Loch Inver To Kinlochbervie 27.06.13

Loch Inver to Kinlochbervie.
The weather is closing in getting worse! Departed at 09:10 and sat sail. the sea is slight to moderate but not to uncomfortable. The thing about sailing this far north is the solitude and sense of isolation which is great in one way but makes you very wary in an other way as you know you are completely alone up here and if anything goes wrong its down to yourself to sort it out......if you can.
As it happens I had a very nice sail up the west coast passing the 'Old Man of Stoer' at about 10:00hrs I sailed as close as I dared but far away enough to to get dashed on any undersea rocks. The weather was closing in although the wind was dying, Visibility was low and it was a grey drizzly day.

 

After the 'Old Man of Stoer' the wind dropped completely leaving me no option but to motor the rest of the way to Kinlochberie. 'Is this the calm before the storm' I ask myself?. Arrived at Kinlochbervie at 13:50hrs and it is once again a fantastic entrance but you have to make sure you follow the charts very carefully as you have to keep quite close to the cliffs and you musnt pass the entrance to the harbour as there are underwater cables.

 

In Kinlochbervie I once again meet up with a couple of old boaters that I met further down the coast. The only other circumnavigators that I came across. There boat has the name of 'Freya too' we would stay in contact for quite a while.

Ullapool to Loch Inver

Departed Ullapool at 08:50 good wind about 16Knts so really good sailing. However the wind was decreasing and I was to arrive at loch inver with no wind and under engine once more. However I cant complain as compared to other passages that I have read I have managed to sail most of the time. and besides its keeping the ailing batteries topped up.
The entrance to Loch Inver is amazing. It actually reminds me of Hawaii majestic and beautiful a fantastic place to sail in to. Infact I was so engrossed in the scenery I forgot to put the fenders out for mooring up to the pontoons. and then a sudden panick ensued with about fifty feet to go with what wind there was pushing me ever closer to scratching the hull. But luckily I had just enough time to get three fenders out on the port side and rested gently on to the pontoon finger.

 

After visiting the harbour masters office and paying not only for staying at Loch Inver but also paying for the penultimate mooring at Kinlochbervie the last stop over before the infamous Cape Wrath! I went for a walk. Whilst sightseeing I came across a sign for the local cinema which as it turns out was showing the latest Startrek movie. No big deal, however the cinema turns out to be in the back of a lorry all kitted out inside as a cinema. Teared seating, surround sound and proper cinema seates and a ticket office. It was a very special evening and one I shall not forget in a hurry, the film was good, it was comfortable and as it was just parked up outside a local pub what more could you ask for.

Badachro to Ullapool 25.06.13

Departed at 07:00hrs the forecast was for force 3 to 4 decreasing as the day goes on. This is exactly as it was. I had previously decided to go to Ullapool because quite a few years ago on a family holiday in a motorhome we ended up in Ullapool which is a great destination very nice indeed. Good pubs friendly people and good food and shops. Whilst on holiday with the family we ended up in a pub overlooking the harbour and I can remember saying ' one day I would like to sail here' From the pub we walked along the shoreline and you can see right out to sea in one direction and up the valley to the mountains in the other direction. Stunning. However I didn't realize even after working it out on the charts just how long the inlet to Ullapool is. about twenty miles and as the wind had eased a lot of this had to be done whilst motor sailing and of course it would be the same thing the following day on my way out.

Same view, but this time my boat is out there.
Anyway once moored up on a floating mooring I at least new where to go for groceries etc. I also had to fill up with fuel which you have to buy in twenty five litre containers. Luckily my funnel that I use has a strainer in it as the end of the container was full of grit etc so I stopped filling up rather quickly and left a good litre at least in the bottom of the drum.
I the evening I found the pub that we had previously visited and although it was now more of a restaurant than a pub I was able to find the seat we had previously obtained and too a picture through the window looking across the harbour as before. There was quite a strong feeling of having completed something I had started sitting there drinking my pint and looking out the window. even though at the time however many years before I didn't really know that I would ever sail here, never mind single handed from the south of England. A good feeling none the less for having done it. Although in the hidden recesses of my mind I wished for Fran and the girls to be here sharing it with me.

 

Portree to Badachro Gairloch 24.06.13

Departed Portree at 6:00am- Calm and no wind so had to do a lot of motoring. A lovely entrance to Badachro very interesting and pretty. It was only a short hope and picked up a floating mooring at 11:30am right next to Kvector111 who I had met in a pub in Plockton and who had told me about this lovely little anchorage. The wind thankfully had filled in and I was able to sail in to the entrance in about a force 3 to 4 and managed an average of 6.5Knts.

A quick tidy up and something to eat and I took the dinghy ashore. Probably one of the more interesting dinghy journeys to be made! as you have to manoeuvre between sand banks and then make your way up a very fast flowing river. My 4.5 horse mercury outboard had to work hard against the flowing tide. Once in a its a balance of throttle to hold yourself still against the flood and to reach for a mooring ring on a very slippery wall. I left enough painter for a fall in tide and a turn and two half hitches to secure the dinghy. After that it was a trip to the local pub and a nice pint on the terrace overlooking a beautiful bay. Its hard but somebody has to do it!

 

  

Plockton to Portree 23.06.13

At last parts have arrived and been fitted but sadly no battery! I will just have to keep a close eye on the battery monitor and regulate my use of electricity. At least the batteries charge now.
Good sail with a little motoring as the wind kept coming and going. I didn't mind this though as it was charging the batteries. Saw a submarine at the entrance to the Kyle of Loch Alsh just under the Skye bridge. Quite an uneventful little hop but I am quite pleased  with that as it feels like its been a struggle to finally get going .......again. arrived at Portree just as the weather has changed as per the forecast. Storm force winds approaching. Apart from getting a little wet I managed to moor up and do some shopping before the real heavy weather hit.

 

Even the Cruise liner came in to Portree to weather the storm dropping its anchor and staying put.

20th June

Still no parts! been a week now. Done the sights of Plockton - live music in the local pub a couple of nights plus a dance in the local village hall. Visited the Kyle of lochalsh by train which was a beautiful journey but theres not a lot else there!

 

13th June 2013

Mallaig to Plockton.
Lovely sail up through the Kyle of Lochalsh. Left at 5:30am in order to have the north going stream through Kyle Rhea. Lovely morning and a great sail. 11.3Knts through the Kyle Rhea. Fantastic.

Arrived Plockton at 12:00, However there is an obvious electrical fault. Batteries are not charging. Luckily I bumped in to the skipper of the local Seal tour boat who put me immediately in touch with a marine electrician: turns out one battery is absolutely dead and the alternator is not working plus the earth strap is cooked and broken.



The electrician recons on Thursday of next week before the parts etc will arrive.

callum the skipper on the Seal boat took us out for a quick spin around the bay during the evening and fed us bottled beer and whiskey chasers. hey ho good fun.

But what to do for the next week or so!!!!!!!