We left early and timed it nicely through Dours Mor, past Corryvreckan, and between Fladda and Dubh Sgeir. Some visible rips and waves but there was no wind to speak of and the tides were in our favour. Max about 2 – 2.5 KN of tide with us at any time through here. Not the same for the Oban lifeboat in the Corryvreckan.
Storm Glider safely tied up in Oban marinaOban waterfront from the marinaScallop brunchwith prawn tailsall from the Green Shack, ObanMini cruise ships for visiting the areaVisiting lifeboatOban sea-front with McCaig’s Tower in the backgroundLangoustine for dinner
Now this crew member is signing-off by toasting the new yacht with some more local produce, this time all the way from Nyanga, Zimbabwe, while Storm Glider continues her journey further north.
Crinan sea lock gates openingGlimpse the Black Rock with mainland beyond – region of Duntrune CastleLooking back to the open sea lock at Crinan
Quickly round the corner we requested a guest mooring from Crinan Boat Yard.
Crinan HotelDownstairs bar at the Crinan Hotel – for guest yachtsmenScottish wildlifeStorm Glider crew – looks like he is waiting for food!Dinner is servedScallops with baconSalmon risotto – possibly even better than the scallops!
Well it just depended on who you asked. However what was definite was that there was a tree down and blocking our passage through the canal.
It all began, for us, as we started through the sea lock, the swing bridge for the road and the next lock up. Apparently we would have to wait as there was a tree in the canal. We moored up above the second lock and eventually, after various communications, started walking along the canal in the direction of the incident – Auchindarrach
DAY 1
The entrance to Ardrishaig sea lockSea lock and swing bridge Sea lock before the fun startsThe basin between locks 2 and 3. Arran far distance.Storm Glider, Crinan Canal, Ardrishaig
It was evident pretty quickly that this was not going to work; using a tractor’s winch to pull a heavy, submerged beach tree up at about a 20 to 30 degree angle and into the vertical metal sidings of the canal was going nowhere. Earlier in the day the winch had pulled the main trunk of the tree and roots wholly into the canal.
Prior to this it turns out that boats had been passing for the last two days …
Nothing to do.
The most generous garage award goes to W. D. Semple!Consolation after a day spent on the canal side in Ardrishaig – a type of boating Walliser Käseschnitten
DAY 2
Anyhoo, the following day they must have started early as by about 9 am we passed a hydraulic excavator which had already done the business and the chainsaw was buzzing away.
Going upLock 5 Crinan CanalComing down the other sideAt Crinan. Canal water coming over the sea lockStorm Glider and her Captain sensing the open sea
There are times when you just have to celebrate and this was for Storm Glider’s arrival in Scotland so we really pushed the boat out. Well, they are made in Fochabers!
What and end to a great day on the water!
And there we were thinking the next day we would be able to pass through the 9 mile Crinan Canal …
Mainland ScotlandBlackwaterfoot, ArranBlackwaterfootPossibly a submarine hunter! (Submarine exercise area on the chart)South side Catacol BaySouth side Catacol BayCatacol, ArranCatacol Bay, ArranArea of An Scriodan, ArranSaying goodbye to Arran from Inchmarnock WaterArran from Inchmarnock Water
A fine, blue sky, 86 NM day motor-sailing to Scotland, with the views to prove it! This section 6a covers Kintyre, 6b is Arran, 6c is Ardrishaig. There is overlap in the pictures.
Land Ahoy! Scotland!Ailsa CraigSanda LighthouseThen you see this! What is going on at the shoreline? Couldn’t figure it out at the time.Zoomed inLooked similar at CampbeltownCampbeltown zoomed in
(Some weeks later) Presumably a form of ‘inferior mirage’ as the mirage is below the real image.
Eastern Highlander 