Saturday 31st
Slept late, checked engine oil (no loss) and changed gearbox oil I omitted to do on the previous service but that was done early so no big deal.
With rain all afternoon I stayed put for a bit of blogging and did not blow up the dinghy to go ashore.
Sunday 1st June
Light winds early morning so I got the dinghy out and rowed ashore, 15 litres of diesel from the self service pump at the garage. Unusually they have a good stock of Campingaz 907 cylinders so I will be back as soon as the wind drops and they are open to get one before they are snaffled up by others.
I could have done without the cold shower rowing back to the boat after the hot one. It continued to rain to early afternoon, at the time of writing it is too windy to row ashore for shopping although I would be blown back to the boat, assuming I didn't miss, and it is not worth getting the engine on as it would have to come straight back aboard due to v strong winds coming, I don't need the dinghy to flip over and drown the engine.
The lunchtime inshore forecast is, if anything, worse than I thought it would be, Arnamurchan point is a few miles west of here so take you pick from:
Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Cyclonic 5 to 7, becoming northwest 4 or 5, backing south 5 to 7 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northwest and slight in southeast. Showers. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: South 5 to 7, increasing gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9, veering west 6 to gale 8 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in northwest and slight in southeast. Fair then rain then squally showers. Good, becoming moderate or poor.
The Minch - Strong wind warning
24 hour forecast: Cyclonic 5 to 7, becoming northwest 4 to 6, backing southwest 6 or 7 later. Slight or moderate, occasionally smooth at first in central area and rough in south. Showers. Good, occasionally moderate.
Outlook for the following 24 hours: Southwest 6 or 7, backing south 7 or gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9, veering west or southwest 6 to gale 8 later. Slight or moderate, becoming moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in south. Fair then rain then squally showers. Good becoming moderate or poor.
NW winds should be OK here, more N could be bad news as the harbour would then be a bit exposed but I'm on a 15 Ton mooring so safe enough and I'll not be bashing against a pontoon.
The wind so far has been very variable and swirling with boats sometimes pointing in all directions, now we are all pointing a little N or W with tight mooring lines.
Sunday Evening drama:
I heard what sounded a bit like a yacht engine, but it kept going so after a while I poked my head out to take a look and saw a yacht at least 500 yards away in trouble with a partially furled headsail flogging in the strong breeze.
The charter boat from Oban, that I have seen quite a few times over the years, had what is known as a halyard wrap, the jib halyard looked to me to be very slack, this meant that the halyard could not keep the part of the furling gear at the top from turning and the halyard then gets wrapped around the forestay, as a result the bottom part of the sail furls whilst the top does not. They either did not recognise what was happening or kept on furling anyway making things worse. This can be a devil to sort out, and you have to know how. They gave up and tried to pick up a buoy encumbered by a lot of windage aloft in the very fresh wind.
On the 4th or 5th attempt, pictured above, they lost a boat hook but were very lucky, I did not see that but the skipper of the old boat next to me did and had a small ridged rowing dingy, he sculled out in 15 - 20 knots of wind with some gust quite a bit higher to retrieve it and helped them get onto a mooring at the end of the anchorage, then went aboard and helped secure the sail - but not before it had flogged a long rip or two in the sail.
Well done that man, and thankfully there was someone around with a dinghy that could be rowed in those conditions, mine couldn't be, at least up wind.
On Monday morning the boat made it into the marina with the sail removed, the end of their sailing holiday and are now likely to have an argument with the charter company and / or the insurers who generally do not cover damage to sails unless caused by something else breaking or by contact with something external.
Monday
After a windy and wet night it was sunny with no wind first thing so I was ashore shortly after eight to do a large bag of laundry and shop for a few things. Annoyingly they had change the combination on the front door, which is required for access before 09:00 and I had to wait 15 minutes for someone to come out before I could start the wash. Once it was in the dryer I did the shopping and went back to the boat with that and to pick up the empty gas cylinder, back on shore I got the replacement cylinder and the laundry making it back to the boat just as the wind started to blow up.
It still looks like blustery or gale force winds and serious seas west of Mull until Thursday so I paid for the last 3 nights and bought a discounted five day ticket that can be used at any time so hopefully I can wait for decent weather, spend a few days around the area then come back here for a night or two to get ready for a longer trip south.
Tobermory is quickly filling up in advance of the Gale(s), at 14:00 the marina is full and I can only see a couple of 15 Tones moorings left, from 28? (according to the web site but I suspect a few have been added)
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