Clyde Cruising Club Annual 2023

Clyde Cruising Club Flag Officers, other Office Bearers and Committee Members

Flag officers 2022 2023

Commodore

Geoff Crowley Contender

Vice Commodore Glenn Porter Taeping

Rear Commodores

Office bearers

Secretary Bronwen Angus

Honorary Secretary

Cruising Secretary

Racing Secretary

Treasurer

Membership Secretary

Captain Dinghy Section

Treasurer Dinghy Section

Editor of the Sailing Directions

Assistant Editors of the Sailing Directions

Editor of the Annual

Assistant Editors of the Annual

Clive Reeves

Ken Andrew

Peter Edmond

Ralph MacLeod

Clive Reeves

Adam Mills

Ricky O’Kane

Edward Mason

Iain MacLeod and Geoff Crowley

Thorold Mackie

Penny French and Patrick Trust

Members of the Committee

Angus Cartwright Callum

Leslie Euan Morrison

Geoff Crowley Contender

David Denholm Coigach

Clive Reeves Lyrebird

Jamie McGarry Grand Cru

Bronwen Angus

Clive Reeves

Ken Andrew

Roddy Angus

Clive Reeves

Don McPherson

Ricky O’Kane

Edward Mason

Iain MacLeod and Geoff Crowley

Thorold Mackie

Penny French and Patrick Trust

John Stanley-White Robin Young

Clyde Cruising Club, Clyde Offices, 2nd Floor, 48 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1BP Tel: 0141 221 2774 Web: www.clydecruisingclub.org

Cover Photo – Running Repairs by Mike Forbes

Thank you to all the members who have contributed photographs.

We are grateful to the advertisers and sponsors for their continued support.

The views expressed in this Annual are those of invited contributors and are not necessarily those of Clyde Cruising Club Ltd, the Flag Officers or Committee. No responsibility or liability shall be accepted by the Clyde Cruising Club Flag Officers or Committee for any injury, loss or damage that may occur as a consequence of any inaccuracies in or omissions from any material contained within this Annual.

Published by Leaf Design & Print Ltd. Telephone 0333 577 8393. This Annual is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be printed wholly or in part without the written permission of CCC Ltd. and the publishers. The proprietors of this publication are publishers and not agents, or sub-agents of those who advertise therein. They cannot be held liable for any loss suffered as a result of information gained from this publication. The views expressed by authors of articles published in this publication are solely those of the author and are not necessarily the views of or shared by the publisher or the directors, shareholders and/or employees of Clyde Cruising Club or Leaf Design & Print Ltd.

Welcome to the CCC 2023 Annual. This year promises to be a great one for sailing. 2022 was a difficult year like the preceding two, but we’re past that now, and having shaken off the ‘Covid blues’, we can look forward to a packed year in 2023.

The Scottish Series is back. Now in its’ 49th year it will be better than before. The new, experienced organising team are planning to fill Tarbert’s berths with keen racers for four days of strong, competitive racing.

Cruising isn’t forgotten. In cooperation with the Irish Cruising Club, two great cruising events are in the diary. In June some 40 boats plan on cruising to Madeira for an ICC extravaganza. With CCC boats starting on the Clyde, meeting the ICC fleet off Dublin, various routes are planned in company to get across the Bay of Biscay and south. Plenty of places to change crews. A blue water cruise not to be missed by those keen for longer passages. And plenty of opportunity to write a log or two.

In Scottish waters, also in cooperation with the ICC, we plan a July Distillery Cruise. Remember those of the past? Meeting up in the vicinity of Rathlin, and then exploring Islay, Jura, Mull and maybe even Skye with distillery stops every day or two, and several party stops and a dinner. The 2023 Distillery Cruise promises to be a fantastic event.

At Bardowie our Dinghy Section sailors have made investments in new craft to further the needs of the training and sailing there. A full program of training and racing for the year will complement those sailing the Loch casually.

During 2022 further settling in of our administration has taken place. Bronwen, our secretary, has a fully mobile office, and when necessary a small team of others can fill in with the incoming phone calls being automatically rerouted. Having most systems on-line hasn’t suited

some members – that’s understandable – but it really is the way of the world now, with the formalities of the past with dedicated premises, and full time paid staff being unaffordable luxuries. But we can all do more to make it even easier to use. For example, get your boat details entered on the system and then entering a race or making a purchase is almost automatic. If you need help registering those details look for the instructions on the website.

Our publications team have been busy last year and more is planned for this year. A photographic competition run during 2022 was intended to bring in a better selection of images to use in the Sailing Directions. The third edition of Ardnamurchan to Cape Wrath SDs was published and field research for a revision of the Outer Hebrides SDs was undertaken. A new version of Outer Hebrides and a new Cruising Scotland will be out during the year. What used to be a separate organisation, Clyde Cruising Club Publications Ltd, was merged into Clyde Cruising Club to simplify administration.

All in, 2023 promises to be a great year. A full programme of activity for our members is planned. Starting with our winter meetings, let’s all make this a year to get back out sailing together.

Geoff Crowley

Mallaig Marina

magnificent sailing — magnificent setting

Journal… logs and articles from Club members

Ireland, thrice thwarted

After Greenheart’s three summers in the Baltic and a summer returning to UK waters from the Netherlands with a layup in Gweek on the Helford River, it was intended that our return to the Clyde would be by way of the West Coast of Ireland. Covid intervened and 2020 was reduced to a mostly motored passage up the Irish Sea in which the Isle of Man and Ireland were closed. We abandoned Ireland in 2021 because of prolonged early season engine problems, so 2022 it was to be.

Glasgow to Lough Swilly

On Sunday 15 May I set off from our winter layup at Rothesay Dock. After a night at Lochranza, I went alongside in Campbeltown where I topped up with red diesel. I then lost a couple of days waiting for the weather which was to become the abiding theme of the shortened season.

I had a good crossing of the North Channel to Rathlin with one reef pulled down. There I spent another day doing odd jobs and waiting for better weather. Then we pushed on to Portrush where we were alongside the pontoon. The timbers were in poor condition but I had to tend lines. Difficult

Greenheart Dawn 39 LOA 12.0 metres Crew Peter Dunlop

Dates 15 May – 23 June 2022

quay at Portrush

Portnoo pier

A couple of pints of Guinness in the Portrush Yacht Club helped as did their very good ice maker. On 11 May I had discovered that the fridge was not working and it took two visits by the excellent Argus Engineering to discover that the aluminium pipe carrying the coolant from the compressor had chaffed through. The delivery of spares was promised for Saturday and was then amended to seven to ten days, so I had decided to sail without a fridge, as we did long ago.

On Sunday 22 May I sailed for Lough Swilly and was soon under two reefs and staysail: it was a lumpy passage and I resorted to a little engine time through the Inishtrahull Sound. Once into the Lough, past the scene of childhood holidays at Portsalon – see CCC Journal for Lara, 1982 – I went to anchor off the tower in Macamish Bay in a warm and sunny evening. The next day I motored the four miles to Fahan Marina, a slightly odd place with considerable silting but with much promise. Here, I spent seven nights stormbound.

I also suffered one of those mishaps where a helpful hand on the pontoon released one’s berthing spring which in this case resulted in a chipped forefoot. Another helpful hand helped me apply a rather messy repair which will have to be sanded down and painted in due course.

I had some good meals in the nearby Railway Tavern which derives its name from the wonderful but long defunct Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway. Having cleared out of the UK by emailing the new C3331 form I made a couple of vain calls to the indicated Irish authorities and so struck code flag Q.

The 400 year old walled city of Derry beckoned and I was pleased to accept a lift for the short journey into town where I inspected the walls from where one can overlook the once notorious Bogside, the long river frontage, the Peace Bridge, museums and the fine Victorian City Hall.

28 May brought a good 30 mile sail to anchor in Fanny’s Bay within Mulroy Bay, the entrance to which is shoal. The heavy breaking swell and missing buoy made it quite interesting.

I should note here that Met Éireann has very detailed information about missing, unlit, and off station buoyage and other hazards, as well as the weather forecast and reports from weather buoys but I was not fully in tune to it

at this stage. Many Scottish sailors will have heard parts of it and I have to say that ‘Belmullet’ and the way it is pronounced has long intrigued me.

More ‘weather’ and so another day was spent waiting before I had a fast 22 mile reach to Tory Island where Greenheart was the only visitor. This was an interesting island where I heard but did not see corncrakes and I had a solitary dinner in the hotel after a not-so-solitary hour in the bar. On this passage the mast step boom vang anchorage failed; an odd design, it has a heavy omega shaped stainless eye bearing on the aluminium step plate and this latter fitment had worn and corroded away. A series of increasingly good lashings has served till now but the solution is a mast groove fitting as for a strut type vang.

Tory Island is the most north-westerly part of Ireland and it is not too difficult a passage from Port Ellen. A walk ashore to explore the Round Tower is worthwhile. From here on the early Christian sites grew on number.

Lough Swilly to the Mullet Peninsula

On the way out of Lough Swilly I heard an exchange between the Lough Swilly RNLI and a helicopter on Ch16 to the effect that they were on an exercise. A little while later I saw a vessel coming up from the south in a cloud of spray. It turned out to be the lifeboat and the helicopter ‘high lining’, whether they saw Greenheart on starboard tack, or not, they were not to be deterred, so I altered course while getting a wet deck.

The coast is not so far from Scotland and merits a return voyage in the future.

It was a fast reach to Arranmore Roads where I picked up a visitor’s mooring. It was not an afternoon that encouraged going ashore, so I stayed aboard and worked on my makeshift vang anchorage. A French yacht, Roas, came to anchor off Tory Island but the crew stayed aboard. She left early but I saw her again at Arranmore and on AIS a couple of other days.

Martello tower at Macamish Bay, Lough Swilly

Winner of the Coats Cup

1 June dawned flat calm but sunny and so it remained for the 10 miles to Portnoo where I launched Sapwood and rowed ashore. I had a long talk with an elderly woman who invited me to sit with her on the bench outside her cottage overlooking the pier and bay. She left school at 14 and had spent her entire working life as a housekeeper to a number of priests in Govan at an unchanged salary of £40 per month.

She had been the only person in the village, a township really, during the previous lockdown winter as many of the houses are holiday homes. Our chat ended when the good lady had to go to the village hall for her lunch while I walked to the shop for provisions. Back aboard I motored round the island to better shelter and picked up another visitor’s mooring before going ashore to see the two ruined 6th to 13th century chapels. It remained a gloriously sunny day with a fine sunset. There were many people holidaying, enjoying the beach and happily I was only buzzed once by some jet skis.

By this time I had lost the BBC reception and was therefore listening to RTE and was interested to note that the hot topics in Ireland were just the same as in the UK; airport chaos as people tried to escape to a foreign holiday due of course to the post-Covid lack of staff – Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary was his usual scathing self on this one-, the delivery of school exam results which was another post-Covid issue, the housing crisis despite the many new holiday homes that I had seen, especially in Dublin, and lastly the healthcare crisis, especially bed blocking. Clearly the UK’s media notion that these are uniquely UK issues is entirely erroneous.

I noticed a distinct lack of wildlife, one each of seal and dolphin and few gannets floating and not fishing and a smattering of the usual other birds, so clearly I was lucky to hear the corncrakes.

A day of mixed weather, fair and rain and big wind shifts brought us inside Rathlin O’Birne island and to another mooring this time off the pier in what we would call the well-sheltered Loch Teelin. Then onward for a 60 mile sail across Donegal Bay and round Erris Head and inside Eagle Island to the interesting rocky inlet of Frenchport or Portnafrankagh which lies just to the south of Portnanalbanach or Scotchport on the Mullet Peninsula. I wonder about the juxtaposition of these two ports. My temporary vang anchorage was still chafing.

Mullet Peninsula to Inishbofin

The next day I had a good sail down the length of the Mullet Peninsula and into the wonderfully named Blacksod Bay – something to do with peat, or turf as it is called in Ireland, or perhaps connected to the use of turf as a building material? The passage was inside Inishglora and the Inishkeas in a fresh north-easterly. I decided not to take the passage inside Duvillaun because of the difficulty in keeping the leading marks astern while contending with my boat speed and the full flood tide under Greenheart. I anchored in Elly Bay about halfway up Blacksod Bay.

On 5 June I sailed around the magnificent cliffs of Achill Island and on to Clare Island. There is a passage through Achill Sound but it is tricky, it dries and there is a difficultto-have-opened, manually-operated, swing bridge which, interestingly, is not shown on Navionics charts. It was not there when the base chart was surveyed circa 1860.

On approaching Clare Island I saw many yachts entering the bay and was just pipped to the last visitor’s mooring, by which time the wind was a fresh easterly. Anchoring in the now exposed anchorage was tricky because of two cables, one disused but neither of which one wants to snag. The posts and some locally-laid marker floats helped.

Tory Island

Clare Island was home to the famous Granuaile, Grace O’Malley, a pirate queen who engaged in clan warfare and who crossed swords with the Tudor governor of Connaught. She successfully petitioned, and it is said met in person Queen Elizabeth I of England at Greenwich who granted her relief from the governor. Her castle overlooks the harbour. I went ashore and to the pub for food and drink and good craic with the crews who had raced round the island from their base in the sunken drumlin studded Clew Bay which is overlooked by the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick.

Inishbofin, or white cow island, was the next stop after a good sail inside Inishturk and other small islands. There are good white-painted tower leading marks, the seaward one of which has a small Madonna in a niche. The very bright modern leading lights differ by some five or ten degrees. I anchored off Cromwell’s Barracks which marks the last fortification of his conquest of Ireland 1652. I went ashore for stores and a walk and to see how much it had changed since my last visit in my Folkboat Lara – see CCC Journal 1982.

Inishbofin to Roundstone

Forecasts for 7 June indicated some days of unsettled and stormy weather, so I was keen to round Slyne Head, which is not much of a headland but which has two identical

towers. The black painted one is the only one lit, on the most westerly of a series of low lying islands. Having sailed inside High Island and rounded Slyne Head, I was then sailing into a lumpy sea and towards a large area of islets, skerries and rocks with wonderful names such as Sunk Bellows. It was a grey day and heading east into the easterly sea they were difficult to pick up but were easy to see astern by the white breaking seas. I had now run out of metric charts and was on the fathoms edition of Admiralty Chart 2096 with its sketches and clearing lines as well as the latest Irish Cruising Club Sailing Directions and my tablet with Navionics.

AC 2096 was surveyed by Commander G A Bedford RN in 1847, was engraved and then published on 5 October 1852 with topography mostly from Ordnance Survey maps to a scale of approximately 1:38,000 with large corrections for a new 1868 edition. My copy was corrected to 1966 and bought for my 1981 voyage. The metric chart at

Achill Island

Roundstone Harbour

Grace O’Malley Castle

Winner of the Coats Cup

Belmullet in the north, reported gusts of 44 knots, a low of 973 that day. I got two five gallon cans of water at the pier and noted that the Post Office sold diesel and that it is only a short step from the boat landing at the old pier. There was no movement of either moored boats or fishing boats. With the wind shifts I had drifted near a small white float, a fender, which caused some concern and then it disappeared. From the dinghy I could see that it had fouled the sail drive. What to do? There was no immediate danger but at some point I would want to leave. I briefly considered donning my shorty wetsuit mask and fins but since I was on my own and there were few people about I discarded that idea.

The Irish Coastguard seems to be well equipped with volunteer stations so I phoned them and asked whether there they had a diver among their local people or whether they knew of anyone in Roundstone. They phoned back to say that they had tasked the Aran Island RNLI, that the crew would not enter the water but would tow me alongside, but perhaps I could clear it on the ebb. Hmm, that seemed to be overkill, the lifeboat station was over 20 miles away and given the weather there was a good chance of it being needed for a real emergency.

1:30,000 while very pretty uses the same original surveys with minor corrections, in this case only for the fishing port in Cashla Bay and of course some buoyage and light characteristics. By the time I got to Roundstone it was half tide and falling and I was rather tired so I decided not to attempt a crossing of the bar but picked up a mooring on the far side of the bay.

Overnight, of course, the wind freshened, the glass was 995 and falling as I went to bed. By morning it was blowing F6 from the west and it was very uncomfortable so an hour before high water I crossed the bay and anchored in 5m off Roundstone pier – this was much more comfortable.

In total I spent six nights stormbound in Roundstone with the wind veering and backing between south and west as a series of lows, fronts and troughs passed over, with the wind direction and thus the seas varying. The wind was seldom less than F6 by my anemometer and more outside. Met Eireann were issuing reports of big seas and heavy swells.

When I went for a walk to the west on the 10 June I could hardly stand up as the road curved round out of the village and along the shore. I looked at the fine interior of the Our Lady Star of the Sea, Stella Maris, church and a craft village on the way. This was good exercise and I had views of the seas off the tombolo at Gurteen Bay. I flagged down a lift for the return walk.

I discovered that there was no way you can have a day trip by bus and get back in the same day, so I settled for coffee and cake on one day, an Irish breakfast on another and a good meal of mussels on another.

I had a brainwave and called the friendly shopkeeper who said that he knew of a diver and gave me a number to call. Padraig said that he would arrive in about half an hour, so I phoned Valentia CG to cancel the lifeboat shout. In the event the father and son team arrived in a borrowed rib in about 30 minutes and it took the young man about three minutes in the water to clear the float. 50 euros and a bottle of Famous Grouse shipped against just such eventualities were appreciated. It transpired J Wood, the shopkeeper, was a relative.

Divers who cleared propellor, Roundstone

Inishbofin leading mark

I made a tight coil of the long line on the float which disappeared at high water, so rather than slacken it later I told Mr Wood. The divers had said that there was a big sea running in the entrance to the bay, so I decided to delay my departure by another day.

As an aside, on 28 October I received a call from the RNLI in Poole asking whether, as a Life Governor and donor I would like my data to be entered for gift aid to which I agreed and told him the story to his amusement. I had checked the RNLI website and the event is listed as a shout.

Roundstone to Galway

Monday 13 June dawned grey and damp with a light north-westerly so it was time to go. Norman Kean had recommended that I visit Mason Island and go through Straddle Pass but given the poor visibility and many islands, rocks and skerries to pilot through, the wind which had returned and the lingering swell I decided that Mason Island had too many holiday houses, and that St Macdara’s Island and its chapel were the more attractive option. There were many different seaweeds so I collected bright green and purple to eat with my dinner.

I sailed onward and anchored in 4m off Sruthran Pier opposite the new marina, fishing port and Aran Islands’ ferry port at the head of Cashla Bay which is the only

buoyed and lit all-weather harbour between Galway and Inishbofin. There were a number of traditional Galway hookers on moorings and there was dinghy racing which came close by.

A fast four hour sail brought Greenheart to Galway Roads which are quite exposed to the west. The engine was started and a harbour stow made of the sails. Galway Port has a single gate which opens two hours before HW.

Dinghy at St MacDara’s Island

Edible seaweed

St MacDara’s Island

Cromwell’s Castle, Inishbofin

There is no layby berth but there are two buoys off the entrance, so I moored up for a half hour wait and, once a ship had departed, I motored in and was soon safely alongside the pontoons.

After an exploration of the attractive town and an unsuccessful search for a shower, I ate aboard and began to tidy up ready to leave Greenheart for five days while I returned to Edinburgh for a wedding.

An accident in Galway

At 08:30 on Wednesday 15 June, stone cold sober, I was on my way to a launderette with an Ikea bag of bedding and clothes. I was on a raised pavement and on the other side of the wall there was a low wall over which I saw the top of a boat on that arm of the river, so I went to have a look. I was aware of three steps down but can’t have been looking where my feet were going, so I fell landing on my right knee.

Pain, nauseous pain. I tried to stand up but my knee collapsed. On the second attempt I locked my knee and could stand but one step and down I went again. A passerby helped me sit on the pavement against the wall of a house. A nurse on her way home from her work in the local cardiac ward had a feel and said that she thought that I had seriously damaged my tendons.

A couple phoned for an ambulance and stayed with me for the 10 minutes it took to arrive. They took my full history and data and gave me some painkillers and a label to say what I had been given and then drove me, still no siren, the 10 minutes to hospital. I jumped a couple of places in the arrivals queue and answered questions about my Covid status and was given a mask. I was X-rayed quite soon and taken to A&E. I forget when I was transferred to a hospital trolley bed. A&E was a room with 12 curtained beds and a number of people on beds like me and some sitting. Eventually a surgeon came and took a look and marked my leg with a marker pen. She said that I had detached the two upper tendons from my knee and would be operated on as soon as they could find me a bed. I was given a cup of tea and a biscuit. All in all I was on that trolley for some 27 hours waiting for a bed. I had two more cups of tea and a sandwich and biscuits.

Meanwhile I was lying looking at the bright ceiling lights and trying to contact my travel insurance who wanted policy numbers and me to sign forms. Thank goodness for smart phones and the nurses who kindly charged mine. I also had to contact Tina and our wedding hosts.

What to do with Greenheart?

Then there was the question of what to do about Greenheart –leave her where she lay for nearly a year, have her taken back by road, which is very expensive and involved unstepping the mast and spreaders etc and the signal gantry never mind receiving her in Scotland, have her sailed back for which I

received a very comprehensive and quite reasonable quote. The two RYA Yachtmasters would provide their own charts and navigation stuff, they were well recommended but this still left me with a question of what to do in Scotland and how to explain Greenheart’s quirks of seacocks etc.

As luck would have it the harbourmaster was a yachtsman and a friend of a chap called Norman Kean, a Scot married and settled in Ireland who had given a number of talks about cruising Ireland during lockdown. I had contacted him – he had sailed to scorching-hot Spain for the summer – with my voyage plan and we had an exchange of emails. Norman edits the Irish Cruising Club’s Sailing Directions and coauthored Cruising Ireland, a coffee table book giving stuff that the SDs don’t, with Mike Balmforth who wrote the similar Scottish book. I had bought Greenheart from Mike. Norman went to school with Mike’s wife. Mike was an Irishman settled in Scotland. It is a small world.

Problems partly solved

Back to the University Hospital Galway. Later on I was told nothing by mouth after midnight which I took to be a good sign. The next day at 15:00 I was taken off for an ECG and then to theatre and after a cup of tea and some toast in the recovery room was in the ward by 19:00. Two days later I was got up by two physios and given a zimmer frame and then two elbow crutches and told how to walk and exercise and go up and down stairs.

Meanwhile I was chasing the travel insurers who were a bit slow but sent a nurse to accompany me home. This involved a taxi to the airport, three seats for me etc. I had to get aboard Greenheart to get my passport and keys and money and to throw out all food that might go off and to check sea cocks and to show people how to start the engine. Greenheart has quite a low freeboard so I was able to get aboard at the shrouds and shuffle along the cabin top on my bottom. I spent an hour there and then we went off to the hotel before the morrow’s flight.

All in all my hospital stay was a bit of an eyeopener, but I cannot fault the treatment I received during my week in hospital. The op meant drilling some holes and buffing up my kneecap to provide something for new tissue to bond with. I had a long incision with 17 staples to close it and a most uncomfortable brace held in place with four velcro straps.

Greenheart is out of the water in Galway for the winter and I will go over, cataract operations permitting, to make sure that she is okay for the winter – with a dehumidifier to control mould in a mild damp climate, to put on some covers, to take the headsails off, and to install a trickle charger for batteries and the like.

Peter Dunlop

A fast and frozen passage to Orkney and back

Seol na Mara Fastnet 34 LOA 10.2 metres

Crew Peter McAlister, skipper, Alex Meikle and Angus Matheson, crew

Dates 17 May to 2 June 2022

Kip to Tobermory by way of the Crinan Canal

Our cruise north started on the morning of Tuesday 17 May when we left Kip Marina around 09:15 and motor-sailed up the East Kyle heading for Ardrishaig. We had decided to go through the Crinan Canal as gales were forecast overnight and into Wednesday.

After a cold brisk motor upwind in the Kerry Kyle in a south-easterly F5 to F6 we bore off at Ardlamont and arrived safely in the sea lock at Ardrishaig at 15:24 in time to lock up with a large yacht, Taeping, which was heading up to Oban to join the Scottish Three Peaks Race later in the week.

We had a little excitement as we approached the sealock as Angus managed to drop a fender overboard, but we recovered it safely. Once in the basin we berthed as directed alongside the stone pier on our starboard hand and had quite a rough night being battered by heavy rain squalls and strong winds which caused us to surge about quite a bit. The raised water level in the basin allowed a fender to pop out and we suffered some minor damage to our pristine new paintwork due to the hull rubbing against the rough stone wall. Yet another job for winter.

Early morning was spent trying to find a toilet that wasn’t locked. We subsequently discovered that all the pass-codes had been changed – unbeknown to the sealock keeper. Taeping got away into Lock 2 at 08:30 as soon as the canal opened but we decided to stay put as our anemometer was recording 35 knots at that point. We eventually got away about 10:15 and locked in with another yacht called Synergie which was also heading to Oban to join the Scottish Three Peaks Race. We made slow progress, eventually stopping overnight on the wrong side of Bellanoch Bridge at 16:15 as the Crinan basin was apparently full of yachts sheltering from the storm.

Fortunately, we were on our way again early at 08:30 on the Thursday morning and entered the sea-lock at 09:30 where we hung about once more waiting for two yachts that were behind us to catch us up. Eventually we managed to lock out at 11:00 hours after a very pleasant coffee in the sunshine and motored round to Crinan Harbour where we picked up a visitor’s mooring to await the tide turning in our favour in the Dorus Mor.

Meanwhile Synergie pressed on north impatiently against the foul tide. It was fortunate we did wait as I discovered that I had left my phone lying on an outside table when we had our coffee and we had to tie up to the tidal pier outside the basin while I ran ashore to retrieve it.

We eventually got away at 12:45 and headed north in a favourable but cold southerly F4 to F5 breeze, arriving in Tobermory after a good sail at 19:15, having dodged the showers. We picked up a visitor mooring as the pontoons were busy.

Tobermory to Talmine

After a quiet night we sailed off the mooring at 08:30 heading north again. Unfortunately, the south-east wind died, and we had to start motor sailing once more to get round Ardnamurchan Point. We managed to get into a ‘fine bourach’ here when a reefing line came adrift while gybing and we had to arrange a jury rig to get us to Mallaig harbour where we sorted it all out tied up to a pontoon.

We waited for a couple of hours for the tide to turn in our favour while Angus bought some stores and headed off again at 16:00, passing safely through Kyle Rhea to Kyleakin where we picked up a mooring buoy in a heavy rainstorm at 18:10. What a day it had been with heavy rain showers necessitating the wearing of many layers and full oilskins to keep ourselves dry and warm. After an anchoring dram we adjourned to the cabin and lit the Refleks stove to dry the cabin out while enjoying a welcoming hot meal cooked by Angus.

Early next morning, Saturday, we motored over to the incomplete pontoons at Kyle of Lochalsh and Alex and I walked up to the filling station and bought 34 litres of green bio diesel at £1.94 a litre as we weren’t sure where we would end up. We headed north again at 08:30 in a favourable south-westerly F4 to F7. Off the Crowlins we were hit by a 30 knot squall which caused a bit of excitement but then the wind settled down and we had a grand but cold sail to the Summer Isles where we picked up a fisherman’s mooring at Tanera Beg at 17:15, glad to be out of the southerly swell. We lit an anchor light and turned in early with another 55nm under the keel.

After a light breakfast, we were off again heading for Cape Wrath in a light westerly F2 to F3 breeze which enabled us to pass close inshore in poor visibility rounding the headland at 14:30 with the last of the favourable tide, eventually anchoring in Talmine at 17:30. It had been another very cold day of heavy rain and we were glad to be anchored in such a sheltered spot.

A misty Cape Wrath

Stromness and Scapa Flow

Next morning, we spent some time sorting the toilet which had been acting up and successfully managed to clear a large blob of mastic from the sea water inlet, before heading off at 10:00 for Stromness where we arrived after another cold and wet motor-sail in a light westerly wind around 17:15. Although we hadn’t seen another yacht all day, suddenly we all seemed to converge on Stromness and we found ourselves in the company of three others including Lorne Rival, all heading for the Orkney Folk Festival which started the following week.

We had a welcoming surprise on arrival when a young woman called Annie arrived clutching a bottle of whisky to welcome us, bought on the instructions of a friend, Bob Nichol from Dunstaffnage, who was monitoring our progress on Facebook.

By now the wind had gone around to the north and was forecast to reach gale force, so next morning, while the sun still shone, we decided to take a bus trip to Ring of Brodgar and Kirkwall rather than sail around in the boat. Alas, we did not get to the pre-historic ruins of Skara Brae as we had done on previous trips as they were apparently only open by appointment and with a guide. This was a great pity as they are well worth seeing.

We had only paid for two nights in the marina but the forecast was still bad for the next couple of days blowing northerly F6 to gale F8 so we reluctantly extended our stay for a further two days, hoping to be able to leave on the Friday. Sadly, Angus had to leave by bus at 06:30 as he had commitments at home but later we managed to top up our diesel tanks with 55 litres at £1.44 a litre which was good value. We spent some time carrying out maintenance on the boat followed by some local sightseeing in Stromness.

At 03:20 on the Thursday morning we were disturbed as a large 26m long Swedish yacht departed, heading straight for Gothenburg. We didn’t envy them the trip. Later in

The Ring of Brodgar, Orkney

Stromness Marina

the morning we bought some stores in the local Co-op and around 16:30 we were joined by Neill Hall who had flown down from Lerwick for the Folk Festival. We were later joined by Annie and we all had some good craic and not a little alcohol talking of old times on Calypso. Neill stayed for tea before returning to his hotel and the festival.

We left the marina next morning around 08:30 to catch the last of the east-going tide into Scapa Flow before heading for Longhope where we expected to hang about until late afternoon to wait for the east-going tide across the Pentland Firth to Wick. It was decidedly fresh but the wind was behind us and posed no problem until we arrived in Longhope where we found the two visitors’ moorings to be taken and had to anchor at 10:30 in a fresh north-westerly F6 breeze. Fortunately, the anchor bit first time and we were able to relax a little. However, once one of the yachts on a mooring moved off, we decided to lift the anchor and move on to the vacant mooring, eventually casting off at 16:30. We followed a larger Hallberg-Rassy out into the Pentland Firth with the favourable tide and berthed in Wick harbour at 19:45, assisted by the helpful harbourmaster and paid the very reasonable harbour dues.

Through the Caledonian Canal to Oban

It was our first visit to Wick and we liked it a lot, but reluctantly had to cast off early next morning at 06:45 to catch the tide once again for a pleasant but cold motor-sail to Inverness Marina, berthing at 17:30. Alas, however, just

as we turned into the berth we were hit by a squall, missed the chosen berth and started drifting sideways down the lead. Fortunately, we were able to reverse into a vacant berth on the other side of the marina, so no harm was done apart from our damaged pride. It had been a good day with another 71 miles under our keel.

We were up early again on the Sunday morning to lock into the Caledonian Canal at 08:30 but we only got as far as Muirtown basin where we hung about until 12:30 when there was a mad scramble of boats to get into the lock once Muirtown road bridge eventually opened. We were one of the lucky ones and got into the lock and were highly entertained by a crew member on the yacht behind throwing a fankle of rope up to the lock keeper who promptly threw it back on board as it hadn’t been tied on. Once clear of the locks we had a good motor-sail in a light northerly breeze to Fort Augustus, berthing at 18:30. After a short walk ashore, we decided to treat ourselves to a pub meal and were very lucky to get a seat at the bar in the Lock Inn, as all pubs and restaurants were fully booked. After a satisfying meal Alex walked round to the local garage and bought some essential stores, including a bottle of whisky.

