June 2015

 In which we behave (almost) like yotties on a summer cruise.

After a week away, we returned to find that summer had arrived on the Clyde.  Temperatures soaring to the mid ‘teens and light winds.  We had no firm plan.  Just wished to explore and return to Rhu in time for our planned maintenance.

We got on board Sunday mid-afternoon and, with light winds forecast for the week, we wanted to take advantage of the pleasant NNwly wind.  So, after provisioning, watering and fuelling, we cast off and had a pleasant beat down Kilcreggan reach and up Holy Loch.  Private moorings have taken up most of the available anchorage but, after a little searching, we found a comfortable spot.

A light northerly sprang up on Monday morning.  We weight anchor at 0930 and put up the cruising chute for a gentle sail down the Clyde.  By 1300, the wind was backing to NW’ly, so up with the main and continued on a broad reach.  At 1400, with an increase to F3-4, we dropped the chute and continued under main and genoa.  Once past the southern tip of Bute, the wind increased to F5, so we put in a reef and had a great reach down to Lamlash bay.  Once again, we defied convention by dropping our hook rather than picking up a mooring.

Tuesday, there was a very light southerly.  Not really suitable for sailing but we had no-where to go and all the time in the world to get there so we picked up at mid-day and beat out past the southern end of Holy island and down the coast of Arran.  The wind was forecast to be light northerly overnight and we planned to anchor off Kildonan for the night but, just as we got there, a brisk SW’ly sprung up so we reversed our effort of the past 2 hours and, in 20 minutes, sailed back to the East of Pladda and dropped the anchor there instead.  Total achieved distance for the day – 7 miles, which sets a new low record.

We continued our circumnavigation of Arran on Wednesday in, mostly, very light winds.  During the one good hour of NW’ly 3-4 we were passed by the ‘Huckleberry’, a 40m superyacht.  We hoped that she would spread her wings and sail but she just carried on motoring, heading for Northern Ireland.  Anchored again in our favoured spot at Torrisdale bay, only to see a brisk Northerly spring up and continue late into the evening.

Flat calm Thursday morning led us to motor the 13 miles to Lochranza, launch Rubette (the dinghy) and row ashore for lunch and much-needed internet.  Lunch over, we continued North, this time under sail, into Loch Fyne, anchoring at Ardmarnock bay.

Friday, we continued North, initially beating into a light N’ly then running before a building SW’ly up to Inverary then back to Creggans for the night.  We treated ourselves to a run ashore for dinner at the Creggans Inn and regretted it.  Very poor food and over-priced. 

No wind on Saturday compelled us to motor for a couple of hours as we now had a target of getting back to Rhu for Monday but, on passing the narrows a consistent N’ly 2, occasionally 3, meant that we could sail down to Asgog bay for the night. For the first time since entering the Firth of Clyde, we saw an appreciable number of yachts today, but only about 1 in 5 was actually sailing.  Maybe it’s us.

An E’ly 3 on Sunday morning meant that we could sail, close-hauled, down to the southern tip of Bute.  Here the wind died and we motored for an hour until a N’ly 2-3 sprang up and we beat our way up to Dunoon.  Again plenty of other yachts and this time about 50% were sailing.  We had to motor the last 8 miles ourselves and anchored in Rosneath bay, just opposite Rhu.

On Monday morning there was much activity with tugs and landing craft full of marines heading up Gairloch so we scooted ASAP across to Rhu in case there was going to be nuclear submarine activity and we got told to stay put.  A flat calm meant that we could drop the genoa and de-rig the main in a leisurely fashion.  The rest of the day was spent disconnecting electrics, taking off the boom and slackening the standing rigging in preparation for dis-masting.

Tuesday, Ruby got lifted out to spend the next 10 days in maintenance, just as 25% of Britain’s nuclear deterrent steamed down Gairloch, accompanied by the aforementioned tugs, landing craft and police boats.