Tuesday July 2

So far Temptress has covered 238 nautical miles since leaving Bangor. In the past ten days, we’ve had five nights at anchor and five in Tobermory. Now we are about to spend four in fresh water. It was a short two mile motor from our overnight anchorage to the sealock at Crinan. The gates were open so in we popped, well fendered down both sides, long lines with loops ready to be handed up to the welcoming Scottish Canals lady. A friendly face on the other side of the lock too once we’d risen enough to be seen. Grant a friend late of Bangor had reached Crinan via the canal on his singlehanded motorboat adventure. He and a friend came over for coffee and a chat before we headed to the office to pay for our canal licence. Then a short walk up to the chandlery to buy milk (in glass bottles) and eggs before settling in for a wait, we will lock up with the next boat when it arrives and is ready to move on. The heating is on again. And as forecast, it’s now raining.

Today is my brother’s birthday – Happy Birthday Ray! It’s also mine but we aren’t twins, he was my third birthday present! Celebrations here in Crinan will be muted, the skipper has promised to cook steaks for supper when we get a little further along the canal.

Eventually a large Nauticat came down through the next lock and needed space to moor up. The canal staff asked if we were ready to lock up, which we were. We donned our oilies and untied. It took a few back and forths to get the bow round then Temptress did a bit of a dance with the Nauticat as two forty odd foot boats manoeuvring in the basin was a bit of a squeeze. Then we were in the lock and the other boat worked its way into the alongside berth we’d vacated with a lot of bow thruster noise.

Up we went then out and chugging along at below the four knots maximum speed. Round the tight first bend and onward, hugging the hillside. The views are spectacular as the marshy wide river estuary is well below the canal. Temptress didn’t go far, through the first bridge (operated like the first locks by canal staff), past the little marina. We tied up at the Bird Hide pontoon promising the bridge operator we’d call in the morning when we were preparing to leave so they could open the next bridge for us.

Eventually the rain stopped and things dried out so before supper we hauled the bikes out of the forepeak, pumped up the tyres and went for a cycle along the towpath. The skipper brought his wallet, hoping that the Cairnbaan Hotel had reopened but it’s still for sale and closed for the foreseeable. We cycled only as far as the top of the Dunardy Locks by the little pool used by the local radio controlled boat club before returning to the boat for some birthday cocktails and supper.