Next morning, alas, it was raining again but we heard an announcement on the VHF radio that the first locking would be at 09:30 and found ourselves hanging about once more, eventually locking in, in the company a Vega called Pippi Long-stockings and a large 60 foot Bowman Whisky Jack. We were asked to enter first followed by the Vega and then the large Bowman, which all seemed to work well as we progressed through the locks. Our trip was only 

On canal pontoon at Fort Augustus

Kirkwall

Winner of the Ogg Cup

marred by us having to jill about again for an hour while the bridge-keeper at Laggan bridge had his lunch, but we got through eventually at 14:00 and made good progress down Loch Oich where we were stuck for the night at 16:00 at Gairlochy. It wasn’t a bad place to be stuck, to be honest.

Tuesday dawned and we found ourselves waiting yet again as some yachts locked up, but we got on the move again at 09:30 and then hung around once more at the top of Neptune’s Staircase waiting for yet more yachts coming up. At 13:40 we at last got on the move again and eventually locked out at Corpach with Pippi at 15:50 in an exceptionally heavy rain-storm. It was nice to be back in salt water once again and we made good speed down Loch Linnhe to Corran Narrows where a foul tide slowed us down to two knots for a short while, but we broke through the tide and eventually arrived in Oban at Kerrera Marina at 20:50 where we picked up a mooring for the night. It had been another cold, slow frustrating day but we were back on track.

A fast return to Kip

Next morning, we left very early at 05:40 to catch the south-going tide and had a lovely but cold motor-sail down the Sound of Jura in blue skies doing 12.5 knots over the ground at one point just south of the Corryvreckan which

enabled us to reach Ardminish, Gigha, as the tide turned against us. We tied up to the new pontoon at 13:30 and went ashore for lunch. We had hoped to eat al fresco at the Harbour Café but after a pint we abandoned that idea as they seemed to be fully booked and eventually ended up in the Gigha Hotel where, despite us being late, staff managed to fit us in just before the kitchen closed at 15:00. We happily devoured a couple of excellent burgers and a pint of beer.

Adjourning to the boat at 16:00 we paid the honesty box for our berth and headed back out to sea to catch the flood tide back around the Mull of Kintyre, eventually dropping anchor in Sanda at 21:00 hours. It had been a long but rewarding day with 80 nautical miles made to the good. For the first time we had felt warm.

At 06:40 the following morning we caught the flood tide up and around Pladda and Arran on our warmest day so far and we motor-sailed gently back to Kip where we berthed at 15:30, passing close to a couple of yachts taking part in the Fife Regatta.

It had been a great cruise to Orkney covering 621 miles in total with lots of good company, favourable winds and wildlife, even though we nearly froze to death.

Peter McAlister

Gairlochy

Sunset at Sanda

A slow cruise in a small yacht, Kinlochbervie to Gairloch

Robinetta is a gaff cutter, built in 1937 in the style of a Cameret crabber, and designed by her first owner, Denys Rayner, a co-founder of Westerly Yachts, for cruising the Irish Sea and West Coast of Scotland. Her roller-reefing main sail is an original feature, as is the self-tacking staysail, with all lines being led back to the cockpit to enable easy single handing. For a long keeler, at 6.9m with bowsprit reeved and an oversized rudder, she manouveres well. She is owned and crewed by Julian and Alison Cable, new CCC members.

Kinlochbervie to Loch a Chadh-Fi – 17 July

We arrived at Kinlochbervie by bus in the rain. It continued raining overnight and we woke to unbroken cloud coverage. The forecast for the week looked much the same, it seemed we were going to be stuck in rain and gloom. So we had a lazy morning studying the CCC Sailing Directions and the CA Almanac and planning ahead.

By 10:00 we were ready to step ashore for a while. We walked to the shop and bought some things for lunches and breakfasts, intending to use up some ageing tins for dinners for a day or so. While we were out we got some blue sky and a little warmth from the sun.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so grim? But it went all grey again very soon and although we got Worm, our tender, and Robinetta ready to go neither of us felt enthusiastic. However, we had some lunch and left anyway. Being at sea would be better than being in port and the forecast for today had the best wind of the coming week. We raised sail just outside the harbour but there wasn’t enough of a breeze to let us turn off the engine. We got a bit more in the outer bay. Little enough to think about trying the mackerel line. But the hooks had rusted to nothing and just crumbled.

We pottered around the headlands, dodging rocks and islets, and went into Loch Laxford when it threatened to rain and then as often happens under a rain cloud the wind came up and we could sail. Even better, we could make our

Robinetta Gaff cutter LOA 6.9 metres Crew Julian and Alison Cable Dates 17 – 23 July 2022

Kinlochbervie – Worm launched

Robinetta

Winner of the Murray Blair Challenge Trophy

course and the rain came to nothing. Loch Laxford is full of fish and mussel farms. Unfortunately the anchorage Julian picked had two moored boats in the best spot and we didn’t think there was room left so we backed out and headed to Loch a Chadh-Fi and anchored near the Adventure School. A lovely spot, even more so because the skies cleared a little and it turned into a nice evening.

We dined on tinned stew and rice with some fried tomatoes and garlic. Not outstanding but perfectly good. Julian laid the creel, held down by the dinghy anchor, and the anchorage gave us a beautifully peaceful night. I am not even sure we swung to the tide as I suspect the crab pot Julian set at Robinetta’s stern acted as a stern anchor. It caught several crabs, but they were much too small to do anything with except set them free in the morning.

The dinghy anchor came up very muddy and it needed a good dunking and a scrub to get rid of all the ‘gloop’.

Loch a Chadh-Fi to Loch Beag – 18 July

We decided to leave at around 10:00, and spent an hour doing some basic maintenance before hauling up the main anchor. Rather than putting the chain straight down the hauser I laid it on deck to rinse it off. Several buckets of water later the anchor and chain were clean, and drying on deck.

There was plenty of water to take a short cut out of the anchorage, and we were soon motoring out into Loch Laxford itself. The weather was very grey and without a breath of wind but as Robinetta began to feel the swell at the entrance to the loch Julian suggested we should raise the mainsail before it got any rougher. There was certainly more swell than we had expected, and the course Julian had decided on threaded through some

quite narrow passages. We decided to go outside Handa instead of inside, but as we approached we could see that visibility was poor beyond the island. Julian did a quick check, and we would be going through Handa Sound at slack water if we headed inshore now, so we went back to the original plan. This was an excellent decision, and we motored through the sound in flat water, getting a great view of the island.

The weather was brightening up, and we threaded our way into Badcall Bay in sunshine. We were not planning on stopping, just taking our time getting to the Kylesku Narrows so as not to have too much tide against us as we went under the bridge.

As we left Badcall behind, the day began to get really hot and bright, and I suggested we take the mainsail down to protect it from UV damage. The weather gods then laughed at us, and produced a sailing breeze within the hour. So we raised the main again and sailed slowly at 2.5 knots into Loch a’Chairn Bhain towards the Kylesku Narrows. Sailing through beautiful scenery in lovely weather is what we do it for. England might be baking in 38°C, we had 20°C at most, but it felt joyful to change from jeans to shorts and hoodies to T-shirts.

Sailing through the Kylesku Narrows

Handa Island anchorage

Winner of the Murray Blair Challenge Trophy

We had to put the engine on to get through the wind shadow of the Narrows, but we had judged the time well, and there was only one knot of tide against us which we could easily overcome. Once past the Old Ferry Inn the engine went off again and we sailed slowly along Loch Glencoul towards the anchorage at Loch Beag. By the time we reached it the wind had died almost totally, and we explored this under engine, finding the depths very different to those on our charts. Eventually we settled on a spot in just under three metres. I paid out the anchor, but Julian was not happy as we fell back on the chain to only 1.5m on the depth gauge where he felt we were stirring the mud. I hauled it up again, and we motored into deeper water at 4.0m. I let out 25m of chain, expecting a 3.5m rise of tide.

Our CCC Sailing Directions warns against anchoring in Loch Beag at the top of Loch Glencoul, preferring a spot just outside. According to the Directions the holding is poor, and there are katabatic gusts. The poor holding warning made us put out plenty of chain, and we certainly needed it when the katabatic gusts struck at 00:15. The first warning we had was when the staysail, on which we had not put the cover, started flapping. I put my head out of the forehatch to see why, and immediately decided to get dressed and do some more careful stowage.

The wind felt warm, but was blowing a good F6, and Robinetta’s anchor chain was stretched out, pushing her back to 11m under her keel rather than the expected 7m. The anchor showed no signs of moving, and half an hour later when the wind died Robinetta came forward again to have 6m under the keel. A disconcerting little adventure, but we had been warned.

Loch Beag to Lochinver –19 and 20 July

The alarm went off at 05:30 and despite the broken night we managed to get going. Hauling the anchor up was easier than expected. It was on deck before 06:00 and we motored away from the anchorage on a bright dry morning with some blue sky. Loch Beag was herself, wind coming down the thrust fault at the head of the loch, then rotating 180° to head us as we went through the narrows into Loch Glencoul.

We left all the sails down until we were through the bridge, which we did at bang on 07:00, slack water. Once in Loch a’ Chairn Bhain Julian was about to start cooking breakfast when we got a nice breeze. So up went the sails. The weather now was wonderful, warm and sunny with fluffy clouds.

We wanted to eat together so we put the tiller pilot on. With ‘George’ sorted Julian went below and cooked bacon, Stornoway black pudding and egg for a lovely breakfast which we ate while admiring the spectacular views of Quinag.

We motor-sailed to the Stoer headland and hoped for slack water but the northerly stream was already running. We must have misread the pilot. Reading it again it agreed with reality. It had only just started in the last 15 minutes so it came up to speed fast. The Old Man of Stoer makes a great day mark. We set ‘George’ to point a bit south and got

Suilven towers over Lochinver fishing shed

Stoer Lighthouse and Infinity B

Winner of the Murray Blair Challenge Trophy

due west over the ground. So we let that guide us and when Robinetta started turning left we knew we were far enough out for the stream to weaken. We also used the SOG to help and added to the turn every time we reached 3 knots. It worked well.

As we worked out way down the coast the westerly wind came up and the engine went off and we had a grand gentle sail. Blue skies, wonderful scenery, calm seas and a sailing breeze. It doesn’t get better. Later I brought Robinetta in towards the coast to try to see the broch at Clachtoll but we weren’t very close and could not make anything out. A man and a boy came out to see us on a jet ski – very polite and without throwing up any wash.

Then we passed Achmelvich beach. I stayed at the youth hostel there on a geology field trip when Julian and I were courting. Over 40 years ago. Off to sea we saw seals and then something we’ve been missing – our first decent sighting of dolphins. Not really close but we did see one jump out of the water in a fine curve.

Once through the islets and approaching Lochinver it felt like we had returned to civilization. Lots of recreational and fishing boats going out and coming in. We moored up on a pontoon and went to find the harbour-master. We found the chandlers first and bought some hooks for the fishing line. A pack for cod, one for mackerel and a pack with silvery lures Julian thought might work for bass. The bass we caught in Brittany had sand eels in their mouths so he thought the glint of silver might work.

The pilot books still mention Tuesday as early closing here. Not true. The chandlers, butchers and Spar Larder were all open. We decided to stay another day, and take our time exploring the town, then leave late on Thursday. Julian had a work meeting that afternoon and Lochinver has good internet access.

Lochinver to the Summer Isles – 21 July

Thursday’s weather was grey and cold with little wind, but the evening tides were helpful for heading round Rubha Coigeach, so we set off at 17:00 aiming for the Summer Isles. The whole trip was done under motor, but a group of young common dolphins were playing ‘look how high we can jump’ as Robinetta rounded the headland and this enlivened the journey. They were more interested in playing with each other than us, but they did come close a couple of times.

We anchored in between Tanera Beg and Eilean Fada Mor in 5m, an hour after low water. The expected rise in tide is only 2m, so there was less worrying than the 4m we had to plan for earlier in the week. We could see two other yachts in the anchorage but there were probably three as another mast was just visible round a corner.

The Summer Isles to Camus Glas, Inverewe – 22 July

On Friday morning we woke to grey skies, grey rock, and grey sea... we both struggled to raise our spirits with so little colour in the world but the day did have its charm. We had a lie in, and probably missed the best part of the day, weather-wise. Early mornings seem to get the clearest skies around here. A cooked breakfast seemed like a good idea so we finished the black pudding and bacon, adding a tomato, eggs and fried bread.

Julian checked the creel – it was perfectly clean and the black pudding he had put in as bait was still there, untouched. We set off for Loch Ewe about 10:00 under motor with no great expectation of a breeze.

The nice thing about pessimism is in the opportunity it gives to be pleasantly surprised. We weren’t far across Loch Broom before a gentle F3 sprang up. The perfect wind for our gaff cutter – a broad reach pushed us along at 3.5 to 4 knots. That cheered us up. The horizon gave more reasons to be cheerful. Harris and Lewis sat on the western edge of the world, with the mountains of Uig rising up to the south and the Butt of Lewis just visible to the north. The east was a feast of mountain peaks from north to south. All colourless and faint in the distance but giving shape to the day. Impossible to photograph. Julian thought about getting out his watercolours, but decided his recent attempts had been so awful he did not have the confidence to try. Now and then we saw a guillemot with a chick, or a seal popped its head up to look at us, but nothing larger made itself obvious.

We started to lose the wind as we neared Greenstone Point. I suggested trying the fishing line, and Julian did not need any persuading. He fitted the cod lures and hooks he had bought in Lochinver and had hopes of a pollock. As the wind lessened I started getting impatient to put the engine on but Julian wanted to give the hooks a little more time so we waited until the distance to go was a round number of miles – 2.4 cables. Julian hauled in the line, saying it felt heavy, but he wasn’t hopeful. Then the end of the line glinted with silver so he asked me to ready the bucket. We’d hooked five fine mackerel, two on one hook.

Five mackerel on one line

Winner of the Murray Blair Challenge Trophy

Then it was back to motoring. Julian filleted one of the mackerel and fried it to have with bread and butter for lunch. We curved into Loch Ewe. Loch Ewe is most famous for the gardens of Inverewe but it was also an important mustering point for the Arctic convoys in the Second World War. There is still a large NATO refuelling depot here, although there were no warships that day. There are several anchorages in the Loch, offering protection from different directions. Like most of the anchorages around here, most are in 5m or more. We wanted protection from the expected SE winds, but we also wanted a short distance to the headland of Rubha Reidh tomorrow in order to catch the morning ebb around it into Loch Gareloch. In the end we plumped for Camus Glas, right by the jetty for the Inverewe Gardens. It’s a pretty spot with good protection from the southeast and shallow. It’s also covered by the 2015 version of the Antares charts so we could rely on the soundings.

I really enjoy quiet evenings at anchor, but the forecast for Saturday suggested we needed to be in good shelter for stronger winds in the afternoon and rain were forecast. The stronger winds were only F5, but from the south, so would head us after we rounded Rudha Reidh, and sailing in the rain is not much fun. We therefore decided not to linger in our anchorage at Camus Glas, aiming to be away by 08:00.

Inverewe to Flowerdale – 23 July

The weather first thing was lovely, and Julian went forward to check the contents of the creel he had baited with mackerel guts last night. Crabs obviously loved it, because there were about 20 small ones scuttling about in the creel, plus something that looked like an eel. We had no need of more fish, though, still having a mackerel each to eat for breakfast, so Julian released everything back into the loch. Having anchored in 5m, with only 1m rise of tide to go, there was much less chain to haul up than on previous mornings, and Julian had it all on deck by 07:23. As we had sea room we turned back to raise the mainsail. By 07:40 the engine went off as we sailed at 3.5 knots on a very broad reach towards the Isle of Ewe. Julian went below to cook the mackerel while I helmed in bright sunshine.

Breakfasting on pan fried mackerel with tomato while sailing in sunshine on a flat sea surrounded by dramatic scenery is a memory to treasure.

Of course the wind did not last, and by the time we had finished eating at 08:00 we were virtually drifting along at two knots, so the jib was furled away again and the engine went on to take Robinetta out of Loch Ewe. The view to the west and south was a bit hazy, but we could pick out the Shiants from the mass of Uist behind them, as well as Skye ahead of us.

We got another bit of northerly breeze as we rounded Rubha Readh Lighthouse, which lasted all of twenty minutes before dying away, then quarter of an hour later it came back, this time from the south-west. It took an hour to build to a proper sailing wind, but by 12:22 we could turn the engine off again to reach along the coast towards the Isle of Lunga in the mouth of the Gairloch.

The view past Lunga was a bit grim, with Skye disappearing into the murk, and rain obviously on its way, but as we followed the coast round, to pass north of Lunga, we were still in sunshine. Unfortunately, the wind was now straight ahead of us, and we decided to turn the engine on to try to reach the harbour at Flowerdale before the rain reached us.

The Flowerdale pontoon is run by Highland Harbours, so our cruising pass covered the mooring fees. Reports suggested that there is very little space left over for visitors so we were not sure we would be able to stay there. A trip boat passed us as we neared the harbour, and we waited until it had moored up before approaching. There was only one yacht on the pontoon, and it did look as though there was space for Robinetta behind. I looked at the trip boat skipper, and he moved to take our lines, as obvious an approval of our intentions. Once moored up I commented that we were glad to find a space, and he said the pontoon had been much quieter this summer. Last year up to six yachts had been rafted up along the short stretch of pontoon now taken by Robinetta and Suzelle

Once the cockpit cover was on we went below to relax. The first week of our cruise south along the West Coast was over.

Alison Cable

Alongside at Gairloch

Loch Ewe guard posts

A busy but successful sailing season

The season started off with the first regatta of the Hansa Class UK TT series in April. This was followed by eight successive regattas across the length and breadth of England, culminating in the final at Frensham Pond in September. Despite having missed two of the regattas due to other competitions, I managed to win the series overall for the second year in a row.

Come May, I was off to Europe with the CCC’s very own Hansa The Glasgow Bonnet. First stop was the Belgian Sailability Cup in Nieuwpoort, which is attended by not just the Belgians, but the Swiss, French and on this occasion the Omanis as well. This made for a very mixed fleet and some exciting racing. I managed to work my way to the top of the leader board, but it was no given thing, with first place only being secured on the last day.

Later the following week, I was just north of Paris for the French Hansa Nationals, which was the largest Hansa event I have ever attended, with 70 competitors in the singles class alone. The racing was tough, with the weather often against us, creating a variety of environments for us to compete in. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself ending the competition with a podium position, finishing

third overall. To round off the trip, I dropped in at Bolton on my way home for one of the RYA Sailability NW TT regattas. Quite a busy couple of weeks.

In June, I was at Carsington Water for the UK Hansa Nationals, which offered some of the closest sailing yet, with very mixed results across the board. Conditions were a bit on the shifty side, making for some spectacular gains and losses, and I managed to scrape my way into first place, again with the final few races being decisive.

Little wind at the French Nationals

The French Nationals

Come July, I headed down to Plymouth to work with the Swiss SailGP team at the third regatta of the series. SailGP organise work placements for all their regattas and the Swiss team, as a major supporter of the #backthebid campaign, specifically requested a disability sailor as their intern. I was lucky enough to be selected. For the most part I carried out odd jobs around the tech site, freeing up time for the sailors and shore crew to perform more technical tasks on their F50 catamaran, Eiger. There was rarely a shortage of things needing done but when there was, the team were more than happy to answer any questions as I watched them assemble and tune Eiger. Of course, the highlight of the week was seeing all eight of the F50s on the water, and I managed to wangle my way onto a press boat to watch the racing, consequently getting the best seat in the house.

Completely by coincidence, my next big competition was the Swiss Hansa Nationals in September. I took some time before the competition to see the Alps and, fittingly, take the train to the top of the Eiger. The Nationals themselves were held on Lake Constance.

Again the French and Belgians were present, and everyone was notably sharper on the water since I last sailed with them in May. It was tricky racing, with a lot of tactics having to be employed but I managed to work my way up to and hold third place.

There was one more competition in the diary before the season ended, and in a different class of boat as well. I had only sailed a Challenger trimaran on one occasion before I travelled to Rutland for the UK Nationals. Having only sailed monohulls, the Challenger took some getting used to, but it performed tacking and other manoeuvres far quicker than I expected. However, this boat’s main strength is its speed, and this did not disappoint.

Ultimately, the control of the Challenger relies on the same principles as all other boats. This and the advice I received from experienced sailors will have gone a long way to me finishing seventh overall.

It’s been quite a year, with approximately 14,000 miles driven. As I write this, I have just found out that I am now sitting first in the World Sailing, One-Person, Disabled –Men, Hansa 303 class. The editor has asked me how one sails at this level and, in truth, I am no expert on the technicalities of sailing, rules, knots, names of boat parts, etc., but the more time one spends on the water, the better one’s empathy with the boat and feel for the wind. Experience is everything. It has been an honour to represent the CCC at so many events and in so many countries. The support I have received from the club, from the use of The Glasgow Bonnet to funding through the Seamanship & Pilotage Trust, has enabled me to put in the time and miles required to get to this position. I cannot thank the club enough and I hope I can continue to represent them for many years to come.

Rory McKinna

The start line at the French Nationals

Rory McKinna in The Glasgow Bonnet

The delivery cruise of Lucinda Claire, Eastbourne to the Clyde

Lucinda Claire Oceanis 381 LOA 11.8 metres

Crew Gary Brown (owner), Ken Andrew (skipper), Simon Pearce, Clive Garroway, Jimmy Ritchie Dates 12 – 22 May 2022

Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne

Gary and I were former colleagues and discovered common interests in guitars, motorbikes and… sailing.

The plan was that in the post COVID era we would get out to Antigua and commission his Lagoon 40 cat but a phone call from the insurers in October 2021 raised the premium by over 1,000%. This forced a change of plan. The result: cat up for sale and the search for a boat to keep on the Clyde.

The market was moving very quickly, and boats were coming up for sale and disappearing in days, but Gary spotted an Oceanis 381 on the South Coast and had an offer accepted on it. In February we drove down to check it out in Gosport and were pleased to find that the yacht broker’s basic spec didn’t reflect a much higher level of kit on board. With a bit of negotiation to get free berthing at the broker’s site in Eastbourne – well, he had confessed that their stock was almost nil – the deal was completed. We returned to the boat in April to get her sorted for the delivery trip back from the berth in Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne planned for May. The hospitality at the Royal Sovereign Yacht Club and the Marina in general was superb and offers of assistance came thick and fast from the members of RSYC. The vessel was now named Lucinda Claire.

Gary asked me to skipper the trip and put the crew together. Simon, Gary’s brother-in-law was available, a former Royal Navy chief with lots of experience of the South Coast. Clive was also available – we’d been sailing together for 44 years. Jimmy was also up for the trip and had sailed the CCC Bluewater Race with us in 2013 and loved a long passage.

Thursday 12 May – Saturday 14 May, Eastbourne to Cowes

Clive, Jimmy and I rendezvoused at Galashiels station where Gary collected us in a one-way hire car. Simon made his way along the South Coast by train, and we all met up at Sovereign and had dinner in one of the many in-marina restaurants.

The next day we had a few more things to sort out including the bending on of the CCC pennant and the final passage planning. The forecast looked good, but the winds were to be light and on the nose. The plan was to get to the Solent for the Saturday stop. A check with the marina office confirmed that there would be enough water in the marina approach if we locked out at 06:00. All set.

Saturday 14 May was our first day of sailing. As we got ready to get going, a ‘low voltage’ alarm appeared on the B&G instruments. The system had been on shore power so this was unexpected and of course disappeared when the engine was powered up. More of which later. We locked out at 06:10 with a handful of other boats and set course west along the coast past Beachy Head Light, abeam at

07:18. As expected, the wind was light and on the nose, so we were motoring with the main unfurled from the in-mast system. The weather was bright and sunny and it was a great day for the start of the trip. The crew were getting along well, each taking the helm for an hour. The foul tide eased west of Beachy Head and we ticked off the South Coast towns – Newhaven, Brighton, Worthing, and Littlehampton, where the yacht fleet was racing. At 13:02 we had Selsey Bill abeam and changed course to 299°M so we unrolled the genoa with the engine revs reduced and enjoyed the motor-sail to the Solent. I had spent most of 2021 working in Portsmouth and staying in Southsea so it was good to see the coast from the sea. At 15:06 we had No Man’s Land Fort abeam and radioed ahead to Cowes Yacht Haven for a berth. As with most Saturday afternoons in the season the Medina was a mass of boats coming and going and we were fortunate to get the last 40’ berth in the Haven and we tied up at 16:10. The boat had gone very well, and our confidence was high with the first trip under our belt.

After showers and change of clothes, we headed up into the town and were passing the Italian restaurant at the top of the pier as it opened so we took advantage and went in to get fed straight away. That only left a couple of pubs to visit before returning to the boat after a long day. We tested the TV by tuning into the Eurovision Song Contest, which Ukraine won.

No Man’s Land Fort

Beachy Head

Sunday 15 May, Cowes to Brixham

We had some options for Day 2 destination. Gary had started sailing in his youth in Poole, but a trip into Poole Harbour would take a few hours to get in and out. The boat was going well and capable of covering the ground, so we decided to set for Brixham, some 90nm across Poole Bay and Lyme Bay with the option of Weymouth as a shorter leg. We cleared Cowes Yacht Haven at 07:10. We would be punching the tide down to the Needles but could minimise the impact by hugging the south side of the channel. We passed Newtown, Yarmouth, and Totland Bay with the old battery leading down to the Needles.

As we crossed Poole Bay the visibility closed in and Gary was unable to see his old stomping ground. With Portland Bill cleared at 14:30, our course altered to 255°M for the leg to Brixham, where we arrived at 19:30.

Monday 16 May, Brixham to Port Pendennis

The plan was to get stores, water and fuel and head for Falmouth as the jumping off point for rounding Land’s End. That was the plan, but when the engine was started to head for the fuel berth, the charging alarm refused to silence. Clive, Jimmy and I started to work through the system with a multi-meter, while Gary contacted several service engineers who declared that they wouldn’t be able to visit that week. The decision was made to pull the alternator with the knowledge that a local garage within walking distance could check it. We dropped the unit with Pete at Allen Auto Electrics who reported back within an hour that the unit was perfect. We picked up a few electrical bits and pieces and continued the diagnostic. Knowing that the alternator was OK, the excitation voltage was found to be low/variable (9v ~ 3v), so we focused on that. There was a Cristec split diode and alternator isolator unit so, finding a UK supplier, a quick phone call with their tech support concluded that the unit wasn’t getting power from the engine panel. They advised that we could take power from the battery switch. 10 minutes later we were back in business with the power taken from the conveniently placed windlass power switch.

Resolving the charging issue had taken most of the day, so after a meal on board we discussed how to proceed. The forecast was poor in the Atlantic but moderate for us for the next 12 hours. Aware that we would have to do a 24 plus hour leg to get north of St George’s Channel, the situation presented an opportunity to get some night watches in while we still had Simon on board. We decided to head for Falmouth through the night, arriving in daylight around 07:00/08:00. Stores had been taken on. We took on 102 litres of fuel and topped up the water tanks. We departed Brixham Harbour at 18:30.

The weather was overcast and occasional showers came through. We cleared the Needles Channel at 11:00 and altered course to 239°M to clear Portland Bill. The tide started to turn with us, so the engine was shut down and we were able to sail. However, that was cut short after 20 minutes when the low voltage alarm appeared on the system again. The batteries were four years old but the history was unknown. The engine had less than 50 hours on collection so there was no way of knowing if the batteries had been on constant shore power charging or had not been regularly charged at all. Either option could mean that they hadn’t been cycle charged. In short, the rest of the trip had the engine running to support the autopilot.

Heading 209°M to clear Start Point we held that course until 22:30 and then altered course to 242°M to clear Prawle Point. At 22:30 we commenced watches with Green Watch, Gary, Simon and Ken on for a two hour stand.

Tuesday 17 May, Brixham to Falmouth

At 00:30 Red Watch Jimmy & Clive stood to. One of the modifications that Gary had fitted in April was the AIS transmitter module and antenna splitter hooked into the B&G system. We had used this on the first two legs, but

The Needles

Yarmouth

it really assisted our confidence in the Channel at night. Simon’s naval expertise coached us all on the effective use of the data provided by the AIS. At 02:30 we changed course to 264°M for Falmouth. At 06:30, the day watch resumed. As we headed up past St Mawes, we could see a fine three masted schooner at anchor off the harbour. This turned out to be Adix and was heading for the Clyde with another Fife yacht The Lady Anne. We tied up in Port Pendennis at 08:15.

Sadly, it was time for Simon to leave us, so it was a short walk up from the marina to the train station and he was seen off for his trip home. He had been a real asset for us with his knowledge of the South Coast but also for his good humour and banter.

Tuesday 17 May – Thursday 19 May, Falmouth to Arklow

The forecast in the morning was not good. F9 was forecast in Shannon and F6 Irish Sea. Given the night sail and the stressful preceding day with the electrics drama, it was decided to stay in Falmouth for the day and depart on Wednesday 18 May. Falmouth was a pleasant stop and I shopped for the ingredients for dinner. We had a few beers overlooking the bay watching the gaff-rigged craft making ready for the evening race – a very relaxing treat. Dinner consisted of nasi goreng on board before discussing the options for the next leg.

These were – stay in Falmouth for another day until the weather settled; head round Land’s End for Southern Ireland, likely to be Kilmore Quay or Arklow; or head for the Scilly Isles and see what the forecast was going to give us.

Winner of the Donald McNamara Trophy

Wednesday saw us having to make a decision on our course. The passage would have us on the same course for rounding Land’s End as for the north entry into the Scillies so after rounding Lizard Point, we altered course to 240°M which covered both the Scilly and Irish options. There was a sizeable swell from the preceding Atlantic gale but it was proving to be manageable and the boat was coping well. The decision was to round Land’s End and head for Ireland. At 15:00, we rounded west of Longships and steered 000°M. 18:50 saw us joined by a pod of over 30 dolphins which stayed playing with us for over an hour. The Oceanis design with ports in the hull allowed the dolphins playing on the bow wave to be observed from one’s berth!

Dolphin watch from a bunk

The Fife yacht Adix

Winner of the Donald McNamara Trophy

Watches commenced at 20:00. The B&G plotter, which had served us well, suddenly ran out of detailed charts north of the Bristol Channel. Something that we hadn’t checked was the chart library. Those installed covered all of Western Europe including the Baltic; but not the Irish Sea or Scottish waters! We had been keeping a fix on paper

charts and also had Navionics on a 12” tablet and iPhone, so there was no real issue. The plotter continued to support the AIS system.

We were running with the main only and the engine on half revs to support the autopilot. The Atlantic swell was swinging the wide transom around with some force but it was comforting and intriguing to see how well the autopilot coped under the conditions.

At 00:00 the next day, Thursday, the wind veered 10° so we altered course to reduce the risk of an involuntary gybe. At 04:15 the lights of Ireland started to show and a course change to dodge around Tuskar Rock TSS was made. At 09:30 Rosslare was due west and the ferry traffic visible. The morning was bright and the warmth of the sun was very welcome after a chilly night’s sail. By noon we were approaching Arklow Bank and picked up the offshore windfarm and the navigation marks to take us into Arklow Bay. The tide, which had been with us and against us in equal measure, was now with us again and we reached down to the harbour entrance. The river was busy with barges and service craft working on the north wharves’ development as we headed up to the pontoons.

Fuel is no longer available at the yard on the south bank, but we were kindly offered a lift with drums to the nearest shore station. Fortunately, we had enough fuel to take us on to Dun Laoghaire which was the next planned stop.

Showers at the marina followed by Guinness(es) and dinner at Christie’s Bar – recommended; across the bridge and right at the T junction. We had now broken the back of the trip and could relax having completed the last long section and were unlikely to need night hours watches again.

