I had not intended to make this particular cruise. My original intention had been to start from Dunstaffnage Marina, sail to the Western Isles and then try to circumnavigate Lewis. However, my car engine had blown up in April and I had replaced it with one purchased from a car dismantler and didn’t want to risk a long tow until I was sure how it performed, so I decided to launch at Glasson Sailing Club and sail to Scottish waters the hard way. During the winter I had invested in a new 6hp Yamaha outboard fitted with a sail drive propeller, which I had run for ten minutes in a dustbin to test it. Incidentally I always run my outboard in the dustbin with a good squirt of washing-up liquid added to the water after every cruise — a tip given to me by an outboard motor mechanic. It helps to dissolve any salt deposits. I had replaced my blown-out genoa and had the mainsail luff recut and I was looking forward to trying them out.

I trailed Sabine to Glasson on the evening of the 2nd May. I got the mast up and the cabin clear before going for a few pints with the club members.

Wednesday 3rd May 2000 : Glasson to Piel Island

I rose to a fine breezy morning, took my time loading and stowing Sabine and launched at 12.00 just after HW. At 12.45 I cast off, motored out, my new outboard starting first pull, into a light NE breeze. This blew me straight down the channel into the Lune Deep, where the wind backed north then NW F2, which put me on a course hard on the wind, across the shallows from west of the Danger Patch Buoy to Lightning Knoll Buoy. By 15.30 I was about three miles past LKB when the wind, which had fallen light, dropped altogether. I was faced with the decision whether to continue and motor probably all the way to the Isle of Man, or to turn back and motor to Piel Island. I decided on the latter, but of course the ebb was still running out of the Barrow Channel and I had to plug against it and, not being able to use too much throttle on my new outboard, I didn’t pick up a mooring off Piel Island until 17.20. (Distance logged 16.1 miles, 1hr40mins on engine.)

Thursday 4th : Piel Island to Laxey (IoM)

I was up early to a cool, clear morning with a light NE breeze and at 05.45 I cast off and sailed out with the last of the ebb. Past the Half Way Shoal Tower I altered course to 320M on a beam reach, then, as the wind veered to the east, goosewinged till 10.30, when the wind fell away and I had to fire up the outboard. It stayed calm for the rest of the day and I motored on with the Autohelm in charge and eventually tied to a mooring outside Laxey harbour at 1800. There was a bit of swell running and Sabine rolled quite a bit, until I rigged my anti-roll bucket which damped it considerably. After a meal, I inflated the dinghy and went ashore for a walk and a couple of pints, then at 22.00 I motored into the harbour and tied to the wall. (Distance logged 56.2 miles, 7hr30mins engine.)

Friday 5th : Laxey to Donaghadee (Northern Ireland)

Up at 07.45, I had breakfast and tidied up, before walking up the hill to the filling station for petrol. By 10.00 Sabine was afloat and the wind was NE F3, sending a swell up the harbour. I got the HM to drop my mooring lines and I motored out before setting the sails and motorsailing to Maughold Head, then continuing to motorsail to Point of Ayre in order to get most advantage from the tide. Once around Point of Ayre, I was able turn off the engine and sail, but by 14.40, when I was due south of the Mull of Galloway, the wind had fallen very light and in order take advantage of the tide I motorsailed again. With the Autohelm in charge I made myself a meal at 18.00 and at 20.30 I tied up in Donaghadee Harbour, which is at the entrance to Belfast Lough. The harbour is subject to swell in strong winds, but about 50 yards south of the harbour entrance, there is a tiny marina which is totally sheltered, but only accessible near high water. (Distance logged 51.2 miles, 8hr 15mins on engine, which was now well run in.)

Saturday 6th May : Donaghadee to Carnlough

A fine cool morning which quickly warmed up. I spent the latter part of the morning answering the questions of the local kids who were curious about Sabine and who also wanted me out of the way so that they could swim off the harbour wall. I compromised by letting them dive off Sabine and use the boarding ladder to get back on board. At 12.30 I motored out and set the sails to beat up the coast and managed to make ten miles before the wind fell away and I had to motor. It had become quite hazy and without the GPS I would have had a problem finding Carnlough, but with a waypoint keyed in it was a doddle. There was just enough water in the entrance channel to get in with the keel down and once inside I found perfect shelter and tied up in the inner harbour against a local yacht at 19.00. I had a walk round the town which is a small cosy holiday resort, before retiring to one of the pubs for a couple of pints. (Distance logged 14 miles, 3hrs30mins on engine.)

