Sunday 28th June

On Wednesday I returned to Sea Orchid with Stewart. He had last been to Armadale in the early 2000s we vaguely thought, when I had chartered an old Nicholson 32 for a week, and with two others we had cruised around the Sound of Sleat.   I was relieved to find the dinghy still lashed to the wall above the quay.   Sea Orchid was just as I had left her a month earlier, and everything was in working order.  So without delay we headed off, beating into a F5 SW wind, to round the Point of Sleat and then free off for a run up to Loch Scavaig.   Despite heavy dark clouds all around, shrouding the mighty Cuillins, we were hopeful that later in the evening it would clear.   We dropped the hook in the inner pool where two other boats were already at anchor.   The wind dropped and after supper we dinghy’d  ashore to walk the short distance to Loch Coruisk,  the star attraction.   

Thursday 25th, we awoke to a rather damp and dreary morning but the anchorage nevertheless looked awesome with still air and mirror glass water.  In a light N wind we ran back down to Point of Sleat and then reached due east over to Loch Nevis. We took one of the visitor buoys and went ashore in full oilies as despite forecast for thunderstorms, and threatening skies, we were determined to get to the Old Forge.  We didn’t quite make it to the door before the first deluge so we got to the bar looking like a pair of drowned rats.  We did manage to get back to the boat later during a short interlude, before heavy rain continued to hammer  down on deck all night.   

Friday 26th, the rain had stopped the cloud lifted and there were even some patches of blue sky.   With a F4 N wind we flew back west over the sea to Skye, paying homage to plastic Mary as we exited Loch Nevis.  (Plastic Mary, officially known as Our Lady of Knoydart, is a GRP statue of the Virgin Mary that was erected mid 20th century and stands on a promontory overlooking the entrance). Upon arrival at Armadale I was hoping to be able to go onto the pontoon on the inside of the harbour wall but it was still an hour before half flood tide. I nudged my way in very slowly and managed to dock with just .4m under the keel and 6 inches behind a fishing boat.   It meant Stewart was able to step ashore and catch his ferry home, while I filled up with water.   Also S&M came down for a chat, they had just returned home having decided to abandon their trip to Norway as while in Orkney the autopilot had packed up.   Later I sailed up to Isleornsay for the night as the fresh northerly had kicked up a fair chop in Armadale bay.

Saturday 27th, strong S to SW winds forecast for next couple of days so decided to head around to north east side of Skye, and planned to re-fuel at Portree on Monday. With a light wind initially I was making slow progress, so put the engine on.  As soon as I engaged drive there was an alarming metallic knocking noise eminating from the rear end of the prop shaft.  Fearing that the prop was about to drop off, I turned around and sailed back to the anchorage at Isleornsay.  There was only one thing for it, I would have to go under the boat to investigate.  So with wetsuit and diving mask I braved the freezing water,  able to stay under for just long enough to clear a load of debris wrapped around the prop. This seemed to do the trick, the knocking noise no more, I think it may have been caused by the rope cutter being clogged and flicking.  So I set off again, by this time the wind was a good F5 so under genoa I sped up through the Kyle Rhea narrows, with tide.  It was a gusty reach with two reefs in through Loch Alsh and under Skye bridge followed by a close reach into Broadford Bay.   A F7 squall hit just as I made the final approach to anchor in 5m on a bottom of mud and sand, so the anchor is well dug in with 40m chain.   Tomorrow is forecast for 40 kts offshore.  

Loch Coruisk