Mallaig has improved as a town. The houses are cream instead of grey, there are flower lined streets and, on the harbour side, Cameron Mackintosh is constructing two very high spec. flats and a store house to keep his things for his estate up Loch Nevis in. The bonus for yachties is that the ground floor of his building will house showers, toilets and a laundry. Chris at the marina was a little downcast that they are not ready yet. Latest date is early August. Hmmm.
So instead, at the moment, you have to head to the Fishermans Mission. After a scenic but, yes, boggy walk to Loch an Nostarie on Wednesday, the next day was chores day and so Rosemary geared up to go to the Mission loaded with laundry, iPad, book, lists notebook etc., anticipating a long morning watching things go round. What a delight to discover the lovely lady just takes your washing and does it for you!
Mallaig fills up and empties with the steam train timetable and coach trips, as well as the queue of people heading to Skye on the ferry. We peered in the train windows and Rosemary was pleased to see wizard costumes for sale and a toy owl on the catering car counter. It was tempting to take the Hogwarts Express ourselves but we're here to travel by sea just now. That was Gordon's reasoning anyway!
We had a lovely seafood dinner ashore and enjoyed two convivial evenings with Stewart and Dorothy from Anna Mae, comparing boats and stories of sailing treats and tears. Gordon got his hair cut and we provisioned up so we were ready to get going again.
The question was where? The weather, our cruel and fickle mistress, suggested South rather than North was going to work better for any wind for sailing. So, reluctantly, we made that the plan as we set out on Friday.
Back round Ardnamurchan point for us. A lot calmer this time. But all that talk of anchorages with Anna Mae has made us hanker to drop ours somewhere, rather than head back onto the pontoons or moorings buoys. We opted for the old favourite of Loch Drumbuie and a fine, settled evening ensued.
We were up early the next morning and left in the still, calm light with thousands of jelly fish filling the waters around our hull. Onwards South it was.