Our main season cruise this year was to the West Coast of Scotland and the Inner Hebrides.
Route – Carrick Castle, Argyll; Port Bannatyne, Isle of Bute; Loch Ranza, Isle of Arran; Campbeltown, Argyll; Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay; Isle of Kerrera by Oban; Loch Spelve, Isle of Mull; Corpach Basin, Caledonian Canal by Fort William; Tobermory, Isle of Mull; Loch Drumbuie, Isle of Oronsay, by Morvern; Tobermory again; Isle of Canna; Armadale, Isle of Skye; Mallaig; Inverie, Knoydart; Isle of Eigg; Isle of Muck; Tobermory, again; Gometra Harbour, between Isle of Gometra & Isle of Ulva; Cragaig, Isle of Ulva; Tinker’s Hole, Isle of Erraid, Mull; Ardminish, Isle of Gigha; Lamlash, Isle of Arran & Carrick Castle covering 578 miles between 28th April and 1st June 2012.
Crew: Douglas Locke and Liz Evans
Diary and Log Book extracts for 2012 cruise.
There are many photographs of the cruise,
see the Gallery (2012 – 80 photos) : –
28th April 2012
14.05 – Departed mooring in Carrick Castle heading for a Westerly Owners Association Scotland Muster & Dinner.
17.55 – Arrived Port Bannatyne Marina.
20 miles – MWF 2
Dream Weaver at Port Bannatyne, Marina
We met up with Alistair Beattie for pre-dinner drinks at his house there with other WOA members and then had a club dinner at the Bistro in Rothesay where the members took over the whole reastaurant with 25 in attendance.
29th April 2012
In the morning, the WOA members met up in Port Bannatyne for games of Boule on the Boule Court. Liz & Douglas won with their team.
13.30 – Departed Port Bannatyne Marine for Loch Ranza.
18.04 – Arrived Loch Ranza moorings.
22 miles – MWF 4 – Very windy night!
30th April 2012
09.30 – Departed Loch Ranza mooring heading for Campbeltown.
14.10 – Arrived Campbeltown poontoon.
22 miles MWF 6 G 7 – Genoa sheet broke loose off Carradale when being stowed – Liz managed to tie up the rolled up genoa in rough sea!
We met up with John & Jane Stewart for dinner at their house – excellent meal and evening!
1st May 2012
Day off in Campbeltown waiting for suitable weather to round the Mll of Kintyre.
2nd May 2012
05.30 – Departed Campbeltown pontoon heading for Colonsay.
17.00 – Arrived Scalasaig pier, Isle of Colonsay.
70 miles – MWF 3
We met up with Alison Hendry & her friend Bob who had drinks with us on Dream Weaver that evening.
Liz on the pier above Dream Weaver at Scalasaig, Isle of Colonsay
Dream Weaver tied up to the wave board
3rd May 2012
In the morning, we went on an archaeological walk as part of the Colonsay May Festival – we were the only people on it other than the guide.
The weather forecast was not good for staying on the pier or even anchgoring as a NE 7 was due that night so we decided reluctantly to leave.
We cannot recommend staying on the pier because of the huge rise and fall of the tide and swell that comes in to the bay. We had beautiful weather however whilst we were in Colonsay.
13.00 – Departed Colonsay for Oban.
18.25 – Arrived Oban Marina, Isle of Kerrera.
32 miles – MWF 4
We met up wit Bill & Frances Shaw on Ailsa Bhan next to us in the marina. We met up with them last year in Orkney and Oban a few times. They invited us on to their yacht for drinks.
Frances & Bill Shaw’s yacht Ailsa Bhan in Kerrera
4th May 2012
Day off in Oban shopping. Bill & Frances Shaw asked us to go with them to the Royal Highland Yacht Club Muster in Loch Spelve the next day as their guests.
5th May 2012
11.00 – Departed Oban Marina
12.15 – Anchored off Ardmore Bay, south of Kerrera for a lunch stop with Ailsa Bhan.
14.10 – Weighed anchor Ardmore Bay.
17.50 – Arrived at the head of Loch Spelve, Isle of Mull and anchored in 14 m alongside Ailsa Bhan.
12 miles – MWF 2
Bill & Frances Shaw came over for drinks with us on Dream Weaver before we all went ashore to the Mussel Feast with the RHYC Muster. We met up with Mike & Anne Harrison there who were at the Westerly Muster in Port Bannatyne.
About 50 yachts went to the RHYC Muster in Loch Spelve
6th May 2012
10.55 – Departed Loch Spelve, Isle of Mull for Corpach Basin.
17.15 – Arrived Corpach Basin sea loch, Caledonian Canal, where the lockkeeper managed to let us in before going home at 17.30…
38 miles MWF 2
Douglas visited his 92 & 97 year old parents that evening who live in Corpach.
