Overnight the gusts didn’t arrive but the rain did. Around 1am the heavens opened and it was as if a waterfall had materialised over the top of the boat. There was this torrential downpour. I don’t know how long it went on for. After it woke me up, I fell back to sleep again and didn’t awake until the morning when it had dried up somewhat.
The hook came up easy and we motored out of the bay around 7am, northbound past Tobermory and round Ardnamurchan. The motor up to the Lighthouse was good in light winds and no gust at all. We had a pod of dolphins come to see us. They didn’t stay and play but just swam around us and headed off. Obviously on a mission.
Not long after that and just sound of Ardnamurchan head at the top of the Sound of Mull, I saw what I thought was seaweed but on closer inspection was a juvenile basking shark. It was less than a meter long and was feeding at the surface. I didn’t get a chance to get a photo of the basking. But I certainly didn’t imagine it as Martin saw it too!
Once we passed the Lighthouse the wind started picking up so we rigged the sails and quenched the engine. Very quickly it was getting ‘sporty’ and the gusts kept increasing. I stuck a single reef in the main. Then a double in the foresail and when she weather cocked for a second time and it was gusting 35 mph we put the second in the main and brought in half the foresail.
I did think about putting into Mallaig instead of pushing for the Sandaig Isles but it was worth it when we got there. We set the hook and had a bottle of Pinot with MacnCheese, baked pepper and cheesy chips. Mr Kean then led me astray with multiple Rum and Cokes resulting in a sore head Sunday morning.
The Saindaig Isles as previously provided a brilliant anchorage so peaceful and tranquil. It was a really good day!
64 miles in 8.5 hours