Date: Thursday 4th September, 2008
Anchorage: Craigaig Bay, Ulva
Position: 56° 28’.200N 006° 13’.000W
Distance Travelled: 40 NM

After a blissfully peaceful night we awoke to a clear blue morning and calm seas. This aided in our sighting two minke whales in the first 40 minutes. 30 minutes was taken to admire the creatures, with us presuming that it was an adult and a youngling. With such calm waters we made good use of the Crows nest, with everyone having a go! However, the sightings calmed down somewhat after the initial treat of the minke whales, but we still sighted a basking shark, several porpoises and a couple of grey seals. Tonight we have moored in Craigaig and decided to take a trip to a wee small Isle. This was a wondrous place with a small cove beach with maerl sand (that’s algae, which is a delicate and sensitive habitat). Nearly all of the party took a cool swim in the crystal clear water, with all agreeing it was a wonderful experience, with me saying that it was the ‘best beach I’ve ever swum at’. The day and night has been topped off with Haggis and neaps and recurring tales of how the 1st mate once again had to strip down to his pants to retrieve the dinghy. High hopes of another good day tomorrow, but the weather is looking a bit dubious.
Cheers all, GUY.

PS. Recipe for Dahl (Pam’s secret recipe):
¼ pan of dahl
2 to 4 bay leaves depending upon pan size
3 to 4 whole cloves of garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cover dahl with boiling water (just enough to cover)
Keep over low heat and keep topping up as it evaporates
When near to serving, ensure that liquid is reduced and texture becomes thick
At this point add 1/3 to ½ pack of unsalted butter and stir through
Serve and enjoy!