Reaching up the Irish Sea

Lucinda Claire at RStGYC

Friday 20 May, Arklow to Dun Laoghaire

At 08:10 on Friday we slipped the lines at the pontoon for a leisurely 45nm hop to Dun Laoghaire. Jimmy and I had visited the Royal St George’s Yacht Club on the way to Benodet in the CCC Blue Water Race in 2013 and were keen to go back and enjoy the club’s hospitality. Friday was a beautiful day with smooth sea, a reaching breeze and sunshine. We cleared the offshore windfarm and gybed onto 025°M. We now had an opportunity to try out the asymmetric spinnaker that came with the boat. Rigged and hoisted, it pushed the boat comfortably into double figures boat speed. As the wind increased, we furled it away – it had shipped out. We took it down as we were approaching Dublin Bay. At 14:34 we tied up on the outer pontoon at RStGYC.

The hospitality at Royal St George’s is second to none. We were shown around the impressive facilities by Ellie, who is Scottish and Gary and Clive were as amazed as Jimmy and I had been on our first visit. As we had beers on the covered veranda overlooking the day boat/dinghy apron and the pontoons which Lucinda Claire had to herself, the heavens opened with a vengeance; we were relieved not to be on the water. We retreated to the bar and took up residence for the afternoon. The Commodore dropped by to welcome us, and other members were very welcoming. Unfortunately, the club was fully booked for dinner, but Ellie was good enough to book us a table in the bistro across the road from the club. A very pleasant day on and off the water.

Saturday 21 May –Sunday 22 May, Dun Laoghaire to Ardrossan

After a relaxed start, fuelling up at the club, we headed out of Dublin Bay on the Saturday morning. The target destination for leg 5 was Bangor with options of Carlingford and Strangford Loughs if required. The wind was F3 and south-westerly, so an easy trip motor sailing. We ticked

Winner of the Donald McNamara Trophy

off the coastal towns and features and eventually turned through the inside passage at Copeland Island. We radioed ahead to Bangor and arranged a berth with a stop at the fuel berth on the way in. We tied up to the fuel berth at 23:15. Being late, we dined on board and turned in shortly after.

Sunday was to be the final day, a straight line hop from Bangor to Ardrossan. To catch the tide, we left at 06:40 and enjoyed a very pleasant sail past Black Head and north west towards the Clyde. Passing just west of Ailsa Craig we were now approaching home waters and a new cruising ground for Lucinda Claire. At 15:50 we made fast to the new home berth in Ardrossan.

All-in-all it was a great trip with some niggles but nothing that stopped us for any significant time. The crew blended well and the only regret being that Simon couldn’t make the whole trip. The boat performed remarkably well and clearly has the capability to be a reliable and comfortable cruiser. Later, our bags packed, our lifts arrived. Clive and Jimmy were going home to Edinburgh and I to Skelmorlie. Gary opted to stay on the boat overnight to indulge in some cleaning and enjoy the space to himself. I dropped by the next day, and we had a run back to Gary’s home in Peebles.

Technical lessons learned

The service batteries were checked in Ardrossan and I found that two of the three were not holding a full charge over 12 hours, so these were replaced and no further issues experienced.

Gary and I had a morning checking out the root cause of the charging error and after unpicking the substantial wiring harness discovered that the cause was a relay which was switching but the contacts were not making. It was replaced with a £4.99 unit.

Gary had the charts updated to cover Scottish and Irish waters.

Total distance run – 657nm over 8 days 10 hours

Ken Andrew

Almost home – Ailsa Craig

RStGYC Guiness

Sailing and engine problem solving

Hecate Voyager 40 LOA 12.0 metres Owner Patrick Trust

Hecate at Gigha

Hecate has had a troubled season despite a winter port engine rebuild which gave up on the maiden voyage from Dumbarton to Ardfern via the Mull of Kintyre. Sometimes owning Hecate feels like the challenges the Greek king Sisyphus faced rolling his stone uphill.

Sandpoint, Dumbarton to Ardfern delivery cruise

It was a flat calm and we motored down the Clyde leaving Sandpoint at high water and motoring all the way to Pladda, rounding at 17:10 with a new wind of 10 knots on the nose. We anchored at Davaar at 19:50 and were treated to a beautiful sunset in a flat calm. Next morning we started at 08:00 to get the favourable tide round the Mull, bound for Gigha and motor-sailed with a five knot south-west wind to arrive at Ardminish, Gigha, at 14:40

On departing Gigha the next day at 09:00 in a flat calm, I see written in the log ‘port engine slow to start’. We motored on up for Loch Craignish seeing six dolphins and three porpoises. Then at 11:30 the port engine suddenly stopped and refused to go again, so the starboard engine was started and we moved on up to Ardfern, arriving at 14:40.

The engineer who had rebuilt the port engine came later and the eventual cause for the sudden stoppage was identified – two of the three fuel injector pumps had failed. From then on it was a single starboard engine to assist the sails.

Family sailing and sailing with friends

Several other cruises followed with my eldest son taking Hecate and his family in late May from Ardfern to Kerrera via Puilladobhrain then on to Loch Buie on Mull and back to Ardfern via nan Muc. My daughter and family then had a weekend at Loch Spelve for a mussel feast and a rendezvous on the way back with Askival of Skipness and the Potter family at Ardinamir.

The ‘Four Ancient Mariners’ then set off for the St Kilda Challenge, which had defeated us last year, departing on 7 June even as the event was being cancelled due to the forecast of gales. We had several restaurants booked, so proceeded on to Café Fish at Tobermory where we had the usual superb fish dinner and retired early to depart at 06:45 the next morning with a F2 easterly and the barometer falling from 1011 to 997 overnight. The barometer stayed between 997 and 1002 for the next four days and we remained in Lochmaddy with gales whistling over our heads but secure in the marina. The hotel was very hospitable and we ate and drank well but the log notes on 10 June ‘Gales persist. Cabin fever setting in.’

On Sunday 12 June the sun emerged, the rain stopped and we sailed with 15 – 20 knots of westerly wind to Tarbert, Harris, where the marina was very helpful. We

Pier and moorings at Gigha

Skirting the Dorus Mor, Paps in far distance

took a short hop to Scalpay on Monday for another superb dinner at the bistro but not before a visit to the gin distillery as we left Tarbert. Our return south via the Inner Sound was hampered by steady southerly 20 knot winds once we had cleared the north of Skye. We stopped at Kyle for night one and were disappointed by a lack of water and electricity on the pontoons. Then on to Loch Aline which provided all our needs for night two before the short hop back to Ardfern.

More engine trouble and the return to the Clyde

During the sails in June the injector pumps were away for repair and we continued sailing using the starboard engine only but I failed to isolate the exhaust and water was able to enter the port engine when we were heeled over sailing. This only came to light when the injectors were refitted and the engine was sea waterlogged. Oh woe – the engine had to come out again and be cleaned and de-rusted where the water had caused damage. Then the starboard engine decided to overheat and no obvious cause was identified. Never mind – the port engine returned in good working order and was reinstalled at Ardfern ready for the final sails of the season.

Hecate returned to Dumbarton for the end of season layup leaving Ardfern on 27 September at 06:30 for a good tide to Gigha and George and I were blessed with a strong NW F5-6 and sailed all the way having to reef both main and genoa. We left Gigha at 06:30 and there was not a breath of wind with a strong wind forecast of northerly

F5, so we had to motor. Passing Machrihanish the engine alarm sounded for low oil. I topped up with a large amount and noted oil in the bilge so sucked this up in the empty oil container. The engine worked well and we proceeded to the Mull but the oil alarm again sounded as we rounded so I used the oil from the bilge to top up again and before Sanda a new breeze from NNW and 10-15 knots allowed us to sail to Pladda where I considered our options.

Entering Clydeport channel to go upriver

George at wheel

A fraught final leg

Normally I would have motor-sailed back up the Clyde with a main up but this would have meant replacing the oil at increasingly regular intervals as we had done this three times and the oil recovered was getting less. So we sailed close-hauled and could almost make Largs and the Hunterston Channel but would then have to motor into 20 knots of wind with a probable need to stop for more oil which was not going to happen at 19:00.

So I reported our predicament to Belfast Coastguard and informed them we would still continue our passage to Rhu Marina but arrive after midnight. We then arranged a report every three hours to discuss our progress. We were in no danger and could have anchored until morning but we tacked and sailed across towards Brodick. The red light for Rubh’an Eun on Bute was about five miles off and at 22:00 I decided to furl the genoa and try the engine using the main to steady us. We passed the light after an hour and still the motor ran smoothly. The wind had now dropped below 10 knots and we would have taken many hours to sail up-river.

I still had a little recycled oil in the barrel so on we motored and were turning to go onto the outer breakwater at Rhu Marina when the engine alarm sounded. I tried the starboard engine which worked but rapidly overheated so the last drop of oil went into the port engine and it worked well enough to get us alongside but not without a bump to the bow.

We had had three calls to Belfast CG over the evening and were delighted to report our eventual safe arrival at Rhu at 02:30. Oil was purchased from Chru Chandlery in the morning of Thursday 29 September and we left at 10:30 to proceed uneventfully upriver to the Leven perch and alongside at Sandpoint. It was a flat calm and we had to motor all the way. I was anxious to get a lift out at high tide at 15:30 as the forecast for Friday was a severe gale and so it proved to be. Hecate sat aground propped up without her mast and I pumped up another load of oil from the bilge. So far I have noted no oil leaks when the engine is not running but where is it coming from when we motor?

In retrospect

I often wonder why Hecate has two engines but am glad she does even if they behaved badly despite all the attention. I was relieved we did not require any assistance as local RNLI services would not let me forget had I asked for help, but at no time were we in danger and we could have stopped and anchored. The prospect of severe weather after another 24 hours spurred me on and knowing the Coastguard knew all about our predicament and they could see our progress on AIS was reassuring. I had planned to trial the RYA Safe Trx but my mobile signal from Gigha round the Mull of Kintyre was poor and I was not confident the system would notify my contacts and then set off the alarms for everyone. So back to the engines again for a miracle to get both engines in perfect condition for 2023.

Patrick Trust

Skipper on watch

Paps of Jura in the far distance

Clive’s Clyde: protected anchorages on the Clyde

In 2000 I was asked by the CCC to join the Clyde Moorings Committee with a view to compiling a list of anchorages on the Clyde. In the event I was co-opted on to the CYCA Committee as Moorings Convenor and made Cruising Convener to represent all the Clyde clubs, a position I still hold.

Donald McLaren of the CYCA and I compiled a list of anchorages in general from the CCC Sailing Directions together with a few of my own. We added their latitude and longitude and presented it to the committee in 2001. RJ Korbal, the Crown Estates Mooring Officer, then produced large-scale charts of these areas as recognised anchorages as a reference for the future.

Later that year a meeting was arranged at the CCC office in Glasgow with the Hydrographic Office which produces Admiralty charts. All the anchorages were added to Admiralty charts and are still produced today on paper and chart-plotter software and became Protected Anchorages, of which there are 114 in number. There are four levels of area: Low – an area 100 metres in diameter suitable for anchoring one to three small craft, Medium – a circle 200 metres in diameter suitable for anchoring four to ten small craft, Large – an area suitable for anchoring 11 or more small craft, and High – a mooring-free area suitable for various vessels to anchor.

Arran hills above Lochranza

At anchor

mooring position so we can ensure these anchorage areas are protected for boat owners now and in the future. John Kent can be contacted on 07525235888 for any matters pertaining to moorings on the Clyde.

In conjunction with my role in CYCA I am the Clyde Coast Watcher for the RYAS and I receive a note of all commercial movements, for example fish farms, on the Clyde to ensure they are not a hazard to navigation. In that way we protect our anchorages and mooring areas.

Sailing on the Clyde in 2022

As I was waiting for a hip operation and in a lot of pain we decided this year to only sail on the Clyde, something I have been doing for nearly seventy years. Moreover it gave me a chance to renew my acquaintance with many of the protected anchorages.

What a wonderful area in which to go sailing. You can sail to the Kyles of Bute and be sheltered in a F8 with scenery as good as anywhere in the world. You can sail up Loch Long to Loch Goil or sail to Arran and go climbing, if you don’t need a new hip, up to Tarbert and Loch Fyne. And don’t forget Holy Loch, Bute with Rothesay and Port Bannatyne, as well as Rhu and the Gareloch, all in sheltered waters.

This year we enjoyed a few nights in the Kyles of Bute at my favourite anchorage at Caladh Harbour. Loch Riddon and Wreck Bay all have protected anchoring areas. Close by you have hotels at Kames, Tighnabruaich and Colintraive and all this is just a few hours’ sail from the Gareloch where we keep Lyrebird

My first sail to Caladh Harbour in 1959 was with my father on his motor boat Zuleka. We motored up the Clyde from Roseneath with a huge swell running and most of the family was seasick but when we arrived at Caladh it was flat calm, as you might expect. I still remember exploring the wee island above the lovely peaceful anchorage.

Unfortunately our season was cut short at the end of July when I received an emergency operation for my second new hip. I can’t wait to get out on the water next year.

It has been an honour to help preserve the wonderful Clyde’s protected areas for boat owners and users, now and in the future.

Clive Reeves

Loch Fyne

Kilchattan Bay

Clyde boating in the 1950s remembered

Imust have been around eight when I experienced my first sailing memories. The family owned a house on the Clyde – The Moorings, Hunter’s Quay – where my grandmother, Mary Nisbet, still visited in the summer. I went to stay there for a few weeks in August 1958. The house was but a stone’s throw from the pier at Hunter’s Quay and beyond that was the Royal Marine Hotel where the Royal Clyde Yacht Club was based with its clubhouse. In front of the clubhouse on the beach there was a boat store and jetty that was long enough to land on at any state of the tide.

My first memories and interest came with the club launch and Alec Waddle, the faithful club boatman. Alec was a swarthy character with a jutting chin and always wore a white peaked cap. When it rained he would wear a long dark waterproof trench coat – a mile away from today’s Goretex oilskins. I would slip away from The Moorings and wander down to the jetty and in my best and keenest voice ask if I could ride in the launch when he ferried out the club members to their yachts.

He was a friendly soul and on most occasions he would say ‘jump in’. That would be the start of a day filled with the smell of cotton sails, boats and sailors and the great pleasure of being in a launch that kicked up an impressive stern wave when under way, driven on by its Stuart Turner petrol engine. Occasionally we would take a trip around to Robertson’s or Morris & Lorimer’s yards in Sandbank, Holy Loch, and these were particular highlights.

The pier at Hunter’s Quay had other attractions for a young lad, particularly fishing trips organised by a local boatman who would take out small groups, generally just for a few hours. I would bring a bucket and fishing line with multiple hooks and a clump of mussels. Without going far from the pier we would lower our lines over the side until the weights touched the bottom and then just raise them a few inches. You did not need to wait long before the line was alive in your hands. Up would come good sized flatties, cod and haddock, filling your bucket in quick time. There was real excitement with plenty of fish to catch. The upper

Jean restored

reaches of the Clyde at that time were so well stocked with fish. Comparing the situation now with my fishing trips in 1957, it brings it home to me how we have so over-fished our waters. In 1958 we were still seeing the benefit of the fish stocks recovering during the 1939 – 45 war and fish were plentiful.

Back to the Royal Clyde YC. The club had excellent facilities at Hunter’s Quay and on the water. It owned four Loch Longs. They were called Thistle, Rose, Daffodil and Shamrock. These were club boats and were well used by the members. The Loch Long Class was growing strongly in those days with Robertson’s of Sandbank being the source of many of the new builds. Their brochure for a new build boat is illustrated in this article.

My mother, Maisie Hogg, nee Nisbet, along with her brother Douglas Nisbet had been brought up sailing on the Clyde in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1958 my mother decided to purchase one of Robertson’s new Long Longs for the princely sum of around £460. It was to be called Jean and had the sail number LL40. We sailed her for a couple of summers before my mother sold the boat on and I no longer had the pleasures of a few weeks in the summer holidays staying in Hunter’s Quay and sharing time with Alec Waddle in his club launch.

Roll on to 2020 and we were competing in the British Classic Yacht Club Regatta in Cowes in our McGruer built 7 metre cruiser – racer, Zalda. As we were manoeuvring into Cowes Yacht Haven there were a group of Loch Longs also returning to their berths after a day’s racing. I was slightly surprised to see them in Cowes as the fleet had split with some now based in Suffolk on the East Coast at Aldeburgh and the remainder still on the Clyde. However, I engaged in conversation with one of the Loch Long owners, ‘Was the Loch Long Jean sail number 40 still part of the Loch Long fleet and why were the Loch Longs sailing in Cowes?’

I was told that Jean was an active yacht in the Suffolk fleet based in Aldeburgh and that as a class they sailed far and wide using trailers and road transport to extend their range. Indeed, a number of them, including Jean, had set off in the 2019 summer for Galicia, Northern Spain, and had their own regatta in much warmer climes. I was directed to the current owners of Jean, Mark Seccombe and Nick Russell. She had had a major restoration in 2016 after they bought her, when much work was carried out and her original varnished topsides were at last painted over.

They have done a wonderful job on her and she looks like a new pin – back to the launch condition I experienced as an eight year old over 60 years ago.

Bill Hogg

Original Loch Long brochure

Jean under restoration

A tale of an engine overhaul

My 50 year old Rival is on its second engine, the original being a petrol, but replaced by a brand new diesel in 1995: a Volvo Penta MD2030, 29 HP fresh water-cooled with VP gearbox driving a fixed three blade prop. It copes very nicely and is very economical.

Last winter I decided that it was time to take it out and overhaul it. It had delivered twenty six years of service, about 8,000 hours, but with poor records and was looking rather tatty. I decided that an overhaul was a more economical option as long as I did the work myself. A new engine might cost £4-6,000, but an overhaul perhaps £1,000. It was about 40 years since I had last done such a task though. Could I remember what to do?

In December, with the boat out of the water in its cradle at Rosneath, I was ready. The first job was to disconnect everything. Electrics, drive to prop-shaft, gear and throttle cables, fuel lines. And then to release the engine mounts. These needed changing anyway – the rubber in them doesn’t last forever.

I’d seen people use a chainblock suspended through the companionway to lift engines, so after adding an extra two halyards to hold up the boom at the lifting point, I

proceeded. I managed to lift the engine out of its bay into the companionway, but could not get it high enough to get it right out. Silvers yard have a handy small mobile crane used for mast stepping, and so a call to them for help. Dropping the engine straight into my trailer, I was able to take it to my home workshop.

When moving to my current house, I’d built a double garage and workshop. Eventually that became a single garage and bigger workshop. Today I have a workshop with no space for any cars. But this was to be the home for the engine over the next few months.

I took plenty of pictures as I went. Not thinking that they’d make a nice story, but so I could remember how to put things back together again. After draining the oil and cooling water, I set about dismantling everything. I did this in short bursts of a half day or a few hours, and spread it through the Christmas period. By January I had what looked like thousands of bits. I stripped everything as far as it would go. Gearbox off, flywheel off, cooling manifold off, head off, fuel system off, sump off and so on. Eventually I had a crankshaft in my hands and was surrounded by labelled, photographed and now cleaned bits.

Engine stand in workshop

Engine liftout

Ordering parts was easy. The VP20xx series of engines that came out in the mid 1990s are really Perkins engines ‘marinised’ by Volvo. The basic engine parts are Perkins, and so they’re the same parts as in diggers, small tractors, and many other diesel-driven devices. Doing some research enabled me to buy Perkins parts for generally about a quarter of the price of Volvo Penta parts.

I changed the piston rings, all bearings, all gaskets, water pump and oil pump. There are some things that, when you have an engine stripped this far, are better just replaced. Pumps are a good example. The oil pump was the most difficult part of the whole job. There’s a press fit part of the pump that was hard to remove, but fitting the new one required a press to fit it. The fuel system too was worth doing right. I got a diesel shop to overhaul the fuel pump and injectors. This cost less than replacing them, but only just.

Every part that was originally painted, I cleaned up and repainted using the original colour – Volvo Green. After reassembly, it looked really nice, but it was corrosion I was concerned about. A boat engine doesn’t often get cleaned and polished, so this was the chance to give this beauty another 25-30 years of life.

I’d been teased by a few interested on-lookers about whether it would start first time. I was planning a test run on the stand I’d made for working on the engine. So after checking everything, and testing that the oil pump was pumping, cooling water circulating, diesel was at the injectors, and everything I could think of, it was time. I had to crank about 15 seconds until it fired, but fire it did, and away it chugged. Without a proper exhaust system, it sounded loud, but the throttle worked and with a few revs to play with it gave me the satisfaction that it should run after reinstallation.

Then it was back to Rosneath on the trailer, a lift into the companionway, a chainblock off the boom into place on the new engine mounts and a start was made on the reconnections.

Now I’d read and been warned about the need for good alignment. A rotating engine turning a shaft through the hull needs to all be in a straight line. The engine mounts are all adjustable to orient the engine in three dimensions, so after perhaps two hours lying on my back, head in the engine bay, I was happy that vibration due to misalignment would be minimal. In fact it took two more goes after launching to get it as good as I wanted. Now it runs nice and true.

It’s a very satisfying thing doing such a job, and getting a good result. Some people have asked me if I’d recommend they do it. If you feel reasonably competent in mechanical matters, have some competent friends to advise, and have a long enough time, such as winter, in which to compete the task, then I think most people could tackle this job. It needs a methodical approach, time to work slowly and carefully, and it helps to have the space to lay it all out without interference.

Now after a season I can see the results. Actually it just goes the same as it did before. I get about one litre per hour fuel consumption at 4.5 knots, but much higher at faster speeds. It will go for long periods if I need it, and it seems to start whenever I need it. It doesn’t use any oil or water. What else could I wish for?

Geoff Crowley

Like brand new

Measuring valves

Antonelly around Ireland

Ardfern to Howth

We let go our mooring buoy in the Loch Craignish lagoon and headed south for our first anchorage, unsure whether it would be Gigha or our favourite Ardmore Islands. This was the first of three crews that were to accompany Kate and myself around Ireland, a dream that had been delayed by Covid for two years. Our next crew would join us somewhere west of Cork.

We left the exquisite beauty of the Ardmores in a vain search of more beauty and romped south past the Mull of Kintyre, for the first time not turning east to the Clyde. The Copeland Islands were only a short detour west of our course and we gybed in search of seabirds, dramatic cliffs… anything…to no avail.

It was only day three and one of the 6kg gas cylinders appeared empty. Frantic phone calls to Dunlaoghaire and Howth were met with the first of many friendly exchanges. Howth seemed to be less of a walk lugging a cylinder. Lambay Island just offshore is a bird sanctuary with a warning in the pilot that the island is private and landing is not allowed; difficult to accept when we are so used to the freedom of ‘right to roam.’

As we tried to furl the jib, we warned Howth Marina that manoeuvring in close quarters was not our strong point. It was F6 and we were sailing alarmingly fast. The crew

winched a bit harder. I went to the foredeck to try and rotate the drum, looked up and saw that we had replaced the spinnaker halyard on the wrong side after using the cruising chute and this was now tightly wrapped around the foil, which was to have repercussions later. The young guy from the marina office probably witnessed this theatre and ran fast to our berth to catch our lines. We were in prosperous, friendly Ireland with no 6kg Calor Gas cylinders. Putin was blamed.

Antonelly Hallberg-Rassy 42E ketch LOA 12.9 metres

Crew Kate and Dick Philbrick, and three separate crews

Dates 16 June –22 July 2022

Inspecting broken halyard at masthead

Negotiating purchase of scallops

Howth to Derrynane

There were impressive wind farms, on and offshore, as we headed for the next stop on a gentle coast with few anchorages. Our Norwegian-honed skills with a plank between fenders and rough steel piles in the Arklow River came in useful. An early start, a brilliant sun and no wind meant a long day with droning engine to Kilmore Quay on the south coast. At last there was something for the bird watchers. There are two Saltee islands, both privately owned. Going ashore on the Little Saltee is strictly prohibited – the South African owner went to court in Dublin to protect his privacy.

The Prince of the Great Saltee allows landing but likes visitors to be away by 16:30. The east coast cliffs are home to thousands of seabirds. Hugh and I watched a seagull wait patiently for a razorbill to leave its chick and pounced. The gull must have learned that it is best to thoroughly kill the victim before dining. We watched aghast as it eventually went down whole, from beak to webbed feet, with just a shiver.

We beat our way along the south coast with anchorages at Dunmore East and Youghal before leaving our first crew on the Royal Cork pontoon, which provided our last ‘on-pontoon-diesel.’ Kate and I beat on west past Kinsale, suffering a broken jib halyard, to anchor in Union Hall. As we went ashore we were encouraged to go to the

Coastline on Saltee Islands

celebration of the new lifeboat and it was an emotional occasion. The RNLI proudly functions in Ireland and had gathered a choir, priests, politicians and a crowd of 200 for the moving occasion, culminating in the crew strapping in on the privately donated Atlantic 85 Class lifeboat, and doing 30kt wheelies around the anchorage. It got better still. As we wandered into the village in search of a halyard, we found intense activity. Barack Obama’s film production crew were in town. All shops and houses had been smartened up with new paint and signage to resemble 1930’s Union Hall. The locals were loving it and so did we.

Second crew arrive

Our second crew joined us after generously shopping in Skibbereen. Somehow Chrissy and I ended up in the sea as we lunged to save a bag of food from a similar fate. A smiling Obama film crew recorded the whole show. More beating. No halyard rope. Mizen Head loomed after a night in Crookhaven and brought a churn to our stomachs, but was more easily beat around than some of the other headlands

we had struggled by. And scores of dolphins – or were they porpoises – entertained the crew. We resisted the temptation to run too deep into the bays as we headed north for we knew it meant long beats back out to the west coast. The spinnaker halyard was producing almost sufficient tension in the genoa luff but the old ketch is, anyway, sluggish to windward.

After Bere Island, Castletownbere and Dunboy, our next anchorage was the sensationally beautiful Derrynane Harbour. Entering the rock-littered entrance with a following F5 required intense concentration; white water was all around. We followed the ‘Mass Path’ which locals had used to get up to a sheltered spot under a roof of fuchsias and honeysuckle for Sunday worship. The wretched English would allow nothing more civilised for Catholic worship, as we were to discover on a visit to the house and spectacular garden of Daniel O’Connell, MP and reformer; he returned to Westminster in the 1830’s, but was not allowed to take his seat as he was a Catholic. Great craic in the simple pub. A swim in water that was noticeably a few degrees warmer than Scotland. Endless sun. And always the most friendly, generous, confident, outgoing locals. But we must continue north…

Anchorage at Derrynane

On Mass Path in Derrynane Union Hall smartened up for Obama’s film

Derrynane to Clare Island

The Skelligs showed on a starboard tack so we continued out from the coast. Too rough to land even if it was allowed, but dramatically beautiful with masses of sea birds. We had learned to truly appreciate the Scottish right to roam and our plentiful footpaths.

Two of the crew left us in Ventry, leaving Rufus, Kate and myself for the next series of long beats north. It was long and only interrupted, on the first and foggy day, by the unspoiled beauty of the Great Blasket. We motored up and down looking for the best place to anchor. The rocky, sandy beach had a fearsome surf. The rocks moved in a blubbery manner and proved to be a collection of 200 resting seals. We retreated to resume our journey north with about 100 miles to Galway, where the harbourmaster had a halyard rope for us to collect.

The first anchorage on the Shannon Estuary was 12 miles from the entrance which meant a 24 mile detour amidst a flat landscape. Scotland does win on beauty but the Irish people are very special. We locked into a comfortable marina with no diesel on the pontoon in

Galway Harbour. Rufus left and Stewart and Anne joined. An email to them saying ‘Can I winch one of you up the mast or you winch me?’ met with an immediate ‘we will winch you.’ And they did, very efficiently. Kate ventured onto the busy streets with a marina trolley for a long march to the petrol station.

Each of our three crews had one special anchorage. For Anne and Stewart it was a walk ashore on St MacDara’s Island and its 6th century restored chapel with its backdrop of the 12 Bens of Connemara – all in brilliant sun. We were reluctant to leave, though looked forward to the scallops we had bought from a friendly fisherman. His enemy were the starfish who eat the scallops. How?

The racing black-with-tan sails of the Galway hookers from Roundstone were quite a distraction too. We returned to the west coast swell and headed north to Ballynakill Harbour and then Clare Island. And then we were only two, after putting our last crew members on the Clare Island ferry. Stewart, we have been on his boat, had said it is lovely when crew come and lovely when they go and I knew what he meant. Kate and I relished a day with no one to entertain, but I messed it up.

Galway hookers racing

Dismembering spider crabs

Derrynane with Skelligs in distance

Clare Island to Ardfern

Achill Harbour is a tricky place to enter, to anchor in, and to leave. We knew all that from the excellent pilot 20th edition South and West Coasts of Ireland. It is much better than our old eighth edition – do buy it. But there seemed to be a confusion between pilot, GPS, depth sounder… and skipper. Anyway we ended up on the sand for a humbling two hour wait for the tide to return, no doubt watched through 100 pairs of binoculars. We walked and hitched to Achill village to replenish our stores. Actually Kate accosted a friendly-looking chap and asked him where he was going. It seemed to be nowhere in particular so he drove us and he talked. 90 per cent of Irish dairy products are exported. He thanked us for Brexit.

He claimed that Ireland was richer per head than the USA. ‘We charmed the Europeans and the Americans and did well by them both’, he said. We hitched an immediate lift on our return. The driver wondered, to the slight annoyance of his passenger, if we would like a tour of the Wild Atlantic Way and he drove us an extra 20 miles amidst a spectacular landscape. He was proud of his country.

We saw one sailing boat the next day as we rounded Achill Head and that was the case most days – just one or two yachts at most and that is maybe why sailors struggle to get gas and diesel. It’s fine if you’re a trawlerman as we were to find in Killybegs. Euphoria at being given the phone number of ‘Jim-who-delivered-diesel’ was short-lived. Minimum quantity, 1,000 litres, meant more humping of jerrycans.

We were in familiar territory now as we had visited Donegal 20 years ago. We had spent three nights then sheltering from a gale with young children on board

in Teelin. How it had changed. What we remember as maybe ten houses has grown to 100. And as we sailed north around Donegal we were shocked by the endless scatterings of white bungalows – most pronounced east of Inishirrer Island where we tried to anchor. Chastened by our experience in Achill Harbour we approached with extreme caution on a rising tide, but could not find a way that satisfied depth sounder, GPS and ourselves, so we retreated north to Tory Island.

Another extraordinary change was the absence of thin lines floating on the surface supported by hard to-spot milk containers that had littered the west coast on our two previous visits. Now the occasional lobster spots are marked by gleaming buoys and the threat of a line around the propeller is no worse than on the Scottish West Coast.

Tory Island has two harbours. There is a magnificent new breakwater providing shelter from the swell in Camusmore Bay. And there we found great fish and chips in the friendly hotel. To the north there are spectacular cliffs with occasional birdlife, and a bleakness that might have been suppressed by some sun. The bell tower is all that remains of the monastery plundered and burned by English troops in 1595 – we were happy to be English but flying a Scottish flag from the mizzen.

We were just a day and half sail from the mooring near Ardfern but wanted to visit Inishtrahull on our way east. It might still have been the ‘Achill harbour effect’ but we funked the swell at the entrance and continued on to Islay. Once again the striking beauty of our West Coast and islands was immediate. I suspect that is where we will roam next summer.

Dick Philbrick

Well sheltered in Tory Island harbour

Crew Miriam Sutter

Miriam sailing Tiffany Aching

Idid grow up in the land between the seas, but in northern Germany. But I did not grow up sailing. When we moved to Rhu, we went to an open day of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club and were hooked immediately. All four of us – my husband, our two children and myself – fell in love with racing in Gareloch One Designs.

The love for sailing grew from there. Four years ago, we bought an Achilles 24, the same length as a Gareloch, but much more luxurious: there is a cabin and actual berths with soft furnishings. An ideal boat to go out for adventures on the Clyde. We named her Tiffany Aching after a young, practical, powerful, young witch, who lives on Terry Pratchett’s magical world. She is the perfect companion for us. But this time Tiffany and I went off by ourselves.

