2025 May 16th, Days 48 - 50. Loch Eriboll to Loch Inchard

 DRAFT WIP

A Danish yacht going into Loch Eriboll as I left.

Starting to  struggle with light variable winds, Cape Wrath
in the distance.

Cape Wrath in sunshine for a change, as far in as I have been
there was only a not of south going tide but it managed to form
a small rip even in the benign conditions.

The wind keeping me busy, direction was almost
as variable going from NNE to SE and back more
than once.

About 5 miles out the wind increased to F5 and veered to the SE so was directly on the nose for the final approach and passage through the narrow entrance to the Loch, its about 300 yards wide at its narrowest and a mile and a half  long.

My first choice of anchorage was Loch Sheigra (Badcall Bay), just past Loch Bervie, but it is only 90 yards wide between the 1.5m contours and with the wind gusting to 20 knots there was little chance of setting the anchor dead centre and then lying to a relatively short scope of chain. I didn't need the stress of doing it or worrying about swinging room so I moved to the head of the Loch.

The anchorage at the head of the Loch. Note the

trip line buoy, probably not necessary but there

is and has been a lot of Mussel farming and

pot fishing in the Loch so it seemed a sensible

precaution despite the aggravation of setting and

later retrieving it.

My original plan was to stay the night then move 16 NM south to check out an interesting anchorage at Badcall Bay in amongst the Badcall Islands which has an interesting approach. I cancelled that idea when I saw the forecast, as I wrote on Facebook on Saturday evening:

Change of plan: Its blowing F5 with, as expected, F6 later tomorrow, the anchorage I was thinking of going to is very secure but not that big and has lots of moorings, work and fishing boats etc. 

Whereas there is plenty of space here and good shelter unless the wind turns NW which is very unlikely so I am staying put and avoiding F5 into a foul tide in the morning. The trip to Stornoway might be an hour longer from here but that is not an issue on a c 12 hour trip.

This was to change again as explained in the next post.

Sunday 18th:

Engine oil changed 10 hours early, new oil filter 160 hours early - I always do the two together, and early rather than late, even though the manual says the filter is done every other time, but it holds quite a bit of oil and it seems prudent to change it. Alternator belt tightened, water pump belt OK.

35 miles in seven and three-quarter hours.

Click here for my next likely move.