Sunday 7th : Carnlough to Ballycastle

At 09.00 the sun was breaking through after early mist. At 11.00 I went for a walk up the hill behind the town, arriving back on board at 12.40 to find the owner of the yacht I was tied against (a Halcyon 23) getting ready to sail. He told me that he was going to take the tide round Fair Head and into Ballycastle Marina, so I decided to go with him. At 13.10 we motored out and set the sails hoping for a bit of a lift, but it was the tide that gave us the lift, running full bore round Torr Head and Fair Head. The GPS clocked over 9 kts at times and it was quite bumpy in spite of being flat calm. If there had been any wind, I would have timed my passage for slack water. At 17.00 we tied up in Ballycastle Marina and enjoyed a warm sunny evening. (Distance logged 16.3 miles, 4 hrs on engine.)

Monday 8th : Ballycastle to Port Ellen (Islay)

A bright sunny morning. I paid my marina fees of £10, it being the minimum charge which is for yachts up to nine metres. The marina was funded by the EEC, the International Fund for Ireland and the Irish Tourist Board, yet they make what I regard as unfair charges. I did however manage to persuade the marina manager to take me to the filling station, which is about a mile away at the other end of the town, to fill my petrol containers.

By 13.00 a nice breeze had sprung up and I motored out and set sail, initially to go across to Rathlin Island, but found that, hard on the wind, the tide was pushing me west, so I decided to go with it and head for Port Ellen. However, the breeze didn’t last and it died before I rounded the end of Rathlin, leaving me to either run with the tide to Lough Foyle on the extreme of my charts, fight the tide back to Rathlin or keep going to Port Ellen. I decided on the latter and motored on. Port Ellen is easy to identify from seaward as the three distilleries, Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig are conspicuous, as is the Imeraval maltings at the head of Kilnaughton Bay, and I anchored in Port Ellen at 19.05. I had made a meal whilst under way and after anchoring I sat in the cockpit listening to a pipe band playing on the shore. (Distance logged 30.2 miles, 5hrs20mins on engine.)

Tuesday 9th : Port Ellen via Ardmore Islands to Lowlandman’s Bay

Another fine warm morning. I went ashore to top up with petrol, then at 10.00 I motored out and set a course against the tide for Texa Island, then Lomaloch Rock and past the distilleries to the Ardmore Islands, where I anchored in Plod Sgeirean. I had lunch, then walked to Kildalton Church and its early Christian wheel cross, which stands in the church yard with an older disc cross, which stands on a mound close by. It was a hot walk. At 15.40 with the tide running north I motored out and headed for the Sound of Islay and, once clear of the islands, I found a NNE F2-3 breeze and was soon sailing at 4-5 kts to windward. However, it was too good to last and it soon backed to NW and strengthened to F 4-5 and I had to reef. Then as I approached the Sound of Islay it backed to NW and came shrieking out of the sound in strong gusts, making it almost impossible to make headway, so I bore away and headed straight past. Half way across Craighouse Bay the wind died and left me drifting with the tide and at 19.30 I motored into Lowlandman’s Bay, where I found a patch of sand amongst the kelp at the head of the bay on which to drop my anchor. (Distance logged 25.1 miles, 3hrs35mins on engine.)

Wednesday 10th : Lowlandman’s Bay via Tarbert Bay to Ardinamir

Another fine morning with early morning mist burning off by 10.00 and by 11.20 a light southerly breeze was blowing up the bay and I raised the anchor and motored out, setting the sails as I went. Out in the sound I turned of the engine and set the sails goose winged, but could only make one knot through the water and nothing over the ground against the new flood. Having set out and hoping that an onshore breeze might get up, I motored on, but with the tide getting stronger and running at two knots I anchored in Tarbert Bay at 13.50 and went ashore for a walk across the isthmus to Loch Tarbert, then along the south shore of the loch and followed the entrance channel for some way before turning back. Regaining the track and retracing my steps, I stopped to have a look at a single standing stone in a field by the roadside. Archaeology has revealed traces of human presence on Jura going back to 7000BC.

Back on board at 16.00 there was a nice breeze blowing from SSE, so after having a brew I motored out and set sail against the last hour of the tide, then half an hour later the wind dropped again and at 16.45 I motored again. The tide soon began to give me a lift and I swirled past Corryvreckan into Loch Shuna. The wind picked up a bit by 18.00 and at 20.45 I anchored in Ardinamir Bay. (Distance logged 27.5 miles, 6hr 20mins on engine.

