2025, May 27th, Days 59 & 60. Loch Mariveg to Plockton.

Having given up on Loch Mariveg I decided to head for the mainland, the alternatives of heading back to Stornoway or further south did not seem sensible, both would have been a relatively late arrival with further to go next day. The question then was where to go so I set course to clear the Shiant Islands and gave it some thought.

Lochs Ewe, Gairloch or Torridon were all possibilities and easy to get to and into but I could then get stuck there and end up moving anchorages as the wind was likely to be coming from different directions in quite short order. I dismissed Loch Ewe, not for it's anchorages but the need thereafter to go round Ruba Reidh when moving out.

The wind was forecast to back so I hedged my bets a bit and opted to aim for west of Rona, if the wind backed I could go for Torridon, if it didn't, or didn't much, I could go down the Sound of Rassay, preferred as there are anchorages there and Portree although that is an uncomfortable anchorage / mooring in a strong wind, especially from the SW. Or I could go down the Inner Sound, and once well south by either route I would have options to suite all winds from Broadford to Plockton to Loch Alsh.

Facebook post a short while later:

Pleasant sailing at the mo in W F5, sea smooth but that’s likely to change when I get past the Shiant Isles. I suspect the wind will be less by then which may help as long as it doesn’t go completely and I end up motoring.

The Shiant Islands

As expected the wind did drop but not by that much and as I past the Shiant Islands the sea was benign. I got the main up and was reaching at 5 - 6 knots under full sail and was lucky when a very large cloud and heavy rain past just to the north of me. I was working quite hard for much of the night as the wind went up and down requiring frequent rolling in and out of the headsail and adjustments to sheeting as the direction changed a bit.

Another post [expanded a bit and with a few edits for language etc.] at 02:42:

A quick and comfortable passage so far except for a squall at about 01:00, I saw the cloud but no rain coming my way so put a few more rolls in the headsail, to smaller than a working jib, and the 2nd slab in the main.

It was a good job I did, a few minutes later there was torrential rain and for a few minutes the wind veered 30 degrees and was well over 30 knots. I was making > 7 knots (I'm not sure the of the top speed or wind as I was literally keeping my head down to try and stay dry), I was on a beam reach before the wind veer, then over sheeted, and with perhaps only 10 degrees of heal, Sancerre went dead straight and the autopilot had little work to do. This boat still surprises me at times 🙂

02:42 and Rona Light House will be abeam in half an hour, making 5 knots in 10 knots of wind, should be back to 5.5 knots shortly as the wind will surely come back.

Although I have seen them all in daylight I had not really appreciated how well supplied with light houses the Minch is, previously I have only crossed in daylight or with visibility restricted. Although so far north and a few weeks from the longest day it was never darker than Nautical Twilight (when you can see the brightest stars and have a clear horizon) I could see lights from multiple directions.

The wind had not yet backed so I went down the Sound of Raasay and was able to sail until Portree, albeit somewhat slower as the wind dropped. The question now was where to go? The available forecasts still showed strong winds from various directions, the best option was Plockton and a relatively cheap mooring rather than risk having the anchor screwed out by the changing winds.

Under engine for an hour to get through the Raasay narrows 
then running in light winds until just before Plockton.

Approaching the turn into Plockton

Into and later out of Plockton.

Some care is required going in especially at close to high water as some of the rocks are hidden but lurking. The infamous Plockton Rocks are marked close to the edge and are reasonably steep too but are close to the mooring buoys and people keep bumping into them. In bad weather I would probably go north of Sgeir Golach but in decent weather this track is safe but don't run into Dogha Dubh Sgeir that could be difficult to see in poor visibility when the light is not on.

The disused light house 

Plockton.

Stornoway to Plockton via Witches Pool.
75 NM in total in 18.5 hours

Click here for Plockton and what comes next.