Took 50 photos but this is the only one with even a glimpse!
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Minke whale
Just seen loads of dolphins and a Minke whale off Skye - between Rhum and the Sound of Sleat.
Took 50 photos but this is the only one with even a glimpse!
Took 50 photos but this is the only one with even a glimpse!
Donald Where's your trousers
Griff here, for those of you of a certain age or fans of quirky songs will hopefully have recognised from the blog title that we are sailing past the isle of Skye. The company has gone up a notch today as we have been joined on our journey by dolphins and not just a few,loads of them,they really are incredible creatures. Clear blue skies, great views, dolphins and fantastic conversation, what more could one want? Well 3 out of 4 ain't bad!!!
Week 5 - Tuesday - Canna
Yesterday was a day of amazing views mixed with a feeling of remoteness.
We set off early in still conditions and ate breakfast while drifting round Ardnamurchan Point. This is the most westerly point of mainland Britain and is feared for it's terrible storms. It can't be on many days that it sees such benign conditions (much to our relief !)
We then headed off for Canna, passing Muck, Eigg and Rhum - with the backdrop of Skye. I can't describe the scenery but it is truly awe inspiring.
Canna is a great island, very fertile, green and remote.
We struggled to get the anchor to hold - pulling up huge clumps of kelp (seaweed). But we got some advice from a nice old boy who showed us a good spot to use.
Later on we watched a boat with a very cold, miserable looking crew trying to anchor for over an hour until finally succeeding.
After a trip ashore, Griff rustled up a tasty beef casserole - with lots of added herbs and spices. We are not slumming it here!
Last night was the first one that did not get totally dark - with a slight glow of light even after midnight. I also know that it was light at 04:00 because that is when the 'anchor dragging' alarm decided to tell me that we were in
imminent danger! Actually we had just swung round with a wind change and all was fine.
Up early and off to inverie on the knoidart peninsular - and Britain's most remote pub.
We set off early in still conditions and ate breakfast while drifting round Ardnamurchan Point. This is the most westerly point of mainland Britain and is feared for it's terrible storms. It can't be on many days that it sees such benign conditions (much to our relief !)
We then headed off for Canna, passing Muck, Eigg and Rhum - with the backdrop of Skye. I can't describe the scenery but it is truly awe inspiring.
Canna is a great island, very fertile, green and remote.
We struggled to get the anchor to hold - pulling up huge clumps of kelp (seaweed). But we got some advice from a nice old boy who showed us a good spot to use.
Later on we watched a boat with a very cold, miserable looking crew trying to anchor for over an hour until finally succeeding.
After a trip ashore, Griff rustled up a tasty beef casserole - with lots of added herbs and spices. We are not slumming it here!
Last night was the first one that did not get totally dark - with a slight glow of light even after midnight. I also know that it was light at 04:00 because that is when the 'anchor dragging' alarm decided to tell me that we were in
imminent danger! Actually we had just swung round with a wind change and all was fine.
Up early and off to inverie on the knoidart peninsular - and Britain's most remote pub.
Monday, 4 June 2012
Week 5 - Monday - Tobermory
Today we leave Tobermory to sail up to Canna. It is the most Northerly of the Small Isles and is incredibly fertile due to it's temperate climate.
Last night we climbed up to the hills above Tobermory and could see Canna in the distance. It was so clear that we could see out to Uist and watched the sun set behind it.
We are just about to go up for a shower - £2 a go. Most of the showers up here have a meter. Usually you rush your shower to make sure that the hot water doesn't stop before the money goes out. However the ones here last for 7 minutes and have a countdown display.
I have discovered that my shower takes 3 minutes and I can be dressed by the time that the 7 minutes is up! The annoying thing is that you pay for 4 minutes that are not used ........... or maybe that says something about my cleanliness habits!
Thank you to Ju, Sophie and Leah for their hospitality, it has been fun seeing more of Mull and learning about life here.
Griff is in charge of breakfast this morning, which we will eat on the run as we are setting off early.
Not sure it we will get phone reception for the next few days, so I will Blog when I can.
Last night we climbed up to the hills above Tobermory and could see Canna in the distance. It was so clear that we could see out to Uist and watched the sun set behind it.
We are just about to go up for a shower - £2 a go. Most of the showers up here have a meter. Usually you rush your shower to make sure that the hot water doesn't stop before the money goes out. However the ones here last for 7 minutes and have a countdown display.
I have discovered that my shower takes 3 minutes and I can be dressed by the time that the 7 minutes is up! The annoying thing is that you pay for 4 minutes that are not used ........... or maybe that says something about my cleanliness habits!
Thank you to Ju, Sophie and Leah for their hospitality, it has been fun seeing more of Mull and learning about life here.
Griff is in charge of breakfast this morning, which we will eat on the run as we are setting off early.
Not sure it we will get phone reception for the next few days, so I will Blog when I can.
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Week 5 - Sunday - Beard
My beard has been attracting increasingly disapproving opinions, including from myself!
The only person who I have found that likes beards is the lady on the boat next door. She thinks that men with beards are more trustworthy ( of course her husband has a beard!)
The good Lord did not give me much to work with in the first place (looks wise) so why make it even worse with a beard that does not suit me!
So yesterday I decided to shave it off.
To make it more interesting (and because I was bored!) I shaved it off in stages and took photos.
After the full beard I went for: Noel Edmonds (neat and trimmed), the Arty look (goatie), "call me Ginger (RAF Moustache) and back to the normal 'me' look.
It feels great to be clean shaven again, but......................... I do have a twinge of missing the Captain Rusty look!
Any views on the best look, let me know.