Thursday 11th : Ardinamir to Gometra

I was up at 07.00 to another bright sunny morning with a light breeze filling in from the east. At 07.30 I motored out and set the sails, but the wind had deserted me again and I motored on through Cuan Sound, across Easdale Bay and through Easdale Sound, where I found the wind to be NE F2-3 and started to beat into it. I found that I was making slow progress against the tide, which was now against me. The wind was also icy cold, so I bore away and headed for the Ross of Mull. The wind soon veered east and I sailed happily on goosewinged. By 12.00 the wind had dropped and I was motoring again. An hour later the wind was back again from the east, then it suddenly veered south and was soon gusting at F5-6, which had me rolling reefs in as fast as I could. Then as suddenly as the wind came, it went, leaving Sabine wallowing in the left-over swell. At 15.25 the wind came back east F2-3 and I was able to sail again. At 16.35 I anchored in Tinker’s Hole, Erraid. I put my sleeping bag and towels out to air before making a meal, then at 18.00, after listening to the shipping forecast, I decided to move up to the Bull Hole anchorage. I raised the anchor and crept out by the north channel into the sound of Iona, where I found a good breeze from the east and, having been deprived of good sailing winds for most of the cruise so far, I couldn’t resist the temptation. I set the sails and kept going past Bull Hole and on a course past Staffa to Acarsaid Mor, a sheltered anchorage at the west end of Gometra. The wind stayed steady and I had a brisk sail on a beam reach until 21.15 when I was nearing the NW corner of Gometra. There I ran into the wind shadow of the island, so I motored the rest of the way in and anchored in two metres, which would leave me just afloat with the keel up. The wind was coming off the hill in strong gusts, so I laid a second anchor. (Distance logged 47 miles, 2hrs 55mins. on engine.)

Friday 12th : Gometra to Eigg

It was a breezy clear morning with gusts up to F5 coming off the hill, and at 11.45, having recovered both anchors, I motored out and set the sails and with a good breeze and a fair tide I had a fast sail up the west coast of Mull. Off Calgary Bay by 12.40, the wind dropped for a few minutes then picked up again. After passing Calliach Point it was blowing east F4-5 and I reefed both sails. By 13.30 it was up to F7 and I rolled up the genoa and tore along under reefed main. I had intended to go to Tobermory, but with the wind screaming out of the sound I stayed on a beam reach and before I realised it I had passed Ardnamurchan Point and was heading for the Small Isles with a lighter wind, in which I was able to unroll the genoa. At 16.55 the wind suddenly dropped and I had to motor the last two miles into Galmisdale Bay on Eigg. After a meal, I inflated the dinghy and went ashore for the first time since leaving Tarbert. (Distance logged 22.9 miles.)

Saturday 13th : Eigg to Tobermory

At 07.40 it was fine with very little breeze and at 08.20 I motored out on course for Ardnamurchan Point. Once clear of the island I found a light south breeze which soon went SSE and freshened to F3-4 for a while. Then it dropped for half an hour, before coming back from the SE F2- 3 till I rounded Ardnamurchan at 10.45 and beat into the Sound of Mull, where it was gusting up to F5. Then it gradually dropped and by 13.40, when I was off Kilchoan, it was nearly calm and as I wanted to get to Tobermory to do some shopping I motored the rest of the way, picking up a mooring close in at 15.05. After shopping for fresh food, petrol and water and stowing it away, I went for a long walk before going back on board for a meal. (Distance logged 26.2 miles.)

Sunday 14th : Tobermory to Sailean Mor, Oronsay, L. Sunart

A fine breezy morning and at 10.15 the wind was gusting across the bay and I put five rolls in the main before I set sail. When I passed the end of Calve Island, it was blowing hard, straight up the sound and with about six rolls in the genoa I sailed fast on a beam reach till I was round Auliston Point. I was hard on the wind in very gusty conditions. By 11.30 I was off the north end of Oronsay, where I furled the sails before motoring into Sailean Mor and anchoring in three metres at 11.45. I inflated the dinghy before making a butty, then went ashore for a walk round the island, which was hard going as it is very tussocky underfoot. Back on board for a brew, three other yachts came in and anchored during the late afternoon and early evening. The shipping forecast at 17.55 was S/SE. F6/7/8 so I laid out a second anchor for added security in the gusts. (Distance logged 5.4 miles, 10 mins. on engine.)

