Today had been forecast to be a day of respite from the storms so far experienced.
Chris got off to a good early start (06.30) by “headbutting” the top bunk bed. After a period of blood mopping and more usual waking activities, he retreated back into bed for another hour, leaving Britt to take up the morning lead. Chris was first to consume breakfast and once finished, re-commenced fishing, this time from the pontoons. A total of one dogfish and three Mackeral were landed.

We said goodbye to Peter who was back off home to Maine USA and our departure from the mooring was at 10am. The weather just got better and better……….and the layers of clothing, lighter and lighter. Observation did not reveal any cetaceans (whales or dolphins) but there was one period of intense sonar activity recorded by the hydrophones that indicated close encounters of porpoises. Chris (under the watchful eye of Skipper Dave) took on the challenge of some “tight” navigation, under sail, through the narrow passage known as the Sound of Luing , where the presence of shallow rocks were revealed by the strong eddies and rough water. Travel continued past Corryvreckan and Dorus Mor.

As we neared Loch Craignish and the afternoon turned into a perfect “picturecard” kind of day, Andrew threw caution away with the wind and decided to scale the mast to the Crows Nest, complete with oilskins, life jacket and climbing harness.!! Once there we could not get him down and there was an interesting juxtaposition when Juliette climbed up alongside him adorned in only T-shirt and jeans. Chris recommencds trolling for fish in the hope of snagging a stray salmon but Debbie refused to drift our 60ft sloop at 1 knot through the centre of the nearby fish farms.

Andrew eventually spotted something before everybody else from his vantage point, a huge jellyfish taxonomically known as Rhizostoma octopus, Once we arrived at our deliberately secluded anchorage, Andrew returned to terra-firma (or rather terra-marina) and Jill took her courage with her to the top. This now left Chris and Debbie as the only virgins ………but not for long……….Dave conned Chris into thinking that he was going to the pub and then when he got outside the cabin, he slapped on the climbing harness………and so in a blaze of hesitancy and foreboding Chris joined the ranks of the “experienced”. However, the finest sighting made so far on this trip was when Jules and Franke jumped from the cabin roof into the water and completed a circuit of the Silurian.

Dinner was Chilli con carne followed by chocolate crisps and a short ride in the rib and walk to the Marina Inn, where real ale was available (well draught 80% bitter any way). The day ended with careful battening of all hatches as we awaited the arrival of storm force 9 winds and officially classified “phenomenol” seas………... ………..to be continued.

Log by Chris