Setting off for Port Bannatyne

The weather was just right: a good breeze and sunshine. I could simply do with a little time away. Tiffany was waiting ready at Rhu Marina, provisions stowed, fuelled up; I just had to get out the stern ladder. I always do when sailing by myself so that I have a means to come back aboard, should I unexpectedly find myself in the water. Quickly motoring out, sails went up as soon as we left the marina. We flew past the seals off Rosneath Point – I am sure they raised their flippers in salute. The sun reflected on the water and the Clyde looked inviting.

Passing the Cloch lighthouse is always a special point in a passage: from here I am further away from home than just having a little spin. Sailing past the Cloch stands for adventure, for not returning to chores and routine, at least not today. Cloch lighthouse stands for ‘now I am away’, which felt just right.

But where would I aim for? Should it be Holy Loch, so warm and welcoming to a small sailing yacht? Or nip quickly into Kip where I could get my favourite breakfast?

The sailing was too good, so I kept going. Just Tiffany and I. The sails set well, I had the genoa and full main up. The Gantocks passed quickly and who would want to stop? The wonderful breeze carried me past Innellan, round Toward Point, through Rothesay Sound. Kames Bay looked inviting and I gave Port Bannatyne a call: yes, no problem, we could come in for the night. The four horsepower Mariner outboard started willingly when asked.

Sails were stowed, lines and fenders made ready and the first stop of my adventure greeted me. I had often returned to our berth in Rhu Marina by myself, and was yet still a bit surprised how smoothly and uneventfully I made fast. My neighbours welcomed me warmly. Something I have found again and again travelling by myself is a warm welcome, and often even an invite to a warm dinner with the neighbours. All the stowed provisions had to wait.

Through the Kyles of Bute and on to Tarbert

Next morning the Kyles called. I was up early. Drizzle, but a light breeze inviting you to sail; why get wet as a landlubber? There was no reason to hang about when I could be out on the water. It is magic, when the shores seem to come ever closer sailing into the Kyles of Bute. The horizon moves itself to a height it really should not be. The wind showed a fickleness which made me call on the noisy and smelly Mariner, just to make sure I would not be inconveniencing the Colintrave ferry.

I lowered the headsail for better visibility and motorsailed past the Burnt Isles. I had the engine off as soon as I felt I could. There is this great feeling when the noise of the engine stops. Quiet. The quietness you get when you are on the water. Ripples and wavelets whisper, wind sneaks softly along the sails, a line taps, birds don’t sing, but warn each other or share their latest blether. I love to just sail. Listening to nature and the boat. Without fumes and noise. Every now and then another sailor motors past, the wash stops us briefly, but we make way again. No fossil fuel is burnt and I concentrate on keeping Tiffany Aching going in the light winds, which of course come from everywhere and nowhere. The wind is so light that the lighter jib works better than the genoa, which tends to collapse, not willing to do her job.

We choose to have a good collection of headsails, and no roller furler. Yes, it means a little exercise on the foredeck and more sails to store, but it feels better to just pick the sail I like to use for conditions which change. And keeping it simple reduces the number of things which can go wrong. A big plus, well worth a little inconvenience. It’s so satisfying to get Tiffany going in light variable airs. A form of mindfulness I have learnt to love. And then a lift changed my lunch plans: there would be no stop for good food at West 5 at Kames this time, my sandwich will do. Sailing through the West Kyle went well. But when I reached Ardlamont Point the wind freshened, so back to work, time for the genoa.

Meeting Diatas Air

I had an energetic sail tacking through Inchmarnock Water. By now I am greatly motivated: my friends with their yacht Diatas Air have stopped at Tarbert and I am going to join them there. This means a couple of long tacks in a now fresh breeze which delivers a good work out. Tarbert is happy to have me tying up to the inner pontoon beside Diatas Air. It’s lovely to see friendly faces at the end of a long sailing day. Even better: I get invited for dinner on board. Nothing better than finishing a day of sailing with sitting around a table in good company. Especially as the luxury on Tiffany does not stretch as far as having a table to sit at.

Diatas Air’s skipper Reay was the one advising us on starting our life as boat owners with an Achilles 24. He judged perfectly what we could handle and what would be the perfect match to our abilities. Reay recommended the perfect boat to grow our sailing knowledge without being too ambitious and feeling overwhelmed by size and equipment. Showing off by swinging in, stopping at the right spot, making fast alongside and meeting them on my first single handed adventure made the meeting even sweeter.

A dream sail back

Another early start followed. I enjoy doing just what I want. No discussions or compromises: if I want to go, I go; if I want to stay, I stay. Where would my fancy take me next?

As the forecasts gave a selection of options and I know the waters I decided to poke Tiffany’s nose out of East Loch Tarbert and decide based on the conditions I found there. I had the genoa ready and it was the right choice. I got my perfect sail.

A broad reach, in a lively westerly breeze, felt like flying. I had considered going back into the Kyles, but this was something else. Bute raced past, Tiffany Aching just loving to speed along. Before 11:00 we passed Garroch Head and with such a wind I couldn’t even consider stopping at the Cumbraes or going into Largs. This was fun. And to top it

all the beautiful Waverley steamed out of the Hunterston Channel on her way to Rothesay saying hello to me on my way. How must it have been when the Clyde was teeming with steamers and a sailing yacht would rather have tried to avoid meeting her, instead of smiling at her sight?

Here comes the Cloch lighthouse again and I am back in home waters. Of course, I am greeted by a familiar figure I call ‘the wave maker’. The Dunoon – Gourock ferry creates the most amazing wash, which in light wind can stop all progress with ease. But ‘the wave maker’ can’t get me today: in this wind I don’t have to worry about being stopped. How much fuel must be used in creating a wash like this?

Other familiar friends are the red Western Ferries, whizzing fore and back between Hunter’s Quay and McInroy’s Point. They reminded me of a 1980s early computer game, where I try to dodge the red bars, which are trying to knock me out of the game. I am sure the ferries were much faster and bigger when we first met. They seemed very scary then, especially when they came hunting us in a pack. I remember we had three ferries surrounding us when we first started venturing out. They have an impressive non-existent wash, which causes no problems for a small sailing yacht. And they are very friendly, always passing behind. Now the wind blew me into the Gareloch and I sailed back to Rhu in one very long but fast tack.

Mulling it over

It is great to be out by myself. It gives the great satisfaction of being self-sufficient. Knowing all tasks on the yacht, attending to them, getting the boat where and when I want her to be is difficult to describe, but great. Gathering information myself, judging, making decisions and acting on them means being in control. And I have to deal with the consequences of my decisions, there is no chance to blame anybody else, it is just me. Not depending, but knowing I can do this is what makes a solo tour truly special.

The only better thing is to share the experience with a likeminded person.

Miriam Sutter

Closing on Garroch Head

The Waverley passing astern

The good, the bad and the horrendous

Blue Damsel Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45DS LOA 13.8 metres

Crew Boyd Holmes, Helen McLean, Lewis McLean

Dates 23 – 29 June 2022

The good, the bad and the horrendous –Blue

Damsel’s passage

from Stornoway

to Ardfern

At anchor in Acairseid Mhor, Eriskay

Marinas might lack the charm of the remote and sheltered anchorages in the West Highlands and Hebridean islands but some, like that in Stornoway Harbour, do offer sailors the chance to walk ashore for a pint of Guinness and a haircut. Stornoway goes further, offering perfectly sheltered pontoons in a well-managed working environment with a strong maritime tradition. It is also an excellent place for a change of crew, being served by the ferry from Ullapool on the Scottish mainland. Some crews enjoy the ferry crossing more than their subsequent experience in the Minches.

A new crew and the passage from Stornoway to Loch Mariveg

Blue Damsel’s previous crew having slipped away on the early ferry on Thursday 23 June, I set about cleaning and reordering the boat pending the arrival of husband-andwife crew, Helen and Lewis MacLean. The Criterion Bar in Stornoway, a bar which must surely qualify as a gem worthy of the National Trust for Scotland, provided the venue for my lunch of fish and chips which I had bought at the nearby chippie. I washed it down with a refreshing pint of the black stuff. A number of bars in the Hebrides, of which the Criterion is one, allow customers to bring food into the premises, perhaps reflecting the lack of anything more substantial than the crisps and nuts available.

Thus fortified, I met Helen and Lewis as they came off the ferry. With their kit stowed on Blue Damsel, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45DS, they set off on a supermarket run and I headed to the well-stocked Fishermen’s Co-operative in search of polythene hose to protect the anchor snubber and a winch handle. It was an economical visit, with the modest length of hose provided free of charge and nearly £100 saved through the lack of any winch handles suitable for use on an amateur’s sailing vessel.

To start our journey back to Ardfern, and with only seven nautical miles to Loch Mariveg – Loch Mharabhig, I then opted to motor against the strong south-westerly wind to the Witches’ Pool in Loch Mariveg. Despite recording over 30 knots of wind, the sea state was benign and we were

safely anchored by 17:20. Pastime of Innisfree came in and, the skipper deciding that the pool was a bit tight for both boats, moved on to the anchorage in the pool just to the north. Having unkindly denied them the pleasure of their first choice of anchorage, we opted to mitigate our impertinence and invited Charles Lambrick and his crew on Pastime to join us for drinks on Blue Damsel. After the second round of gins served from Blue Damsel’s Royal Navy half-gill tot measure – one gill is 142ml of spirit in new money – we secured absolution for our sin.

From the Witches’ Pool via the Shiant Islands to Scalpay

On Friday morning the anchor was weighed after a quiet night to disclose an accumulation of mud and weed. Lewis hacked off the weed with the boathook and the mud was washed away by going astern during a farewell visit around Pastime.

With the wind blowing F4 from the south-west conditions were perfect for sailing to the Shiant Islands where we anchored just off the shingle beach and Lewis and Helen made landfall from the dinghy. After they had inspected the charming but basic bothy on Eilean an Tighe, we weighed anchor and were bound away for North Harbour, Scalpay. On the passage to Scalpay between the Shiant Islands and the Isle of Harris we saw a pod of four or five cetaceans with tall dorsal fins and white patches on their bodies. We thought these were likely to be orcas.

Helen on Eilean an Tighe, Shiant Isles

Shiant Islands in background Boyd Holmes

The good, the bad and the horrendous

My first attempt at docking on the Scalpay Harbour pontoon owed little to the books on close quarter handling but doing better at the second attempt we were securely alongside by 16:45. Deck log: ‘Warm & sunny @ 17:18.’

The forecast for Saturday 25 June was predicting winds of F5 to F6 from east-south-east with the sea state smooth or slight which was good for the passage to our primary destination, the anchorage in Poll nan Gall between North Uist and the Flodday Islands, with Loch Maddy on North Uist as an alternative.

In the morning, with both shore-power and water available on the pontoon, we indulged in onboard showers and then had a hearty cooked breakfast before leaving the pontoon and the shelter of North Harbour at 09:30. Expecting to be close-hauled in winds of up to F6, we put a third reef in the main whilst still on the pontoon, with Lewis wrestling the snap shackle on the luff to its bespoke ring on the mast.

Scalpay, North Harbour

Loch Maddy anchorage

Scalpay to Loch Maddy in a F7

Having left Scalpay we settled down for what should have been an enjoyable passage to Poll nan Gall. Soon, however, the wind veered to south of south-east and was blowing not less than F7, regularly reaching over 35 knots with numerous big waves coming over both the boat and us. Passing the Sound of Harris the mountainous seas bore little resemblance to the forecast of smooth or slight. The possibility of further alternative destinations was discussed, but Leverburgh in the Sound of Harris was an uncertain option and, whilst I had anchored in Calm Bay-Bàigh a’ Chàise (in the lee of North Uist in June 2021), I was conscious that there were pilotage issues to consider.

With Blue Damsel’s saloon behaving like the drum of a washing machine, going below to make a considered appraisal of Calm Bay was not an attractive option and so we pushed on to Loch Maddy. We had managed to sail for 14 miles before starting the engine and motor-sailed the last ten miles to Loch Maddy, arriving around 14:00 very wet and badly knocked about.

Our chance of getting a berth on the Loch Maddy pontoons was never going to be great, but, given the wind strength and direction, that chance was nonexistent. A yacht was already being blown hard on to the hammerhead and it would have been hazardous to attempt docking on any other pontoon, even if one had been free – which seemed not to be the case. The alternative, anchoring in Ardmaddy Bay – Bàgh Aird nam Madadh – proved to be a happy solution to our predicament. The bay was well sheltered from both wind and waves and after the anchor got a good bite with

On the pontoon at Scalpay Harbour

Acairseid Mhor, Eriskay

30 metres of chain in 10 metres of water Lewis let out a further 15 metres of chain before attaching the snubber. Whilst it was windy and wet, we enjoyed a secure night at anchor although the events of the day could well have caused an epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Loch Maddy to Eriskay and on to Mull

The plan for Sunday was to head for Acairseid Mhòr, Eriskay, with an early start to capture as much of the easterly F4 as we could before the wind rose and the sea state deteriorated. Happily, the wind was either east or north of east for the entire passage south and so were able to reach the shelter of Acairseid Mhòr (Big Harbour in English) by 13:00, but not before the wind got up to 30 knots off Loch Boisdale. Whilst the wind was whipping up the sea, it was not as punishing as the previous day’s horrendous passage to Loch Maddy.

I am sure Helen and Lewis will have had their reservations about my plan to enter Acairseid Mhòr in these conditions, but the options were not great, even if it involved barrelling along the leading line towards rocks followed by handbrake turns first to starboard and then to port after passing the drying rock north-west of Rubha Liath. Once inside Acairseid Mhòr we quickly dropped the mainsail and were able to get a good bite with the anchor in 10 to 11 metres before putting out our nowcustomary 45 metres of chain. The two unsatisfactory visitors’ moorings, with their shackles tangled with fishermen’s polypropylene rope but lacking warps and pickup lanyards had been removed, which improved the options for anchoring.

As forecast, the wind went south-west overnight and on Monday we woke to a sunny if chilly morning. Reveille at 05:30 was followed by a full Scottish breakfast and we were bound for Tobermory by 06:55. With one reef in the mainsail we were making 6.6 knots in 8 to 10 knots of wind and when the wind rose to 13 knots we were able to make up to 8 knots, sailing to just short of the lighthouse at Rubha nan Gall in the western entrance to the Sound of Mull. No PTSD after this leg of our cruise.

As is customary, the wind played up around the lighthouse at Rubha nan Gall and so we started the engine for the final one and a half miles to the pontoons. We had enjoyed an agreeable passage of 46 nautical miles on one tack from Eriskay which almost compensated for the hammering we had taken between Scalpay and Loch Maddy. We were further rewarded by securing the perfect pontoon berth for the changing wind which was to rise overnight and to back from south-west to a strong southeasterly. Helen and Lewis generously hosted supper in the Tobermory Hotel and we went to bed fortified for the slog to Loch Spelve the following day. Deck log: ‘Rain +++ overnight.’

Tobermory, Loch Spelve and back to Ardfern

If we were to round Duart Point at the south-eastern entrance to the Sound of Mull before the tide turned there, we needed to be away from Tobermory by 09:00. Lines were slipped in the rain at 08:55 and we were soon facing headwinds of up to 28 knots in the sound with heavy rain, but the sea state was kind until we encountered a lumpy sea with unwelcome slamming after Duart Point.

The tidal strategy, however, was robust, and we were safely anchored behind Eilean Amalaig in the north-east of Loch Spelve by 13:00, having first tried to anchor in the north-east corner of the bay. Bob Bradfield’s Antares chart was correct in identifying the anchorages in the north of the bay as being dull with the presence of rocky patches. Whilst trying to set the anchor we had drifted over a rocky patch and so took greater notice of Bob’s summary which told us that only some of the rocky patches are identified on the chart.

Wednesday’s forecast was for a light wind from the south, which indicated another day under engine. The tide meant a prompt start before it turned against us in the Dorus Mòr. We were away from our anchorage, having removed clay from the seemingly invincible Rocna anchor, by 06:50 for a pleasingly uneventful return to Blue Damsel’s mooring at Ardfern.

Boyd Holmes

The Antares charts are reproduced in this log by kind permission of CCC member Bob Bradfield, MBE

Warning to children on Scalpay

Our first family flotilla holiday

Following on from last year’s successful Dinghy Section excursion to the Ionian Islands, I was to make good on a promise to Julie and my three kids –Stella 15, John 13 and Scott 12 – that, next time, we would do it as a family.

Booking a Greece flotilla holiday in October comes with some considerations – the weather is changeable, and it can be windy, possibly a good thing depending on your point of view. This is a first for us as a family, so how would that dynamic work? I was to carry those concerns silently with me for the first day or so.

Preparations

Our flight from Edinburgh was at 06:15, which sounds fine until you realise it means getting up at 02:00. We had 10 kilos of hand baggage and decided to book three 22 kilo check-in bags, as we had decided to bring our own paddle boards. When we were packing at 02:00, I will admit I was questioning my reasoning to pack paddle boards, but it turned out to be a good decision. To hire a board from the flotilla company was £140 per board, but our boards were a

much better quality and size than the boards that we could have hired. We were also able to stuff towels, etc, into our board bags. The cost to take a paddle board in its bag was the same as a standard 22 kilo bag, £70 return.

Neilson weren’t offering flights from Edinburgh when we were booking. We were recommended Nautilus as an option, who were the UK agent for Odysseus Yacht Charter. We were offered a 42 foot 2017 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey at a reasonable price and booked our own flights with Jet2 flying from Edinburgh.

A minibus was waiting for us at Preveza Airport to transfer us to Odysseus’s base at Palairos, where we were met by Lisa, co-owner of Odysseus. She is originally from Dundee, but has lived in Greece for over 20 years. Jacques and Becky would be our lead crew. We were shown our boat and handed an inventory to check off. This was the last flotilla of the season. We were to meet a second boat in Kastos the following day. There were only three boats in the flotilla, including the lead boat.

We had much fun and excitement agreeing sleeping arrangements while settling into the boat.

Monday 10 October, Palairos to Kostos

We rose early enough and found the local bakery. It was such a simple pleasure each morning, finding the local bakery and sampling various pastries, including the huge croissants and pain au chocolat.

The daily briefing was held on the back of our boat, as it was only us leaving this morning and a basic passage plan was drafted. We cast off late morning and headed over to Atheni Bay, Meganisi Island. With a light breeze, we hoisted the mainsail and unfurled the foresails. After 20 minutes we were familiar with winches, the rigging set up and had run through MOB, before turning the engine back on.

An advantage of being this late in the season is that there are not as many boats. There were only another couple of boats at Atheni Bay. We dropped anchor and the kids jumped off the back of the boat. A good hour was spent snorkelling and enjoying the warm Mediterranean sea. We were due into Kostos for 17:00 or so, we had a three hour sail ahead of us.

We arrived into Kostos a little later than planned and made our apologies to the lead crew.

Watsons at Kostos

Atheni Bay lunch stop on way to Kostos

Our first family flotilla holiday

Tuesday 11 October, Kostos to Frikes

The following morning it felt more like the West Coast of Scotland than the Med. It was overcast, raining, and very choppy with 18 knots of wind gusting to 25. Following our briefing, we slipped lines at approx 09:45 and set off for Frikes. We were on a beam reach and recorded a SOG of 8.3 knots at one point. Distance traveled was 15nm in just under three hours. It was fantastic sailing and thoroughly enjoyable, but not quite the relaxed sunny sailing weather we were expecting. The boys got seasick, which wasn’t

ideal, but Stella and I were having fun. As we arrived in Frikes, the wind dropped and the sun came out. It turned into a beautiful afternoon.

We had lunch on board and went for some ice cream in a nearby restaurant, before getting the paddle boards out for a few hours and justifying bringing them all this way.

We had said to the kids ‘no technology during the day’. They could have 30 minutes in the evening before we went for dinner. We weren’t sure who would break first, them or us. When we met the lead crew and the other couple of the flotilla, we were grateful that the others were up for playing UNO with us, which brought much fun and entertainment. Three boats with nine crew, between us there were many variations and interpretations of the rules of UNO. Some controversial, but great fun trying out others’ rules.

Wednesday 12 October, Frikes to Kioni

Sunshine and no wind. We were due to sail to Fiskardo, but had heard the night before that the local businesses had decided to close for the season. Jacques suggested we head to Kioni, a beautiful small harbour. It was only 4nm away, but with no wind it was an opportunity to relax in a bay on the way. We snorkelled and jumped off the back of our boat into the sea. Kioni was possibly our favourite stopover. It’s such a beautiful intimate wee harbour with

Frikes Harbour

Kioni Harbour

character. We enjoyed local ice cream and waffles on the waterfront looking out over the bay. As the afternoon went on more boats arrived with little to no room left. It was a stressful time for skippers and flotillas’ lead crew, with tender boats zooming about dropping anchors and negotiating rafting. Fun to watch, but we were grateful to have arrived early and to be part of the growing audience.

Thursday 13 October, Kioni to Sivota

Stella and I were up early as there were a lot of boats crammed into a tiny space. We didn’t want to miss out on fresh pastries from the local bakery and we wanted to buy some local provisions from the wee shop that sold local cheeses, olives, etc. Our task completed, we enjoyed a coffee while watching the sun climb in the sky and listened to the water gurgling against the old harbour wall.

Sivota was today’s destination. Once the informal briefing was done we slipped lines and made our way over to Atoka Cliff Bay, a beautiful intimate beach that we had to ourselves. When dreaming of sailing in the Med, this was how we imagined it to be. Lazy mornings, jumping off the back of a boat into warm waters. We enjoyed paddle boarding and snorkelling, followed by a simple lunch of fresh bread, cheeses, cold meats and olives, all purchased earlier in Kioni. We then made for Papa Nicolas Cave.

I had fond memories from the previous year when I had visited the cave with members from the CCC Dinghy Section. Conditions were just right and we dropped anchor. The kids paddle boarded into the cave while Julie and I took the dinghy. Julie was a bit apprehensive at first as we entered the cave, but as we arrived at the inner beach and saw the kids fearlessly following us, she smiled and said how beautiful it was.

As we returned to the yacht, the wind started to pick up and we were able to sail close-hauled most of the way over to Sivota. It was a busy harbour with boats berthed tightly together. As the sun set, the string bulb lighting along the front transformed the waterfront into an enchanting scene. It was Becky’s last night. She was in the lead crew, she was heading to London in the morning for her brother’s birthday.

Chrystal clear water

The beach at Atoka Bay

Friday 14 October, Sivota to Vathi (Meganisi)

We had a good wind this morning from the south. We had an excellent sail round Rouda Bay and up the Meganisi Strait. A flotilla of catamarans under power came up behind us. We were under sail on a starboard tack and held course. I was getting ready to bear away as one skipper wasn’t changing course, so a collision was on the cards. I shouted to the sun bathers on the deck, but then saw a dreadlocked skipper stick his head out of the cabin and wave as he changed course.

We were really working well now as a crew, everyone was enjoying taking turns on the winches and helming. To have your family share in an activity that you have grown to love and to share with you was very special. As we arrived at Vathi, Stella took the helm and berthed confidently. Jaques, lead crew offered to take the kids wake riding, which involved them trying to stand on the paddle board while being towed behind his dinghy. A good hour was spent standing and falling, but a lot of fun was had. Vathi was a larger harbour than the others, but still very beautiful with some great places to eat.

Everywhere you went, there were always cats following or sitting beside you. Great if you love cats as we do, but some people found it difficult. One thing is for sure, we didn’t see any rodents.

Saturday 15 October, Vathi to Palarios

We started our day with a fantastic breakfast in a little restaurant called ‘The Pistrina Project’ which offered some fantastic vegan options. We had some good wind again this morning which gave us some excellent sailing over to Varko Bay, where we anchored for a couple of hours. We took our final opportunity to jump off the back of the boat, snorkel and swim to the beach.

The number and variety of fish surrounding our boat was stunning. We lifted anchor and sailed most of the way over to Palairos. It was a tight final berthing opportunity, but I was feeling comfortable with the boat and it went smoothly into its spot. Julie picked up the line and then Stella, John and Scott handed over the lines. We went for a walk along

Beating in the Meganisi Strait

the beach and watched our final stunning sunset of the week. Showers and packing complete, we enjoyed a meal in a small family-run pitta bread restaurant. It was nothing fancy, the husband and wife cooking and serving. All very welcoming, it reminded me of family holidays in Greece in the 1980s. We had our final game of UNO and a family walk along the beach, before lights out.

Sunday 16 October, Palairos to Scotland

Our flight was midday. We stored our bags at Odysseus’s office and went for a stroll. Nothing was open as it was end of season and a Sunday. It was nice to have the small village more or less to ourselves. A diver checked the keel of the boat and confirmed no damage. A hand back form was signed and we were on our way home. As holidays goes, this is one of our best.

An afterthought

When we enrolled our kids into the summer school at Bardowie in 2018, we didn’t know how much our lives were about to change. My family and I have benefitted hugely from the dinghy training at Bardowie.

The CCC members’ portal offers opportunities for members to crew for CCC members with keel boats, which I have found to be invaluable and rewarding. I have been privileged to sail with Geoff Crowley a number of times now, which in itself has been a masterclass and a steep learning curve. Geoff’s knowledge and love of the West Coast of Scotland is phenomenal.

Having done the RYA Coastal Theory in January, the Coastal Skipper Practical in April with Go West Sailing and spent a week in Ionian Islands with members of the Dinghy Section last year, I felt well prepared and comfortable to go as a family on a sailing holiday in the Med.

Jimmy Watson

Varko Bay

Requiem for hidden Hebridean harbours

My definition of a hidden harbour is that it has not been surveyed and charted by UKHO or Bob Bradfield of Antares Charts. It should offer 360 degree shelter and as a bonus there it should usually be a challenge to enter. There are no overnight fees but shoreside facilities can be rather restricted.

My fascination with such places began about the age of 12 while on a family holiday at the north end of Barra. I was pottering around the little jetty at Eoligarry when some local men, boys and dogs suddenly appeared. My curiosity must have registered with them as I was asked if I wanted to help with the sheep shearing on a nearby uninhabited island. I ran to the holiday house where we were staying to get my parents’ permission for this expedition.

It was a strange flat-bottomed craft which chugged its way across the Sound of Barra on a glorious day towards an island I later discovered was Gighay. As we approached the island I became alarmed that the boat speed was not being reduced for landing but who was I as a 12 year old visitor from the mainland to question local wisdom, so I braced myself for impact with the rocks ahead. Instead of the looming disaster something quite magical happened. The island suddenly split in two and we entered a very narrow channel into a totally hidden harbour known locally as the Blue Lagoon.

It was a Hebridean ‘Swallows and Amazons’ experience. The dogs rounded up the sheep and the local lads showed me how to hold the sheep by their horns with their neck clamped between knees as the men quickly set to work with their scissors. When the job was done a local man parted some ferns growing out of a rock and plunged an old billy can into a hole beneath the rock. Another man lit and primed an old paraffin stove which brought the fresh water to the boil. Tea and sandwiches were served. The men puffed on their pipes and blethered away in Gaelic. A small flask was passed among them which I assume contained the true water of life.

Arthur Ransome created fictitious adventures. JK Rowling seemed to catch childhood imagination with her Harry Potter fantasy of an invisible train station which required a secret code to enter. Who needs the fiction of Ransome or the fantasy of Rowling when the West Coast of Scotland offers us real life adventure with every challenge and every reward?

Martin Lawrence correctly described this lagoon as a tidal pool between Gighay and Hellisay and in his Yachtsman’s Pilot for the Western Isles gave us detailed instructions for attempting either of its two challenging entrances complete with photographs to tempt us in. In his acclaimed book The Scottish Islands Hamish Haswell-Smith tells us that Hellisay once had a population rising to 108. Gighay was inhabited

Tidal pool between Gighay and Hellisay

for a while but no census records remain. Bob Bradfield of Antares Charts surveyed this tidal pool in 2010 and 2014 and in recent years I have noticed an increasing number of visiting yachts rising to the challenge, including a small classic wooden yacht flying a white ensign. This tidal pool is a ‘hidden Hebridean harbour’ no longer.

The CCC Outer Hebrides Sailing Directions also describes a hidden harbour just south of Loch Skipport on South Uist. The entrance is difficult to spot from seaward but there are clues in our Sailing Directions. There is a submerged rock just before the pool opens up so perhaps a visit in the dinghy with lead-line might be best before entering this pool which probably has swinging room for only one yacht. There are rings ashore hidden in the undergrowth, so perhaps it was a smuggler’s den in years gone by.

In the introduction to the CCC’s Cruising Scotland publication, Edward Mason and Mike Balmforth reflect on how the Vikings navigated to the West Coast of Scotland. Many CCC members will have visited the Viking Canal on the southwest side of Skye but I only managed a visit recently and was fascinated by the engineering leading to their hidden harbour. Here is a ‘hidden Hebridean harbour’ which I suspect few CCC members have visited.

On the Atlantic side of Lewis, Loch Roag has many hidden harbours, some of which are in our Sailing Directions or surveyed by Bob Bradfield and available via Antares Charts

One of the few which remain uncharted is the little tidal pool inside Vacsay in West Loch Roag. Don’t attempt the entrance astern of Westbound Adventurer in the attached photo as it is chocked with rocks. A much cleaner but narrow entrance is from the south-east and some tidal calculations will be required for most yachts.

Viking Canal and hidden boat pool

Inside Acarsaid Fallach near Loch Skipport

Those who have visited Callanish on Lewis or the Cladh Hallan round houses on South Uist will know that Iron Age man made his way to the Outer Hebrides and it was not courtesy of Calmac or Loganair. We can only guess what kind of coracle took them there. Should I keep my secret harbours to myself or point others in their direction? That was a daft debate I had with myself. Firstly they are not my harbours and secondly they haven’t been secret for some time. Even those not surveyed or charted can be inspected by everyone. From the comfort of our homes we can open our devices and inspect them

all courtesy of the eye in the sky, courtesy of Google Earth. Perhaps a challenge today is finding a harbour without VHF or mobile phone signal.

I know several and I don’t have a satellite phone. Should I tell you? Perhaps if you have a shaky hand with uisge beatha I might point you in their direction…

Paul McNeill

The Antares chart is reproduced with the permission of Antares Charts.

Paul McNeill

Westbound Adventurer inside the Vacsay Pool

The SE entrance to Vacsay Pool

The Scottish Islands Peaks Race

Oars stowed and sails set

If you have an old slow yacht like my Rival 32, with its 22.45 CYCA handicap, then racing round the cans can be a little disappointing to say the least. There can be some satisfaction in finishing an hour later than everyone else but still getting a place, but I’ve found generally that adventure racing is far more interesting as other factors than pure speed can come into play.

The challenge

This is nowhere more evident than the Scottish Islands Peaks Race, an annual Scottish hill running and sailing race. I started entering this race in 2014, and kept coming back.

The race takes three to four days, non-stop. But it’s not sailing non-stop, it’s a mixture. Usually a crew is three sailors and two runners – there are other options too, and it’s either sailing full on or running. While the sailors sail, the runners rest, even sleep perhaps, and while the runners

tackle some of Scotland’s island hills, the sailors get a rest at anchor. But not just casual hill runners these. Oh no, it’s dangerous running a Munro at night, so the organisers have strict rules, and runners are pre-qualified. The runners’ kit checklist – checked prior to each running stage – is extensive, even the weight of chocolate to be carried. GPS for runners is not allowed, it’s a compass and map navigation which is required.

The course

Starting at Oban, on a Friday at midday, the runners do a short hill run above Oban, then row by dinghy to their yacht sailing in Oban Bay to pick them up. A brisk sail past Lismore Light, west into the Sound of Mull and a stop at Salen on Mull. After rowing the runners ashore, they set off for their run up Ben More. At anchor in Salen Bay, the sailors have enough time to charge the batteries, cook a meal, and maybe catch a short sleep. The runners meanwhile are slogging along the track to the top of Ben More. It’s no easy run, and can take six to eight hours. It’s a marathon, it’s a Munro, and it’s partly in the dark.

