Kinlochbervie to Loch Laxford

The shortest trip of the year so far! Even St Margaret's Hope to Stromness was nearly twice the distance.

It rained overnight and we woke to unbroken cloud coverage. The forecast for the week looked much the same.

While we feared for our daughter's life in the heat in Leicester this week, we seemed to be going to be stuck in rain and gloom.

So we had a lazy morning studying the CCC pilot book and the CA Almanac and planning.

I've got a work training course Thursday afternoon I didn't want to cancel so I decided we should aim for Ullapool by Wednesday evening to make sure we will have decent 4G.

That led to the idea of stopping points at Loch Laxford, Kylescu and Lochinver. All sub-25 nm hops. Just what we wanted.

By 10am we were ready to step ashore for a bit so we went to the shop and bought some makings for lunches and breakfasts. We are going to use up some aging tins for dinners for a day or so.

We got some blue sky and a little warmth from the sun while we were out. Maybe it wouldn't be so grim.

But it went all grey again very soon.

We got Worm and Robinetta ready to go but I wasn't feeling enthused. Ennui had got the better of me.

We had some lunch and left anyway. Being at sea would be better than being in port. And the forecast for today had the best wind of the coming week.

We raised sail just outside the harbour but there wasn't enough wind to let us turn off the engine.

We got a bit more in the outer bay. Little enough to think trying the mackerel line was an idea. But the hooks have rusted to nothing and just crumbled.

We pottered around the headlands, dodging rocks and islets into Loch Laxford when it threatened to rain and then as often happens under a rain cloud the wind came up and we could sail! Even better we could make our course and the rain came to nothing!

Looking back out to sea we noticed another gaffer. A big ketch was coming in behind us. Only two boats in the area and both gaffers! It went into the first anchorage while we were going deeper in so we couldn't see at first if it was a boat we knew, but later looking at a photo we recognised her as Bessie Ellen.

Loch Laxford is full of fish and mussel farms. Unfortunately the anchorage I'd picked has two moored boats where the best spot is and we didn't think there was room left so we backed out to Loch a Chadh-Fi and anchored near the Adventure School. A lovely spot, even more so because the skies cleared a little and it turned into a nice evening.

We dined on tinned stew and rice with some fried tomatoes and garlic. Not outstanding but perfectly good.

I've laid the creel. Let's see if we get anything.