Replacement crew are on their way...

...with lots of cake!

Awaiting crew in Tobermory

A day spent in Tobermory. We spent some time doing the sort of catching up jobs that are needed from time to time: going to the launderette, stocking up on food and fuel, etc. 

There is lots going on in Tobermory which though quite small is the largest town for a long way. The main street by the harbour has plenty of shops that are interesting or useful and often both, with none of the usual high street chain stores. It was a bright sunny day with lots of boats coming and going in the harbour. We were interested to see one elderly yacht being expertly sailed into the harbour by its single handed owner of similar age. The skipper of this little boat was properly dressed in his kilt and the boat was of course equally Scottish having been built on the Clyde.

We met up with Trevor's sister Chris and her husband Martin who recommended the Cafe Fish restaurant on the quayside. This got the 2012 Good Food Guide award for the best fish restaurant in the UK. It is indeed both very good and very popular, although we heard one customer disappointed that they did not sell cod and chips.

Tomorrow we are getting new crew: Tim and Trev are coming from Surrey. We have had lots of emails and phone calls about the difficulty of getting here by public transport but never mind. This is a very pretty place to wait and no doubt they will get here eventually.

Iona

We woke in Tobermory to a bright sunny day with no wind at all. Therefore rather than spend the day under motor in the boat we hired a car and motored around the island. We took a ferry to Iona where we looked around the Abbey. This was were St Columba settled in the sixth century, and there are many notices reminding you of his influence which spread far beyond the island. However none of the buildings from his day survive: some are from the 13th century and have been much restored. Columba's original settlement was repeatedly raided by the Vikings and would have been almost impossible to defend. There is an interesting museum with lots of medieval stone carvings. 

Much of the Island of Mull has marvelous scenery with deep lochs and ancient rugged mountains.

Remarkably, this far north, it does not get dark at night in June. The sun goes down, and twilight sets in but it never really gets dark. It gives an odd feel to the evenings if you are not used to it. Its now 11pm and still quite light.

Naiad and Tatiana II arrived in Tobermory today so the gaffers are gathering for moving further north.

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Tobermory

Having said goodbye to Jon at Ardfern this morning D, I and Bonita motored out in a flat calm. We passed though Dorus Mor at slack water. This is a passage between two islands notorious for turbulent currents.  Even when there was supposed to be no tidal flow, there were huge whirlpools and eddies in the channel. We negotiated many tortuous channels before getting entering the Sound of Mull where we finally had a reasonable wind. We are now at the north end of the Sound at the famous, picturesque town of Tobermory.

Throughout the whole day we have been surrounded by the most magnificent scenery. The novelty of seeing Bonita's familiar shape in these romantic places so far from home always seems odd. As always she gets lots of attention and is frequently photographed wherever she goes. We'll spend a day or two at Tobermory with fresh crew arriving soon.

Ardfern

We left Gigha about 7am and had a gentle sail that ended up under engine as the wind died. We sailed up
Jura Sound to Ardfern, and at every turn there is the most spectacular scenery. The pilot book is full of horrifying tales of hidden rocks and vicious tides, but in practice with a bit of care and common sense the navigation generally works out OK - at least it has so far. Ardfern is a well equipped marina reputedly patronised by royalty. We have come here, rather than anchoring in some remote bay for two reasons. Partly because I wanted to buy some more charts. I had been persuaded that buying a modern chart plotter would mean I could economise on charts. This doesn't seem to be true. The chart plotter is a marvellous thing and enables you to get out of difficult situations that you would never had got into in the days before electronic navigational aids. However I found I had come with fewer charts than I felt comfortable with, and the fine chandlers at Ardfern was a good place to get some more. Our other reason for coming here is that Jon, our stalwart and uncomplaining crew and new convert to gaffer sailing, has run out of time. Jon joined us in Dublin and has been of great help on some difficult trips, but sadly has to go home tomorrow. The photo shows us in Ardfern with Jon in his prized Beckett Rankine sponsored rugby shirt.