Salen

The weather was drizzly as we got ready to leave but it dried up and we got some blue sky and even some sun heading out of Loch Sunart.

We got the sails up in the narrows of the entrance to Loch Drumbuie. In theory, the wind was behind us, but it was totally still for long enough.

Other boats were leaving too, taking advantage of today's weaker gusts.

The wind and gusts, and especially the lulls, were quite challenging near the rocks at the entrance to Loch Sunart. But the tide was pushing us nicely south, our of harms way. We reefed down and motor sailed as far as the cardinal and then turned the engine off.

Looking north up the Sound of Mull

We tacked near Calve Island and suddenly it wasn't nice. I don't think the sailing was different but I had the sun in my eyes and reflecting off the water and the view south was horrid, dark and foreboding. I turned the engine on and pointed straight into the wind. That calmed everything down and got the sun out of my eyes.

We carried on like that for an hour and then it felt much nicer again so we sailed the rest.

Coming into Salen Bay we had more swell than we expected. I said "maybe we just have a lunch stop".

But once we were anchored, it all felt nice.

Salen Bay is really sheltered from the west and south but it's open to the Sound and we are getting strong-is sh wash from ferries and shipping. But fewer than one per hour.