Would you believe it!!!

Something very amusing happened when we were sailing the Caledonian canal. It concerns fenders - the inflated plastic buffers that you dangle outside your boat to protect it from the wall or pontoon you are mooring against. The ones on Blue Star have blue covers on them, but you can see them in the photo below protecting the boat hull from the pontoon. The procedure is to hang them from the guard rails before you make you final approach to an alongside mooring or marina berth.

We had been warned about the holiday hire craft that would be using the Caledonian canal as well as us. You know, the ones where the holiday makers are given 10 mins instruction on how to use the craft before being sent on their way! Yes, the ones where the crew think they are driving a car, only they realise at the last moment that they don't have a brake! We had been warned to stay well clear of such craft, for our own benefit. Well, mostly we succeeded in doing so. On one occasion however, we were moored alongside the edge of the canal soon after arriving at Fort Augustus when the skipper of one such craft was trying to moor it just behind us. He came steaming in at a high rate of knots, without fenders, and smashed his boat several times against the quayside on the edge of the canal before finally coming to a standstill and tying his boat up. Rob mentioned to him that he had forgotten to use his fenders. 'Oh, I usually put those out once I've tied up' he said casually! LOL! :-)

Joke (as if you still need another laugh!):
Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "And what starting salary are you looking for?" The engineer replies, "In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package." The interviewer inquires, "Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks vacation, 14 additional standard paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?" The engineer sits up straight and says, "Wow! Are you kidding?" The interviewer replies, "Yeah, but you started it."

An old man went to the Doctor complaining that his wife could barely hear. The Doctor suggested a test to find out the extent of the problem. “Stand far behind her and ask her a question, and then slowly move up and see how far away you are when she first responds.” The old man excited to finally be working on a solution for the problem, runs home and sees his wife preparing supper. ” Honey” the man asks standing around 20 feet away “whats for supper?” After receiving no response he tried it again 15 feet away, and again no response. Then again at 10 feet away and again no response. Finally he was 5 feet away “honey whats for supper?” She replies “For the fourth time it’s lasagna!”

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An old man went to the Doctor complaining that his wife could barely hear. The Doctor suggested a test to find out the extent of the problem. “Stand far behind her and ask her a question, and then slowly move up and see how far away you are when she first responds.” The old man excited to finally be working on a solution for the problem, runs home and sees his wife preparing supper. ” Honey” the man asks standing around 20 feet away “whats for supper?” After receiving no response he tried it again 15 feet away, and again no response. Then again at 10 feet away and again no response. Finally he was 5 feet away “honey whats for supper?” She replies “For the fourth time it’s lasagna!”

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Lochgoilhead to Greenock

We dropped our mooring line just before 0900 and motored away from Lochgoilhead bound for Greenock. There was little wind (again) and it was ‘on the nose’ (again), so motoring was the order of the day. Once more we passed Carrick castle and the MOD establishment as we made our way towards Greenock. The patrol boat was standing just off the MOD establishment to warn boats about getting too near. We kept to the off side of the channel and were left in peace. The sun shone, the sea was flat but the wind was cold. After a few hours several more yachts appeared, out for a weekend sail.  Shortly after 1230 we entered the marina at Greenock where we swabbed Blue Star’s decks and took off the sails in readiness for winter storage ashore. We also removed the CF charity banners from the deck guard wires - the yellow banners had bleached white since leaving Hythe in May! We will replace them with new ones next year before we resume our sailing. Blue Star will be lifted out of the water in a few weeks time. We have travelled 1051 miles since departing Hythe in May!

My blog posts will be less frequent over the winter, but I will try to post perhaps at least once a week to keep you interested! I do hope you enjoy reading the blog, and thank you for following us. We expect to resume our adventure in May next year, so do please continue to follow us!

Joke:

Mr Thick walks into a shoe store and tries on a pair of shoes. "How do they feel?" asks the sales assistant. "Well, they feel a bit tight," replies Mr Thick. The assistant promptly bends down and has a look at the shoes and the man’s feet. "Try pulling the tongue out," she says. “Nath, theyth sthill feelth a bith tighth,” the man replies.

Blue Star in Greenock being readied for winter storage ashore

Port Bannatyne to Lochgoilhead (a late posting)

Last night there was no internet connection available at Lochgoilhead, hence no blog post, but here is a late post:

Blog for 18 September

Last night we dined out at the Port Inn. It just happened to be the night when some live music was provided, so we were keen to experience what might be on offer. It turned out, as far as we could gather, that it was a night when anyone who could play anything was invited to turn up to strut their stuff! The dining room was only small and was full except for one table in the corner. A sad looking chap of later middle age came and sat down with a pint, then a middle aged woman, then slowly more and more musical instruments and artists turned up and somehow were squeezed into the room. Just when we were sure it was full more musical instruments turned up – electronic kit, guitars, and more. The woman began singing, and frankly we decided that she couldn’t. The sad chap sitting next to her looked even more sad. Next some guitars joined in the entertainment, and the woman started on the next song with support from one of the chaps. We decided enough was enough and left. I must say that the people there were very friendly, and I don’t want to be unduly unkind to them; maybe their music just wasn’t our scene.

This morning was another fine summer’s day, albeit without wind so we motored into the Clyde and on into Loch Long and then into Loch Goil. We passed a government defence establishment rumoured to be where armaments are loaded onto submarines. The jetty was fenced off by a substantial wire/metal fence with several lookout towers positioned around the perimeter. Clearly outsiders were not welcome!

We motored on into Loch Goil, past Carrick castle and on to Lochgoilhead at the end of the loch, where we picked up a mooring buoy for the night (free). We pumped up the inflatable dinghy and mounted the outboard motor on it. It is a palaver but it is fun. Roger, Jean-Francois and Joan went in the first reconnaissance party and returned having had an ice-cream. I took part in the second visit ashore to the pub for a pre-dinner drink whilst Joan prepared the dinner. A lovely day.

Joke:

Nurse: "The invisible man is here for his appointment."
Doctor: "Tell him I'm sorry I can't see him right now."

Port Bannatyne

Looking out to sea from Port Bannatyne

Looking out from Lochgoilhead to where Blue Star is on a mooring

Tarbert to Port Bannatyne

Today we pottered. We left Tarbert bound for Portovadie for coffee! Portovadie is just opposite Tarbert, on the other side of Loch Fyne. There was little wind and plenty of sun so we motored. Portovadie is a basin originally carved out of the land to enable a facility to be constructed where offshore platforms would be built. Alas the construction never took place and so the basin was converted to a marina. It lies well away from any town and consists of ultra modern buildings, holiday flats, café and restaurant, gymnasium and outdoor sun terrace. It was an absolutely brilliant place to call in at for coffee, and we were not charged for our stay! Furthermore, the place was all but deserted with very few other people around! We took coffee on the terrace and marvelled at the state of the art facilities. Definitely amongst the best around. After coffee we motored out of the marina and around into West Kyle of Bute, leaving the Isle of Arran to starboard. We motored up the Kyle in the sun and picked up a mooring buoy off Kames and had a picnic lunch in the cockpit. After lunch we motored further up the Kyle and turned right into the East Kyle where we sailed for a short while until the wind gave up; the engine came back on again and we motored to Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute, a small marina behind a breakwater a few miles north of Rothesay.

Joke:

Two blokes in a pub on the Isle of Bute, one says to the other “Your round”. The other says “So are you, ya wee fat bastard”.

Early morning mist in Tarbert

Portovadie

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."