Griff arrived safely yesterday after a mammoth journey and I borrowed Ju's car (my sister in law) to pick him up from the ferry. He must have been tired because he is still sleeping like a baby!
We are taking Ju, Sophie and Leah out for a sail today, then off up towards Skye tomorrow.
The only person who I have found that likes beards is the lady on the boat next door. She thinks that men with beards are more trustworthy ( of course her husband has a beard!)
The good Lord did not give me much to work with in the first place (looks wise) so why make it even worse with a beard that does not suit me!
So yesterday I decided to shave it off.
To make it more interesting (and because I was bored!) I shaved it off in stages and took photos.
After the full beard I went for: Noel Edmonds (neat and trimmed), the Arty look (goatie), "call me Ginger (RAF Moustache) and back to the normal 'me' look.
It feels great to be clean shaven again, but......................... I do have a twinge of missing the Captain Rusty look!
Any views on the best look, let me know.
Griff arrived safely yesterday after a mammoth journey and I borrowed Ju's car (my sister in law) to pick him up from the ferry. He must have been tired because he is still sleeping like a baby!
We are taking Ju, Sophie and Leah out for a sail today, then off up towards Skye tomorrow.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Week 5 - Saturday - Changeover
At the end of each week is Changeover day i.e. the day when one shipmate leaves and another joins.
This usually allows me some time on my own. I enjoy everyone's company, but it is nice to have a bit of time to chill out each week.
Changeover this week has a bigger gap, as Mark C. is off to Cornwall today and so had to get home on Friday. I dropped him off in Oban yesterday and he had to get the bus back to his car.
It was then back to Mull to wait for Griff to arrive this afternoon.
This allowed me the first chance to sail on my own.
It was a great trip, 5 hours of singing badly to myself and being on my own with the boat.
This needed some preparation, as my autopilot it very unreliable, so I can only leave the cockpit for very short periods.
So before leaving I collected together a bag of food, bottled water, tea bags, tea whitener, soup, a flask of hot water and a bucket.
Why a bucket; well after drinking all that fluid, and not being able to leave the cockpit.................I'll let you work it out!
I will miss Mark as he had become the self styled 'bus driver!' We motored for many hours last week, which I am getting a bit bored of. The great thing about Mark is that he is happy to helm for hour after hour with no break. I shall have to give Griff 'bus driving' lessons if we get no wind this week!
A day of cleaning awaits!
This usually allows me some time on my own. I enjoy everyone's company, but it is nice to have a bit of time to chill out each week.
Changeover this week has a bigger gap, as Mark C. is off to Cornwall today and so had to get home on Friday. I dropped him off in Oban yesterday and he had to get the bus back to his car.
It was then back to Mull to wait for Griff to arrive this afternoon.
This allowed me the first chance to sail on my own.
It was a great trip, 5 hours of singing badly to myself and being on my own with the boat.
This needed some preparation, as my autopilot it very unreliable, so I can only leave the cockpit for very short periods.
So before leaving I collected together a bag of food, bottled water, tea bags, tea whitener, soup, a flask of hot water and a bucket.
Why a bucket; well after drinking all that fluid, and not being able to leave the cockpit.................I'll let you work it out!
I will miss Mark as he had become the self styled 'bus driver!' We motored for many hours last week, which I am getting a bit bored of. The great thing about Mark is that he is happy to helm for hour after hour with no break. I shall have to give Griff 'bus driving' lessons if we get no wind this week!
A day of cleaning awaits!
Week 4 - Friday - Oban
We had a great sail yesterday from Tobemory to Oban.
It was a perfect wind from behind and we sailed the whole way.
I plucked up my courage and used my Cruusing Chute for the first time. This is a very large, thin sail that provides extra speed in light winds.
It is complicated to use and it took us a while to get it raised and trimmed properly. But once we had sorted it out, we flew down the sound of Mull.
The wind got stronger and we decided to bring the chute down. This involves pulling a large 'sock' over the sail which then deflates. I had never done this before, so we had a few hairy moments but managed it in the end. Great fun.
My beard is now 4 weeks old and does not seem to be meeting universal approval!
Vanessa has asked me to remove it and my mum says that it makes me look like dad. Mark's daughters were scrolling down the blog page and actually screamed with horror when they saw the picture of me and the beard!
It also makes me look even more ancient than I did before. As we dawdled down the middle of the road in Port Ellen a car full of youngsters sped past and shouted a friendly greeting..........."Get out of the way you old bastards!"
Add to that the itching, food debris removal and trimming - a beard really does have no merits.
I will persevere for a little longer but it will not be a permanent feature!
It was a perfect wind from behind and we sailed the whole way.
I plucked up my courage and used my Cruusing Chute for the first time. This is a very large, thin sail that provides extra speed in light winds.
It is complicated to use and it took us a while to get it raised and trimmed properly. But once we had sorted it out, we flew down the sound of Mull.
The wind got stronger and we decided to bring the chute down. This involves pulling a large 'sock' over the sail which then deflates. I had never done this before, so we had a few hairy moments but managed it in the end. Great fun.
My beard is now 4 weeks old and does not seem to be meeting universal approval!
Vanessa has asked me to remove it and my mum says that it makes me look like dad. Mark's daughters were scrolling down the blog page and actually screamed with horror when they saw the picture of me and the beard!
It also makes me look even more ancient than I did before. As we dawdled down the middle of the road in Port Ellen a car full of youngsters sped past and shouted a friendly greeting..........."Get out of the way you old bastards!"
Add to that the itching, food debris removal and trimming - a beard really does have no merits.
I will persevere for a little longer but it will not be a permanent feature!
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