(Sadly) I’ve just arrived back home from a superb weekend on Loch Fyne.
Arriving Thursday the craft was launched almost immediately- no sense in wasting time unpacking!! First trip was to the campsite to see Ron and Karen who arrived shortly before us.
Friday morning saw a run down the Loch, pottering in and out of all the bays down to Lachlan Castle then round Minard Islands and stopping off on the shores of Ardcastle forest to enjoy the solitude for a while.
Then back to the cabin to join John for the obligatory trip to the brewery, picking up Karen and Ron on the way up. Returning via the pub for (late) lunch and a relaxed run back via Lachlan to meet Steve who had just arrived, as had Nick.
Saturday was wet. Absolutely tipping in down! But the Loch was flat calm so we set off down the Loch, picking up Nick as he flew past the cabin from the campsite. The rain was truly atrocious- needing the bilges pumped every 10 or 15 minutes, but other than that conditions were perfect. Great conditions to try out my new “hard top” which did what it was supposed to, keeping me dry! Hovering in these conditions has a special appeal all of its own.
As conditions improved through the day we meandered further down the loch, taking time to “discover” some standing stones down near Portavadie and visit some now familiar beaches.
The return was via the Oystercatcher for refreshments and fish and chips, followed by a run back in the gathering darkness, landing at the the cabin in the pitch black! Fortunately for me Steve had landed first a provided me with a handy landing light to guide me up the slipway to the gate rather than to the fence, albeit via an unorthodox route over the rocks which fortunately were sufficiently submerged on this occasion. Remarkable how the dark changes the perspective, I was sure I had left enough room between me and the neighbours moored boat to make the correct approach, however I failed to account for the fact that it has swung on its lengthy mooring rope! Still, I knew the tide was well up allowing more leeway., which was a good thing as it happened!
So Sabrina is now fully recommissioned after her engine rebuild and very pleased I am about that! Less faffing and more hovering for me now!
Many thanks to John for all the usual things. Brilliant weekend for me, I’m just sad that work forces an all too short trip.
Ian