Through the Crinan canal and on to Tarbert

A good day today started with bacon rolls outside the café at Crinan. A baker walked past with a tray of scones. I told him they looked good and he told me to take one! So then we had to buy three more for the other crew members too! Passing through the canal was interesting. It is much narrower than the Caledonian canal, much more like the Trent and Mersey! There were lots of locks all with staff to operate them, but it was still tiring for the crew of Blue Star, holding and pulling and throwing lines. We finally exited the canal and motored down Loch Fyne to Tarbert. There was not enough wind to sail, but for most of the day the rain held off and the sun showed itself frequently!

Joke:

A tramp knocks on the door of an inn known as St. George and the Dragon. The landlady answers. “Could you give a poor man something to eat?” asks the tramp.

“No!” yells the woman, slamming the door in his face. A few minutes later, he knocks again. “Now what do you want?” the woman asks.

“Could I have a few words with George?”

Passing through the canal, Roger helming.

Jean-Francois and Joan prepare lines in one of the locks

Tarbert

On to the Crinan canal

Today we continued our journey towards Greenock where Blue Star is being stored during the winter, before we continue our voyage sailing northwards ‘over the top’ of Scotland. Today started rather grey, dull and damp with a cold breeze. Long Johns were drafted into service. We motored the first few miles out of Dunstaffnage then unfurled the headsail and sailed, later with full main too. We took a route south of the island of Kerrera, past Oban and onwards through the Firth of Lorn, weaving our way through many small islands and rocky islets. The scenery was magnificent as on the previous day – rocky headlands and grassed hills, all very remote and desolate in many cases. Here and there a single remote dwelling, and then in other places a small village at the seafront. We passed through the Sound of Luing with the islands of Lunga and Scarba on our starboard before passing the Gulf of Corryvreckan, famed for its whirlpool phenomena; there seemed to be several small whirlpools as we passed through under mainsail and engine, our speed through the water being 8 knots and speed over the ground only 1.5 knots at one point! Eventually we crossed the Sound of Jura, the island of Jura to starboard, and we reached Crinan and the entrance to the Crinan canal, which is very picturesque. The staff at the canal were very kind and gave us a reduced transit fee because of our charity fund raising efforts.

Today I reflected on things that have ‘gone wrong’ during the last few weeks. We have experienced: a scratched hull incurred during berthing in high winds at Peterhead, a broken door catch in the fore-cabin, a charred cooker lid in the galley, a damaged stanchion on starboard deck incurred in a lock during our passage of the Caledonian canal, a broken cabin light bulb which we are finding it difficult to find a spare for, and yesterday we discovered that we had lost one of our fenders. Today our electronic navigation system appeared to have gone ‘on the blink’, showing our boat orientation at about 90 degrees to its actual one; eventually we tracked the cause down to my having placed my ipod player too close to our electronic compass! All part of ‘the challenge’!

Joke:
A farmer in the field with his cows counted 196 of them, but when he rounded them up he had 200.

Entering the sea lock at Crinan

Safely tied up in the canal

Loch Linnhe and Dunstaffnage

A great day of sailing: out of the Caledonian canal at Fort William and a down wind sail, under headsail alone, in Loch Linnhe as the sun rose (albeit with a cold following wind). We drank tea and coffee and ate our picnic lunch in the cockpit as we sailed down the loch through Corran Narrows and south of Lismore Island into the Lynn of Lorn amongst the mountains, forests, green hills and remote villages. We ended the day with a berth at Dunstaffnage marina to the east of, and opposite, the Isle of Mull where we were granted a reduced fee (thank you Dunstaffnage marina!) because of our work for the CF Trust.

Joke:

Two people are out sailing when suddenly a hand appears in the sea.
"What's this?" asked the skipper, "It looks as if someone is drowning!"
"No," explained his crew, "It's just a little wave."

Corpach - the end of the canal

Today we said goodbye to Diane and to Madeline and Rob. I helped Diane to take her bags to the station and waved her goodbye as she boarded the train to Glasgow with Madeline and Rob. I felt very sad to see her go, but pleased to have the company of new crewmates, Jean-Francois and Joan.

We booked our time with the lock-keeper for descending the famous ‘Neptune’s Staircase’ of eight locks that let us down almost to sea level at Corpach on the west end of the canal. The rain started as we slipped our lines at the top end of the staircase and persisted all the way down until we tied up at Corpach. There were lots of tourists watching our descent, many from America and Canada, and several asked about our boat, our charity and our project, which was gratifying.