On collecting the runners by dinghy, carrying the mandatory Yellow Brick satellite tracker that records the yacht and the runners’ progress, we then sail back down the Sound, past Duart Castle, into the Firth of Lorne, through the Sound of Luing and Sound of Jura and into Craighouse, Jura. The rules don’t specify this route, it’s allowable to sail west of Jura, about 14 miles further, but occasionally that’s faster.

Tidal gates are a feature of the race, and whereas normally a prudent skipper would plan the timing of attempting the Sound of Luing, for example, in this race you do what you can. That might mean anchoring and waiting for a tide change, taking another route, such as the back eddies near the Garvellachs, or just plugging away into an adverse tide. It can’t be planned, it’s all last minute decisions based on the runners’ success in the running stages.

At Craighouse, you drop the dinghy and put the runners ashore for them to run the three Paps of Jura. Three hills of huge boulders, but on a fine day a nice view. Unless you get there in the dark.

After Jura comes Arran and Goat Fell, but to get there a rounding of the Mull of Kintyre is required. So setting off from Craighouse towards the Mull, you do whatever works with the notorious tides there, and passing Sanda you set your sights for Pladda and Arran. After entering Lamlash Bay by the south channel trying not to cut the corner and hit Fullarton Rock, the runners get rowed ashore at Lamlash. From here they must run round the road to Brodick, round that bay and summit at Goat Fell. Then back the same way to rejoin the boat, sail out past Holy Isle and across the Firth of Clyde to Troon. That’s the finish line, where again after dropping the 

runners in the dinghy, inside the outer harbour, under sail, they make a mad dash for the marina office, the official finish line.

Other considerations

As if all that wasn’t fun enough, there’s a few other points to note. When the runners are aboard the yacht, motoring is not allowed except for defined emergencies, but when they’re running the yacht and crew are free to do what they like. Usually that’s sleeping or eating.

If there’s no wind, then human power is allowed for the boat. I made some huge oars for my boat, and two sailors, an oar each, can row the six tonne boat at 2 knots. Our longest row to date was from Salen to Craignure – about 9 miles and at night. We passed about eight yachts that didn’t have oars, all drifting on a lazy tide, going nowhere fast. One boat, Bequia, skippered by Colin Craig, West Coast Motors, built a paddlewheel on the stern powered by two bicycle frames. They can manage about 3 to 4 knots, for a while. For oared boats the rowlock systems can be elaborate, but some just resort to canoe-style paddling when the wind drops.

Negotiation of tidal gates can give an advantage to those that know the flows well. In a southerly wind and a flooding tide, sailing south past Fladda Light in the Sound of Luing can be impossible for all except a multihull perhaps. But there are alternatives. Depending on the timing sailing west of Jura, and hitting the Sound of Islay at the right time can give a better time for arrival at Craighouse than anchoring and waiting. There are reverse eddies near the Garvellachs too that can be useful. Even sailing against the tide through the Corryvreckan could be viable. I’ve practiced this, but never had the chance to use it in a race.

So if we can’t win round the cans races, can an old slow boat win the Scottish Islands Peaks Race? Actually no, but with so many variables involved other than pure boat speed, it’s quite possible to get respectable positions about half way in the fleet which normally numbers 30-40 boats. If you’re up for some mad-cap fun in sailing, really testing your knowledge of the area, we might see you there next year.

Geoff Crowley

Contender ready to race Bequia’s paddle wheel

Chasing boats in distance

Meandering the Firth of Clyde, Portavadie to Arrochar

My wife and I had been talking about a sailing trip to Arrochar for a while. With a stable forecast of sunshine and light winds for the entire weekend in mid-August, we decided to take a couple of days off and set sail.

Portavadie to Kip

The rough plan was to start on Thursday 11 August sailing from Portavadie to Kip via the Kyles of Bute, perhaps having lunch on the anchor at Wreck Bay or Caladh Harbour. After

leaving Kip on the Friday, we planned to explore Loch Long all the way to Arrochar where we had a mooring booked. After spending the night in the shadow of the Cobbler, we planned to set sail for Largs on the Saturday, taking a detour to explore Loch Goil with the possibility of anchoring for lunch at Carrick Castle. From Largs, a couple of friends would join us on the Sunday morning for the return leg to Portavadie, sailing along the south and west coast of Bute. It was a beautiful morning when we set off from Portavadie at 09:30, a little later than we had originally planned. The forecast was for sunny and warm weather and we had even packed our swimsuits, as well as of course

Tramontana Trapper 500 LOA 8.3 metres Crew Giles Hammond and Sara Diegoli Dates 11 – 14 August 2022

Sailing south in Loch Fyne

the more usual waterproofs. The boat was well stocked and our newly acquired 12-volt fridge was full of our favourite goodies.

As the owners of an old boat with pretty basic accommodation, we could not believe what a luxury it was finally to have refrigeration on board. The sun was shining and a gentle westerly breeze was blowing in Loch Fyne. We expected very low wind for the whole weekend but we were still hopeful to sail as much of the route as we could. So we hoisted our sails in less than 10 knots of wind and proceeded south toward Ardlamont Point at about two knots. Although a little slow, we decided to enjoy the sailing for the time being and catch up if necessary under engine later on.

Once we approached Ardlamont Point the wind dropped almost completely and the engine went on. We set the tiller pilot to take care of the steering and enjoyed the view of the Kyles unfolding in front of us. Given the time and in the hope of catching some wind once out of the Kyles, we decided to skip the lunch stop and have some sandwiches in the cockpit instead. It was overall a good call as both Wreck Bay and Caladh Harbour were pretty busy already.

Once we passed Ardmaleish Point and approached Kames Bay the breeze picked up a little and the sails were out again. Proceeding at an average of two knots we were one of the few yachts without the engine on. We persisted and made our way slowly to Toward Point keeping clear of the ferry traffic between Rothesay and Wemyss Bay. The afternoon sun was really warm and the Firth of Clyde looked very busy with yachts; we thought the exceptional forecast must have had something to do with it.

We took our sails down just outside Kip and we were glad to eventually find a berth after a bit of confusion when someone else took the space we had been directed to. With a little quick thinking and the help of our newly installed mid-ship cleats we had an effortless docking despite the misunderstanding. Those are the moments when I am glad we only have a 28 feet yacht that we can easily turn around in her own length.

Kip to Arrochar

The highlight of our evening was the take-away pizza from the chip shop at Kip. It was a bit of a trip down memory lane as we used to eat pizza in the car after long days last winter working on the renovation of Tramontana. After we bought her, she had to spend several months on the hard at Kip to undertake major structural repairs before she was fit to move to Portavadie. Not only do they still make excellent pizzas but it had a celebratory meaning to eat it now, in the summer and on our first cruise, having left the worries and tribulations of last winter behind us.

On the Friday we woke up to an overcast sky and after a quick breakfast we set off for Arrochar. By 09:30 the sun was shining, we were out of Kip and the sails were up. We were quickly woken up by the fresh morning breeze on our faces, as Tramontana was beating towards Cloch Point at a steady three knots. As the morning went on, the day turned warmer and the wind became unreliable; we decided that putting the engine on was a better plan to navigate reliably the busy channel as we could see at least three different ferries under way.

Many sailors avoid Loch Long because of its deserved reputation for fickle winds. When combined with the presence of restricted and prohibited zones at Coulport and Finnart Ocean Terminal, this can be a bit of an obstacle to a satisfactory sail. Given the lack of wind, we felt we

LLMA pontoon at Arrochar

Heading back to Portavadie

had chosen the right weekend to explore this area, which proved to be of outstanding beauty and overall interest. Based on our experience, we would highly recommend making the journey to Arrochar at least once. When you do, please check carefully the pilotage directions for the area to ensure you comply with all regulations at the time.

As we passed the entrance of Loch Goil a gentle breeze had developed and we were able to deploy our sails and turn the engine off. The only boat around, we found ourselves moving north, hugging the west coast of the loch and moving at about 1.5 knots, sunbathing and wondering if this could really be Scotland. The breeze stayed behind us all the way to our destination. Loch Long Jetty Association manages the moorings and floating pontoon at Arrochar. Although no toilets or shower facilities are provided, the moorings are positioned within easy reach of several pubs, cafes and hotels and in walking distance to a well-stocked local shop.

Arrochar and an adverse forecast

After stretching our legs and grabbing a few essentials, including a nicely chilled bottle of wine, we returned to Tramontana and enjoyed a drink in the cockpit, waiting for the sun to disappear behind the steep surrounding

hills. Sitting in the shadow of the Cobbler on a calm, warm summer night was a fitting end to a perfect day. As the sun went down we left the boat again to have some food and stop for another excellent pizza sitting outside at Cu Mara Bistro.

On Saturday morning we woke up to another stunning day. After having breakfast on board we set off in the direction of Largs, with the aim of anchoring at Carrick Castle for lunch. We were having a gentle sail down Loch Long when, more as a matter of routine than out of any real concern, we checked the weather forecast for the following day.

West shore of Loch Long near Ardentinny beach

Tramontana moored off Arrochar

To our surprise a yellow warning for thunderstorms had been put in place for most of Scotland for Sunday. After checking different forecasts, we decided that if we stopped at Largs on Saturday night there was a real possibility that we might not be able to leave the marina on Sunday to return to Portavadie. Given we both had work commitments on the Monday and for all of the following week, we decided that the risk of having Tramontana potentially stuck in Largs until the next weekend was not one we were willing to take.

A change of plan

So we checked distances and times and decided we could make it back to Portavadie before dark provided we averaged just over four knots for the remainder of the day. Given the low wind, the engine went on as we passed Holy Loch Marina and we motor-sailed towards Dunoon, where we successfully dodged multiple ferries. The highlight was a sight of the Waverley, steaming in the opposite direction. As the day went on, the wind dropped progressively and the Kyles of Bute looked flat calm when we approached. With the boat under engine Sara had enough time to rustle up some dinner with what was still in the fridge. With the

tiller pilot keeping the boat on track, we enjoyed some spicy chicken with couscous in the cockpit with a nice glass of chilled wine.

By the time we rounded Ardlamont Point back into Loch Fyne the sun was setting and the peaks of Arran were rising from a sea of purple and pink reflections. From there it was just a short journey up Loch Fyne with the light progressively fading. After giving a wide berth to the fish farm that lay south of the entrance we entered the marina in the dark, guided by the lights.

It was a wonderful trip. The only disappointment was that, after having cut our trip short because of such widespread weather warnings, no thunderstorms materialised the next day until late in the evening.

We are looking forward to many more cruises with Tramontana in 2023.

Giles Hammond

View of Arran at sunset

Snowbird of Rhu takes on a new life

Covid has touched us all with unplanned outcomes. Some bad, some good. For us it involved early retirement, the sale of our beloved Amel Super Maramu Sula in Hong Kong, and a 6,000 mile move back to the UK. We planned to sit out boat ownership for a couple of years to let the dust settle.

A change of ownership and home port

However, in early 2021 and four months into this plan, the phone rang. David and Lesley Scott had decided it was time to step back from big boat ownership…would we be interested in buying Snowbird? We’ve known and sailed in company with her almost from new, a most unusual knowledge of a potential boat purchase of this age, so there wasn’t much choice.

Snowbird of Rhu Bowman 40

LOA 12.2 metres Crew Graham Boyd and Anne Maclean Seasons 2021 and 2022

Dartmouth

Laid back Penzance

Beachy Head

At the start of June, we were in the car on our way to Oban for the long delivery trip down to Snowbird’s new temporary berth in the Walton Back Waters near Harwich. Very quickly she was sailing in new waters as we passed north of Lismore heading for the Caledonian Canal. A very leisurely three day transit in sunny conditions saw us entering the Moray Firth for the 500 mile trip south. There was, quite intentionally, no time limit set for the passage – thank you to my crew Rog Hart – and no planned overnight sailing unless unavoidable. Snowbird had been ashore for some time so who knew what was going to go wrong? In the event the answer was very little, all credit to Mr and Mrs Scott.

The trip was grey, cold and windy. North Sea temperatures affected life on board significantly more than this ‘softened’ tropical sailor was expecting...welcome back to northern European sailing. The route was: Inverness,

Whitehills, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Sunderland, Whitby, Lowestoft (overnight), and Titchmarsh Marina at Walton Back Waters, just under 600nm from Oban in three weeks.

Exploration on the East Coast of England

So now we had a very well-tried yacht sitting on the East Coast of England, a cruising destination completely new to us. The rest of the summer was spent exploring every Suffolk and Essex river we could: the Deben for a week, the rivers Ore and Alde, the Orwell, the Stour and the Blackwater. In September we made our first crossing of the Thames to the Medway and the Isle of Sheppey. Much to our surprise on these cruises we anchored almost the whole time and were staggered at the abundance of wildlife and how uncrowded and peaceful the whole area was. In short, we really enjoyed it all, and as a bonus our knowledge of tides grew exponentially.

Winter 2021/22 saw Snowbird ashore for a bit of a refit: specifically, the fitting of a radar and a bow thruster and a cockpit tent – bimini. Our aims were becoming clearer. We wanted to head for the eastern Med and some warmth again. But the more we looked at the charts the more we saw interesting places to go on our own door-step, without any Covid, VAT or Schengen hassles.

Penpol Creek, River Fowey

Departure from Ramsgate

A new sailing area in the South West

So, May 22 saw us heading west. The new plan was to spend two or three days up every river we could find in Devon and Cornwall. 10 weeks and around 950nm later we arrived back at Titchmarsh Marina having achieved just that. The weather was superb for almost of the trip and the coastline and its history just fascinating. In aesthetic terms Devon and Cornwall were obviously the highlight and once again – much to our surprise – west of Portland Bill we spent most of our time at anchor. Visiting this part of the UK in summer is clearly best done by boat and not car. Ports of call included Ramsgate, Dover, Eastbourne, Brighton, Cowes, where Snowbird completed her circumnavigation of the UK mainland via the Caledonian Canal more or less on her 29th birthday. We also visited Poole, Studland Bay, Weymouth, Portland, Bridport, Torquay, the Dart, Salcombe

and Kingsbridge estuaries, the River Yealm, Plymouth and rivers Tamar and Lynher, Fowey, Mevagissey, Falmouth, the Fal and St Mawes, the Helford River and Penzance. A most enjoyable trip.

Plans for 2023

So, what next for Snowbird? Plans to head south have been delayed further as we now hope to head west again in 2023 but this time along the French coast. Now that we know about tides again, the Channel Islands and Brittany hold huge appeal. Snowbird’s 30th birthday is in May, so hopefully a suitable celebration will set this modern classic yacht up for her next 30 years.

Graham Boyd

Poole Harbour

Studland Bay, Dorset

Dawn in Portland Harbour Back from the pub, Mylor Yacht Haven, Falmouth

Not really a cruise –a series of short passages from Ardfern

Pottering around Ardfern

There comes a point when one has to realise that it is unlikely that one will exceed the exploits of previous cruises. Stamina declines; strength falls away; decisions take longer. But with youth bodily functions now deteriorating; the prospect of Olympic competition – if it was ever there – has been on the ebb for decades. There are compensations. One can spend more time at moorings, exploring the neighbourhood instead of rushing off for a distant shore.

One benefit of age is that grandchildren mature, and we had the delight of young Alison on board for the first half of our fortnight. Aged 15, not yet a practiced sailor, but at home on the water with rowing and paddle boarding. We reached Ardfern on the evening of Sunday 3 July.

The weather next day was not good with strong and gusty winds and rain showers. Putting wheels on the inflatable dinghy was a job for the skipper – the crew had been finding it harder to lift it up beaches. Meanwhile granny and granddaughter set off for Craobh Haven over the hill. Bright greens were set off by heavy black clouds. It proved further than they expected and they found coffee shops closed.

They were saved by a small store that managed a carry-out hot chocolate. The skipper joined them and luckily we did find some light refreshment to support us for the wet walk back. In the afternoon we read, rested and sketched in Eager B’s saloon – and in the evening too.

Sailean Mor, Ardfern and a short trip to Oban

With weather unsettled the planning for getting young Alison up to Oban was becoming an issue. A Friday train meant getting there on Thursday. Wednesday’s forecast was bad so it seemed that we had to make the best of this Tuesday. A day trip. We set off down Loch Craignish in the early afternoon, soon hoisting sail in the fresh WSW wind. One reef in and not all of the genoa – keeping things simple. Past Crinan of happy memories where we used to berth, and on to Sailean Mor, a small quiet bay not much further south and a personal favourite. On passage there was not much wildlife, but at anchor we were rewarded with sight of a young sea eagle soaring above. Then back

Eager Beaver Sadler 32 LOA 9.6 metres

Crew Bill and Alison Logie, and, briefly, Alison Robertson Dates 4 – 16 July 2022

A docile Corryvreckan

to Ardfern passing many seals off Eilean nan Coinean and motoring up the inner channel. There were some sinister looking black launches off Eilean Righ. Youth and a great practical bent from Alison made berthing easy.

As predicted Wednesday 6 July was wild and windy. The marina was relatively sheltered, but there were no movements in or out and gusts rattled overhead. We drove down to the outer coast of the Craignish peninsula to see the wild sea stretching out to the Corryvreckan. No boats in sight.

Thankfully, the following day dawned with light wind, and to catch the tide we were off at 06:45, motoring down to the point before taking the stream through the Dorus Mor. Then, with the wind setting in from the north north-west, we were able to sail. Again taking it easy, we set reduced canvas. The tide carried us well past Fladda, but the rather turbulent sea upset young Alison’s stomach, but she bore the sickness without complaint. The fickle wind left us under engine up Kerrera Sound. We tied up to a pontoon in Oban’s Transit Marina about midday. It was about half

full, but boats kept arriving, all very orderly, but I think for the first time I saw a French boat poorly handled – they are nearly always the most proficient.

In Oban we mingled with the tourist crowd, showered, but still enjoyed our wee haven by the pontoon. Next day we were up unnecessarily early for Alison’s train, followed by the sad farewell.

Oban to Bagh Gleann nam Muc by way of Eileen Dubh

The weather remaining blustery and unsettled so we decided on another day in port. The following day, 9 July, we woke to warm sunshine, and enjoyed the smiles on the faces of other yachties, some of whom had had two weeks of rain. A neighbourly chat and then about 10:20 we left the pontoon to head south, motoring down Kerrera Sound. After an hour we hoisted sail, close hauled in the south-westerly breeze. It freshened, and the sea got lumpy as it often does around Insh Island. Headed by the wind we tacked on our way to Eilean Dubh, and though

Sunset over the Corryvreckan

Eilean Dubh, Black Isles

Sailean Mor, Sound of Jura

Not really a cruise

a bit frustrating, it was good to put Eager B through her paces – and the crew too. The anchorage in Eilean Dubh was peaceful with only a gentleman dozing in his RIB. He let us know that he would soon be leaving, and that gave us the opportunity to anchor in the sweet spot between the islands in a modest depth. There was a seal for company, but otherwise there was little wildlife.

We recalled how, on a previous occasion in this spot, we had enjoyed the sight of two mature sea eagles scavenging on the foreshore a stone’s throw away – though we didn’t test the proximity that way. It was striking how their colouring merged with the background. Neck and head pale grey against the barren rock; darker below at the tide-line, and even a touch of ginger for the seaweed. There was enough warmth to enjoy a beer in the cockpit, but later the mist drew in and we retired to the saloon and the warmth of a good meal.

A brightish morning followed but we were slow to rise, and there was mist about and the sun was struggling to make any headway. But it was peaceful and calm and we could appreciate the gentle noise of the stream and waves in the gut between the two islands.

We had a lazy morning; there were one or two jobs to do, including an attempt at examining whatever was preventing the log from spinning. We strung a rope under the bow of the boat working it to and fro hoping that it would rub off any barrier or weed that was preventing the wee speedo wheel from spinning. We wouldn’t know the result until we moved.

Then it was time to set off if we were to get to the Corryvreckan at slack water. The anchor came up, no mud or weed, at 12:20 and we motored gently out of the eastern exit. The sun brightening up beautifully. We were pottering along about four knots when suddenly the log started to work – chance or a successful operation? A lovely flat sea but little life about. A distant porpoise, a solitary puffin.

We arrived at the gulf at 13:40 when it should have been slack water, but there was a lot of flood running and in spite of general calm water there was a surprisingly confused swell. But we made satisfactory progress into Bagh Gleann nam Muc, finding it empty, so we took our customary anchorage on the north side where, with luck, one can get the best view of any sunset. No boats came to stay, but a Frenchman nosed around as if he might have stayed. We had a late lunch, then pumped up the dinghy and rowed ashore and on the beach we were able to appreciate the new wheels fitted to the inflatable.

Walking from the beach was difficult because of the dense undergrowth. Thick tussocks and dangerous gaps between hidden stones and rocks; dense bracken and boggy bits – so we didn’t go far. We sketched and admired the wonderful fine weather and the view of the Corryvreckan, the water and islands of Jura and Scarba. Back then to Eager B, where I tested, successfully, a method for hoisting the dinghy on board – a job that once was an easy routine. A beer and a sketch in the cockpit

looking out on a beautiful sunset. The wind was gusty through the night blowing off the Jura hills and Eager B danced gently about her chain.

Bagh Gleann nam Muc to Ardfern, Loch na Cille, Lagg and back to Ardfern

Next day, Monday 11 July, dawned calmer and more peaceful. The oyster catchers, noisy last evening, were at rest. Waiting for the tide in the morning gave us more reading time, and the opportunity to watch gulls chasing a peregrine, and to listen to the croaking of ravens. The outlook, however, was not good with wind and rain expected over the next couple of days, and after some debate we decided that we would wimp out by going back to base for a night or two.

We had the car there, we were on holiday, and the area is lovely. So after lunch we hauled the anchor up and set off into the ebbing gulf. It was relatively calm and the Dorus Mor only mildly turbulent. We managed some sailing, but once into Loch Craignish the wind died, so we motored back to our berth, getting there about 16:30.

Cottages, Lagg Bay, Jura

Gleann nam Muc

We left again on Thursday. The stay in Ardfern had given time for some jobs on the boat, and visits to Crinan for old times’ sake. Thursday’s weather was rather dull and without much pre-planning we were up at 07:40 and we cast off at 08:10 to catch the last of the ebb for a short southerly trip. A relatively mild wind from the west south-west proved helpful at times.

We breakfasted as we motored down Loch Craignish. Sails were up at 09:05 and we sailed for an hour before the wind turned too fickle. There was some further sailing as the morning advanced, but the leg was blighted by wet scotch mist and dull cloud that seemed to follow us, while there was tantalising brightness elsewhere. The ebb stream helped us much of the way but was against us

before we turned north into Loch na Cille. We anchored up near the jetty with a bit of a swell coming in with some southerly wind and after lunch and a bit of rest we rowed ashore and walked over the peninsula to the old jetties beyond Keillmore. These jetties were once a key point in the passage of cattle from Jura. Back to the boat for a quiet night in. Not really so quiet as the wind persisted and caused gentle rocking, and next day was fresh from the north-west. We decided to go over to Lagg on Jura and had a very brisk passage with F6 gusts and a choppy sea. A small diversion was needed to pass a tug towing a huge fish farm.

Lagg was generally quite sheltered but with gusts coming off the hills, and a bit of sea was making its way into the pretty bay, We didn’t go ashore but we were able to look around at the old jetty, the pair to the Keillmore terminal, and to view a big visiting RIB and a party of holiday makers barbequing on the beach in rather unsuitable weather conditions.

In the night the wind fell away and the next morning was wonderfully calm and peaceful. We spent the morning restfully, waiting for the tide to turn – being springs they had a significant impact. Away at midday we pottered up the Jura coast, nosing into Tarbert Bay before heading across to the Knapdale shore. The strange currents were running against us in the middle of the sound. And so back to Ardfern and the lengthy process of tidying up. The weather forecast was now looking more promising, but one has got used to that twist of fate.

Lagg Bay

Bagh Gleann nam Muc looking north-west

Addendum

This passage and that of a subsequent weekend put me in mind of my first experience of some of these features, and so I set out below what I wrote at the time, 33 years ago. I had just had to do a repair job on Silkie’s outboard. Silkie was our first cruiser, a Hurley 22.

‘I now had a whole unplanned day of sailing, and it turned out to be a gem. It was a clear sparkling morning, windless, after a brilliant starlit night in Crinan Harbour. When I got up at 07:45, the warm sun was just beginning to fall on Silkie to start its first task of drying off the heavy dew. The harbour was quiet and I had the world to myself.

I motored off at 09:15 and headed north-west to the Dorus Mor. The sail was up, but the wind was dead ahead, and I motored to further test the engine. The Dorus Mor was quite rough even though we were near slack water. Once through the gap I turned the engine off and had a great beat up the sound in the steep sea, but making fairly slow progress. A plan began to form. Three local features had eluded me in the two and a half years we had had Silkie: the Grey Dogs, the Gulf of Corryvreckan, and the Garvellach Islands. The first two have a reputation for fearsome rips and overfalls, and to some extent guard the islands beyond. Today, however, the tides were right to take me through the former, and back through the Corryvreckan after a quick visit to Eileach an Naoimh, the southern half of the Garvellachs, or ‘Isles of the Sea’. The winds were strong enough to give me enough power should the engine prove weak, yet not too strong to give unmanageable seas.

I almost missed the entrance to the Grey Dogs, the gap between Scarba and Lunga. It is only 100 yards wide, and seems less, but through we went – strong eddies met by a strong arm on the tiller. The current should have been slack at 08:30 and we were there at 11:25 so we were well into the flood. The stream was fast, but there was no time to do any intricate navigation. Keep left and press on! I had the motor running and the northerly wind was fresh. There was a young steepish swell at the western end of the short channel, and one could see that it would be nasty in the full flood and a westerly wind, but today it was gentle.

It was a further hour before we anchored in 7m at Eileach an Naoimh, on an uneven bottom. The passage across had been a wonderful sparkling reach in a steady swell, one reef in, open to the Atlantic.

I had lunch in the bay, checking that Silkie did not drag under the brisk squalls of wind that swept round the high island, and then went ashore. The monastic ruins were in a perfect setting nestling under the lee of the hill. They seemed to be resting, not dead, though they are older than St Columba’s Iona. Up at the craggy ridge the wind was very fresh, white horses were thick across to Mull, its coast receding to the west, the Torran Rocks little bumps on the horizon. Colonsay, Islay, and the back of Jura all stood out well in the bright sunlight.

Soon after 14:00 I left, but had forgotten to top up the fuel tank. I paid for this by having to do the job in the confused sea off the island, spilling a lot in the process. Then off again on a direct course to the Corryvreckan, but with only the genoa up to restrict speed and stop me arriving while the flood was still running. The wind was astern so we rolled and slopped about at 3-4 knots, in almost overpowering sunlight, my sun hat rammed on hard. There was no sign of turbulence as we approached the gulf, so I put up the reefed main at 15:15, and ten minutes later we were in the strait. Three porpoises came straight towards me, 25 yards off. The wind was off Scarba still about F4, and the sea was the flattest I had had it all day. At the eastern end I took out the reef; there was a slight current with us; wind on the port quarter.

We had a magnificent reach back , 4 – 5.9 kts, the wind moving from the quarter to slightly ahead of the beam. There were strong tides and eddies through the Dorus Mor, but we were safely back on the mooring at 17:00. The day had appeared as if by magic from the uncertainty of a repair and recovery job, and I had been given one of the most delightful and rewarding days.’

Bill Logie

Tarbert entrance, Sound of Jura

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A wedding aboard Ataraxia

Crew Bride and groom Seonaid Airth and Graham MacWilliam

Ataraxia

Dufour 40

LOA 12.3 metres

Preparation aboard

Other participants Stephen Pickles, owner, Susan Pickles, Trevor Watson, Sheila Airth, Murray Airth, Murray McNeish, Clare McNeish, Morven McNeish, Nicol MacWilliam, Alison Warrender, Alistair MacWilliam, Leanne Rogers, Jan MacWilliam, Cara Winters

The morning saw bright sunlight streaming into our cabin around the edges of the hatch blind. The gentle crackle of the signal flags Trevor and Morven had painstakingly laced the previous day were the only indication of the whisper of a breeze. Putting the kettle on I took a look around Loch Eatharna, it was perfect, hardly a ripple breaking the surface of the sea, and finally Coll was having a beautiful summer’s day after a cool start to the year.

We were anchored in what I think is the best spot on the middle of the transit between the old cement perch and the cement pillar ashore. Having breakfasted and put some champagne into the fridge, we ran the engine to get the water heated up and showered before getting into our finery. It was not usual boat wear, summer dress for Susan, smart trousers and shirts for Trevor and I.

Wedding Day Thursday 28 July 2022

The boat was gleaming white in the sun, helped by the full wash down she received coming up past Lismore Light in the 30 knot rinse cycle generated by the tide against wind two days earlier. The sea state at Lismore was as bad as I have ever seen it, the boat coming up behind us had called a mayday, and we turned back to help, before we saw the Oban lifeboat steaming into sight. I was convinced that the weather for the wedding was likely to be poor. Having booked the date for this wedding on board months previously, there was still a grumbling concern in my head that clouds or a breeze would spring up and ruin what was looking like a perfect day. As the morning passed and we sorted the boat to make space for everyone the heat rose. I could see Robert Sturgeon, a Coll local, who was going to act as boatman to get most of the guests to the boat, arrive by the middle pier in Arinagour, and start preparing his solid fibreglass tender.

Man and wife

The wedding party gathers

Graham and his two sons, Nicol and Alistair, arrived at the pier, the tide was dropping and the seaweed-slimy steps were my niggle of concern for the older folk. We took the groom and his lads back to Ataraxia in our tender. Trevor, celebrant for the day’s ceremony, gave him some advice for those about to be married, namely to tell the bride she looked beautiful on her arrival. Graham said he would have no problem remembering. Robert’s boat nosed around the pier head and then the drone of Seonaid’s son Murray, playing his pipes, sounded across the loch.

Murray led the bridal party from the hotel to the pier. Apparently rumours of ‘the wedding’ had spread around Arinagour, and some residents and tourists in the street were videoing and snapping the march of everyone in their finery down to the pier. The first priority was to ensure Jan, Sheila, and Murray senior, who are all in their 80s, got safely from the slippery pier and up our stern step into the cockpit.

It all went perfectly, and with willing youthful hands on all sides the parents were securely ensconced in the cockpit as everyone followed, lifejackets looking incongruous on kilts, summer dresses and bridesmaids’ outfits.

The ceremony at the binnacle

It all looked beautiful, the sparkling scene was splendid. The bride Seonaid, who made the crossing in sailing salopettes with her gossamer-cream dress stuffed around her, stepped aboard. The binnacle served for Trevor’s lectern as he commenced his service, humour aplenty and

with some thoughtful words on love and marriage. The vows written by the couple were meant to be limited in length to three points, Seonaid has managed to edit hers down to 17 points.

Once married, the happy couple signed the ship’s log below, whilst champagne and nibbles were handed up to the guests. It was getting really warm and the cool champagne hit the mark as we all relaxed in the happy occasion.

Robert returned with his trusty tender and we returned everyone safely to shore, and walked back up to the hotel. Susan, Trev and I were last, following in the rubber dinghy. More champagne was had on the grass lawn and helipad at the Coll Hotel, followed by a joyful wedding breakfast with full lochside view in the hotel’s new dining room. As the drink flowed, plans were made for a BBQ on the west side of the island the following day. We finished up with a nightcap in the bar. We make our farewells and headed to the pier.