7th & 8th May 2012
Douglas & Liz visted Douglas’ parents – did their shopping by bus and train in Fort William and generally helped them with Gillan, Douglas’ son, coming up to Corpach on the second day.
9th May 2012
Restored the forestay pin that was loose!
11.00 – The only chance of leaving the sea lock that day was at this time and we entered the lock with two other yachts and a fishing boat. One of the yachts was called Freya and as it happened when we left the same loch the previous year we were in it together!
18.15 – Arrived Tobermory moorings, Isle of Mull.
42 miles – MWF 4
Our friends, the Shaws on Ailsa Bhan took this photo of Dream Weaver
10th May 2012
13.25 – Departed Tobermory moorings for Loch Drumbuie.
14.45 – Anchored at the head of Loch Drumbuie on the south east bay by the Isle of Oronsay in 6 m. Low tide 5 m. 25 m chain out with angel.
6 miles – MWF 3
We went for a walk to the hill for mobile signal and then to the east of the island.
11th May 2012
Still anchored and well settled in. We went for another walk on Oronsay, this time towards the end of the west side of the island. Beautiful views and interesting settlements of old ruined houses there. Wind getting up and forecast not good.
12th & 13th May 2012
Too windy to go ashore. Anchor holding well in gale force winds however when gusting 9 and 10 from SW & W there was small movement and depth reduced to 3.7 m so we decided to weigh anchor and try and pick up the big buoy off the bay. We succeeded in doing this and from late afternoon onwards had to stick out winds of SW to W 8 to 9 and gusts of F 10 over 50 mph. We felt a lot safer on this heavy mooring than being on the lee shore at anchor in such winds. It became very rough later that evening with a big 1 – 2 metre swell coming in from the NW.
14th May 2012
08.40 – Departed mooring in Loch Drumbuie for Tobermory, Isle of Mull.
10.00 – Arrived Tobermory pontoons.
6 miles – MWF 3
We did our shopping in Tobermory and laundry.
In the afternoon, Astraea arrived alonside us. John Stewart from Campbeltown owns this yacht so it was social time again meeting up with him for drinks on his yacht with four of his friends.
John Stewart’s yacht Astraea in Tobermory
15th May 2012
Day off in Tobermory. Went for a walk to Aros Park, a shoreside walk up the hillside to the east of Tobermory. In the evening, John Stewart and the four crew members on Astraea came over to Dream Weaver for return drinks on board.
Dream Weaver & Astraea at the Tobermory pontoons
16th May 2012
08.30 – Departed Tobermory pontoons for the Isle of Canna.
14.20 – Anchored Canna Harbour in 5.5m.
32 miles – MWF 4
Went for a walk and visited Canna House.
17th May 2012
Liz’s 60th Birthday today – poured with rain all day and winds strong in Canna – anchor with angel held perfectly – read all day!
18th May 2012
At anchor all day in Canna – went for a long walk to Tairbert and the subterrainian. In the evening we had a ‘Birthday’ dinner at the restaurant in Canna Harbour. We met up with another yacht’s crew – Aquilla (Ian, Neil, David & Rob) who we had previously encountered in Wick last year. Excellent dinner!
19th My 2012
10.45 – Departed Canna anchorage for Armadale on Skye.
12.00 – Fantastic display from dozens of Common Dolphins who stayed alongside the yacht for half an hour whilst we were under sail towards Soay.
15.00 – Anchored in Loch Scarvaig by Cruisk in 1.7 m under the keel. Liz had been wanting to get into this spectacular anchorage for years in the yacht.
15.25 – Weighed anchor as insufficient depth to stay in the anchorage for long as the yacht has a draft of 1.4 m…
19.15 – Arrived moorings Armadale, Isle of Skye.
35 miles – MWF 3
20th May 2012
14.26 – Departed moorings in Armadale.
15.38 – Arrived Mallaig Marina.
4 miles – MWF 3
In the morning, we visited the Clan Donald Centre and Armadale Castle and gardens.
21st May 2012
Took the West Highland Line train from Mallaig at 06.03 to Fort William to do Douglas’ parents shopping. Taxi to Corpach to visit them for the day and then took the 16.30 train from Corpach back to Mallaig. Beautiful, warm sunny day – what a change!
Douglas taking his mother out to the Corpach Standing Stones
22nd May 2012
15.35 – Departed Mallaig marina for Inverie.
16.38 – Arrived mooring Inverie, Knoydart.
7 miles – MWF 1
We went for a walk and then had an excellent seafood dinner at the Old Forge Restaurant.
