Loch Aline to Oban

Towards the entrance from the Anchorage, Loch Aline

After a very peaceful night at anchor we prepared to leave in a leisurely fashion. Julian wanted to haul the anchor up before breakfast, but it was still 08:30 before we were motoring slowly towards the entrance. There was a little wind coming from ahead, so we got the main sail up with the hopes that we could sail once we were in the Sound of Mull. The forecast was for an easterly 3-4, becoming variable 3 or less, Easterly was not a perfect direction, but perfectly usable with the tide in our favour.

Our hopes were fulfilled, and by 09:10 we were sailing at 3 knots with the engine off, aiming across the Sound. One of the reasons we had pushed on to Loch Aline yesterday was to have a short trip today. Robinetta felt perfectly balanced, and the scenery was superb. Julian went below to cook, and then passed up a plate of egg, bacon, haggis, black pudding, tomato, and potato scone. There can be few better places to eat such a feast, with the sailing so easy we could let go of the helm to use our cutlery.

Of course, there was that "becoming variable" in the forecast, and our speed dropped as the morning wore on. By 12:10 we were being carried purely on the tide, and since we were approaching Lismore it was time to get the engine on to give us steerage way. Under sail we had settled on passing between Lady Rock and Duart Point, but with the engine on the most direct course to Oban lay between the Lismore light and Lady Rock, so we changed course, and were made immediately aware of the strength of the tide.

In order to pass through the center of the channel we had to aim at the light house, not at all in the direction we were going. The ferry and fishing boat that came past during this maneuver did not seem worried by our apparently aiming at them, even when we suddenly sped up to 5 knots. They must be used to leisure craft doing odd things in the area!

The absence of wind made the tide rips little more than swirls in the water, and the potential overfalls were only visible when the ferry wake crossed them, but the chart is littered with warnings!

We were moored on a pontoon in Kerrera Marina by 14:00, right next to a pretty gaff yawl. Her owner came over when he spotted us, and Julian recognised him. We had last met Robert in 2015, at the East Loch Tarbert traditional boat festival. He had been sailing a 2 1/2 ton Hillyard then, but had rebuilt Sula, his current boat, from a wreck. His work had so impressed other wooden boat owners in the area that he was now working almost full time as a shipwright.

We tidied up Robinetta and Worm, before catching the 16:00 ferry from the marina to Oban. Our train was at 18:11, and we were home by 21:30. It seems quite odd to be able to sail in such a lovely area so close to home.