The return to Ataraxia

It was almost as dark as it could get on a July night in Scotland. Still dressed in our smart wedding outfits my heart sank to see the tide fully out, and our dinghy at the full stretch of its painter balanced half way along the rock ballast of the pier. Susan waiting above was slightly surprised by the appearance of another yachtsman coming up behind us. He was a big lad, only speaking a little English. His small one-man tender was lying near ours. With some swearing and cursing and slipping on the large rocks we got both tenders into the water, not before Trev cut his shin open, and our clothes collected seaweed stains. Donning lifejackets over our finery once again, Susan, Trev and I boarded our dinghy. Our fellow yachtsman waited to board on the slippery lower step, while we fired up our outboard. We cast off and idled just off the pier as we checked the other guy would make it into his tender OK. We were in lifejackets but the single-hander wasn’t, and we all had a sense of doom about the next few seconds. This was confirmed when our single-hander stepped into his dinghy and promptly flipped it over onto his head as he disappeared into the water underneath.

There was consternation amongst us, as the three of us would have struggled to get the guy ashore. Luckily, he popped up beside his dinghy, scrabbled onto the steps, and waved that he was OK. The water was very cold. Calls from us, to confirm he was fine, got positive replies. He scrambled back onto the lower step of the pier, and got back into his dinghy.

He rowed away, his arms pumping at speed to get back to his yacht on one of the moorings. We motored along behind in the gloom and got back aboard Ataraxia. Before we headed to our berths we discussed how lucky he was on his return to his boat. I am guilty of not checking that the guy made it aboard his boat, but Trev was listening out for him and heard him get back on board.

The best of days

The Friday BBQ on Coll

The next day dawned clear again, but a fair F3 breeze had risen, and we definitely chose the better day for the wedding. We headed ashore, berthed our tender on the northern side of the pier to avoid shenanigans with dinghy retrieval, and crossed the island in a small convoy of guests’ cars. It was a magnificent day on a Hebridean west coast beach. The sun was blazing and we were sheltered from the wind. The BBQs were fired up and slightly sandy sausages and a mad selection of food, wine and drinks were enjoyed. We chatted about how lucky we were to have had a great wedding in stunning weather.

Finally, we gathered courage and those with swimsuits headed for the sea. There was a small group who ‘forgot’ their trunks, but Morven, the smallest member of the party, put us all to shame, running, shrieking and laughing into the sea. It was bracing but not too cold. It was a grand

swim, made better by some reviving drinks back at the BBQ. There was lots of chat about how gorgeous the beach was, but also about the previous night’s trip back to our boat, and how lucky it was that there wasn’t a funeral. We headed back to the boat, got dressed in our finery and prepared for another celebratory evening at the hotel. We could not quite believe our luck.

We had another beautiful evening, with a fine view of Ataraxia gently swinging in the loch. The food and service were, again, fantastic. We were all a bit more relaxed, and the chat was happy and noisy. Finally, Susan, Trev and I dragged ourselves away from the good company.

With the more traditional 2022 summer weather of an overcast sky and a good sailing breeze we departed back to Craobh the next day.

Stephen Pickles

Fully dressed

Beach party after the wedding

Tender to the wedding

Piping the guests aboard

Non-standard sailing gear

We are going to need a bigger boat

When people ask me how I got into sailing, I chuckle because – like some of the best things in life – it happened by complete accident.

The first adventure at Bardowie

One afternoon a few years ago, I was having a few drinks and a catch up with my friend Lynne; at some point between the second and the third Negroni we decided that signing up for sailing classes with our respective husbands sounded like a very good idea. Within a few months the four of us were all bobbing around the loch at Bardowie, trying to

We are going to need a bigger boat –a personal journey from dinghy to yacht sailing

Our first sailing course

We are going to need a bigger boat

make sense of wind, sail trim, daggerboards and wrestling with the tillers that felt way too long for the boats we found ourselves folded into.

I can only speak for myself when I say that sailing was not love at first sight. I was in awe of the kids on the same course, who took to the boats instinctively and fearlessly. I was also envious of my friends, who although not much more proficient than I was, were successfully maintaining their composure.

I, on the other hand, was completely overthinking it. I was flustered and terrified by my sheer inability of gaining any control over my tiny, wobbly vessel. However, thanks to the shear dedication – and amusement – of the instructor’s team and an army of Bardowie volunteers that assisted me during free sailing sessions, I gained my Level 2 by the end of the season.

It was the following October that Hugh McLean organised a yacht charter, and – even after witnessing my hopeless sailing performance during my dinghy course – he miraculously agreed to let me join the crew. So, armed with hired oilskins which were several sizes too big for me and a pair of Decathlon wellies, I set off on my new adventure.

The second adventure on the Clyde

We spent a few days exploring the Firth of Clyde, making passage from Largs to Port Bannatyne and through the Kyles of Bute to Portavadie.

We experienced a mix of conditions and after a couple of days of fair and settled weather we spent a rather wobbly night moored on the visitor pontoon in Portavadie. As the weather improved the following day we made our return trip to Largs.

Those lucky enough to regularly sail these waters might have become accustomed to their sheer beauty. I had never set foot on a yacht before and I was simply stunned by the sea, sky and coastline, dancing in a spectacle of dazzling reflections under the ever-changing light. It was an incredible experience and an inspiring trip. Not having been on a yacht before, I did not know what to expect. For a start I discovered that I did not suffer from seasickness and that I could sleep and adapt perfectly well to living multiple days on a boat.

I was surprised how much of the sailing instinct that I developed on a dinghy actually transferred to sailing a yacht. When Hugh trusted me to take the wheel of Lady Naomi, with a brisk breeze pushing us along, it was such an amazing feeling. If I had to choose the moment when I fell in love with sailing, that was it for me.

The next stage: buying a boat

From then on my attitude to sailing changed and I decided to invest more time in it. We completed our day skipper theory but we had to put our practical on hold due to the pandemic. We still managed to make progress though; during lockdown my husband and I gained our Level 3 dinghy qualification and we bought our first boat: a Seafarer 465. A small trailer sailer from the 1970s, she had been neglected in recent years and was used as a fishing boat by her last owner.

The restoration gave us a hobby and something to look forward to during the months of lockdown. Parked on our drive Gravity Wave was scraped and cleaned and all the wood was sanded and refinished. The interior was painted, the soft furnishings replaced and a new vinyl floor fitted.

On Loch Lomond

In the year that followed she was moored at Rowardennan boatyard. We sailed weekly in the summer and also continued to make further improvements. The trailer was repaired and adapted, the sails were sent for a recut, a rolling furler and tracks were installed for the jib and basic electrics and instruments, like depthsounder and log, were added. We also bought a new outboard engine when the old two-stoke kept letting us down at very inconvenient times.

Gravity Wave rewarded us with long weekends exploring Loch Lomond and its many islands. With her retractable keel she can navigate the shallowest of waters; we landed on beaches for picnics and camping, making the most of the long summer evenings in Scotland, even during the week.

It is incredible how much she taught us about repair, maintenance, rigging, splicing and, of course, sailing. Once again the help and support of our Bardowie family made this journey possible: John McGruer, Hugh McLean and Jason McKenzie were never far away, helping us with practical advice and answering our many daft questions, often originating by watching YouTube videos.

Buying and renovating the next boat

Spending a year sailing a small keel boat on Loch Lomond was the perfect transition for us towards a bigger yacht. It gave us confidence and experience and in September 2021 we made the leap and bought our second boat, Tramontana, a Trapper 500. Although superficially in reasonable condition, she required a substantial amount of work, certainly more than we had anticipated.

So once again we took to YouTube and to the advice of a small army of friends and professionals to get her up to scratch. We spent almost every winter weekend and all of our Christmas holidays doing fibreglass and gelcoat repairs, stemming deck leaks and stripping anti-foul. Her keel was removed and resealed, seacocks rebedded, standing and running rigging replaced, chainplates resealed, toilet replaced and every piece of wood inside and outside was once again sanded and refinished.

After about five months on the hard at Kip, she was finally ready to sail to her berth in Portavadie Marina at the beginning of 2022. Not having completed our Day Skipper yet, we were kindly assisted by Hugh McLean in our maiden voyage.

The easing of COVID restrictions meant that we could finally complete our Day Skipper practical exam in March 2022 and we then spent the rest of the summer sailing Tramontana around the Clyde at every opportunity we got, joined whenever possible by our family and friends.

In September 2022 we also went on our first flotilla. In the excellent company of the McCorristons and the McGruers, we enjoyed a warm but unusually breezy week exploring the south Ionian Sea.

Looking back

It is difficult for me now to imagine doing something else with my free time other than going sailing; part of the reason I find it so satisfying is the constant journey of learning and improvement.

I have decided to share my journey for two reasons; primarily to pay tribute to the generosity of all those at Bardowie that have supported us in getting where we are now and that we are now privileged to call our friends.

Secondly, to those that might consider approaching the sport later in life like us, go for it. I talked to quite a few parents sitting on the shores of Bardowie Loch, especially women, waiting for their children who were out sailing who were curious about sailing but did not have the confidence to try. If that is you, drop me a line and let us go for coffee or Negroni.

Sara Diegoli

Sara’s Italian dad’s first sail

Gravity Wave under restoration

The Bardowie experience

levels and tried out a variety of dinghies but agreed that the Feva, a double hander, was the one for them, and we soon discovered it was good for us too as it meant that we only had to transport one boat around the country to the various events.

Fast forward to this year, the girls are now 15, and they were asked if they would like to represent Scotland and participate in the Eric Twiname event being held at Rutland Water, and with the prospect of getting a Scotland hoodie the girls jumped at the chance. What an eye-opener that event was – we were in complete awe of them as they took it all in their stride and launched with hundreds of other boats. Having only competed in small local events up until then we were concerned that this might put them off, but, no, the opposite happened and they were even more hooked – despite them bringing up the rear in every race.

Having caught the bug and with lots of practice at Bardowie and additional training from Peter Collings, they then raced the Feva throughout the year at various Traveller events around Scotland and experienced the exhilaration of not only racing but winning too. It has to be said the car journey home after a win always seems much quicker than those of a loss, or worse still when having just being pipped to the finish line.

Well, what can I say? What a year it has been – I hadn’t quite appreciated the implications of being a sailor’s mum when I suggested we head to Greece on our first Neilson holiday, my girls were aged eight at the time, and we learn to sail. The original plan was that my husband Calum and I would learn to sail the ‘big boats’ with a view to booking a flotilla holiday the following year, whilst Georgia and Ellie would have fun learning to sail dinghies. Needless to say my dreams of sitting on deck in the sunshine with a G&T in hand were soon shattered when the girls announced that they didn’t want to spend a week sailing the crystal blue Ionian waters and would prefer the fun and excitement of continuing to learn to sail the dinghies.

With this in mind, and the girls not wanting to wait another year before honing their new skills, we headed to Bardowie, our local sailing club, and bumped into Hugh. Calum had the good fortune of meeting Hugh 10 years earlier when he had sat his sailing Levels 1 & 2. We decided to join as a family despite my protestations that the likelihood of me getting in a dinghy in Scotland were highly unlikely. The girls however are built of sterner stuff and the thrill of getting out on the water, no matter the weather, was what excited them. They worked through the various sailing

Having gained the confidence of sailing the Feva the girls decided that they would like to try out our wooden Mirror dinghy and potentially enter the Port Ban Sailing Club’s annual regatta in August. With me having holidayed at Kilberry for over 40 years, but never actually sailing in the event, mostly made up of Mirror dinghies, the girls were keen to get involved. After a few practice runs at Bardowie we got the Mirror to Kilberry where they quickly launched it and had a fantastic fortnight, racing every day in all weathers and resulting in a fourth place overall, against crews with 40 years’ experience, and winning the children’s unaccompanied race.

Success at Kilberry

Learning to sail the Mirror

As I mentioned at the start I hadn’t appreciated when I first suggested that learn-to-sail holiday in Greece the highs and lows of being a sailor’s mum. Weekends that used to be spent gardening and on house maintenance for some, or shopping and eating out for others, are now spent towing a boat to a different part of the country and incurring many challenges and hardships. These include standing frozen at the water’s edge with teeth chattering, despite the season, as the girls rig their dinghy, the challenge of trying to dry out the wetsuits and boots before they fight their way back into them the following day, ensuring the intake of protein and energy-fuelling foods outweigh the Haribos and caramel wafers plus many a day ending up cross-eyed having spent it peering through binoculars willing them on.

Despite all this on the plus side we have been to many parts of this beautiful country that we might never have visited. Moreover the girls are gaining skills that they will no doubt take into adult life – not just from the social aspect but also the practicalities of boat rigging to sailing in all weathers and experiencing the highs of wins but also overcoming the lows of failure, teaching them to be organised and responsible, they will only forget to pack those gloves once, as well as the advantages and tactics of being part of a team.

So like any parent the pride we feel for our daughters in the way they are growing up and how sailing has so positively influenced and helped mould them is immense. Despite constantly being frozen, if asked ‘would I change things if I could?’ – not on your nelly.

What’s so special about Bardowie?

Bardowie has the most amazing training and coaching programme where youngsters like Georgia and Ellie, from the age of eight, progress through their RYA levels and if they want can become Trainee Assistant Instructors (TAIs), Assistant Instructors (AIs), DIs, SIs etc. The succession programme at Bardowie is quite wonderful to see. An essential aspect of their AI training is passing their power boat licence. This brought a whole new experience to the

wider family when they offered to take their Gran and Papa out in the powerboat. Before Gran and Papa could say no they were strapped into life jackets, on-board and away. Its hysterical to hear their stories after a day of coaching at summer school, or evening sailing lessons, such as ‘these children just don’t listen to you’. ‘Tell me about it’, I would reply. Or hear the funny stories of tipping their students in accidentally, and the relief to see them come back the following week, for another dunking.

It is also heart-warming to watch the bond the girls have with their Bardowie pals, helping each other without being asked and stepping in to help adults struggling to launch or retrieve their dinghy again without being asked. The life skills that ‘The Bardowie Experience’ brings are fantastic. Hearing Georgia and Ellie tell their stories of planning and leading training sessions for other children and adults does make you very proud.

They are now transitioning into 29ers. We have also just spent a day watching their open water swimming in the Clyde and that is coming along nicely. Hopefully over time they will start to spend more time in it that out of it. The only trophies to be collected for a while racing their 29er are the multi coloured bruises from the numerous capsizes which then get ‘Snapped or BeReal’d’ to their pals. Oh, to have that youthful enthusiasm for spending weekends in various expanses of water in the winter.

Alison MacCalman

Frightening the grandparents at Bardowie

MacCalman girls and pals at Bardowie Beating to windward in a Feva at Bardowie

Winning at HSC

CCC Dinghy Section in 2022

Ithink firstly we need to thank our last DS Captain, Jason McKenzie, for not only keeping the club running, even if on a restricted basis, and leaving it in such a strong position at the end of his tenure. No one could have predicted the extra stress, workload and pressures he and his committee would have to overcome to ensure we are still here and in a strong position, so thank you, Jason.

This year had a slow start with a new committee and the loss of a number of experienced members. After careful consideration the committee decided that rather than have a new Captain, Hugh and I would take on the role on an acting or caretaker basis.

In the time since we took over we have recruited a number of excellent members with huge experience who have helped us immensely and I would like to thank them. We have also recruited some new fresh victims, sorry volunteers, and thanks again to them.

Since this fresh start we have sought to improve communication with all members, firstly with a weekly ‘what’s on’ email, but also with a regular newsletter where we are able to report back some of the activities and successes of the club.

Since these afore-mentioned changes we have seen some fantastic and very well supported events such as the very successful summer school, the end of summer school barbecue and a fun regatta attended by more than 90 members.

We had a fantastic traveller event with Toppers, Fevas and Oppies and also ran the successful Laird Trophy. Sadly we have had to cancel some events due to safety concerns.

We have also seen a number of members having great success around the country, with a number of our Junior members continuing with or joining RYA development

Sunset

Bardowie

squads. In particular I must mention Rory McKinna as he has worked his way up to number three in the world as well as winning the Hansa Series in the UK.

We have started a programme of updating our boats, firstly with the replacement of the four Commando powerboats, and are also continuing to replace engines. Replacement of the Laser 2000 dinghies has started, which due to their age and use are starting to show wear and tear and incur increased maintenance costs. In consultation we decided to replace these with three Quests, which have now been delivered to the Club, and three RS200 dinghies which are yet to be ordered but it is planned to have these in place by the beginning of next season.

Our Bosun has been doing extremely well selling our old and out-of-date equipment, adding valuable funds to the Dinghy Section coffers.

The racers have had a very successful Thursday night season as well as a successful Tuesday fun racing season. More recently they have been racing on a Sunday afternoon, enduring some interesting weather conditions.

We are also in a great position with the number of stewards available and are going to reintroduce the assistant steward position again next season to support existing stewards.

It is a firm aim of the committee to encourage all members to volunteer and help in events and in other ways around the Club in the coming season.

Lastly we would like to commend the Monday Morning Group, not just because I am one of them, but for the huge amount of work they do for all of our Dinghy Section members, in exchange for a few cups of coffee or tea, a biscuit or occasional bacon roll.

Don McPherson

The RS Feva

Toppers and Oppies

Martin Lawrence

Former Editor of the CCC Sailing Directions

1939 – 2022

We only mutinied once, when Dad’s curiosity about uncharted rocks put us in a tight spot in the Crowlin Islands. Erraid, the steel-hulled family ketch, was perfect, it turned out, for exploring Hebridean anchorages previously undocumented. We both remember many times being charged with reading out rapidly decreasing numbers on the echo sounder as we nosed into new places. He was fond of quoting CC Lynam’s The Log of the Blue Dragon which summed up his approach to uncharted places:

‘This narrow strait (the Sailing Directions said) is full of rocks, and difficult to enter; whirlpools are common here at every tide: there are uncharted reefs on every side and currents (twenty knots) along the centre.’

‘Come’ said the skipper, ‘we will go in there’. We went in there.

Martin was an explorer. His love of maps and mapping, and of the sea and sailing, supported his lifetime contribution to navigation for yachtsmen.

His boating days began when he built a sailing canoe and paddled home across England from boarding school via canals and rivers. He moved to Scotland to study architecture at Edinburgh where he met Jean, and they spent their honeymoon on the West Coast of Scotland, in autumn, on an unconverted Dragon He sold his beloved Riley car to buy his first yacht, Mickery. Stalker, a T31, followed, then Erraid, Thomasina, a Bowman yawl with lifting keel, and finally Waterman, a Hallberg-Rassy.

As Honorary Editor of the Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions, he revolutionised the format by combining traditional anchorage plans with aerial photography and hand drawn transits, many of which were new and some taken from old Victorian Admiralty charts. Eventually he retired from architecture and focused full time on his Yachtsmen’s Pilots with publishers Imray.

As Dr John Macleod of Lochmaddy said in his introduction the Western Isles Pilot, ‘Martin has put his architectural, observational and draughtsmanship skills to fine use in producing a whole series of sailing directions’.

In 1991 we crossed the North Sea following in the footsteps of Arthur Ransome to the Baltic, as well as fjords and coasts in north-west Europe. Thomasina spent the next five happy years there; she was the first western yacht into ports in the newly independent Baltic States. There our parents along with friends and family explored every creek, anchorage and port with the same enthusiasm that they did in Scotland.

Martin did what he loved, not through ambition but through enthusiasm, some would say obsession. So it gave him enormous pleasure and pride to have his work recognised. Election to membership of the Royal Cruising Club in 1980 and to Fellowship of the Royal Institute of Navigation in 1999, and the award of the RCC Medal for Service to Cruising in 2013, were significant to him. Possibly the case of wine from a grateful Hydrographic Department of the Admiralty, for services rendered in discovering new rocks, was his greatest pride.

Drawing of Caladh by Martin Lawrence

He thrived on club membership and was an enthusiastic member of the CCC and later the RCC (as was his grandfather Ted Elliot). In his later years he (and Jean) threw much energy into the role of Secretary of the Royal Institute of Navigation. When he could no longer sail, it was difficult to get him to leave a RIN meeting – he would be the last man standing in an erudite conversation.

Anna and Harriet Lawrence

Other Members

John Anderson

Honorary member

Allan Angus

Ordinary member

Scott Lindsay

Ordinary member

An

appreciation

by Edward Mason,

current

Editor

of the CCC Sailing Directions

Although it is almost forty years since Martin ceased being Editor of the CCC Sailing Directions, his legacy is still very much with us in the form of his substantial contribution to our current publications, following the generous transfer of his copyrights to the Club. Anyone who has crept cautiously into Plod Sgeirean, pilot book in hand, has cause to thank him, as the exploration of the Ardmore Islands was the one of the first of Martin’s many ‘discoveries’.

As a self-confessed ‘rock dodger’, Martin could not resist a challenge and, as his daughters have described, his enthusiasm took him into many places where few yachts had been before. As readers, we learn only of the ones that he decided to include in his books; his long-suffering family crew were witness to the others.

Occasionally he allowed his enthusiasm to get the better of him and when we were merging his Western Isles Pilot with the CCC Outer Hebrides it did not seem wise, in these litigious times, to include Martin’s account of the Gunwale or Rangas Channel in the Sound of Harris, which he described as being ‘best for boats without any underwater appendages’ and concluded by saying ‘I would make this passage for the first time in a rubber dinghy’.

Fortunately Martin understood and the resulting book is, we hope, none the worse for this omission whilst still including a few of his more challenging anchorages to keep adventurous sailors on their toes. During the course of the merger we became thoroughly acquainted with every word and facet of Martin’s four West Coast books: a process that served to increase our admiration for the magnitude of the task that he had set himself and the masterly manner in which it was achieved.

Edward Mason

Patricia Low

Ordinary member

Grace Mill

Ordinary member

David Mollinson

Honorary member

Drew Ritchie

Ordinary member

Derrick Robinson

Ordinary member

Ronnie Scott

Ordinary member

Trophies, prizes and awards 2022

Trophies, prizes and awards 2022

Biscuit Barrel Closing Muster Class 2 IRC

Bute Challenge Trophy Bute Race Saturday - Class 2 CYCA

Bute Team Trophy Bute Race Weekend - Best Overall Performance CYCA LcT

Coats Challenge Cup Best cruise of the season unrestricted to duration

Coruisk Plate Best image in photographic competition

Donald McNamara Trophy Unrestricted cruise of merit but no credit to distance under power

Glencairn Trophy Special

Glenlee Decanter Special

Alan Macleod Samurai J

Boyd Tunnock Lemerac

Boyd Tunnock Lemerac

Peter Dunlop Greenheart

Roddy Angus

Ken Andrew

Peter Edmond

Clive Reeves

ICC Decanter Special Howard Morrison

Joe Deane Cup Tobermory 1 Class 2 CYCA

Murray Blair Challenge Trophy Best cruise by a smaller yacht

Ogg Challenge Cup Cruise of merit under 21 days

Ormidale Trophy Inshore Championship Class 2 CYCA

Strang Silver Tankard Inshore Championship Class 1 IRC

Sunflower Salver Awarded by Commodore

Swedish Lady Trophy Opening Muster Overall Winner CYCA LcT

Tarbert Challenge Trophy Tarbert Race Class 1 IRC

Tobermory Bell Tobermory Overall - Overall

Tobermory Tuesday Trophy Tobermory Overall Class 2 CYCA LcT

Todrick Commodore’s Cup Special

Tomatin Trophy Inshore Championship Best Overall CYCA LcT

Tringa Trophy Closing Muster Class 1 IRC

Wright Trophy Closing Muster Class 3

Iain Cameron Honeybee

Julian and Alison Cable Robinetta

Peter McAlister Seol na Mara

Boyd Tunnock Lemerac

Iain & Graham Thomson Sloop John T

Ian Macdonald

Clive Reeves

Iain Thomson Sloop John T

Iain Cameron Honeybee

Iain Cameron Honeybee

Rory McKinna

Boyd Tunnock Lemerac

Graham Thomson Sloop John T

Reay Mackay Diatas Air

Coruisk Plate – overall and category winners

Tayvallich Sunset – Winner Overall, Roddy Angus

CCC Closing Muster fleet – Sailing, Clive Reeves

A misty Cape Wrath – Dramatic, Peter McAlister

Ship’s cats on watch – Nature, Bronwen Angus

Coruisk Plate – overall and category winners

Bardowie at its best – Dinghy Section, Clive Reeves

Back from the pub at Falmouth – Atmospheric, Graham Boyd

Bequia’s paddle wheel – Humerous, Geoff Crowley

Racing, cruising, musters and Dinghy Section events 2023

Dates to remember 2023

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Reference

Members’ yachts

AAce of Rhu Moody 422

Sail No: 1893C

William Faerestrand

Alaskan Star 49’ Alaskan T.S.D.M.Y.

George Horspool

Alligin Moody 336

Sail No: 1744C

Tom Watson

Alpinista Jeanneau Sunfast 37

Sail No: 7735T

Angus Lawrence

Amelie Merlin Rocket

Sail No: 3416

Martin Nichol

Amica Malo 36

Edward & Jane Warren

Animal Beneteau First 36.7

Sail No: GBR3627L

Kevin Aitken

BBanshee Corby 33

Sail No: GBR9470

Charles Frize

Bascule Hallberg-Rassy 342

Sail No: GBR4581L

John Robertson

Baywatch Sailart 19

Sail No: FRA 7

Jean-Pierre Cave

Berengaria III Nimbus 380

John Kelly

CCaesium Beneteau First 31.7

Sail No: IRL1649

Myles Lindsay

Callipygous Flying 15 Classic (1-2700)