23rd May 2012
We went on a guided landrover walk – the first part was by landrover and then a walk down the hil to Doune that is only accessible by sea or walking. At Doune we had tea and cakes in the restaurant. There are two blue visitors mooring for use or patrons if one is passing by sea. In the afternoon, we went on a short forest walk in Inverie. A hot sunny day. We met up with a family from another yacht chatting away enjoyably in the beautiful weather.
24th May 2012
08.30 – Departed mooring at Inverie heading for the Isle of Eigg.
12.05 – Arrived Isle of Eigg anchorage – very shallow so could not stay long – anchored in just over 1m under the keel at low water!
19 miles – MWF 1
Dream Weaver anchored at the Isle of Eigg
We saw a Minke whale just off the Isle of Eigg.
13.00 – Departed Isle of Eigg anchorage for Isle of Muck.
14.07 – Arrived Port Mor, Isle of Muck anchorage. Anchored in 5m at low water.
5 miles – MWF 2
We went ashore on arrival but Douglas was not well with heatstroke so returned to the yacht. The weather was incredibly hot and calm.
25th May 2012
Liz went walking across the Isle of Muck whilst Douglas had a day resting on board as sickness had overcome him. Another day of hot sunny weather. The yacht that was anchored next to us gave us some fresh filleted Pollock that they had just caught – very tasty.
Dream Weaver at the very open anchorage at Port Mor, Isle of Muck
26th May 2012
09.55 – Departed anchorage Port Mor, Isle of Muck for Tobermory.
13.25 – Arrived Tobermory pontoons.
17 miles – MWF 4
Another hot sunny day with a very warm wind – Douglas feeling a little better!
27th May 2012
Tobermory – now heading south and for home a little earlier than planned unfortunately.
11.10 – Departed pontoon Tobermory heading for Gometra.
17.15 – Anchored in Gometra Harbour, between the Isles of Gometra and Ulva.
23 miles – MWF 2
Very hot and sunny – 24C at 20.00 hrs.
28th May 2012
Gometra for the day walking accross the island.
Very hot and sunny – 27C at 19.00 hrs.
29th May 2012
09.55 – Departed anchorage at Gometra Harbour for another anchorage in Ulva.
11.00 – Anchored at Cragaig, Isle of Ulva.
We went for a walk locally.
Douglas & Liz by the standing stones at Cragaig, Isle of Ulva
13.35 – Departed anchorage Cragaig for Tinker’s Hole, Mull.
15.45 – Arrived anchorage in Tinker’s Hole, Isle of Erraid, Mull. Anchored in 3.9 m below keel.
Liz went for a walk up the hill on the Isle of Erraid.
17 miles – MWF 3
30th May 2012
08.25 – Departed anchorage at Tinker’s Hole heading for the Isle of Gigha.
17.19 – Arrived anchorage Ardminish, Isle of Gigha. Anchored in 2.4m below the keel.
53 miles – MWF 4
31st May 2012
13.30 – Departed anchorage Isle of Gigha heading round the Mull of Kintyre for Lamlash.
22.30 – Arrived Lamlash moorings, Isle of Arran.
58 miles – MWF 3
Look what we found in the sea heading towards the Mull of Kintyre…
and, we loaded them on to the tender…
1st June 2012
05.50 – Departed Lamlash.
11.20 – Arrived Holy Loch Marina, Sandbank to refuel and top up water.
11.55 – Departed the marina for home.
13.53 – Arrived mooring Carrick Castle.
41 miles – MWF 3
Summary:
This voyage has had extremes of weather from no wind whatsoever to gales with gusts exceeding 50 miles an hour (F10); It has been extremely cold at 4C with hail and even new snow on the hills, to days of extreme heat reaching 29C when it was just too hot to do anything. We have had heavy rain but on the whole most days have been dry with a fair amount of sun as the photographs will show. We have been able to anchor in places that are often very difficult to go to that has been very interesting. It has also been a very social time going to two musters (Westerly Owners in Port Bannatyne and Royal Highland Yacht Club as guests in Loch Spelve) and meeting up with many friends on their yachts a few times in different places. The highlight of the voyage was the half hour when around 40 dolphins kept coming alongside the yacht enjoying the bow wave as we sailed between Rum and Soay – Fantastic! We have now sailed over 8,000 miles around the west coast of Scotland in Dream Weaver – what a fantastic sailing area we are lucky to live by and enjoy…
MWF = Maximum Wind Force per day.
For photographs of the voyage, see the Gallery for 2012.
Dream Weaver fully dressed on her mooring
for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee 3rd-5th June 2012
Main season voyage = 578 nautical miles.
Other sailing this year – Clyde area, Scotland = 0 nautical miles to 01/06/2012.
(Clyde area visits included Sandbank)
Other visitors this year: None.
Total miles for 2012 season = 578 nautical miles to 01/06/2012.
Total miles sailed since 2000 = 11,851 nautical miles to 01/06/2012.
