2023 May 25, Days 41 - 43 to Loch Keivagh and Lochmaddy.

My plan was to spend the night at Loch Keivagh then Friday and Saturday nights at Loch Maddy either both in the marina or one there and one at anchor depending on exactly when some strong winds went through.

Entering Loch Keivagh

My track in and out of Loch Keivagh. Not shown on the chart
is a large fish farm east of the green starboard hand lateral
mark, it is shown on the Admiralty chart.

The entrance was a little problematic due to the fish farm and lobster pots, and once though the narrow entrance it was quite bleak, had limited swinging room in the shallower bits and the wind was funnelling down the loch, so I went on to Lochmaddy. 

Lochmaddy

I'm likely to be there for 3 nights as F4-6 winds are forecast for the Minch (F7 in the north) but looking OK for next week with seas < 1 metre by Wednesday for several days but NE winds on Thursday could mean a long trip back to the Sound of Harris. 

Sancerre (left) and the Ketch "Slipstream" right, she arrived in
Castlebay a day after me, then came here also via "The Wizard Pool".
We left the same day but she went direct to Taransay then St Kilda
where we met up again, then finally we met at Loch Finsbay, again
unplanned.

Update Nov 2023: The orange buoys to seaward were marking the pontoon anchors for an inspection, a potential issue given trailing ropes, they were due to be removed a few days after I left. Perhaps if they should have stayed and just cleaned up, in September a dredger snagged the cable(s) and severely damaged the marina:

Apart from the overturned section and obvious issues with the section opposite it, the whole spine has been moved at least 20' right (check the kink from the ramp) the resident commercial boats (left) where unable to operate for some time, as of November it is not known when it will reopen for visitors but hopefully before next sailing season.

The Ferry docking.

22 miles in  three and a half hours.

Click here for Opsay Basin.