Jilly & William Wilson

Calloo Moody S31

Sail No: GBR2571C

Alan Simpson

Calm Down Hunter Horizon 232

Sail No: 9199C

Alistair Mackay

Calypso Holman & Pye

Timothy Trafford

Candubhlah Elan 37

Sail No: GBR1307L

Wallace Cuthbertson

Cantare in C Hallberg-Rassy 44

Douglas Lang

Anna Mae Contest 41

Sail No: 4117C

Stewart & Dorothy Ritchie

Antonelly Hallberg-Rassy 426

Sail No: HR198

Dick & Kate Philbrick

Ardea of Down Moody 38CC

Sail No: GBR4483L

James Heron

Argento Jeanneau Sunshine 38

Sail No: 5151C

Ken Andrew

Arran Comrades Freedom Ketch

Sail No: 3534C

Mike Johnston

Artemis Jeanneau Sunfast 37

Sail No: GBR8411R

Ian Macdonald

Artemis Aquastar 38

Iain Crosbie

Blue Damsel Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45DS

Boyd Holmes

Blue Jay J109

Sail No: GBR2068R

John Stanley-Whyte

Blue Panther RIB

Jonathan Bradbeer

Capercaillie of Clyde Nicholson 48

Joan Clow

Caribou Moody 42

Sail No: 421C

Peter Fleming-Brown

Carragheen Westerly Griffon Mk 1

Michael McKee

Cavatine Nicholson 32

Sail No: GBR1806Y

David Moss

Celtic Spirit X-332

Sail No: GBR6917T

Brian Robertson

Ceol na Mare Solo

Sail No: 5759

Derek McLean

Charm Gaff Yawl

Robert Hill

Atalaya Nauticat 40

Sail No: 4071C

Gordon Paterson

Ataraxia Dufour 40

Sail No: 2532C

Stephen & Susan Pickles

Athene’s Owl Ohlson 35

Sail No: 1991C

Sheila Simpson

Aurora III Sigma 35

Sail No: 1823C

Oliver Ludlow

Autumn Child Atlantic Clipper

Sail No: AC1

John Parke-Voelske

Bounce Back Etchells 22

Sail No: GBR1227

Stephen Rarity

Boxcar X4.0

Sail No: GBR34R

Murray Findlay

Bramble Rustler 42

Sail No: GBR2642R

Stephen & Jo Quaile

Byzanze Beneteau Oceanis 311

Sail No: GBR6762T

Malcolm Boddie

Chorus Feeling 1350

Sail No: GBR9156T

Martin Murphy

Cider with Rosie Arcona 430

Sail No: GBR653R

Fraser Gray

Cilaos Moody S31

Sail No: GBR2557C

Derek McLean

Cirrus Moth Fisher 30 NE

Malcolm MacArthur

Clann Moody 31

Sail No: 2241C

Neil Crawford

Clar Innis Westerly Oceanranger

Sail No: 1932C

Ian Buchanan

Clockwork Beneteau First 40

Sail No: 2508C

Peter Foulds

Close Encounters Sigma 33 OOD

Sail No: 8858C

Griogair & Kirsty Whyte

Coigach McGruer Yawl

Sail No: 129C

David & Tatyana Denholm

Coire Uisge Warrior 40

Sail No: 2208C

Norman Kean

DDelfino Freeman/Atrill

Charles Hunter-Pease

Delinquent Dehler 34 JV

Sail No: 8569T

Alan Moore

Delta Blue Elan 333

Sail No: GBR7984T

Wallace & Nuala Cuthbertson

EEager Beaver Sadler 32

Sail No: 2178C

William Logie

Eilidh Nimbus 335 Coupe

Iain Laidlaw

El Fie Etchells 22

Sail No: SUI3

David Macnab

El Gran Senor J122E

Sail No: GBR4822R

Jonathan Anderson

FFar Cry Vancouver 34P

David McMillan

Fidra

Keith Norman

Vancouver 34

Contender Rival 32

Sail No: 2114Y

Geoff Crowley

Cool Bandit 2 Moody 336

Sail No: 2914C

Craig Anderson

Cracker Elan 45

Sail No: 4550C

Atholl Fitzgerald

Cristal of Clyde Beneteau 393

Sail No: 3930C

Calum Morman

Curlew Cromarty 36

Norman Smith

GGambling Gambling

Sail No: K3379

Iain MacPherson

Gem of Clyde Jeanneau 44DS

Sail No: GBR4426L

Ian McConnell

Glenafton Bon Ketch

Sail No: 795C

Brian Young

Golden Fox Beneteau First 47.7

Sail No: GBR4770R

Angus Cartwright

Deuphoria Dufour 35

Sail No: GBR3260

Georgina Craig

Deya Gibsea 43

Sail No: 4301C

Charles Batchelor

Diatas Air Dehler 36 db

Sail No: 3311T

Reay Mackay

Ellipsus Hanse 415

Sail No: 4150C

Duncan Hall

Emell Sea Solo

Sail No: 5128

Stewart Carrie

Encore Sigma 33 OOD

Sail No: GBR1696C

Scott & Nichola Chalmers

Enigma Sigma 38 OOD

Sail No: GBR8272

Howard Morrison

First by Farr Beneteau First 45F5

Sail No: K9963

Ian McNair

Flyaway RIB

Duncan Cunningham

Grand Slam Grand Soleil 37

Sail No: GBR6969L

Phil Walter

Gravity Wave Seafarer 465

Giles Hammond

Green Hackle Sloop

Sail No: K316C

Ronald MacGrouther

Greenheart Dawn 39

Sail No: 3900C

Peter Dunlop

Dignity Laser 16

Sail No: 16269

Kenneth Sharp

Dragonfly Dehler 32

Sail No: GBR5860R

Bill & Seonaid Fowler

Dream Catcher Bavaria 40

Sail No: 2502C

Alastair & Dorothy Cameron

Eureka 4

Sail No: 2524C

Robin Ferguson

Sun Odyssey 379

Evolene Nauticat 42

Sail No: GBR9900T

David & Margaret Whitham

Fornautic Hallberg-Rassy 37

Sail No: R37

Steve Lunnon

Fraoch Dehler 34

Sail No: GBR9404T

Stuart MacDonald

Grey Nomad Rustler 36

Sail No: R112

Mark Anderson

Grouse International Sonar

Sail No: 432

Simon Pender

Members’ yachts

HHaggis Time Sigma 8M

Sail No: GBR9788R

Mark Homer

Hakuba Beneteau Oceanis 411

Charlie Craig

Harrier Bowman Classic Sadler 34

Sail No: GBR5759T

Graham Bisset

Hecate Voyager 40

Sail No: 2454C

Patrick Trust

IImagine of Carrick Moody 42

Roy Totten

Impulsive Beneteau Oceanis 34

Sail No: GBR2661L

Adrian Johnston

Insouciance Motor Yacht

George Ralston

JJanet MacArthur Jeanneau Sun Odyssey

36i

Walter Reid

Jigsaw Oyster 53

Sail No: 5301C

Ian Galbraith

KKaparda Oyster 42

Sail No: 2104C

Gavin Shanks

Karelia of Clyde Nauticat 44

Sail No: 4401C

Michael Low

Katya Bavaria 42 Cruiser

Sail No: GBR2570C

Stewart & Catherine Toy

Herbert John Liverpool Class ex RNLB

Alastair Bilsland

Highlander

Jamie Matheson

Dale Nelson

Holdfast 3 Beneteau 43

Ruaraidh MacLeod

Honeybee Moody 336

Sail No: 3336C

Iain Cameron

Hurricane Jack Dufour 34

Sail No: 3034C

Angus Spence

Hyskeir Moody 425

Sail No: 2425C

Malcolm MacGregor

LLa Mouette Arpege

Sail No: GBR1540

Gary McMorrin

Lady of Neath Sigma 362

Sail No: 4343

Brian & Jane Hignett

Intergalactic Ocean Pro 850

Stephen Bennie

Islander II Hunter Channel 31

Sail No: 5

Gordon Smith

Isobel Westerly Centaur 26

Sail No: CR1936

Charles Donoghue

Jings J109

Sail No: GBR8543R

Robin Young

Jonathan Star Starflash

Sail No: GBR7818R

Myles Lindsay

Kaya Victoria 34

Sail No: 1050C

Alastair & Fiona Fleming

Kelana McGruer Sloop

Sail No: 312 C

James Grant

Kelele Hallberg-Rassy 39

Sail No: 3940C

David Houston

Lanai Nicholson 32

Sail No: 1937Y

Ruth Jarrett

Lanikai Schucker Motorsailer

Harry & Malinda Keith

Issy of Etive Hallberg-Rassy 94

Sail No: GBR8336T

Maitland Murray

Juperoo J109

Jennifer Rolland

Just Nimbus Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35

Sail No: GBR2488C

Alexander Niven

Keltic Star Sigma 362

Hugh & Carolyn Normand

Kerlo Syersen

Sail No: 30C

Ian & Catherine Munro

Lark III Rustler 42

Scott Brown

Lass O’Ballochmyle Hustler 35

Sail No: 2306Y

Douglas Paterson

Late Edition Merry Fisher 695

Jeremy Thomson

Lemerac Moody 38

Sail No: 4040C

Boyd Tunnock KBE CBE

Lemminkainen Baltic 39

Sail No: NED537

Marc van Bemmel

Leumadair IV Elan 434

Sail No: 4434

Mark & Sandy Homer

Liaison Elan 333

Sail No: 6333C

Frank & Shona Shields

MMadog X-332

Sail No: GBR5301T

Neil Rosie

Magix X43

Sail No: GBR743R

Alastair Graham

Magnum MG335

Sail No: 3350C

Nicholas Owens

Magnum SJ35

Sail No: GBR424T

Gordon Paterson

Malindi Of Lorne McGruer Lorne Class

Sail No: 105C

Ian & Millicent Reid OBE

NNightsong Saare 41cc

Sail No: 7

Derek Lumb

Nimrod Dehler 34

Sail No: GBR5282T

Tam & Angela Anderson

Lingo J29

Sail No: GBR4380

Bill MacKay

Lioncel Ditchfield Ensign Design

Sail No: E12

Peter Laybourn

Lizandee Grand Banks

Drew & Bett Ritchie

Local Hero Jeanneau 57

Sail No: GBR1234N

Geoffrey Howison

Loch she She 31C Sparkman and Stephens

Sail No: 616C

Neil Gould

Members’ yachts

Luna Southerly 35RS

Sail No: GBR9115 T

Ron Robson

Lydia Hallberg-Rassy 31

Sail No: HR87

Joe Phelan

Lyrebird MAXI 1000

Sail No: 1302C

Clive & Flora Reeves

OOldest Smoker in Town Blaze

Sail No: 642

Mark Homer

Margaret Wroughton II Tristar Keelson Barge

Gavin McLaren

Marisca Contessa 32

Sail No: GBR9884T

Alastair Pugh

Maverick Hanse 505

Sail No: 60886

Steven Mcinnis

Maximoose Too Maxi 1300

Sail No: GBR9333C

Cameron Still

Mellow Yellow Laser 1

Sail No: 151062

Derek McLean

No Worries J109

Sail No: GBR9887T

Jim Dervin

Nona Sonar

Sail No: GBR272

John Readman

Opposition

Sail No: K3266

Jamie Matheson

S&S

Merliz Dufour 40

Sail No: SWE557

Malgorzata Felicka

Micky Finn IV Dufour 40

Sail No: 4050C

Michael & Freda Forbes

Millenium Cranchi Zafira 32

Graham Crawford

Misha Bavaria 38 H

Sail No: C2442

Martin Kerr

Miss T Beneteau Oceanis 411 Clipper

Sail No: 7411C

David Dale

More Misjif Jeanneau Sunfast 37

Sail No: GBR5030C

Roderick & Bronwen Angus

Northern Way Nauticat 40

Richard Davies

Northern Whistler II Hinckley 42

Sail No: GBR4640T

William & Grace Bergius

Otter

Bob Bradfield

Motor Yacht

PPaloma Contest 46

Sail No: 4646C

Clive & Elisabeth Scott

Pamina af Wermoa Monohull Cat A

Sail No: M114

Per Hjelm

Perpendicular Phenomenon Enterprise

Sail No: E19507

Stephen, Mhairi & Amy Auld

Phoenix Quarter Tonner

Sail No: GBR8700R

Andrew McVey

Pickle Rustler 36

Charles Warlow

Pilgrim V Nelson 38

Ian Gibson CBE

Members’ yachts

Pinnochio Dufour 44

Sail No: 4408C

Dinkie Fairley

Polka Moody 36

Sail No: 2707C

Stewart McAra

QQuaich II Dehler 41 CR

Sail No: GBR8026T

John & Marilyn McMeeking

RRacehorse Hunter 707

Sail No: 7032

David Sword

Rambler of Hoy Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 41 DS

Allan Eunson

Raspberry Pop Solo

Sail No: 4856

Robert Signer

SSagan Nicholson 32

Sail No: K2203

Robert Hill

Salamander XXII Moody 336

Sail No: 3361C

Stephen Corson

Salamander XXIII J109

Sail No: GBR1508R

Stephen Corson

Samurai J J92

Sail No: GBR9292C

Andrew Knowles

Sanna Bavaria 32

Alan McBride

Sapphire Beneteau First 40.7

Sail No: GBR7999N

Euan Morrison

Sapwood Eastport Pram

Peter Dunlop

Saraband Hunter Sonata

Sail No: GBR8314N

Mark Taylor

Sarabanda Avance 36

Sail No: GBR40T

Andrew Whitfield

Saraphina Grand Soleil

John Laverty

Prodigal GK34

Sail No: GBR3771

Keith Orr

Ptarmigan Arcona 400

Sail No: GBR4232L

Graham Smart

Quest III Beneteau 42s7

Gerry Hughes

Reckless Flying 15 Classic (1-2700)

Sail No: 3231

George & Dorothy McGruer

Reindeer Swan 43

Sail No: 4300C

Jack & Maureen Meredith

Rib Tony RIB

Tony Peters

Rockhopper Seabird

Sail No: 105

John Withinshaw

Savage Hustler 36

Sail No: GBR4282

Michael & Karin Hawkins

Sea Reiver Elan 40

Sail No: 4049C

Peter Edmond

Sea-Quin Fantasi 44PH

Sail No: 8844C

Martin Broadbent

Seascape of Down Westerly Conway

Sail No: 255

Peter Ronaldson

Seewolf II Moody 44

Sail No: K2346

David & Helen Holden

Seillean Honeybee

Sail No: 131C

Roderick Mackenzie

Senang Naiad 373

Gordon Miller

Seol na Mara Fastnet 34

Sail No: 1142C

Iain MacLeod

Seol-Mara Rustler 36

Sail No: GBR7263T

Alistair & Carol Bell

Seonaidh Solo

Sail No: 5221

Ali Gordon

Puffinn Finngulf 33

Sail No: GBR9927T

Euan & Susan Morrison.

PWK06 Fairey Spearfish

Jonathan Black

Rory Mor Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409

Sail No: GBR3780L

Ralph MacLeod

Rovicus of Rhu Westerly Ocean 33

Sail No: GBR6891T

John McCowan

Ruby Hanse 345

Colin & Margaret Smith

Seriema Halmatic 30

Sail No: 2595C

Murray Caldwell

Shagigigololeone Solo

Sail No: 4790

Alastair Wyper

Shenavall Finngulf 41

Sail No: 2242C

Douglas Gray

Shevaig Westerly Seahawk

Sail No: 2189C

Thomas Hendry

Shibumi Mystery 35

Sail No: M35 011

Colin Burnet

Shikari Hardy 24 Fast Fisher

Charles Frize

Shine Optimist

Sail No: 5645

Jason McKenzie

Sigmagic Sigma 400

Sail No: GBR1401

Stuart Dalrymple

Sigmatic Sigma 33 OOD

Sail No: GBR4270

Donald McLaren

Silver Lynx Colvic Countess 33

Sail No: 2233C

John Cooper

Silverwind Moody Carbineer

Sail No: 1954C

Steven McClure

Sirius of Carron Starlight 35 MKII

Sail No: GBR7589T

John & Janet Trythall

Sirona Hallberg-Rassy

Sail No: 2444C

Stephen Short

Skerryvore of Findhorn Beneteau Sense

46

Sail No: 4664C

Ewan Buchanan

Skirmish Beneteau First 24

Jilly Wilson

Skye Blue Skye 51

Sail No: 5115R

Stephen & Malene Owen

Sloop John T Swan 40 (96)

Sail No: GBR9740R

Iain Thomson

Smile Swan 41

Sail No: GBR4641

Ian Abernethy

Snap Snapper 25

Sail No: 1711C

Peter Whipp

Snow Bear Hallberg-Rassy 40

Sail No: 9025T

Stephen Bradley

Snowbird of Rhu Bowman 40

Sail No: 1895C

Graham Boyd

TTaeping Clipper 60

Sail No: GBR61L

Glenn Porter

Talisker Moody 40

Sail No: 1355C

Nick Wright

Tallulah Beneteau Oceanis 411

Sail No: GBR7739T

Brian Stirling

Tangaroa Pronavia 38

Sail No: GBR1121L

Des & Elizabeth Balmforth

Tao 5 HR Cutter

Sail No: HR57 9719

Helmut Heine

Tara of Moyle Fjord 33 MS

Sail No: GBR3016L

Oliver Lynas

Taransay of Ardfern Fisher 37 Ketch

Suzie Dixon

Solus Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36.2

Sail No: GBR7737T

Ronnie & Anne Forrest

Sonas Beneteau 58

Malcolm McPherson

Sonas of Clyde Dehler 41 DS

James & Katy Findlay

Sorr of Appin Westerly Storm

Sail No: 5062C

Brian Wiseman

Spindrift X-382

Sail No: 5875C

Elliot Witherow

Spirit of Callisto Spirit Gaff Yawl

Richard & Linda Hearn

Spirit of Jacana J133

Sail No: IRL1335

Bruce Douglas

Spirit of May Dufour 40

Sail No: GBR8869T

Alastair Torbet

Splash Scanmar 40

Niall Campbell

St Bridget Maxi 1000

Sail No: 9753

Ian Nicolson

Starsweeper Moody 346

Sail No: 3406C

John Douglas

State O’Chassis Nicholson 345

Sail No: IR543

David Henniker-Major

Tarskavaig Hanse 400

Sail No: 2531C

Andrew Thomson

Tethys of Lorn Vancouver 28

Martin Montgomery

Texa Maxi 1300

Sail No: 4237C

John Watson

Tiffany Aching Achilles 24

Sail No: 247

Miriam Sutter

Tippy RS 700

Sail No: 793

Nicolas Gallardo

Topspot Too Arcona 430

Sail No: GBR2900T

Colin & Katharine Crosby

Torridon Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32i

Sail No: 290C

Angus & Mary Scott

Stellaria Sigma 33 OOD

Sail No: K4599

Robert Gray

Still Thinking Solo

Sail No: 4766

David Whyte

Stormbird Hallberg-Rassy 62

Murdoch McKillop

Strarlight of Appin Westerly Merlin

Sail No: 1605C

Alastair & Emma Taylor

Strathearn Motor Yacht

Alastair Dunn

Stroma Regina 35

Sail No: R10

Thorold Mackie

Subar MacGregor

Jason McKenzie

Sulaire Oban Skiff

Robert Hill

Sunrise Sigma 400

Sail No: GBR4754T

Scott & Nichola Chalmers

Sylvester X-412

Sail No: GBR9200

Cameron & Margaret Rennie

Synergie Dufour 40

Sail No: GBR5115C

Chris & Anne Morrison

Toucan V XC45

Sail No: 4505C

Anthony Greener

Tramontana Trapper 500

Giles Hammond

Trininga Atlantic 40 Ketch

Sail No: 6708

Jim Brown

Tulla Mhor Arcona 430

Sail No: 2541C

Dugald & Valerie Glen

Twedlightly Contessa 26

Sail No: Co193

Martin Mackenzie

Twiglett Cornish Cutter 22

Sail No: 19

Chris Ellen

Twinkle Drascombe Lugger

Lesley Glen

Members’ yachts

Ultimate Moody Carbineer Sail No: 4044C

Charles Frize

VVaila II of Ashton Sun Legende Sail No: GBR5595C

Peter Fleming

Valhalla of Ashton Swan 36 Sail No: GBR2496

Alan Dunnet

WWavelength Seamaster 815 Sail No: 3368C

Carolyn Elder

Wee Aussie Topper

Sail No: 45189

Rohan O’Kane

Wee Birlinn Ness Yawl Sail No: R141

Jim Black

Welsh Witch MacWester Wight Mk2

Ketch

Up in Smoke Blaze Sail No: 622

Mark Homer

Vamp II Elan 37 Sail No: GBR1405R

John & Rosie Mill

Viking Moody 38

Richard Fresson

Westbound Adventurer Sigma 33C Sail No: 9856Y

Paul McNeill

Whimbrell Wayfarer Sail No: 4621

Andrew Marshall

White Ketos Contessa 32 Sail No: 2616C

Clive Ferris

Wild Swan Swan 441 Sail No: 1245K

Ursa Major Southerly 110 Sail No: 5110C

Will & Margaret Rudd

Wind of Lorne II Saltram 36

Sail No: 16C

Geoffrey Alcorn

Windhover Arcona 430

Sail No: GBR2879L

Alastair Mill

Wot Not Beneteau Oceanis 411 Celebration

Sail No: 4119C

Clarke Perry

Wounded Rhino 4000

Sail No: CAY4000

Charles Stirling

Craig Downie

David Carmichael X Y Z

Zaleda 7 metre CR

Sail No: 7CR K2

Bill Hogg

Zara Nauticat 385

Sail No: 8411C

Ronald Wilson

Zemfira Moody 30

Sail No: 86

Karen Morgan

Zephirine Moody Eclipse 43

Alan Armstrong

Zubenubi Starlight 39

Sail No: 4701C

Barrie Waugh

Sail number Boat name Boat design

1893C Ace of Rhu Moody 422

1744C Alligin Moody 336

7735T Alpinista Jeanneau Sunfast 37

3416 Amelie Merlin Rocket

GBR3627L Animal Beneteau First 36.7

4117C Anna Mae Contest 41

HR198 Antonelly Hallberg-Rassy 426

GBR4483L Ardea of Down Moody 38CC

5151C Argento Jeanneau Sunshine 38

3534C Arran Comrades Freedom Ketch

GBR8411R Artemis Jeanneau Sunfast 37

4071C Atalaya Nauticat 40

2532C Ataraxia Dufour 40

1991C Athene’s Owl Ohlson 35

1823C Aurora III Sigma 35

AC1 Autumn Child Atlantic Clipper

GBR9470 Banshee Corby 33

GBR4581L Bascule Hallberg-Rassy 342

FRA 7 Baywatch Sailart 19

GBR2068R Blue Jay J109

GBR1227 Bounce Back Etchells 22

GBR34R Boxcar X4.0

GBR2642R Bramble Rustler 42

GBR6762T Byzanze Beneteau Oceanis 311

IRL1649 Caesium Beneteau First 31.7

GBR2571C Calloo Moody S31

9199C Calm Down Hunter Horizon 232

GBR1307L Candubhlah Elan 37

421C Caribou Moody 42

GBR1806Y Cavatine Nicholson 32

GBR6917T Celtic Spirit X-332

5759 Ceol na Mare Solo

GBR9156T Chorus Feeling 1350

GBR653R Cider with Rosie Arcona 430

GBR2557C Cilaos Moody S31

2241C Clann Moody 31

1932C Clar Innis Westerly Oceanranger

2508C Clockwork Beneteau First 40

8858C Close Encounters Sigma 33 OOD

129C Coigach McGruer Yawl

2208C Coire Uisge Warrior 40

2114Y Contender Rival 32

2914C Cool Bandit 2 Moody 336

4550C Cracker Elan 45

Members’ yachts by boat name

Sail number Boat name Boat design

3930C Cristal of Clyde Beneteau 393

8569T Delinquent Dehler 34 JV

GBR7984T Delta Blue Elan 333

GBR3260 Deuphoria Dufour 35

4301C Deya Gibsea 43

3311T Diatas Air Dehler 36 db

16269 Dignity Laser 16

GBR5860R Dragonfly Dehler 32

2502C Dream Catcher Bavaria 40

2178C Eager Beaver Sadler 32

SUI3 El Fie Etchells 22

GBR4822R El Gran Senor J122E

4150C Ellipsus Hanse 415

5128 Emell Sea Solo

GBR1696C Encore Sigma 33 OOD

GBR8272 Enigma Sigma 38 OOD

2524C Eureka 4 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379

GBR9900T Evolene Nauticat 42

K9963 First by Farr Beneteau First 45F5

R37 Fornautic Hallberg-Rassy 37

GBR9404T Fraoch Dehler 34

K3379 Gambling Gambling

GBR4426L Gem of Clyde Jeanneau 44DS

795C Glenafton Bon Ketch

GBR4770R Golden Fox Beneteau First 47.7

GBR6969L Grand Slam Grand Soleil 37

K316C Green Hackle Sloop

3900C Greenheart Dawn 39

R112 Grey Nomad Rustler 36 432 Grouse International Sonar

GBR9788R Haggis Time Sigma 8M

GBR5759T Harrier Bowman Classic Sadler 34

2454C Hecate Voyager 40

3336C Honeybee Moody 336

3034C Hurricane Jack Dufour 34

2425C Hyskeir Moody 425

GBR2661L Impulsive Beneteau Oceanis 34

5 Islander II Hunter Channel 31

CR1936 Isobel Westerly Centaur 26

GBR8336T Issy of Etive Hallberg-Rassy 94

5301C Jigsaw Oyster 53

GBR8543R Jings J109

GBR7818R Jonathan Star Starflash

Members’ yachts by boat name

Sail number Boat name Boat design

GBR2488C Just Nimbus Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35

2104C Kaparda Oyster 42

4401C Karelia of Clyde Nauticat 44

GBR2570C Katya Bavaria 42 Cruiser

1050C Kaya Victoria 34

312 C Kelana McGruer Sloop

3940C Kelele Hallberg-Rassy 39

30C Kerlo Syersen

GBR1540 La Mouette Arpege

4343 Lady of Neath Sigma 362

1937Y Lanai Nicholson 32

2306Y Lass O’Ballochmyle Hustler 35

4040C Lemerac Moody 38

NED537 Lemminkainen Baltic 39

4434 Leumadair IV Elan 434

6333C Liaison Elan 333

GBR4380 Lingo J29

E12 Lioncel Ditchfield Ensign Design

GBR1234N Local Hero Jeanneau 57

616C Loch she She 31C Sparkman and Stephens

GBR9115 T Luna Southerly 35RS

HR87 Lydia Hallberg-Rassy 31

1302C Lyrebird MAXI 1000

GBR5301T Madog X-332

GBR743R Magix X43

3350C Magnum MG335

GBR424T Magnum SJ35

105C Malindi Of Lorne McGruer Lorne Class

GBR9884T Marisca Contessa 32

60886 Maverick Hanse 505

GBR9333C Maximoose Too Maxi 1300

151062 Mellow Yellow Laser 1

SWE557 Merliz Dufour 40

4050C Micky Finn IV Dufour 40

C2442 Misha Bavaria 38 H

7411C Miss T Beneteau Oceanis 411 Clipper

GBR5030C More Misjif Jeanneau Sunfast 37

7 Nightsong Saare 41cc

GBR5282T Nimrod Dehler 34

GBR9887T No Worries J109

GBR272 Nona Sonar

GBR4640T Northern Whistler II Hinckley 42

Sail number Boat name Boat design

642 Oldest Smoker in Town Blaze

K3266 Opposition S&S

5637 Osprey of Falmouth Hallberg-Rassy

4646C Paloma Contest 46

M114 Pamina af Wermoa Monohull Cat A

E19507 Perpendicular Phenomenon Enterprise

GBR8700R Phoenix Quarter Tonner

4408C Pinnochio Dufour 44

2707C Polka Moody 36

GBR3771 Prodigal GK34

GBR4232L Ptarmigan Arcona 400

GBR9927T Puffinn Finngulf 33

GBR8026T Quaich II Dehler 41 CR

7032 Racehorse Hunter 707

GBR5097L Radical Rascal Jeanneau So409

4856 Raspberry Pop Solo

3231 Reckless Flying 15 Classic (12700)

4300C Reindeer Swan 43

105 Rockhopper Seabird

GBR3780L Rory Mor Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409

GBR6891T Rovicus of Rhu Westerly Ocean 33

K2203 Sagan Nicholson 32

3361C Salamander XXII Moody 336

GBR1508R Salamander XXIII J109

GBR9292C Samurai J J92

GBR7999N Sapphire Beneteau First 40.7

GBR8314N Saraband Hunter Sonata

GBR40T Sarabanda Avance 36

GBR4282 Savage Hustler 36

4049C Sea Reiver Elan 40

8844C Sea-Quin Fantasi 44PH

255 Seascape of Down Westerly Conway

K2346 Seewolf II Moody 44

131C Seillean Honeybee

1142C Seol na Mara Fastnet 34

GBR7263T Seol-Mara Rustler 36

5221 Seonaidh Solo

2595C Seriema Halmatic 30

4790 Shagigigololeone Solo

2242C Shenavall Finngulf 41

2189C Shevaig Westerly Seahawk

M35 011 Shibumi Mystery 35

Sail number Boat name Boat design

5645 Shine Optimist

GBR1401 Sigmagic Sigma 400

GBR4270 Sigmatic Sigma 33 OOD

2233C Silver Lynx Colvic Countess 33

1954C Silverwind Moody Carbineer

GBR106 Single Fish Beneteau Oceanis 36

GBR7589T Sirius of Carron Starlight 35 MKII

2444C Sirona Hallberg-Rassy

4664C Skerryvore of Findhorn Beneteau Sense 46

5115R Skye Blue Skye 51

GBR9740R Sloop John T Swan 40 (96)

GBR4641 Smile Swan 41 1711C Snap Snapper 25

9025T Snow Bear Hallberg-Rassy 40

1895C Snowbird of Rhu Bowman 40

GBR7737T Solus Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36.2

5062C Sorr of Appin Westerly Storm

5875C Spindrift X-382

IRL1335 Spirit of Jacana J133

GBR8869T Spirit of May Dufour 40

9753 St Bridget Maxi 1000

3406C Starsweeper Moody 346

IR543 State O’Chassis Nicholson 345

K4599 Stellaria Sigma 33 OOD

4766 Still Thinking Solo

1605C Strarlight of Appin Westerly Merlin

R10 Stroma Regina 35

GBR4754T Sunrise Sigma 400

GBR9200 Sylvester X-412

GBR5115C Synergie Dufour 40

GBR61L Taeping Clipper 60

1355C Talisker Moody 40

GBR7739T Tallulah Beneteau Oceanis 411

GBR1121L Tangaroa Pronavia 38

HR57 9719 Tao 5 HR Cutter

GBR3016L Tara of Moyle Fjord 33 MS

2531C Tarskavaig Hanse 400

4237C Texa Maxi 1300

247 Tiffany Aching Achilles 24

793 Tippy RS 700

GBR2900T Topspot Too Arcona 430

290C Torridon Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32i

Members’ yachts by boat name

Sail number Boat name

Twedlightly Contessa 26

Twiglett Cornish Cutter 22

Vaila II of Ashton Sun Legende

815

Members’ yachts by boat name

Sail number Boat name Boat design

25062 Topper 48665 Topper

69727 Mirror Dinghy 105264 Laser

172752 Laser 193219 Laser 1 (Standard Rig)

207798 Laser

GBR6597T Freycinet Vancouver 38 Pilot

6601C Spirit First 35S5

6708 Trininga Atlantic 40 Ketch

GBR 6762T Byzance Oceanis 311

GBR6790 Jus Do It 5 X55

IRL6891 Rovicus III Westerly Ocean 33

GBR6917T Celtic Spirit X-332

GBR6969L Grand Slam Grand Soleil 37

GBR7263T Seol-Mara Rustler 36

7411C Miss T Oceanis 411 Clipper

GBR7478R Requiem Arcona 430

7610C Sirius Of Lorne Catalina 36

7735T Alpinista Sunfast 37

GBR7737R Aurora Corby 37

GBR7737T Solus Sun Odyssey 36.2

GBR7739T Tallulah Oceanis 411

GBR7745R Eala Of Rhu Swan 45

GBR7818R Jonathan Star Starflash

GBR7984T Delta Blue Elan 333

GBR8011N Old School Hunter Sonata OD

8080C Scanne Fantasi 44

K8184Y Dipper Sunshine 38

GBR8262 Juniper Groove Dehler 34

GBR8272 Enigma Sigma 38

GBR8314N Saraband Hunter Sonata

GBR8411R Zara Of Doon Sunfast 37

GBR8543R Jings J109

GBR8569T Delinquent Dehler 34

GBR8700R Phoenix Quarter Tonner

GBR8776Y Revolver Gibsea 92

8844C Sea-Quin Fantasi 44

8858C Close Encounters Sigma 33 Ood

GBR8869T Spirit Of May Dufour 40

GBR9044T Polaris Dehler 36

GBR9200 Sylvester X 412

GBR9292C Samurai J J92

GBR9333C Maximoose Too Maxi 1300

Sail number Boat name Boat design

9334C Lorca J J44

GBR9369R Bateleur 97 BH36

GBR9392T Still Waters Stuart 26

GBR9404T Fraoch Dehler 34

9511C Tan Trum X412

9602Y Windthrift She 36

GBR9638T Just Cos Sun Odyssey 40.3

GBR9720T El-Torro Elan Impression 434

GBR9740R Sloop John ‘T’ Swan 40 (96)

GBR9753R St Bridget Maxi 1000

9757T Talwyn Rustler 36

GBR 9799C Ruah Sun Odyssey 469

9856Y Westbound Adventurer Sigma 33c

GBR9884T Marisca Contessa 32

GBR9891Y Patriark Sadler 34

9900C Animula Titan 36

GBR9900T Evolene Nauticat 42

GBR9927T Puffinn Finngulf 33

K9963 First By Farr First 45f5

16269 Dignity Laser 16

19068 Mirror

19377 Lanai Nicholson 32

E19507 Perpendicular Phenomenon Enterprise

M35 011 Shibumi Mystery 35

FRA37296 Triple Elf Beneteau First 35

N373-75 Pelagia Najad 373

FRA43884 Puffin Sailart 19

172752 Laser

Times of High Water Dover

The tidal information for Dover is reproduced with the permission of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Crown copyright reserved. THESE TIMES ARE UT (GMT), FOR BST ADD ONE HOUR BETWEEN 26 MARCH AND 29 OCTOBER 2023

TO BE ADDED TO OR SUBTRACTED FROM THE TIMES OF HW DOVER. The constants given in this table are MEAN and can vary according to state of the tide by as much as 45 minutes either way and up to 60 minutes in abnormal weather conditions.

WEST OF SCOTLAND

Average rise of Spring Tides is 4 to 5 m (approx. 12 to 15 ft.) on the coasts west and northwest of the Sound of Jura. In the Sound of Jura, due to the effects of the fast flowing tidal streams in the North Channel, the tidal range is limited to 1.5 to 2 m (approx. 4 to 6 ft.) and the times of HW are more complex to predict.

FIRTH OF CLYDE

In the Firth of Clyde the average spring rise is 3 to 3.5m (approx. 9 to 11 ft.), neaps about 2 m (approx. 6 ft.)

Times of High Water Greenock

The tidal information for Dover is reproduced with the permission of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown copyright reserved. THESE TIMES ARE UT (GMT), FOR BST ADD ONE HOUR BETWEEN 26 MARCH AND 29 OCTOBER 2023

Times of High Water Oban

The tidal information for Dover is reproduced with the permission of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Crown copyright reserved. THESE TIMES ARE UT (GMT), FOR BST ADD ONE HOUR BETWEEN 26 MARCH AND 29 OCTOBER 2023

Times of High Water (HW) for each day of the year

(G

HM COASTGUARD BROADCAST TIMES AND FREQUENCIES FOR MARITIME INFORMATION BROADCASTS

The following times and frequencies came into effect on the 1st February 2007 with working channel frequencies changes in September 2017.

Schedule A Full Maritime Safety Information broadcast, including new Inshore Forecast and Outlook, Gale Warnings, Shipping Forecast, WZ Navigation Warnings, SUBFACTS & GUNFACTS where appropriate, 3 Day Fisherman's Forecast when and where appropriate.

Schedule B New Inshore Forecast plus previous Outlook, Gale Warnings.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency Safety information leaflet June 2018 can be accessed via www.gov.uk/government/publications/maritime-safety-information-leaflet

Use the spaces below to record your own information

Belfast 002320021

Stornoway 002320024

Shetland 002320001

Aberdeen 002320004

SHETLAND

Aerials & Frequencies

Saxaford, Fitful Head –62, Lerwick 63, Collafirth Wideford – 64

MF Collafirth – 2226 kHz

Inshore Forecast /WZ

Shetland and Cape Wrath to Rattray Head

Shipping / GW Areas Faeroes, Fair Isle, Viking, Cromarty

Additional 3 Day Fisherman’s Forecast (October – March)

ABERDEEN & FORTH

Aerials & Frequencies

Durness, Windy Head, Inverbervie, Craigkelly – 62, Noss Head, Fifeness – 63, Rosemarkie, Gregness, St Abbs – 64

MF Gregness – 2226 kHz

Inshore Forecast / WZ Cape Wrath to Rattray Head and Rattray Head to Berwick

Shipping / GW Areas Fair Isle, Cromarty, Forth, Forties, Tyne

Additional 3 Day Fisherman’s Forecast (October – March) – SUBFACTS & GUNFACTS as required

COG Belfast Information

MMSI 002320021 Telephone: 02891 463933

weather information times and content. (local times)

Gale Warnings – Irish Sea, Malin, Hebrides & Bailey

Shipping Forecasts – Irish Sea, Malin, Hebrides & Bailey

Inshore Forecasts – IOM, Lough Foyle to Carlingford Lough, Mull of Galloway to Mull of Kintyre, Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point.

Warnings – Areas 12, 13, 14 & 15

Operational Area Mull of Galloway to North end Of Jura including Firth of Clyde (55 08N) Northern Ireland, including Lough Erne & Lough Neagh.

