Tobermory to Isle Ornsay

After yesterday's preparation day we got an early start from Tobermory. The forecast was not encouraging “Ardnamurchan point to Cape Wrath, W or NW 4 or 5 increasing 6 at times. Sea state rough to moderate”. The Minch forecast was almost identical. We wanted to go to Canna today, with the idea of crossing to the Outer Hebrides tomorrow and into Lochboisdale on South Uist. The forecast made that doubtful, but when we left Tobermory at 0740 it was still possible, so long as the wind was more west, and no north.
Julian bent on the no 2 jib as we cleared the harbour, then took the helm while I went below to make porridge for breakfast. We motored up to Ardnamurchan point in calm seas, but with a headwind that made sailing where we wanted to go impossible. None the less we got the reefed main sail up a couple of miles short of the point, where we still had good shelter from the seas. We could have sailed here, but would have been heading for Tiree! Julian went below to make a second breakfast of egg rolls.
Once we rounded Ardnamurchan we could sail up towards the Sound of Sleat, leaving Muck and Eigg on our port side, so we unrolled the jib and motor sailed on a fine reach, trying to make the course of 28T that Julian had set toward the Sound of Sleat. After a while I realised that we were heading really close to Eigg, so freed off the wind a little. The engine went off at 1050, and we made a steady 3 ½ – 4 ½ knots, heading past Muck, then Eigg. The seas were not bad, but we were well heeled so I had to hold the kettle on the (ungimbled) stove to keep it there when I went below to make tea. Unfortunately the alcohol in the stove was low, to the kettle took 20 minutes to boil!
We tacked towards Eigg for about ten minutes. Not for any course making purposes, but to let the helmsman sit on the locker that did NOT contain the spare stove fuel! Apart from this one short tack we were on the same tack for 7 hours, but for once we remembered to turn off one of the diesel tanks so the one which was lower due to our angle of heel did not cross fill from the upper and overflow through the breathe tube.
With the stove re-fueled it was time to cook a late lunch of beef burgers. My timing was not the best; we were still heeling so I needed to hold the frying pan on the stove, then before they were cooked we came to the end of Eigg and encountered some much shorter sea that made balancing a frying pan interesting to say the least! The wind had got up too, and just before the burgers were ready Julian decided we needed another few turns on the reefing line. I turned off the stove, and wedged the pan on the floor so it would not spill before heading on deck to take the helm. The only yacht that passed us did so at this point, heading straight into the Sound of Sleat.
Julian and I talked while we put the reef in, and decided not to try for Canna. The seas were obviously rougher where we were, at the northern end of Eigg, and wind still had too much west in it for a quick passage beating up past Rhum. Our new destination was either Armadale or Isle Ornsay, which were both inside the shelter of the Sound of Sleat.
With the new destination decided I headed back into the cabin, and finished cooking the burgers and fried onions. There should have been some sliced tomato in the buns too, but it ended up on the floor just after I cut it, as a big wave rolled under us. Not a great meal, but wonderful given the conditions it was cooked under!
The seas calmed down soon after that, and we had an easy passage up the sound. Just before Armadale we encountered a trawler on a closing bearing. It was working, so we changed course not to pass behind it, and got a friendly wave as we slowly overtook it. The wind increased a little, and when I took the helm I got Julian to lower the stay sail which helped with the weather helm. But an hour later the wind speed had dropped again and backed more westerly. By the time we reached Isle Ornsay we were on a lovely broad reach.
Julian wanted to try picking up a mooring under sail, so we sailed into the bay and had a look round. The only visitor's moorings available this year are at Duisdale Hotel. I tried calling them up on the VHS, but they did not answer, and none of our mobile phones had any coverage, so we could not phone. Only one of the buoys was in use, so we decided to take one anyway. I got the main down and the jib away, and we approached, very slowly, under the stay sail alone. Unfortunately we just failed to make it, so Julian quickly put the engine on, and five minutes later, at 1820, we were on the buoy.
We should have gone ashore and patronised the hotel, but after over 10 hours sailing we were both too tired to want to, so Julian cooked potatoes and heated scotch pies and baked beans and we ate what felt like a feast on board, helped by a small glass of wine each!
The view from the cockpit was gorgeous, but there was hardly any sun, and the wind made it too cold to eat outside. We huddled in the cabin, still wearing all our layers from the day's sailing, bar our jackets. Hopefully we will be warm enough in bed!