Portpatrick to Campbeltown

We got up at 06:30, to be away by 07:00 to take the last two hours of the tide north towards the Clyde. We left in company with Molly Cobbler, and stayed quite close together all the way to Campbeltown.

We put the main sail up as we left Portpatrick, and tried flying the no 1 Jib, but we kept the engine on. The wind we could feel was only a light land breeze, and soon failed us.The sea was flat calm so the tiller pilot went on, and we soon lowered the main as it was doing nothing.

Julian went below and cooked us kippers for breakfast, and we ate them in the cockpit revelling in the flat sea and bright sunshine. Unfortunately we needed the engine on full revs to keep up with Molly Cobbler and her 6hp outboard.

I told Julian that there was still some water in Worm after the trip from Peel, and he decided to rig the pump in her while I went below and washed up breakfast. He pulled Worm along side, relying on the tiller pilot to keep Robinetta on track. With his concentration on Worm he stopped watching Molly Cobbler, and Mary called up on the VHF. Could Julian to please keep a look out as she had had to take avoiding action twice!

We raised the Scottish courtesy flag, which we should have done for Portpatrick, but forgot since we arrived in the dark. It might have helped keep the starlings off the rigging there. Our course was 344ºT practically all the way from Portpatrick to Campbeltown. We saw three trawlers in formation close together, all with their trawls deployed. Luckily our course took us across their track ahead of them.

Ghoster up

Molly Cobbler off the Mull of Kintyre

Once we cleared the Mull of Galloway what little wind there was came from the port stern quarter. Julian decided to give our second hand spinnaker a try as a ghoster, and it did fly, giving good service and letting us come off full revs. After about an hour Julian gave in to temptation and raised the main as well. It filled, but did nothing to obviously help our progress and we were never tempted to turn off the engine.

Ghosting along    photo by Mary Gibbs

Mary raised sail too, and we got some good shots of Molly Cobbler against the Mull of Kintyre. The best part of the day for me was watching a skein of Gannets, flying between Sanda and Ailsa Craig. One flight of at least 20 birds came skimming along the sea towards us, then rose with a flash of bright white underwings as they lifted over Robinetta's stern. Gone in a moment, but it made a moment to treasure.

The wind died to nothing as we approached the entrance to Campbeltown, so we got the main and reaching sail down before heading for the marina in company with Molly Cobbler. We rafted up together on a wide finger berth after a lovely day on the water.