Our main season cruise to the Southern Hebrides
20th July to 3rd August 2007

Our main cruise this year on Dream Weaver was to the southern Hebrides including 12 islands – Holy Island, Sanda Island, Isle of Islay, Isle of Jura, Garvellachs Islands, Isle of Kerrera, Isle of Mull, Isle of Coll, Isle of Iona, Isle of Seil, Isle of Gigha and Isle of Arran and also a visit to Oban covered 479 miles. The full cruise was in company with yacht Elsa, a Krogan 38.

Crew: Douglas Locke and Liz Evans

Diary and Log Book extracts for 2007 cruise.

20.07.07 11.05 Departed Carrick Castle mooring towards Holy Island, by Lamlash, Isle of Arran. Accompanied by yacht Elsa (Robert White and Claire France). Overcast, MWF NE 4.

20.07.07 16.40 Anchored off Holy Island – 37 miles.

21.07.07 05.55 Departed Holy Island anchorage. Overcast, MWF E 3.

21.07.07 10.20 Anchored off jetty Sanda Island – 27 miles. Walked to the Ship Lighthouse, played Boule on the beach and had an excellent dinner at the Byron Darnton Tavern, Sanda Island.

22.07.07 05.40 Departed Sanda Island anchorage. Rounded to Mull of Kintyre in tranquil conditions. Sunny spells and flat calm seas with MWF W 2 off the Mull and the rest of the trip W 0-1 en route to Port Ellen, Isle of Islay. Towed Elsa 20 miles from the Mull of Kintyre to Port Ellen as they had fuel problems.

22.07.07 11.00 Arrived Port Ellen Marina – 34 miles.

23.07.07 10.00 Departed Port Ellen Marina after Elsa had refuelled. Having had to wait for the fuel bowser to arrive in Port Ellen, we missed the tide so decided to go up the Sound of Islay against the strong tide using the back eddies on the port side of the channel. This turned out to be exciting using the fish finder to locate the shallow inshore contours following the chart to avoid rocks and reaching 7.7 knots against an estimated 5 knots of tide against us! Entered the inner anchorage of West Loch Tarbert on the Isle of Jura – an interesting course to follow to avoid many rocks. Sunny, MWF N/NW 4.

23.07.07 18.45 Anchored West Loch Tarbert – 42 miles.

24.07.07 08.10 Departed anchorage West Loch Tarbert, Isle of Jura.
24.07.07 12.08 Arrived Garvellachs and anchored. Visited the site of St Columba’s monestry.
24.07.07 13.47 Departed Garvellachs’ anchorage. Sunny, MWF V 4.
24.07.07 16.45 Arrived Oban Marina, Isle of Kerrera – 37 miles.

25.07.07 10.05 Departed Oban Marine, Isle of Kerrera. Sunny, heavy rain around 16.00 hrs in Tobermory, MWF S 3. Not accompanied by Elsa for Tobermory trip.
25.07.07 14.00 Anchored Tobermory, Isle of Mull – 25 miles. Visited town.

26.07.07 12.25 Departed anchorage Tobermory. Overcast, MWF S/W 2.
26.07.07 16.35 Arrived Oban Marina, Isle of Kerrera – 24 miles. Visit to Oban.

27.07.07 Oban for the day.

28.07.07 10.50 Departed Oban Marina, Isle of Kerrera. Sunny periods, MWF W/NW 6.
28.07.07 15.00 Arrived Tobermory again and picked up a visitor’s mooring – 25 miles. Visited town.

29.07.07 08.05 Departed mooring Tobermory. Sunny periods, MWF NW/W 5.
29.07.07 12.25 Arrived visitor’s mooring Arinagour, Isle of Coll – 22 miles. Walked across the island with a lift back!

30.07.07 08.00 Departed mooring Arinagour, Isle of Coll. Passing the north of the Treshnish Islands we saw a basking shark. Then we passed close to Fingals Cave on the Isle of Staffa. Sunny periods, MWF N/NW 3.
30.07.07 12.25 Arrived anchorage, Bunessan, Isle of Mull. Visit to Iona Abbey on the Isle of Iona hitch-hiking and by ferry.

31.07.07 05.35 Departed anchorage Bunessan, Isle of Mull. Sunny periods, MWF SW/S 5 with forecast up to S 7 overnight.
31.07.07 12.50 Arrived anchorage Puiladobhrain, Isle of Seil – 37 miles. Heavy rain and high wind late afternoon and night.

01.08.07 07.10 Departed anchorage Puiladobhrain, Isle of Seil. Sunny periods, MWF SW 4. Route via Pladda reaching 11.5 knots and passing south entrance to Corryvrechan reached our record ever speed over the ground of 14.2 knots!
01.08.07 13.33 Arrived anchorage Ardminish, Isle of Gigha – 47 miles. Visited gardens and had excellent dinner at The Boathouse, Ardminish.

02.08.07 08.10 Departed Ardminish, anchorage. Sunny periods, MWF V 4. Big Atlantic swell off the Mull of Kintyre. Elsa stopped off at Sanda Island to anchor overnight.
02.08.07 17.50 Arrived visitor’s mooring at Lamlash, Isle of Arran – 59 miles.

03.08.07 08.00 Departed mooring Lamlash, Isle of Arran. passed a basking shark of the Gantocks lighthouse by Dunoon. Overcast, showers, MWF S 6.
03.08.07 12.50 Arrived Holy Loch Marina, Sandbank to refuel diesel and water and clean yacht down.
03.08.07 15.50 Departed Holy Loch Marina, Sandbank. Overcast, MWF S 5. Met up with Elsa as we rejoined Loch Long arriving back together at Carrick Castle. Forecast for gale force winds overnight.
03.08.07 17.25 Arrived own mooring Carrick Castle, Argyll – 42 miles.

This was an excellent holiday with a lot more sailing than usual although we did have to motor-sail some of the time. The weather was favourable, with many sunny periods and little rain. It was not warm, not really summer weather however! We covered 479 miles over the two weeks.

Long weekend cruise in June 2007

We have had an excellent long weekend down to Sanda Island south of Campbeltown off Kintyre, Argyll in June. This was to meet up with other Westerly Owners at a Scottish Group Association Muster. Beautiful, hot, sunny weather and a great dinner at the Byron Darnton Tavern on Sanda Island. We stopped to anchor on the way down off Holy Island by Lamlash, Isle of Arran and had an overnight in the Rothesay Marina on the way back with a very good Indian meal.

Crew: Douglas Locke & Liz Evans

Other Visitors this year: Gillan Locke; Grant, Emma, Holly & Calum Ward; Brett, Alison, Jack, Eve & Ruby, Simon Cash & Ellie Forster and Gwyneth Evans.
There are a few photographs taken this year, see the Gallery for 2007.

Main season voyage = 479 nautical miles.

Other sailing this year – Clyde area, Scotland = 297 nautical miles to 21/12/07.
(Clyde area visits included Rosneath, Lochgoilhead, Loch Long, Holy Island & Lamlash, Isle of Arran, Sanda Island, Rothesay, Sandbank, Argyll & Bute.)

Total miles for 2007 season = 773 nautical miles to 21/12/07.

Total miles sailed since 2000 = 9,169 nautical miles to end 2007.