Monday 15th : Sailean Mor to Tobermory

I was up at 05.00 to find that the wind had dropped and so had the barometer. At 05.45 it was blowing S F2-3 as I recovered my anchors and sailed out of the bay and down Loch Sunart. In the Sound of Mull it was gusting up to 30 knots and after a couple of tacks I gave up any idea of sailing into it. By 07.35 I was moored off Tobermory and after a second breakfast, I went ashore for a long walk. (Distance logged 6.2 miles, 5 mins on engine.)

Tuesday 16th May : Tobermory to Oban

At 06.00 it was wet, the barometer had dropped again and there was a light south wind in the bay. At 08.40 I cast off the mooring and sailed out of the bay to find the wind in the sound was about SW, unusually blowing across. It was a bit fluky, but I was able to make headway under sail in fits and starts, using the outboard in the calm patches to avoid losing ground to the tide in the sound and to dodge the ferries as I crossed the Firth of Lorne. At 14.10 I picked up one of the visitors’ moorings off Oban, inflated my dinghy and went ashore to do some shopping for fresh bread, meat and vegetables.

At 16.15 I cast off and sailed out, intending to go to Puilladobhrain, but found that I was butting into a head wind and turned and ran back to Ardentraive Bay (Kerrera) where I picked up a mooring at 17.30. After a meal I was going to go ashore for a walk, but it came on to rain, so I settled down with a book and a pint of home brew. (Distance logged 29 miles, 1hr 40 mins on engine.)

Wednesday 17th : Oban to Puilladobhrain

It was a fairly bright morning with some sharp showers and at 09.20 as I was getting ready to cast off, a real squall arrived. I sat it out, cast off at 10.00 and beat down the Sound of Kerrera into a gusty SW F3-5 into the open sea. There was a lull before the wind came back and I then had a storming sail into Puilladobhrain where I anchored in five metres at 13.15. By the time that I’d had lunch, it was raining and it stayed wet for the rest of the day, only clearing in mid evening. (Distance logged 9.7 miles.)

Thursday 18th : Puilladobhrain to Ardfern, L. Craignish

A bright calm morning after more showers in the night. At 08.35 I motored out into the Firth of Lorne and I motored until 09.30, when I found some wind as I passed Easdale. Initially it was SW F2-3, then half way down the Sound of Luing it went right round to NW and gave me a good push into Loch Craignish. At 13.45 I was anchored just clear of the moorings at Ardfern. (Distance logged 20 miles.)

Friday 19th : Loch Craignish to Gigha

At 05.30 it was grey, wet and calm, but by the time that I’d had breakfast a breeze was picking up from NW. At 06.15 the sky was clearing as I lifted the anchor and motored through the moorings, before setting sail. By 07.15 I was out of L.Craignish and the tide was pushing me along. By 08.30 the wind was NNW F4-5. Sabine was going like a train and was becoming hard to control, till I hove to and reefed the main. By 12.30 I was moored up in Ardminish Bay on Gigha and after a butty I inflated the dinghy and went ashore, closely followed by the crew of a yacht which was anchored further out. They were a Dutch couple of ‘liveaboards’. It was their first visit to the Hebrides and they wanted to pick my brain about the tides and anchorages. We walked nearly to the north end of the island before turning back and retracing our steps. The Dutch couple stayed ashore to visit the gardens of Achamore House. I had seen it a couple of times and went back on board for a brew. (Distance logged 32.4 miles at an av. speed of 5 knots, 15 mins on engine.)

Saturday 20th : Gigha to Campbeltown

The timing of slack water off the Mull of Kintyre is something of a lottery. According to Macmillan it turns east at approx 17.30. In the CCC handbook it is 18.00 and in the Tidal Atlas it is 1900, so I had to guess which. It was a dull morning with the wind southerly F2‑3. It increased to F4 by the time that I cast off my mooring at 09.25 and beat down the south of Gigha with the tide. I made good progress until midday, when it turned against me. The wind by that time had backed to SSE and I made slow progress. At 14.20, after nearly five hours of sailing, I was only about half way to the Mull, so I motorsailed at six knots making about three knots s.o.g. At one stage I ran through a very broken patch of water which had spray and some solid dollops of water flying around. Later, looking at the chart, I found that I had passed over a shallow patch. It was also lumpy and wet off Earadale Point, but once clear of the point I found that the wind was more SE and I must have found a back eddy as my s.o.g. increased and I was able to turn off the engine and still make good progress. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing. There was a cloud-cap hanging over the Mull and vicious downdraughts came from under it. I had five rolls in the main and put five or six in the genoa. At times I had to release both sheets, but didn’t want to reef any more as I needed enough sail to make decent headway between the gusts.

