Round the Cape again

 We have not been setting an alarm, and today we had already decided we would not leave harbour until 9a.m. However it was a shock to wake up and discover we had slept right though until 8.

Julian put the kettle on, but we got the bed and bedding stowed while it boiled, and Julian dashed off to the harbour master’s office before the tea was poured. I was a little more leisurely in my dressing , but by the time Julian phoned to ask what we needed from the shop I had drunk my tea.

The deserted visitor pontoon was explained when Julian got back from paying for our berth. We were the first yacht to visit this year. That felt a bit of a shame on a lovely sunny morning, with a forecast that would take us (and therefore anyone) safely round Cape Wrath.

We got the engine on as soon as Julian got back, and motored off the pontoon at 09:00, just as planned. The fact that we had put nothing away, not even the cover on the staysail, did help us get ready quickly!

The light wind was right behind us as we came out into Loch Inchard. I got the staysail up and Julian laid in a course to the Kyle of Tongue, 35nm away. We then discussed breakfast and decided that using up our bacon and black pudding would be an excellent idea. Julian went below to cook and do some duo-lingo, while I stayed on watch. Eating a cooked breakfast while helming can be difficult, so I set George to work, and sat enjoying the cold sunshine. Julian brought the breakfast plates into the cockpit and suggested putting George to work, only slightly late!

As we cleared Loch Inchard and set our course to leave Am Balg to port the wind came into a usable point of sail. We raised the main, and set the no 1 jib, and the engine went off for a while. Then Julian made the mistake of saying, “You do realise this wind will be against us once we reach the Cape.” The wind took offence at this and five minutes later, as we passed Am Balg, the wind died.

The engine went back on, and stayed on all the way to the Kyle of Tongue.

Duslic Rock left safely to starboard

 Going round Cape Wrath was easy. We left the Duslic rock to starboard and although the swell increased there were no overfalls. The only place that made us bounce around was off the headland between Loch Eribol and the Kyle of Tongue. We had cut too close and found overfalls, but we motored further out and the confused water soon settled back into regular swell.

We did discover one bit of deck fittings that Tim had got wrong. There has always been an air vent in the heads area, just to port of the mast and facing backwards. Tim had restored this facing forward, so now, when a wave splashes the foredeck we get some of that water splashing into the forepeak. Julian went forward and tied a plastic bag over it, and problem sorted, although we will turn it the right way round at some point.

I had given George’s mount a coat of white paint in Ullapool, and as I sat and watched him work I saw a black line come and go with the swell where the two parts of the mount were joined. I realised that the bolts holding the mount together were beginning to bend with the forces on the tiller, so George came off duty and I began to hand steer.

The wind was virtually on the nose, too close for the jib too work well, but the staysail and main gave the engine some help all day. We dipped the fuel tanks to find out which was being used, and discovered it was the port one, which was still a quarter full, and we did not think to switch the other tank until use as well. The port one took us all the way to our chosen anchorage of Talmine Bay, where we dropped anchor at 19:50.

The anchorage felt a bit exposed to me, but once the anchor settled in it held firm, and we did not rock too much as we settled down to dinner.