Tobermory to Oban

Yesterday's forecast had made us expect to spend today in Tobermory; we had gone as far as to book a table for dinner at the Fish Cafe. This morning's made us change our minds. The Force 7 was now due later, and had turned into a force 8, leaving this morning's SE 4 to 5 occasionally 6 looking very attractive for a trip down the Sound of Mull by comparison! The tides would help us all morning, and as it was springs tomorrow we really did not want them against us by leaving later....

After a quick trip to the shore heads we prepared Robinetta for sea. We took a slight detour to photograph the Flying Dutchman, which had arrived yesterday afternoon, but we were raising a 2 roll reefed main sail in the bay by 0810. It felt beautifully calm in the bay, but as we cleared the point I waited for the wind and waves to kick in the way they had on Saturday. Only they didn't. Instead of having to beat against a head wind we motored down the sound in a flat calm and soon put the main sail down. With just the staysail up we could head a lot closer to what little wind there was, and go almost straight down the Sound, making 5 knots with the tide assist in places.

There were a few times when the wind picked up and the sea got up a little, by Eileanan Glasa they slowed us down to under 3 knots, but as soon as I headed back towards the centre of the Sound the speed came back up to over 4.

With pure blue sky overhead, and only a little head wind we had a lovely trip past Mull and the Morvern Peninsula with time to take in the sights, like a wharf full of timber waiting for a ship. Sailing would have been better than motoring, but given that the wind was supposed to be against us I was not complaining.

We passed the entrance to Loch Aline at 1115, watching as a ferry came out. It changed course and passed well behind us on its way to Fishnish. The dreaded tide rips off Duart Point were nothing more than small waves in the otherwise calm sea, and I began to peel off layers of clothes as the wind died to nothing.

We took the same route as the ferries past the south of Lismore Island, passing between the Lismore Light and Ladies Rock. It was practically low water, and we could see a lot more rock than most times. The views up the Lynn of Morvern were superb, but such panoramas are not easy to photograph. Being there was better! Julian made cheese sandwiches for lunch and I throttled back the engine a little while we ate.

As we headed for the top of Kerrera I glanced back and saw a ferry coming up behind us. Julian kept an eye on it, but it passed well to port of us. Its wash was horrible, rolling us all over the place, so when I saw one coming out from Oban I made sure to meet its wash head on. That was much easier! Then another ferry came up behind us, even larger than the first, and passed us to starboard. Once again I met the wash head on, but I'm not sure I should have worried as it was very gentle compared to the first.

We entered Oban bay at1400, and headed over to the Community Berths to the south of the town. According to the Welcome Anchorages magazine there are 16 visitor moorings there, available first come first served. We were early, and this whole week we have been aware that the Scottish sailing season is almost over; there has been space everywhere we've been. We managed to pick up a buoy really close to the landing pontoon, and were securely moored up by 1415.

We rowed ashore almost immediately as we had an urgent mission. Haircuts! Julian has to be back at work on Monday, and there won't be time to have one at home. I was feeling very shaggy too, so we found a hairdressers and a barbers and had a much needed tidy up. After we met up again we wandered round the town for a while, trying to decide where we should go for dinner latter. Nothing really appealed, possibly because the choice was so wide, but when we spotted a sea food shack just by the CalMac terminal, that did cold platters of sea food, but also freshly cooked mussels and hot scallops we knew we'd found dinner. It closed at 1800, so we sat and ate immediately. Just right!