By 17.30 I was south of the Mull and away from the influence of the high ground. The wind was a mere F2-3. However, the tide was still running west at about 4 kts and I was sailing rapidly backwards, so I motored into it at 5 kts making very little headway until 19.10. Then the tide released me and I was able to turn off the outboard and sail again. With the tide building, I was soon across Carskey Bay, through Sanda Sound and heading for Campbeltown. While I had been plodding along and stemming the tide, a good sized trimaran had sailed past me heading west and disappearing over the horizon. Then sailing through Sanda Sound, he whizzed past me again and disappeared in the direction of the Clyde Coast. As I sailed north, the wind veered to SW, bringing heavy cloud, then faded and by 21.30 I was motoring again. It was nearly dark by the time that I rounded Island Davaar. I didn’t find it easy to pick out the channel buoys in the half light, nor the harbour lights against the backscatter of the town, but, having identified the harbour entrance, I motored in and went alongside a small fishing vessel. I was making my lines fast, when I was hailed and told that there was a yacht pontoon outside the harbour, just to the north, so I cast off again and motored round to it, and, having found a vacant berth, was tied up by 22.45. Five minutes later I had a large whisky in my hand and several rashers of bacon in the frying pan. (Distance logged 57.3 miles — only 46.9 miles on the GPS; 5 hrs10mins on engine.)

Sunday 21st : Campbeltown via Loch Ryan to Portpatrick

A 09.30 it was calm and overcast after a bright start. At 10.30 I motored out of Campbeltown Loch with rain threatening and not a breath of wind. At 11.05 I picked up a light NW breeze and was able to set the sails goosewinged, then it went SW and I was on a beam reach. By 17.30 the wind had dropped and, as I was only about five miles off the entrance to Loch Ryan, I decided to put into the loch and anchor for the night in Lady Bay, about two miles from the entrance. I had however, not counted on the fast ferries. At 18.30 I was just passing the first buoy when a fast ferry came out, accelerating as it came. A few minutes later there was a roar and another one came into the loch at high speed and set up a tremendous swell. I turned round and went out fast heading down the coast to Portpatrick, where I tied up at 21.00. (Distance logged 51 miles; 3hrs 50mins on engine.)

Monday 22nd : Portpatrick to Port William

At 08.00 it was fine and sunny and the barometer was rising. I topped up with petrol and some fresh food, then, after paying my harbour dues and being given advice about an inshore counter current which runs up the coast, I cast off and motored out of the harbour. I found that there was very little wind, so I carried on motoring and by 13.50 I had rounded the Mull. Entering Luce Bay, a breeze was beginning to get up from WSW and I was able to sail goosewinged across the bay. The wind freshened and backed and by the time I arrived off Port William it was SSW F4. By 16.50 I was tied up in the harbour, which is open to the west and dries out to deep, very soft and smelly mud. Later when the local fishing boats came in, I was advised to move as far up the harbour as possible and when they had unloaded they did the same. (Distance logged 27.4 miles.)

Tuesday 23 : Port William

At 09.00 it was windy and wet, with the wind from SSE. By 13.00 the wind had gone round to SW F5-6 and the rain had cleared. I went for a walk.

Wednesday 24th : Port William to Isle of Whithorn

At 06.30 it was fine and sunny with a light breeze and I moved down the harbour before Sabine dried out. At 13.50 I was just afloat and I motored out and set the sails. The wind was SW-S F4 and I tacked out into Luce Bay until Burrow Head was ‘open’, then tacked SE and as the wind backed to the west, I went onto a beam reach making fast progress till I got off Burrow Head. There, with the sails goosewinged and Sabine swooping off the waves at eight or nine knots, I made slow progress over the ground. Rounding the head and with the white tower at Isle of Whithorn in sight, I went on to a beam reach and was tied up in the harbour by 17.30. (Distance logged 17.3 miles — GPS. 10.7. I had lost nearly 7 miles to the tide.)

Thursday 25th : Isle of Whithorn To Ramsey, IoM

At 06.00 it was fine and sunny and calm in the harbour, as I cast off and motored out into the bay and anchored. I had planned to sail along the Solway coast and down the Cumbrian coast, but with the forecast for strong SW winds, both coasts would be lee shores, so I opted for open water and decided to go home via the Isle of Man.

