LOG FRONT PAGE

NUMBER OF WORDS : Approx. 1400 words.

Brendan Travers,
14 Castlelawn,
Tulla Road,
Ennis,
Co. Clare.
Ireland.

At the close of the 1998 season I concluded my log of SEA MAIDEN’S circumnavigation of Anglesey expressing the hope of doing something similar in 1999 - perhaps getting as far as the west coast of Scotland - God (and Evelyn) willing. Luckily for me both were, and so on the 23 May SEA MAIDEN fought her way out of the Shannon Estuary in a strong westerly with the intention of going south, then east and up the Irish Sea, and if the weather was anyway settled across to Scotland. I had three months to do the trip and at that stage was already considering wintering in Scotland to more cruising there in the following year. So I had nearly 100 days to cruise what turned out to be a 1000 mile voyage. Hardly pressure sailing!

At times SEA MAIDEN is a working girl earning her upkeep and generating her skipper’s "cruising kitty". The leg from Kilrush to Troon, arriving there on the 16 July having crossed over from Bangor to Stranraer, was thus a mixture of practical navigation courses, cruising with friends Nick and Kevin as well as a few weeks solo. We had twenty-five ports of call between Kilrush and Bangor, the following being entered for the first time: Ballycotton, Wexford, Dun Laoghaire, Carlingford and Warrenpoint. Highlights of that leg were meeting up with son Ian (on a short break from peace-keeping duties in the Lebanon) aboard MOONDUSTER in Glandore and walking in the Cooley Mountains above Carlingford Lough.

When on the 16 July my last two students, Deirdre and Liam from Galway, caught the SEACAT ferry from Troon back to Belfast, I replaced the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore burgee with that of the Irish Cruising Club and commenced a two-week exploratory cruise of the Clyde Estuary and Lower Loch Fyne before meeting friends Paul and Derek at Ardrishaig at the entrance to the Crinan Canal. Our plan was to cruise up to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull

Weatherwise the first week in the Clyde Estuary was pretty bad with strong winds and heavy mist and rain leading at times to challenging navigation and pilotage. But the excellent facilities and friendly people at Troon, Largs and Kip Marinas more than compensated. Then on the 22nd July, a bright sunny day with a fresh NW Force 4, I enjoyed a lively sail from Kip Marina to Rothesay on the Isle of Butte. Fine weather for walking that lovely island and an international folk festival kept me there for three days before moving on to Millport on Great Cumbrae Island.

In continuing fine weather SEA MAIDEN drifted out of Millport in a light south-easterly heading south-west around Garroch Head and then as the wind increased to a Force 3, the little boat lifted her skirts and slipped along nicely, goose-winging at four knots on a north-westerly course to Tarbert in Lower Loch Fyne. On arrival we tied alongside a bigger sister (Leisure 27) from Ardglass on the visitors pontoon. As some of the fleet bound for the West Highlands Week Regatta were gathering there it was a busy and colourful location. By this time I had realised that in Scotland a small boat sailed solo and flying an Irish Tricolour always seemed to be made especially welcome by harbour and berthing masters - and other skippers. As I was due in Ardrishaig on the 31st July I departed Tarbert on the 30th in a SW Force 2 and about fours later was through the sea lock and into the Crinan Canal.

Leaving Ennis at 06.30 hours on Saturday 31st, Paul collected Derek in Limerick and drove to Dublin Airport where they boarded a flight to Glasgow. A three and a half hour bus ride had them in Ardrishaig at 16.30 hours, just in time for us to go through the first lock before retiring to the local hostelry for refreshments and sustenance. The fine weather was well settled as we headed off next day in sweltering heat to transit the Canal. Skipper on tiller and stern line, Paul on bow and Derek on land operating the locks, we transited in company with a 36 ft cruiser racer, BATELEUR 97, whose first mate shared the locking duties with Derek. We were very impressed with the efficiency and friendliness of the British Waterways staff who operated the bridges and assisted with some of the locks. SEA MAIDEN exited the sea lock at Crinan just after three in the afternoon and got underway immediately motor-sailing west and then north in a SW Force 1 to Croabh Haven. We experienced, even in those very settled conditions, the potentially treacherous overfalls and pull of tide through the Gulf of Corryvrecken in the waters just east of Jura and Scarba.

Before leaving Croabh Haven next day we walked over the mountain pass back to Ardfern at the head of Loch Craignish to check out Ardfern Yacht Centre where I was intending to winter SEA MAIDEN. By that time I realised that another season at least was needed to more fully explore the West Highlands coastline. With about 100 berths, the same number of swinging moorings, and a small but very professional boatyard, all in a magnificent setting, Ardfern Y.C. fitted the bill nicely. A deal was struck for lifting out on 30th August with about eight months hardstanding.

The 20 mile leg to Oban was another motorsail in light airs through the Sound of Luing, leaving Fladda Lighthouse to port, then between Easdale and Insh Islands and up through Kerrera Sound. Oban was packed with the West Highlands Week fleet lying about six abreast on every available jetty and with two and sometimes three boats per visitors mooring, one of which we shared with a local Macwester Wight ketch. The fleet departed early next morning while we explored Oban and later in the afternoon enjoyed a day sail around Kerrera Island. We were off again the following day ghosting up the Sound of Mull under spinnaker, passing Maeve and Adrian Bell in REALTA on their way back to Strangford Lough. Tobermory was chockablock with the West Highlands Week boats, plus a few tall ships which had been in Greenock for the big event the previous week. We again shared a visitors mooring and had a lively night ashore with the racing fraternity. When the fleet left for Oban next morning we went walking and swimming before motoring in a flat calm to Loch Aline on the Movern Peninsula. On the following day, again windless, when motoring to Dunstaffnage Marina about four miles north of Oban SEA MAIDEN’S 20 year old exhaust box succumbed to corrosion and became a sieve, flooding the engine compartment and necessitating constant bailing until we reached the marina.

It was time for Paul and Derek to head home while I waited in Dunstaffnage for a suitable wind to sail off the pontoon and back to Ardfern for a new exhaust box and hose. On the 8th August I managed to get as far as Oban, but next day I had the sail of a lifetime, broadreaching under reefed main only in a squally NE Force 5, slipping through the dreaded Dorus Mór at slack water as the wind dropped to about 4 knots, and ending with nearly three hours of tacking up Lough Craignish to anchor just above the Ardfern Yacht Centre moorings at sunset. The boatyard immediately ordered a new exhaust system and when it arrived a few days later fitted it in a few hours. The break gave me an opportunity to become acquainted with the lovely village of Ardfern and some of its inhabitants.

A family illness resulted in my flying home from Glasgow on the 18th August, about two weeks earlier than planned. But true to their word the boatyard lifted SEA MAIDEN out on the 30th and on the weekend of the 25/26 September I returned to Ardfern by car with my friend Nick to drop the mast, winterize the engine and throw on and carefully secure the winter cover.

As SEA MAIDEN normally stays in the water until nearly mid-November it felt odd to be grounded so early. But she and her skipper will be well rested and hopefully ready to continue cruising in Scottish waters early next Summer, a visit to the Small Isles and Skye being one objective. Perhaps in association with the Clyde Cruising Club’s Classic Malts Millennium Cruise.