Corpach to Oban
Leaving the lock at Corpach we moved out into the tidal waters of Loch Linnhie. Although not sunny it was at least dry and a lovely F4 blowing down the lock. We set the sails for a run down the loch towards Port Appin. It was good to be back at sea and use wind power rather than diesel power.
Our plan for the next couple of days was to sail down to either Port Appin or possibly on to Dunstaffnage spend the night there and then on to Oban the following day.
The passage to Port Appin took us close inshore between the mainland and Lismore Island. We had been told by another crew on their way into the canal that the Pier Hotel in Port Appin had some good mooring bouys in the bay which were free to use if we ate in the hotel - and that the meals in the hotel were extremely good. As we approached Port Appin we spotted a number of the yellow bouys vacant and as the wind was in the right direction meaning the bay was nice and sheltered we picked one up and chugged ashore in our little rubber dinghy! The advise from the other yacht crew was spot on and we enjoyed a beautiful supper of cullen skink followed by fish pie. I have now completed nearly all of my scottish culinary challenges having eaten arbroath smokies, haggis, cullen skink, cranachan, local langoustine and local mussels and sampled several malts and of course Irn-Bru! All that is left now is to find a full scottish breakfast with lorne sausage, tattie cakes and black pudding and I will have completed my challenge!
The next morning dawned bright and sunny and having worked out the tides for the short trip on to Oban we treated ourselves to a lazy morning aiming to leave at 11:30am to carry the favourable tide into Oban. As we let the bouy go the mist started to gather and the wind started to build. By the time we reached the end of the Loch we were pushing into a F6/7 in the pouring rain! The conversation was all about how we should have taken a foul tide and left when the weather was good.
Passing through the narrow entrance into the Kerrera Sound I called up Oban Marina hoping a berth would be available - there had been some talk in the canal about the marina being full! I need not have worried there were several vacant berths so gratefully we motored into the marina to be met by one of the owners who took our lines and made us feel welcome. The good thing about a marina berth is that there is generally an electric hook up on the pontoon - so with electricity we plugged in the heater warmed up and dried off. It seems silly to be talking about fan heaters, thick jumpers and hot soup on 1st July but believe me it was that cold! The weather forecast is unrelenting still giving temperatures of 10-12C with rain and winds of F5/6.
Despite all of that Oban is a lovely place and we took advantage of the town visiting the distillery for more malt whisky tasting and also the Oban chocolate company for hot chocolate before taking the water taxi back to the marina.
The plan for tomorrow - weather permitting - is to head north through the sound of Mull to Tobermory and then onwards to Skye over the next few days - so fingers crossed. As I'm typing this the rain is pounding down the heater is on the wind is howling in the rigging and I'm drinking hot coffee!
Our plan for the next couple of days was to sail down to either Port Appin or possibly on to Dunstaffnage spend the night there and then on to Oban the following day.
The passage to Port Appin took us close inshore between the mainland and Lismore Island. We had been told by another crew on their way into the canal that the Pier Hotel in Port Appin had some good mooring bouys in the bay which were free to use if we ate in the hotel - and that the meals in the hotel were extremely good. As we approached Port Appin we spotted a number of the yellow bouys vacant and as the wind was in the right direction meaning the bay was nice and sheltered we picked one up and chugged ashore in our little rubber dinghy! The advise from the other yacht crew was spot on and we enjoyed a beautiful supper of cullen skink followed by fish pie. I have now completed nearly all of my scottish culinary challenges having eaten arbroath smokies, haggis, cullen skink, cranachan, local langoustine and local mussels and sampled several malts and of course Irn-Bru! All that is left now is to find a full scottish breakfast with lorne sausage, tattie cakes and black pudding and I will have completed my challenge!
Sitting on a bouy in Port Appin
Passing through the narrow entrance into the Kerrera Sound I called up Oban Marina hoping a berth would be available - there had been some talk in the canal about the marina being full! I need not have worried there were several vacant berths so gratefully we motored into the marina to be met by one of the owners who took our lines and made us feel welcome. The good thing about a marina berth is that there is generally an electric hook up on the pontoon - so with electricity we plugged in the heater warmed up and dried off. It seems silly to be talking about fan heaters, thick jumpers and hot soup on 1st July but believe me it was that cold! The weather forecast is unrelenting still giving temperatures of 10-12C with rain and winds of F5/6.
Despite all of that Oban is a lovely place and we took advantage of the town visiting the distillery for more malt whisky tasting and also the Oban chocolate company for hot chocolate before taking the water taxi back to the marina.
The plan for tomorrow - weather permitting - is to head north through the sound of Mull to Tobermory and then onwards to Skye over the next few days - so fingers crossed. As I'm typing this the rain is pounding down the heater is on the wind is howling in the rigging and I'm drinking hot coffee!
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