Monday July 10 2017 0730.
I’m up so I put the kettle on, boil the water ,put one tea
bag in the pot, pouring the boiling
water and make a pot of tea. The crew arouse themselves and after tea they go
off to the city. I do the engine checks, transmission. Oil and coolant and
belt. All OK so I go to the museum before the crowds arrive and see all the
things I missed yesterday. We all get back to the boat by 1130 and we are
underway by 1210 for the ride on the tide out the river. It’s dark grey, cold
and a heavy rain pelts us as we motor past Greenock. We head to Rothesay as the
weather wasn’t the best and we could do a walk about and a little food
shopping.
We arrived at 1710. Sally and Dianne went off to the tourist
office and by the time I got ashore they were disappeared! I went to the co-op
grocery store and waited outside. No luck so I went back to the boat. They both
arrived shortly after. We had dinner and
then showed Dianne the town.
Tuesday July 11 2017 0530!
You read that right 0530!! Guess who is up and makes the
tea? We cast off our lines and get underway at 0700 to get through the kyles at
slack water.
The Kyles are a very narrow passage between the Isle of
Butte and the mainland with currents of up to 6 or 7 knots and it is not a
strait through passage so we wanted to be there at slack high water so when
through and the tide turned we could run down the coat to Tarbert with it.
This we did on a very nice day and got to see someDolphins,
birds and seals along the way. We arrived at Tarbert at 1045 found an open
pontoon slid in and secured the boat. We then went walk about. Met our friends
Dave and Dawn from Crystalyn (we met them two years ago first in Tobermory and
then Oban and we ran into them literally in the Crinan Canal and we’re still
friends). D and D had seen us and made
reservations at the Starfish Restaurant
for 1930. We did a little shop Local eggs and cheese then showers (well needed)
and Happy hour at 1830 on Kalinka 1 . We
all 5 of us had a leisurely stroll over
to the restaurant and had a superb dinner. I had the sea food stroganoff, Sally
had crab toes, Sea food curry. Dianne had fish and salad. We all wobbled back
to our respective vessels! Tomorrow is going to be a long day so slummberland.
At one time the whole Western part of Scotland was owned by
Norway! Chiefly because of a Viking named Magnus Bare legs or Hairy legs
depending on who is telling the story. The
story goes that at Tarbert a long time ago Magnus was discussing politrics with a Scottish King. As happens when people
talk about politrics a few meads were consumed (To early for whiskey to be invented).
So a bet was made and a deal struck that Magnus could have all the land he
could sail around. Well the next day off Magnus went and dragged his Long ship across the narrow bit of land dividing Tarbert
from West Tarbert. He got a whole lot of
land! Then a few hundred years later Norway deciding they really didn’t want
Scotland because of all the Jimmy’s gave it back. Magnus is still spinning
(verified by the whirlpool we were anchored in later in the story)
Wednesday July 12 2017 0500!
Hope this early morning stuff doesn’t become a habit? Do the
usual tea ceremony and we’re off at 0530 for the trip around the Mull of
Kintyre to the Island of Gigha.
A pretty much uneventful trip to Campbell town where we were
going to stop for fuel. A bright sunny day. We arrived at Campbell town and met
Sea Pilgrim coming out! Entered the harbor had a look at the steel piling wall
where the fuel bowser was and decided life was too short and turned about and
headed back out onwards to Gigha. We left the Harbour and got the main up and
motored out to Sanda Island to check the anchorage in case we can’t get around
the Mull. Nice spot will maybe stop here on our way South. We get to the Mull
and get the head sail unfurled and have a very nice sail The tide turned and we
were in the overfalls with the standing waves beginning to form! We sailed on
and were soon in smooth water again and up to Gigha where we all take moorings.
Sea Pilgrim comes in much later.
Thursday July 13 2017.
Get up before everyone else. Do the usual. Then we put the
dinghy in the water mount the outboard and zoom ashore. We all (Tony,Anne Sea
Pilgrim)( Dave and Dawn Crystalyn) (Sally, Dianne and I Kalinka 1) all meet at
the landing around . It’s decided to rent bicycles and go for a ride. What the
heck it’s an island what can go wrong?
Get personally fitted for an 18 speeder Sally and Dianne get
7 speeders. Tony get’s a girls bike because that’s all they had left. So it
begins.
We leave the shop head up the hill. Yup right off the bat
uphill. This does not bode well. Waiting at the top,,,,,,,,,,,No Tony! Wait some
more,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, He arrives. All scraped up. He fell off but
seems OK. We ride North pretty much all up hill on our way to the Giant’s
Tooth! (A standing stone next to the road) We finally arrive and then the hunt
for the geo cache begins. 7 of us looking for a ½ hour and we can’t find it!
Check the logs and it hasn’t been found in over a year! We declare it gone. We
saddle up and continue our journey North. Not many hills that I make to the top
of riding the bike! We arrive at the North end of the Island. It was worth the
ride. We turn around to head South.
Another uphill start! I get ½ way up. Before I can get leg over bar to get off
I come to a stop, get leg over step down foot goes in hole, I follow. Everyone
laughs before checking to see if I’m all right! I’m laughing to so must be ok.
Get back on even if it’s not a horse and we huff and puff our way back to town.
Stop for an Ice cream. Everyone else game to go to South end. I’m persuaded. We
head off. Get to junction with road to Ogam stone. I quit. Return bikes
Everyone else back while still in shop. South half obviously shorter than North
half! Returned to the boat. Beat.
Friday July Sally’s day 2017.
No comments:
Post a Comment