COG Stornoway Information

Gale Warnings – Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Rockall & SE Iceland.

Any active Gale Warnings are also broadcast on MF at the normal 3 hourly broadcast times.

Shipping Forecasts – Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Rockall, Fair Isle, Faeroes & SE Iceland

Inshore Forecasts – Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point, Ardnamurcan Point to Cape Wrath including outer Hebrides and The Minch.

Navigation Warnings

BBC Radio 4 weather bulletins

Radio 4 now broadcasts weather bulletins on WEEKDAYS as follows:

00:48 LW only, 05:20 LW only, 12:01 LW only and 17:54 LW only

On WEEKENDS Radio 4 broadcasts weather bulletins on LW and FM as follows

00:48 LW and FM, 05:20 LW and FM, 12:01 LW only, and 17:54 LW and FM

Throughout the week the 00:48 and 05:20 broadcasts contain Gale Warnings, the Shipping Forecast, weather reports from coastal stations and the Inshore Waters Forecast. The 12:01 and 17:54 broadcasts contain only Gale Warnings and the Shipping Forecast.

Radio medical advice link calls (Medilink)

If the Master or Skipper of any vessel requires medical advice, they should contact the Coastguard on VHF channel 16 (156.8 MHz), VHF or MF DSC, requesting “Radio Medical Advice”. In an urgent situation, you should broadcast an Individual Urgency alert using VHF or MF DSC followed by a call VHF channel 16 or MF 2182 kHz, and Using the Standard Marine Communication Phrase ‘PAN PAN’.

The Coastguard will give priority to requests for Radio Medical Advice. A doctor from a hospital participating in the radio medical advice service will be contacted by telephone and will be linked to the vessel through the Coastguard via an appropriate VHF channel or MF frequency. While the call is being placed, the coastguard will establish additional information with the vessel relating to position, a description of the vessel, and if appropriate, brief details of the casualty. VHF Channels 62, 63 and 64 permit duplex working and will normally be used for these medi-link calls.

Requests for medical assistance

The master or skipper of a vessel requesting medical assistance or evacuation for an injured or sick person must seek Radio Medical Advice before HM Coastguard arranges any rescue. While the call is being placed, the Coastguard will seek to obtain some additional information and may put rescue resources on standby. In exceptional cases, the Coastguard may send a lifeboat or helicopter, but it is obliged to arrange a Radio Medical Advice call for the vessel in all cases.

Evacuation of a sick or injured person from a vessel

Taking into account the symptoms and implications of the patient’s condition, the doctor will determine a course of action. This could be to treat on board, proceed to nearest or next port, or to evacuate. The doctor and the Coastguard will discuss the need and priority, as well as the options, before agreeing a course of action. Medical evacuation cannot be arranged on the advice of a physician outside the Radio Medical Advice service. Therefore, all requests for medical assistance must be arranged through this service. Source: MSI leaflet of 17/6/2018 and MSI reduced service announcement as of 14/4/2022, as amended

General Regulations of races

Clyde Cruising Club is the Organising Authority

The notation “DP” in a rule in these regulations means that the penalty for a breach of that rule may, at athae discretion of the protest committee, be less than disqualification.

New adjustments to these regulations are indicated in red.

1. Rules

1.1 Races will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), the Prescriptions of the RYA, IRC Rules Parts A, B and C, World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations (OSR), CYCA Handicap System, all as modified by Sailing Instructions for specific events. This alters RRS 63.7.

2. Advertising

2.1 Yachts may be required to display advertising chosen and supplied by the Organising Authority. DP

2.2 Competitors automatically grant to the Organising Authority and their sponsors without payment, the right in perpetuity to make, use and show any photographs, motion pictures and live, taped or filmed television of, or relating to, the event.

3. Eligibility, entry and fees

3.1 Races are open to:

For the Inshore Championship races, yachts in the following classes:

Class 1 IRC ratings >= 1.000 and above and CYCA 0 < 12.00

Class 2 Class 2 IRC ratings <= 0.999, CYCA >= 12.00 and Two-handed yachts with no restrictions

Class 3 CYCA handicaps Restricted Sail Class: these yachts may set headsails but may not set a spinnaker, both as defined in RRS 50.4, minimum crew 2 persons. If a yacht intends to race restricted sail or be eligible for a Two-handed result, the Club office must be notified in writing or by email no less than 48 hours before the start.

In the case of a yacht’s IRC and CYCA ratings falling in different Classes, the CYCA rating shall determine the Class.

For other races including the Ladies and Juniors, yachts with CYCA handicaps.

3.2 Classes may be divided or combined at the discretion of the Race Committee.

3.3 Each yacht shall display on its backstay the numeral pennant of the class in which it is racing. This numeral pennant will be the class warning signal unless otherwise stated. DP

3.4 Entries should be made via the Club’s website but can be made using the entry form found later in the Yearbook; entry fees are detailed on both.

3.5 Yachts in IRC classes shall provide to the Club Office a copy of its IRC certificate before racing. DP

3.6 For races where the Individual Sailing Instructions so state, each competing yacht shall be helmed throughout by a member of the Clyde Cruising Club except for short periods for personal needs.

3.7 Yachts shall not race single handed.

4. Schedule

4.1 The events and races for the year are set out elsewhere in the Yearbook and the Club website.

4.2 The Inshore Championship shall comprise the following 5 races and approximate distances (NM):

Bute Race 35

Tobermory Race 1 25

Tobermory Race 2 38

Tarbert Race 27

Closing Muster 22

4.3 The Ailsa Craig Two-handed race will be approximately 57NM.

5. Minimum equipment and crew limits

5.1 Yachts shall not carry anchors over the bow stemhead fitting. DP

5.2 Yachts shall comply wiht OSR Appendix B; unless otherwise specified by class rules for yachts racing in one design classes, in Appendix B 5.01 the personal flotation device shall be an inflatable lifejacket defined in the starred sections of 5.01 of the main regulations, and carry a marine VHF transceiver complying with 3.29.05 of the main regulations.

5.3 The Club strongly recommends that yachts which can comply with OSR Cat 4 do so.

5.4 IRC 22.4.2 is deleted and replaced by “The maximum number of crew that may sail aboard a yacht shall be as detailed below. There is no weight limit, crew number limit or restrictions on crew changes”.

5.5 Crew is limited to 2 persons on board if the Individual Sailing Instructions apply GR5.5.

5.6 The Race Committee reserve the right to inspect any yacht to verify that the regulations have been complied with.

6. Course and marks

6.1 Marks shall be rounded in the order stated in the Individual Race Sailing Instructions. (P) indicates a mark to be rounded to Port, (S) indicates a mark to be rounded to Starboard.

6.2 Marks described as “Racing Marks” will normally be an inflatable or semi rigid buoy laid specifically for the purpose unless otherwise stated in the Individual Race Sailing Instructions.

6.3 In addition to “Racing Marks”, courses set out in Individual Race Sailing Instructions may use marks as described on the page entitled Course Marks.

7. Communications with competitors

7.1 At the Start the Race Committee will use VHF Channel 77.

7.2 Any fleet broadcasts during the race will be made on VHF Channel 77.

7.3 At the Finish the Race Committee will monitor VHF Channels 16 and 77.

7.4 Where the Committee Vessel cannot otherwise be identified the call sign of the Race committee will be “CRUISING ONE”.

7.5 Committee vessels may display a large flag with CCC thereon.

8. The start

8.1 The Start Line for each Race will be described in the Individual Race Sailing Instructions.

8.2 Rule 26 is altered to 10, 5, go with the class warning signal at 10 minutes before a class start signal. In a sequence of starts, the preparatory signal will be lowered at the start of the last class.

8.3 The normal starting sequence will not be interrupted by a general recall. The First Substitute will be lowered after 5 minutes. No additional sound signal will be given. This changes RRS 29.2.

8.4 The warning signal for the class which has had a general recall will normally be displayed again at the starting signal of the last class to start correctly. If the recalled class was the last start of the sequence, its warning signal will be displayed again 5 minutes after the recalled start. If more than one class is subject to a general recall, the warning signal for the second of these classes will be displayed at the preparatory signal of the first and so on. This changes RRS 29.2.

8.5 A yacht arriving late in the vicinity of the starting area and having broken Rule 42.1 (PROPULSION) by remaining under power or tow after her preparatory signal must, after stopping her engine or casting off her tow, complete the “TWO TURNS” penalty (RRS 44.2) on the prestart side of the starting line or its extensions. This penalty must be taken after the yacht’s starting signal is made. Such a yacht shall keep clear of all other yachts until she has completed her turns and has started. DP

8.6 A yacht starting later than 20 minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start without a hearing. This changes RRS A4 and A5.

9. Sailing during the hours of darkness

9.1 Between the hours of nautical sunset and sunrise, the rules contained in RRS Part 2 will cease to govern the Race which will be continued under the IRPCS.

10. The finish and declarations

10.1 The Finish Line for each Race will be described in the Individual Race Sailing Instructions.

10.2 Yachts finishing should identify themselves to the Officials particularly during the hours of darkness and ensure that the Officials have checked them in as having finished; they should also check and record their own time as they cross the finishing line, in case they may not have been seen by the Officials due to darkness, severe weather, or the line being unmanned; where possible, record the names of yachts which finish immediately ahead and astern.

10.3 Altering RRS 32, a Shorten Course at a mark of the course may be broadcast on VHF CH77 and boats should take their own times at such a mark for any subsequent Declaration.

10.4 Where individual Sailing Instructions so state, completed Declaration Forms as printed in this Yearbook shall be handed to the race officials after the race or the equivalent information sent electronically to racing@clyde.org. To allow the results to be calculated and posted on the website quickly, please also text your boat name and your finishing time to the Cruising Secretary

11. Time limits

11.1 Any time limits and extensions will be set out in the individual Race Sailing Instructions.

12. Protests and rule infringements

12.1 Protests shall be intimated to the Race Officials at the Finishing Line and shall be made on the proper form and delivered to the Race Officials at the Finish within 2 hours of the time the last yacht in the race finishes. A time and venue of any hearing will thereafter be advised.

12.2 Altering RRS 64 the penalty for a breadh of a rule may, at the discretion of the Protest Committee, be less than disqualification.

13. Scoring

13.1 If only one yacht in a class comes to the start area, there will be no race for that class and no points or trophies will be awarded for that class in that race. The yacht may however have its class combined with another class in that race and will be eligible for race prizes and (subject to 13.2) trophies in the combined class.

13.2 If two yachts in a class come to the start area, they will be eligible for race prizes and points in the championship class

they have entered, in accordance with RRS 90.3(a), but not for any trophies for that race.

13.3 A yacht which does not come to the starting area will score points equal to the number of starters plus 10. This alters RRS A9.

13.4 For the Inshore Championship, a yacht’s best 3 races will count for points. Ties will be broken in accordance with RRS Appendix A.

13.5 In the Inshore Championship, any yacht whose handicap is altered and thus moves to a different class after it has sailed in one or more Championship races shall continue to race and receive points in its original class but its revised handicap will apply.

13.6 Race officers on duty for an Inshore Championship race will receive points for that race equal to the average of their best 2 results in that Championship.

13.7 Yachts entering Classes 1 or 2 of the Inshore Championship will be scored under both IRC and CYCA, if eligible.

14. Prizes

14.1 Overall trophies for inshore and offshore races will be awarded to the yacht having the best corrected time on CYCA. Trophies and other prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the Race Committee.

15. Clydeport Operations Limited INSTRUCTIONS NARROW CHANNELS

15.1 Attention is drawn to the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea 1972 (IRPCS). Particular notice shall be taken of Rule 9b which states “a vessel of less than 20 metres in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel which can safely navigate only within a “Narrow Channel or Fairway”.

15.2 Whilst racing or on passage in the Firth of Clyde north of Cumbrae Head, yachts shall regard “Recommended Channels” marked as dotted lines on Hydrographic Office charts as a “Narrow Channel” within the meaning of the IRPCS 9b. Furthermore

Clydeport Operations Limited has decreed that any waters of the Firth of Clyde where vessels by virtue of size, draught, speed or proximity to land, hazards and other vessels are unable to manoeuvre freely must be regarded as a “Narrow Channel”.

15.3 Whilst racing, any yacht which is unable for reasons of lack of wind or other cause, to sail clear of a large power driven vessel shall start her engine and/or paddle in order to clear and thereafter shall report full details to the Race Committee.

15.4 Competitors are reminded of the Clydeport Operations Limited Byelaw which prohibits yachts and other craft from manoeuvring within 100 metres of any ferry terminal. Particular regard shall be paid to this when in the vicinity of the Caledonian MacBrayne and Western Ferries facilities at Dunoon, McInroy’s Point, Hunter’s Quay, Largs, Cumbrae, and Wemyss Bay.

15.5 Military vessels routinely transit the race area and can be accompanied by a security escort. Yachts and support boats should not shape a course to approach any military vessel or in any case pass closer than 200m to a warship or 400m to a surfaced submarine nor should high speed support shape a course, at speed, in the direction of a military vessel. The escorting security forces, if they consider any vessel is approaching a military vessel, will intercept and warn to keep clear. Yachts and support vessels should manoeuvre as requested.

16. Risk statement

16.1 Rule 4 of the Racing Rules of Sailing states: “The responsibility for a boat’s decision to participate in a race or to continue racing is hers alone.” See also World Sailing Offshore Special Regulation 1.02. Sailing is by its nature an unpredictable sport and therefore involves an element of risk. By taking part in the event, each competitor agrees and acknowledges that:

a) They are aware of the inherent element of risk involved in the sport and accept responsibility for the exposure of themselves, their crew and their boat to such inherent risk whilst taking part in the event;

b) They are responsible for the safety of themselves, their crew, their boat and their other property whether afloat or ashore;

c) They accept responsibility for any injury, damage or loss to the extent caused by their own actions or omissions;

d) Their boat is in good order, equipped to sail in the event and they are fit to participate;

e) The provision of a race management team, patrol boats, umpires and other officials and volunteers by the organiser does not relieve them of their own responsibilities;

f) The provision of patrol boat cover is limited to such assistance, particularly in extreme weather conditions, as can be practically provided in the circumstances;

g) It is their responsibility to familiarise themselves with any risks specific to this venue or this event drawn to their attention in any rules and information produced for the venue or event and to attend any safety briefing held for the event.

h) They are responsible for ensuring that their boat is equipped and seaworthy so as to be able to face extremes of weather; that there is a crew sufficient in number, experience and fitness to withstand such weather; and that the safety equipment is properly maintained, stowed and in date and is familiar to the crew.

17. Inspections

17.1 The fact that the race committee may conduct inspections of a boat does not reduce the responsibilities of each competitor set out in these General Regulations.

18. Insurance

18.1 The owner/skipper is required to ensure that the yacht has adequate insurance and in particular to hold insurance against third party and passenger claims in the sum of at least £3,000,000 per incident.

Privacy statement

19.1 The personal information you provide to the organising authority will be used to facilitate your participation in the event. If you have agreed to be bound by the Racing Rules of Sailing and the other rules that govern the event (the rules), the legal basis for processing that personal information is contract. If you are not bound by the rules, the legal basis for processing that personal information is legitimate interest. Your personal information will be stored and used in accordance with the OA’s privacy policy. When required by the rules, personal information may be shared with the RYA and/or World Sailing. The results of the event and the outcome of any hearing or appeal may be published.

World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations

The link to the World Sailing home page where a direct link to the Offshore Special regulations can be found is www.sailing.org

There is also a link from the Club’s website.

Marks

Ard No. 24 Red Can 55°55.4´ N 04°45.5´ W

Ardlamont Red Can 55°49.2´ N 05°11.8´ W

Ardmaleish North Cardinal 55°53.1´ N 05°04.7´ W

Ardyne Green Conical 55°52.1´ N 05°03.2´ W

Ascog Patches Beacon 55° 49.7´ N 05° 00.3´ W

Barons Point (Kil No3) Green Conical 55°59.2´ N, 04°51.4´ W

Bogany Point Red Can 55°50.75´ N 05°01.45´ W

Carry Buoy Red Can 55°51.4´ N 05°12.3´ W

CPA Channel Buoy B Yellow Can 55°47.1´ N 04°57.5´ W

CPA Channel Buoy D Red Can 55°47.8´ N 04°56.3´ W

CPA Channel Buoy F Red Can 55°48.6´ N 04°55.0´ W

CPA Channel Buoy I Green Conical 55°50.2´ N 04°54.2´ W

CPA Channel Buoy J Red Can 55°51.5´ N 04°54.7´ W

HUN 1 Yellow Can 55° 48.11´ N 04 ° 54.20´ W

HUN 3 Red Can 55°47.6´ N 04°53.5´ W

HUN 5 Green Conical 55°45.9´ N 04°52.5´ W

HUN 9 Red Can, 55°44.7´ N., 4°54.4´ W.

HUN 13 Green Conical 55° 42.54´ N 04 ° 55.17´ W

HUN 14 Red Can 55° 42.3´ N 04 ° 56.0´ W.

NATO Buoy A 8 Large Yellow, 55° 57.90´ N., 04° 45.09´ W

Pile Beacon East No1 4 Leg pile beacon. 55° 59.12´ N 04° 43.88´ W

Portachur Buoy Green Conical 55°44.3´ N 04°58.5´ W

Portachur (Tan) Spit South Cardinal 55° 44.4´ N 04° 57.1´ W

RGYC Racing Mark E Dayglo Orange 55°57.3´ N 04°50.2´ W

Rubha Ban Red Can, 55° 54.95´ N 05° 12.33´ W

Rubha Bodach Green Conical 55°55.4´ N 05°09.6´ W

Sgat Mor Lighthouse 55°50.9´ N 05°18.9´ W

Toward Bank Green Conical 55° 51.0´ N 04° 59.9´ W

Toward Point Buoy East Cardinal 54°51.43´ N 04°59.10´ W

Warden Bank Buoy Green Conical 55° 55.77´ N 04° 54.55´ W

This chart shows most of the racing marks used in the Championship races. Not to be used for navigation

Commodores

1909 Chairman H.D. Matheson

1910 – 1923 Sir T. C. Glen Coats, BT

1923 – 1938 Sir Thomas Dunlop, CBE

1938 – 1940 Alfred Mylne

1940 – 1947 Col. C. L. Spencer

1947 – 1952 Robert J. Dunlop

1952 – 1962 John McKean

1962 – 1966 William Strang

1966 – 1971 Ian P. Young

1971 – 1974 James Peters

Vice Commodores

1910 – 1922 Roderick Scott

1922 – 1938 Alfred Mylne

1939 – 1940 Col. C. L. Spencer

1940 – 1947 Robert J. Dunlop

1947 – 1951 Samuel F. Strang

1951 – 1952 John McKean

1952 – 1957 W. P. Findlay

1957 – 1962 William Strang

1962 – 1965 G. A. Peat

1965 – 1966 Ian P. Young

1966 – 1969 R. M. Dundas

1969 – 1973 G. Victor Dare

1973 – 1975 A. D. Findlay

1975 – 1976 P. Houston

1976 – 1977 D. S. Rombach

1977 – 1978 W. W. McKean

1978 – 1979 J. W. MiII

1979 – 1980 J. W. Clow

Rear Commodores

1912 – 1920 Captain T. A. Ross

1920 – 1922 A. S. Lawrence

1923 A. Stirrat

1924 W. M. Blair

1925 – 1938 Col. C. L. Spencer

1938 – 1939 C. K. Young

1939 – 1940 Robert J. Dunlop

1940 – 1947 Samuel F. Strang

1947 – 1950 R. G. Mowat

1950 – 1951 John McKean

1951 – 1952 F. B. Stirrat

1952 – 1955 William Strang

1955 – 1957 Ian. P. Young

1957 – 1961 G. A. Peat

1961 – 1963 James Peters

1963 – 1965 W. P. Watson

1965 – 1968 John Duncan

1968 – 1969 G. Victor Dare

1969 – 1970 Dr Thomas Harvey

1970 – 1973 A. D. Findlay

1973 – 1975 P. Houston

1975 – 1976 D. S. Rombach

1976 – 1977 W. W. McKean

Honorary Secretaries

1910 John Matheson

1911 – 1917 C. K. Young

1917 – 1919 James S. Lawrence

1919 – 1920 Charles E. Melville

1920 – 1938 C. K. Young

Dinghy Section Captains

1933 C. K. Young

1933 – 1935 W. Lyall

1936 – 1937 S. M. Mckechnie

1938 – 1948 J. McIntyre

1949 – 1954 J. Harris

1955 – 1964 W. Carey

1965 – 1970 C. K. G. White

1971 – 1975 J. G. Fleming

1976 – 1977 J. C. Carmichael

1974 – 1979 G. Victor Dare

1979 – 1982 J. W. Mill

1983 – 1985 W.W. McKean

1985 – 1987 Alastair Macdonald

1988 – 1989 John W. Clow

1990 – 1991 Ronald L. Sharp

1992 – 1993 Charles A. L. Simmie

1994 – 1995 Hugh F. Morrison

1996 – 1997 Mrs K Christie

1998 – 1999 Alan A. Robertson

1981 H. F. Morrison

1982 A. D. Houston

1983 Alastair Macdonald

1984 Norman H. Judd

1985 N. J. Wright

1986 Ian M. W. Taggart

1987 T. Iain Robertson

1988 Ronald L. Sharp

1989 A. Boyd Tunnock

1990 Charles A. L. Simmie

1991 J. Baird

1992 William Carlaw

1993 Ian E. McNair

1994 Mrs K. Christie

1995 James W. F. McIlraith

1996 – 1997 Alan A. Robertson

1998 Howard J. Morrison

1999 Clive B. Scott

1977 – 1978 J. W. Mill

1977 – 1979 J. W. Clow

1978 – 1980 H. F. Morrison

1979 – 1981 A. D. Houston

1981 – 1982 Alastair Macdonald

1982 – 1983 Norman H. Judd

1983 – 1984 N. J. Wright

1984 – 1985 Ian M. W. Taggart

1985 – 1986 T. Iain Robertson

1986 – 1987 Ronald L. Sharp

1987 – 1988 A. Boyd Tunnock

1988 – 1989 Charles A. Simmie

1989 – 1990 J. Baird

1990 – 1991 William Carlaw

1991 – 1992 Ian E. McNair

1992 – 1993 Mrs K. Christie

1993 – 1994 James W. F. Mcllraith

1994 – 1995 Alan A. Robertson

1995 Jonathan W. Anderson

1996 – 1997 Howard J. Morrison

1996 – 1998 Clive B. Scott

1998 Jim Kennedy

1998 – 1999 John Kelly

1938 – 1939 S. M. McKechnie

1939 – 1964 J. C. Dobie

1964 – 1969 Geoffrey C C Duncan

1970 – 1997 A. G. Taggart

1998 – 2004 Joe Baird

1978 – 1979 D. D. Whyte

1980 – 1982 D. M. Murray

1983 – 1987 W. Weir

1988 – 1990 I. M. W. Taggart

1991 – 1993 J. G. Lindsay

1994 – 1996 S. Byron

1997 – 1999 M. K. Nichol

2000 – 2002 A. S. Cassels

2003 – 2005 Richard Davies

2000 – 2001 Nick Wright

2002 – 2003 Peter L. Fairley

2004 – 2005 Clive B Scott

2006 – 2007 Jim McIlraith

2008 – 2010 Howard J. Morrison

2011 – 2013 John W R Watson

2014 – 2015 Patrick M Trust

2016 – 2017 Clive Reeves

2018 – 2019 John C.J. Readman

2020 – 2021 Alastair Torbet

2000 John Kelly

2001 Peter L. Fairley

2002 Archie Black

2003 Bernie Curran

2004 Barrie Waugh

2005 Martin Nichol

2006 Scott Chalmers

2007 Ian Abernethy

2008 – 2009 Ian Macdonald

2010 Jeremy Glen

2011 – 2012 Patrick Trust

2013 Stephen T Bennie

2014 – 2015 Clive Reeves

2016 – 2017 John C.J. Readman

2018 – 2019 Alastair Torbet

2020 – 2021 Geoff Crowley

1999 – 2000 Peter L. Fairley

2000 – 2001 Archie Black

2001 – 2002 Bernie Curran

2002 – 2003 Barrie Waugh

2003 – 2004 Martin Nichol

2004 – 2005 Scott Chalmers

2005 – 2006 Ian Abernethy

2006 – 2007 Ian Macdonald

2008 Don Cameron

2007 – 2009 Jeremy Glen

2009 – 2010 Jamie Matheson

2009 – 2010 Patrick Trust

2010 – 2012 Stephen Bennie

2010 – 2012 John C.J. Readman

2013 Clive Reeves

2013 – 2014 Alan Cassels

2014 – 2015 Dane Ralston

2015 – 2016 Helen Kirk

2016 – 2018 David Denholm

2017 – 2018 Uel Torbet

2018 – 2019 Geoff Crowley

2020 – 2021 Glenn Porter

2020 – 2021 Ian Macdonald

2005 – 2006 Gordon Paterson

2007 – 2011 Bernie Curran

2012 – 2021 Jennifer Rolland

2006 – 2009 D. D. Whyte

2010 – 2012 Helen B Kirk

2013 – 2015 Jim Graham

2016 – 2018 Hugh McLean

2019 – 2021 Jason McKenzie

2021 – 22 Hugh McLean/ Don McPherson

Honorary Members

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal

Helen Anderson

Jonathan Bradbeer

Gordon Fortune

Stuart Fortune

Jim Harvie

Gerry Hughes

Associated Clubs

Vladimir Ivankiv

Harry and Malinda Keith

Mike McIntyre

Bette Ritchie

Shirley Robertson

Emma Sanderson

Eileen Taggart

Sandy and Christine Taggart

Sir Boyd Tunnock

Anne Walker

Phil Walter

Nick and Marwyn Wright

Douglas and Helen Wilson

The Flag Officers, Committee and members of Clyde Cruising Club have long-standing links with many other yacht clubs in Scotland and further afield. The Commodore and Secretary of the following clubs when in office have been appointed as Honorary Members ex officio of Clyde Cruising Club:

Ballyholme YC Seacliffe Road, Bangor, BT20 5HT

Cruising Association 1 Northey Street, Limehouse Basin, London, E14 8BT

Cruising Club of America 230 Asbury Street, Hamilton, MA 01982, USA

Fairlie Yacht Club Fairlie, Ayrshire KA30 8SN

Great Lakes Cruising Club 1587 Gloucester Road, London, Ontario N6G, Canada

Howth Yacht Club Harbour Road, Howth, Co Dublin, Ireland

Irish Cruising Club Coonlocken House, Ardbrack, Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland

Little Ship Club The Naval Club, 38 Hill Street, London, W1X 8DP

Manchester Yacht Club Massachusetts, USA

National Yacht Club Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland

Ocean Cruising Club 10 Carlisle Road, Hampton, TW12 2UL

Royal Cork Yacht Club Crosshaven, Co Cork, Ireland

Royal Cruising Club Flints, Langrish, Hampshire, GU32 1RQ

Royal Findhorn Yacht Club Findhorn, Moray, IV36

Royal Forth Yacht Club Middle Pier, Granton Harbour, Edinburgh, EH5 1HF

Royal Gourock Yacht Club Ashton, Gourock, PA19 1DA

Royal Irish Yacht Club Harbour Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland

Royal Highland Yacht Club Oban, Argyll

Royal Northumberland Yacht Club South Harbour, Blyth, NE24 3PB

Royal Naval Sailing Association HMS Neptune Sailing Centre, HMNB Clyde, Faslane, G84 8HL

Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club The Clubhouse, Rhu, Helensburgh, G84 8NG

Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club 7 Seafront Road, Co Down, BT18 0BB

Royal Ocean Racing Club 20 St James’s Place, London, SW1A 1NN

Royal St George Yacht Club Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland

Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club 35 Brueacre Drive, Broom Park, Wemyss Bay, PA18 6HA

Royal Ulster Yacht Club 101 Clifton Road, Bangor, BT20 5HY

Royal Yacht Squadron The Castle, Cowes, P031 7QT

Tarbert Yacht Club Battery Point, Harbour Road, Tarbert, PA29 6UF

The 25 year lease of Bardowie Loch and clubhouse for use by the Dinghy Section has been successfully renewed for another 25 years. Our thanks are due to the Flag Officers and Ian Macdonald from Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie who conducted the signing of the documents at Bardowie on 1 June 2022 at a meeting of the Trustees together with Adam Mills, then Captain of the Dinghy Section.

The Trust, formed in 1984, owns Bardowie Loch and was instrumental in obtaining the National Lottery funding which enabled the new clubhouse to be opened in 2004. Looking back further it was the generosity of many members in 1951 which allowed the loch to be purchased for the Club which in turn has allowed the Dinghy Section to be so successful in allowing many young sailors to get afloat and especially for those with limited abilities.

The enormous amount of work involved in obtaining the Sportscotland National Lottery grant to complete funding for the new clubhouse was finalised in December 2002 thanks to many members but especially Commodore Peter Fairley with Harry McDermid, Treasurer Alastair White, Ian Hales, Roger Woodford and Alan Cassels. The architect was Jimmy Houston and the builder Charlie Frize of Luddon Construction. Many other members contributed to the success of the project with major corporate donors William Grant & Sons Ltd, distillers, and Thomas Tunnock Ltd, bakers, of Uddingston. The Trust hopes to have the history of the development available for all to see at Bardowie when we have reviewed the documents charting the story over many years. Members have continued to be generous and the Challenger and the new Hansa dinghies have allowed many more to participate in sailing.

The Trust also welcomes applications from young sailors who need support to travel to events. Grants are also given to other organisations involved in sail training such as

Ocean Youth Trust Scotland as we have a small fund for this and consider applications every year. You can email or write to the Trust via the club office with your request for funding giving some details of how you wish to use the funds.

We are grateful that Flag Officers and members had such foresight to found this charity in 1984 which has enabled so many young sailors to take to the water, benefitting the whole sailing community.

The Trustees for 2023 are Patrick Trust (Chairman), Sandra Smith, Alastair Torbet, James Graham, Diane Whyte and (ex officio) Geoffrey Crowley (CCC Commodore), Ralph MacLeod (CCC Treasurer) and Clive Reeves (CCC Honorary Secretary).

S&PT fundraising from the comfort of your home

Clyde Cruising Club Seamanship & Pilotage Trust is now registered with two websites to raise a donation for the Trust through your online purchasing:

Instead of going straight to your online store use this link for Amazon – SMILE AMAZON: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/

And for other retailers (including Amazon) –EASYFUNDRAISING: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ panel/ Search for your retailer and click on the link.

Patrick Trust

We would like to thank the small team that works hard to produce this publication – apart from the editors, Bronwen Angus our new secretary and Mark Ferguson at Leaf Design & Print, our designer. Well done to the judges of both our logs and members’ photographs who have endeavoured to award the many trophies.

A club publication such as this reflects members’ contributions, and we have to note that the contributors to what we now call the ‘Annual’ are not getting any younger. Almost all the contributors, whether of logs or articles, are maturing gracefully. So we are challenging our younger members – put away your Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok platforms. Become a writer. We want you to write an article and take photos about your sailing experiences. In a 100 years someone will read an old CCC publication and marvel at your skill or sense of adventure. So get writing for the next edition. You can use whatever format you like, a series of photos with captions or a short piece. We want to hear from you. You never know you might win a prize.

Thorold Mackie Penny French Patrick Trust

Club merchandise

The list of CCC merchandise is under review. Full details will be available later in 2023.

is very

The Club

grateful to James Watt Dock Marina for their ongoing support and storage of the RIB.

It ensures that Irish and British citizens can live in and travel freely between the UK and Ireland. Irish and British citizens continue to enjoy reciprocal rights and privileges on the same basis as citizens of the other state.

Photo: Gary

Photo: Gary Murray

Dun Laoghaire Marina