AFter the muster in the boatshed on Saturday, we went back home and got ready for the onslaught on Sunday, as the fore3cast was mince. On Sunday morning we went aboard relatively early to fill up with water and disconnect from shore power.

The weather was not good, rain and 16 knots of wind reported at the Dorus Mor by Moonbeam, on their way home. Despite the adverse conditions, which were due to persist for our whole journey down the SOund of Jura, in the teeth of a south westerly wind on the bow, we decided to go for it, with the option of ducking into Crinan if it was impossible.

From the beginning it was clear that this was not going to be a nice day on the water. The wind stayed around 16 to 20 for a time, then increased to 30 knots apparent. We slogged on under engine, put up the main with triple reef before we crossed over to the Jura shore, and slogged south, deciding on the way to go into Craighouse rather than to attempt the Ardmore Islands - an anchorage I don't know - in stoory conditions. So after what seemed like an eternity of head-on swell and buckets of seawater in the cockpit, we picked up a mooring buoy in Craighouse, and settled down with the on-board heter for a snug evening.

The next morning we had to get up at 6am so we could set off in time to catch the south-going tide at the Mull of Kintyre around 12 noon. Our early stop yesterday meant we had 10 extr miles to cover before noon thatn the other boats. As we trvelled down towards the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse, weather conditions improved enormously. We had a pleasant beam reach of between 7 and 15 knots, so put up both sails, shaking out a reef, and motorsailed like billyo to make the tide. Once we got there however we picked up so much speed from the strong tide that it was possible to reach BAngor in a day - a long 12-hour day - rather than going to Glenarm and bangor the following day. This was a really good idea, as strong gale force winds were forecst for Wednesday, together with lots of rain.

So we pulled into Bangor marina around 7.30pm on Monday, and took the last available pontoon space. That meant we are set for a couple of days, going to the Royal Ulstr Yacht Club for dinner on Wednesday, then off into Belfast Marina on Thursday.

At that point we will leave the cruise in company boats, and do our own thing. Watch this space!