showers and bright intervals, and everything felt fresher after the morning's gloom. Through Laudale on port tack….well almost! I was plainly too close to Glas Eilean and the opening view revealed an oncoming tank landing craft in mid channel. Not fancying the rock-strewn gap between Glas Eilean and Eilean Mor I did a frantic tack across the vessel's bows to gain sea room and then, once more on port tack, managed to sneak through between him and Glas Eilean. There is a passage north of Eilean Nor but this dries revealing assorted boulders; I haven't tried it yet!

The same port tack carried me more-or-less back to camp, the wind strengthening all the way so that I had reefed by the time I landed, and for the last few yards pounded over quite a sea, running from the direction of Dun Ghallain. I arrived near LW with 10' of beach exposed below the bottom of the slip (6" step ). Needed all my 160' of knotted warps to reach the spike, and resorted to a 4-part tackle on Prusik loops to get the boat up: slow, even with the help of a small boy!

17th. July - Inshore forecast (BBC) W 5-6, showers, ('Scotsman') W 3-4, 5 later!

Very aware that the radio forecast was rather more threatening than I cared for, I set out by road to trail Iona to Ardtoe... and so taste the waters north of Ardnamurchan. Arrived 11 am and lowered Iona onto the little beach opposite the car park, using a line off a fence post. Rigged up and was away by 11.45 am in a good west'southwest 4. Rowed clear of the two immediate rocky headlands, and began a slow beat out, tacking to avoid the rocks, until I could get a clear board up towards Sgeir an Eididh. My aim was to cross Loch Ceann Traigh to the shelter of Camas an Lighe, but the sea was quite rough and, thinking of the F5(6?) later, I decided not to risk it. HW being 1.30 pm I turned and ran through Caolas Kentra**, the rocky channel leading to Kentra Bay, and had lunch in a sheltered cove tucked well inside. Kentra Bay is a large drying area which would be fun to explore, but not on a falling tide, so when I set sail again at 1 pm under jib, mizzen and reefed main, I confined my sights to the chain of four islands across the north side of the bay. These I thought to round, but the most easterly was more securely joined to the land than the chart suggested, so I gave up the idea. Halfway along Caolas Kentra is a slip used by local fishermen. The weather outside looked wild as ever so I decided to beat out at HW when it would still be possible to return to the slip should the beach prove too hazardous. Up to the yellow buoy in mid channel which marks rocks west of the slip, the main problem was a wind direction varying from southwest to northwest! Thereafter it settled at northwest with fierce rain squalls. Managed, by freeing off the main in the squalls, to beat out clear of the rocks west of the entrance whence the wind freed off to a westerly and a long port tack took me clear. The strength was still a fresh 4 (5?) with a fair chop due to the 1 nm fetch across Loch Ceann Traigh, so I had a lively thrash with spray flying until opposite the mouth of the bay where I had launched. I dropped the main and headed in, glad of Iona's high stern to deflect the following seas. Furled the mizzen at the outer moorings and ran almost onto the beach under jib at 2.30 pm. Retrieved slowly without difficulty despite the soft sand. Back to camp to pack up for the journey home.

Kentra appears to be simply an anglicised spelling of Ceann Traigh: for some reason the Admiralty chart uses both versions.