The Cropley Clan had hoped to sail around Mull, but the weather forecast predicted strong south westerlies offshore, which would result in heavy swell making the anchorages at least uncomfortable, if not untenable.

I’d hoped to get fuel, but the pump was apparently on a go slow. Hearing there were two yachts ahead of me in the queue, and the last two had taken over an hour, I decided I’d get it elsewhere later in the week.

We left Tobermory sailing in company towards Loch Sunart, which runs inland along the southern edge of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. The wind behind us was rather gentle - ironic given why we’d changed our direction, but inevitable in these very sheltered waters.

The sail up Loch Sunart was beautiful, and the last reach was a little more vigorous. We were glad Liz had phoned ahead to book berths, as we had the last two available. Indeed, Tarskavaig had to wait for a local boat to finish loading up and exit the berth.

Salen Loch Sunart was the site of a family holiday in my teen years - about 40+ years ago! Aargh! Dad and I had a vigorous sail in our Mirror dinghy. The then local boatman was opposed to us going out, fearing he’d have to rescue us. In fact, we had a great time and coped easily with the conditions.

The stone quay was designed by Thomas Telford, and there’s a matching one on the north side of Ardnamurchan. They used to haul the small fishing boats to the side with favourable weather - sounds like very hard work! The current owners have added a small marina and the stone quay is now little used. They also offer fuel, so I was able to quickly fill up the following morning - result!

We were met by Ruth, a former colleague of Liz, and Lawrie. Most went for a walk, while I tackled online tax returns and other such delights. Lawrie and I then joined the crowd at the pub for a drink. We had to sit outside due to COVID precautions, and were being eaten by the local midges so didn’t stay long. First time I’ve had problems with midges this trip.

Dinner aboard Tarskavaig was crowded but fun.

Log of this passage