By 08.00 there was a light breeze from the NW and I set the sails, raised the anchor and sailed quietly out of the bay. I found the wind to be SW F2 and I was hard on the wind heading for the Point of Ayre. For the first two hours the tide was pushing me west and the west coast of the island was open , but then as the tide turned I was pushed east again and at 12.45 I was past the point. I had planned on going to Laxey and laid a course for Maughold Head. As I neared the head, I first lost the wind, then it came back dead on the nose. When I rounded the head, I found that it was blowing about F5-6, so I turned back and sailed across the bay to Ramsay, where I tied up at 15.30. I shopped for fresh food and filled up with water and petrol, before having a meal. I then went ashore for a walk along part of the T.T. circuit before cutting across and returning via Glen Auldyn. (Distance logged 31.9 miles.)

Friday 26th : Ramsey to Laxey

At 08.00 it was fine and sunny, but by 09.00 clouds were building up. At 14.00 when Sabine had floated off, I motored out of the harbour and set the sails in a very light SE-S breeze, which by 15.30 had faded away and left me to motor. At 17.10 I motored into Laxey Harbour to find a fair swell rolling up the outer harbour, so I crept into the inner harbour and tied up by the steps.

Saturday 27th : Laxey

At 06.00 it was fine and calm. The variable winds that were forecast meant that it could be like yesterday, so I went back to sleep. At 10.00 Sabine had dried out and there was a light breeze from the south. I took a flask and some butties and went for a walk on Snaefell. The wind on the hill was SW and gusty. Back to the harbour by 17.00 I found that it was gusting at over 20 kts on the harbour wall.

Sunday 28th : Laxey

At 06.30 it was fine and sunny. The wind on the wall was NW-N, 5kn and at 07.00 I motored out of the harbour and set sail. At 07.30 Liverpool CG issued a new ‘strong wind warning’ for winds up to F6, particularly in Liverpool Bay. I thought about changing course and heading for Castletown, but the harbour would have dried before I got there and I would have had to anchor outside, so I turned back and by 08.15 I was moored alongside the steps again. The sun was shining and all was calm. The wind on the harbour wall didn’t register more than 15 kts all day. (Distance logged 4.1 miles.)

Monday 29th : Laxey to Glasson SC

At 06.00 it was cold after overnight rain and there were light gusts blowing down the harbour. At 06.45 I motored out and as I set the sails, I was hit by a screaming squall, which ended up with the genoa snarled up. I had to go on to the wildly pitching foredeck to sort it out. Standing right forward and stretching up the forestay was no joke and I was very relieved when I got the sail free and was back in the cockpit. By 07.45 I was clear of the coast and the wind blowing at WNW, F4-5. With the mainsail reefed and the genoa poled out, I was able to sail goosewinged. With the Autohelm in charge and Sabine rolling downwind, I made myself a welcome cup of coffee. By the time I had drunk it, the wind had eased and I was able to unroll the reefed main. The wind stayed mainly WNW, but varied in strength from F2-3 to the top end of F4 and my speed varied accordingly. I had to keep my hand on the tiller most of the time. The Autohelm could cope, but was running almost continuously and I only used it now and again to have a break. The wind wasn’t steady enough to use the wind vane. I sailed goosewinged most of the way into the Lune Deep, then with the tide under me I was soon into the Lune and by 19.05 I was off Glasson SC. There wasn’t any water on the slipway, so I anchored on the opposite side of the channel at 19.15 and made a meal before motoring across and tying up at the jetty. After calling into the clubhouse, I borrowed the tractor and pulled Sabine out, before adjourning to the clubhouse again for a few pints. (Distance logged 65.5kn in 12.5 hours, engine 20 mins.)

Tuesday 30th : Glasson

I rose to a fine morning, stripped Sabine out, derigged and prepared for the road. I was home in time for lunch.

Footnote During the cruise I logged 708.7 miles and used the outboard for 57 hours. With my new genoa and recut mainsail Sabine was able to point to windward much better. Although I have a windvane for steering, I didn’t use it very much, as the winds tended to be too variable and its longest period of use was when I was beating from Gigha to the Mull of Kintyre.

My new outboard had performed well. Although it was difficult to assess the value of the sail-drive prop when driving ahead, it certainly made a difference when going astern.