Joke:
 A Scotsman was heading out to the pub? He turned to his wee wife before leaving and said, 'Jackie - put your hat and coat on lassie.'
She replied, 'Awe Iain that's nice - are you taking me to the pub with you?'
'Nah, I'm just switching the central heating off while I'm oot.'

Moored at Bonavie, at the top of Neptune's Staircase

Looking down the flight of locks that make up Neptune's Staircase

Diane catching the train to Glasgow with Madeline and Rob

Caledonian Canal

OK, so there haven’t been any posts recently. Sorry about that but my laptop ran out of power and we have not been able to moor anywhere where I could charge it up!

We stocked up on groceries once more then departed Inverness marina and motored round to the sea lock where we entered the Caledonian canal. All together we passed through 7 locks with Rob and Roger doing all of the mooring line work whilst I helmed the boat. Madeline and Diane monitored operations and produced food and drinks. The day culminated in a sunny afternoon as we sailed across Loch Ness to Fort Augustus where we arrived in near darkness at about 2030. The scenery we saw was very impressive.

The next few days saw us pass through canal sections linking Loch Oich and Loch Lochy and finally arriving at the top of Neptune’s Staircase. A series of eight locks that enable us to descend almost to sea level. Glorious scenery – mountains, lakes, forests, and small villages have been the ‘norm’ for the last few days.

The next few days will see us return to the sea, although bad weather is forecast.

Joke:

"How's the flat you're living in in London, Jock?" asks his mother when he calls home to Aberdeen.
"It's okay," he replies, "but the woman next door keeps screaming and crying all night and the guy on the other side keeps banging his head on the wall."
"Never you mind," says his mother, "don't you let them get to you, just ignore them."
"Aye, that I do," he says, "I just keep playing my bagpipes."

Loch Oich

On to Inverness

OK, so this is a late posting for yesterday when we left Whitehills at 0815 and motored the remaining length of the Moray Firth to reach Inverness around 0715. England v Switzerland was due to start at 0745 so that was quite convenient! The journey to Inverness revealed some of the beauty of the coastline in this part of the country – green hills, cliffs, sand coves and beaches, and lots of little villages that nestle on the coastline. The weather proved to be very variable; it started off cloudy but by lunchtime summer had arrived and we all put on sun cream and took off layers of clothing. By late afternoon the sun had gone and misty clouds replaced it so we all put on more layers of clothing once more! Diane and Madeline arrived to join the crew later in the evening.

Joke:
 At an art auction in Edinburgh, Scotland, a wealthy American lost his wallet containing £20,000 [$45,000].  He announced to the gathering that that he would give a reward of £200 to the person who found it.
From the back of the hall a Scottish voice shouted, 'I'll give £250.'

Approaching Inverness, with low clouds and mist shrouding the lovely coastline

To Whitehills

Some harbours have been brilliant in their support for our fund-raising efforts, and some not so. We had a big discount on our berthing fees at Eyemouth, and at Arbroath, and when we entered Whitehills harbour late this afternoon the harbour master said immediately that he could see we were sailing for charity and so the charge would be zero! It is so gratifying to get such support! Sadly, when we left Peterhead this morning the marina there ‘couldn’t do anything for us’. Hmmph!

We left Peterhead in a rather choppy sea as we rounded Rattray Head about 3 miles offshore to stay away from the worst of the over-falls, It was still a very uncomfortable sea though, lots of small but near vertical waves coming at all sorts of angles and the boat just wallowed along slowly inching its way around the Head. Once past Fraserborough things began to improve though and we started to enjoy more of the Moray Firth coastline which is very similar to that of North Wales – green vegetation on hilltops leading to rocky cliffs and small villages at the water’s edge. We put in to Whitehills, and very pretty harbour, at about 1800 and dined out at the local pub for a change. Tomorrow Inverness beckons.

Today's joke:

 Late one foggy night two boaters collide head on while trying to navigate a narrow inlet channel. Both their boats were damaged, disabled and slowly sinking.

As they each watched their boats slowly slip away beneath them, the first boater said " You know, this is a sign that we should never take life for granted and that we should live it to the fullest".

"You are right," said the other boater as he opened a cooler and pulled out a bottle of bourbon whisky. Let's drink to living well for the rest of our lives.

The first boater took the bottle and, after a big swig, handed it back to the other boater who in turn quickly threw it into the river.

More than a little surprised the first boater exclaimed " You didn't take a drink!?"

"Naw", said the other boater "I think I'll just wait for the Coast Guard to show up."

Rob looks on, with Moray Firth coastline in the background

Blue Star in Whitehills harbour