China Girl, UK Circumnavigation - Year 4

Photo is of the Waverley, the only remaining sea going steam powered paddle steamer, which happened to pass us by after we had picked up a buoy outside the Royal Hotel in Tignabruiche in the Kyles of Bute. Short hop around here from Portavadie this morning took just under 3 hours in a mixture of cloud and sun and winds up to 25 kts. Boat speed up to 7 kts on half the jib and half the main.

This year's plan

Our plan for 2022 is a week of testing out Ann's hip - in progress and going well. If all good we will leave Troon on 1 July aiming to visit the Isle of Man and the Northern Irish east and north coasts, then on to somewhere up around Skye if possible. Back to Troon for the winter then around Ireland next year, at the third attempt maybe.

17 June 2022 | Portavardie Marina

Off we go again

Ann's hip replacement on 19 March went brilliantly well and she is now only using a single hiking stick instead of crutches. So we decided to make a slow and careful return to sailing. We left Troon on Tuesday (14 June) for a slow careful meander around the Firth of Clyde, aiming to stay out of any significant waves. Tuesday was Troon to Lamlash on the east coast of Arran, 18 miles in 4 hours, most of it sailed. Wednesday was Lamlash to Lochranza on the northern tip of Arran, 18 miles in 3 1/4 hours, about an hour with cruising chute up; it was good to get some practice with that early in our season. Thursday was a dreary 11 miles from Lochranza to Portavardie on the mainland in drizzle, but we persevered and sailed almost all of it. Photo shows a wide shot of Portavardie marina with CG in the foreground. Today we spent the morning hiding from the rain (while you in the south sweltered in 32 degree heat, not sure I'm jealous). Tomorrow we are off on a quick hop round the corner to the Kyles of Bute.

06 October 2021

What did we do in 2021

A few statistics for the year.

21 September 2021 | Troon Yacht Haven

Fantastic end to the season

Here we are in Troon where CG will spend her winter. We're doing the boring stuff, cleaning and bedding her down for the winter before heading home on Friday via Blackpool and Leeds.

16 September 2021 | Port Ellen, Islay

So much for a boring 4 hour motor...

12 September was our 40th wedding anniversary. We booked a massage and afternoon tea package in a hotel in Oban. I've had a couple of massages before but am not an affectionado. This one was great, very relaxing. Afternoon tea with Prosecco was upgraded to afternoon tea with champagne which turned [...]

Lots of fog and motoring

28 August 2021 | Kichoan Bay, Ardnamurchan Peninsula

Ann and Steve Crome | Misty & chilly

It's not been sailing weather, but it's been sunny...once he fog clears, so not so bad. From L Spelve we motored to Traigh Gheal, a tiny bay on the S coast of Mull and then to Bunessan in L na Laithich on the N Coast of the southern arm of the island. While anchored there we got the bus to Fionnfhort to get the ferry to Iona. We can't anchor anywhere rom which we can get to Iona because of the strong tides, it's too risky to leave the boat unattended (according to the pilot book). So we did he touristy thing on Iona and had a good lunch.

Following day (Thursday, 26th) we motored from Bunessan to Lunga in the Treshnish Islands via Staffa. Got a look at Fingals Cave from about 100 m out with Mendelsson playing on the stereo; brilliant.

Yesterday, finally a sail. We sailed downwind on the cruising chute at around 2.5 to 3.5 kts in 4-6 kts of wind for about 4 h before dropping the chute to motor into Kilchoan Bay on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Now we're waiting for the fog to lift before we (motor probably) to Salen in L Sunart.

Leaving Buynessan we got our best display yet from 5 dolphins playing around the boat.

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