Tern's Travels

Finally left Kilmore Quay on Wed 10th May with light SE /E predicted. Sadly it was a bit too light to sail but the tide helped and we made good progress up the Irish sea under engine, with the occasional interlude of sailing. We stopped the second night at Glenarm in N Ireland for a night's rest and to catch the tide across the North Channel to the Mull of Kintyre. Glenarm was delightful, a small but lovely marina in a stunning coastline. There was a favourable tide in the morning and by evening we were anchored in a cove on the NW corner of Gigha, a small island half way up the W coast of Kintyre The wind was a moderate Easterlie, fairly unusual, so we were lucky to be able to use this protected cove which would be exposed in anything from SW to NW. Suddenly we were in kelp territory and it took two tries to get the anchor to hold. Just as we dug it in I saw a head in the water which I thought was a seal, but after watching for a while I realised it was an otter. Latter another head appeared and we watched the pair having their evening swim/hunt session. Larry spotted some unusual-looking ducks, which we identified as eider ducks and in the morning there were two seals on the rocks at low water. It was a gorgeous place with only a farm in view. I couldn't help admiring the farms' enterprise as they were running a dairy herd as well as beef and sheep, logistically challenging, to say the least.