We didn’t mean to go to Plockton

Not that we mind, ’tis a fine place.

We’d planned a 7am start to make the tidal gate at the north-east end of Skye. It made sense to listen to the 7:10 weather on the VHF and then we left.

I was down in the dumps. The un-remitting grey was sitting heavily on me. Yesterday I’d looked at the forecasts for the rest of the week using the Coastguard Wifi and today was the last day with any sailing breeze in the forecast.

Also, I’d caught up with work emails the previous day and, as expected, there were things not progressing I’d hoped. On the plus side, my team was doing a great job without me!

Out in the loch, the swell was coming straight in towards us. It was quite uncomfortable but not the sort that stops Robinetta dead. But there was wind and we could sail it, at least with the engine on. Unusually, it affected me and I felt a bit queasy. I can’t remember the last time I felt in danger of being seasick. It was cold and I thought making porridge would warm me up. It was a good decision.

But once outside, it became clear that there was wind to sail with, but it had a lot of west in it and the swell would be uncomfortable if we tried to make Duntulm. On the other hand, if we went down the Inner Sound, we could sail and the swell would be gently on the beam until we got in the lee of Rona and then it would be gone.

So we turned south. I put in a course for Loch Carron, just to get a feel for distance and ETA.

Of course after a while the wind died totally and we motored. It was freezing cold, even though I had my marino base layers and warm trousers and full oillies. I huddled into my jacket and put up with it. By now we had George on.

Over on Skye we could see what looked like heavy rain. Of course the weather was coming our way and we waited to see how heavy it would be and whether there would be wind under it.

When it came we could hardly tell it was raining at all. Basically, we were in the cloud, not under it. But visibility dropped to a few cables and the wind came. At least we were sailing.

Behind the rain a hole opened up and northern Skye got sunshine. It was touch and go whether we would be beyond the southern edge of it before it got to us, but we did get a little sun. Of course that meant no wind again so the engine went on.

Applecross

George steered us down past Applecross to the edge of Loch Carron. The Inner Sound seemed to have very little wildlife. I’d spot a single gannet flying north. Then a few minutes later one guillemot on the water. Then nothing and a little while later a single cormorant. As we got south there were a few more guillemots and razor-bills but not the numbers we were used to in the Minch.

By the entrance to Loch Carron another band of rain brought more wind. Too much! George couldn’t cope so Alison took the helm. We cut the engine, unfurled the jib to provide some balance and found a course we could hold, it was driving us at 5 1/2 knots and the helm was a strain to hold, so I took it. It was taking us south and we wanted to head east into the loch. We could have managed a gybe but I decided to tack and put a reef in as we went round. Alison asked if I wanted the engine but I decided to try without.

To reef quickly on Robinetta it makes sense to drop the gaff to horizontal, to take the load off the saddle, and then loosen the throat halyard and make it off again at the new position. You can then haul the reef in until the luff tensions and make it off. The gaff will now be half-way up and just needs raising and you are done. This time, it worked a treat, although I reefed down more than I intended.

With a smaller mainsail the same wind was now nice and comfortable, taking us just where we wanted to go! Having something important to do made me feel much better.

Of course it didn’t last long. It dropped gradually away and back on went the engine. Alison went down below to write things up. After a while I noticed a breath of wind and put the jib back out and it set. Off went the engine and I started enjoying sailing in light airs. The sail was now too small so I wanted to shake out that reef. Normally we furl the jib, put the engine on, head into the wind and do everything as a team. But the conditions were now good for experimenting.

So I put her head into the wind and let off the roller furling line with everything else still up. The wind started to unroll the reef and the jib backed and we were hove-to. I’ve not tried hauling the main halyards in that state before but it works. You have to make sure the sail doesn’t get rubbed too hard on the lazy-jacks and backstay but in these light wind conditions it was OK. I dropped the gaff, hauled on the throat and pulled out the last of the reef and got the peak up. Then all I had to do was pull-in the furling line to tension the luff and tack the jib and we were back on a fine reach without any stress and no need for the engine.

I was enjoying myself.

With more sail I could still do around three knots. I decided I wanted something with chips and Plockton has always offered that. The last time we were there in 2015 there was also a lot of traditional music around. Alison said that if there was a visitors buoy available she would like that and we suddenly realised it’s years since we picked up a buoy in Robinetta!

Plocton Pier

We pottered up the loch until the wind died and then put the main away and motored into Plockton. There was a free visitors buoy on the inner trot near the main pier. Perfect.

We got into Worm and Alison rowed us ashore where we had fish and chips from the Fish & Chip shop. Posters told us there had been some music on Monday but none tonight. So we ate our haddock suppers by the boathouse and watched the dinghy racing in the bay.

We didn’t mean to go to Plockton. But it’s a fine place.

Plocton Regatta