17-8-16

We left Glenarm at 1030 and had a lumpy start with not much wind but a lumpy sea for some reason.
After 1 hour I started the engine to get us away from land and to hopefully get a bit more wind, which we did.
With the tide we were sailing at 5 to 6 knots but as we got closer to the Mull of Kintyre we lost the wind again but were still doing 5 knots with the current.
The wind came back and we sailed for another while but eventually it died away and we motored the last 12 miles to Gigha.
Again the forecast we had got from the coastguard was for SE 4to5 and the most we had was a 3. We got into Gigha and anchored at 1930 in good holding sand in 2 metres of clear.

There is now 23 moorings here at £15 a night and a long pontoon at £30 a night.
When we first came here 20 years ago there was 10 moorings and they were free to encourage boats to stop.
It had been a pleasant day with some sunshine and not to cool sitting in the cockpit.

18-8-16
We woke to a very still morning with beautiful sunshine.
It was warmer on deck than inside.
We got the dinghy blown up and it was so pleasant I lay in it and scraped the weed off the hull around the waterline.
We had the last of the kippers we had been given for a late breakfast and then went ashore for a walk.
It was like being back in the Caribbean again, really warm and I had to wear a hat to stop being burnt.
We walked down to the bottom of the island and then back and had a couple of drinks sitting outside the hotel.
When we got back to Granuaile we spent the rest of the day sitting in the cockpit reading until 1900 when it started to cool down.
It had been absolutely glorious and just as nice as anywhere in the Caribbean, apart from the water still only being 13 degrees as it would have been lovely to go for a swim.
Its such a pity we only get days like this very rarely.


19-8-16
I was awoke at 0300 by the bow lifting into waves and as we only had 1.0 metres under the keel it was not great.
The wind had got up from the east as predicted but when I went on deck it wasnt as bad as I felt below.
We both didnt sleep great afterwards and I kept getting up to check everything was okay. Eventually after downloading weather and checking our options we decided to stay in Gigha and then go back to the Isle of Man tomorrow as it appeared our only chance of getting south again for over a week.
The other side of the bay looked calmer so we started the engine at 0910 and motored a few hundred metres to nearer the rocks on the east side of the bay and re-anchored in slightly calmer and deeper water in the pouring rain.
The wind was up and down the rest of the day with heavy rain showers but was no where near the SE7 which was forecast.
We spent the day on board reading and listening to Radio 2.
The plan now is to leave tomorrow at 1500 to catch the tide and easing wind and go straight the 100 miles to Peel.
But as always subject to change depending on the weather.