Saturday 6 July

Awake early though not as early as yesterday. The birds were singing and there were blue skies overhead. I popped down to the shops again for vital supplies we’d forgotten yesterday – milk and tonic water. Meanwhile we made ready for another hurry up and wait day. Waiting for boats coming from the basin but then a rush to get into the lock once the first batch were through. Whilst we waited Sapphire’s crew Jane & Ian invited us over for coffee. We’d met them back in Tobermory in the laundry, saw them again to wave at in Puilldorbhain and now onboard their boat, we met their four doggy crew members too. Yachts meet like this all over the world, including several we now count amongst our dearest friends. Sometimes you sail together or share an anchorage for weeks, other times you arrive in the same bay after months apart. It’s part of the wonderful camaraderie of sailing.

Eventually the lock keeper came along to say the waiting game was over for one of us. Sapphire kindly let us go first even though they’d arrived in Ardrishaig ahead of us yesterday. We said goodbye and ambled back to Temptress. The bridge opened, the boats heading north came through and Temptress entered the lock. Once again the canal staff had to admit there was no way Sapphire would fit in with us.

The bridge closed, the water level dropped us down, the gates were opened and then again the wait whilst the next batch of four boats came up. Temptress passed them slowly as the canal bent round to the last lock before the sealock. Once down in the basin we tied alongside the curved pontoon and took on water. Yes the watermaker is working but it was simpler to fill up whilst we waited for Sapphire to join us for the trip through the much larger sealock together.

Finally through and back in salt water again, Temptress stopped briefly on the pontoon to stow all the lines and fenders used during our transit. For once having so many fenders had proved handy. They were given a bit of a dunk to wash off the sludge from the locks before stowing them away. Then we set off, hoisting the mainsail and unfurling the genoa as we found the wind. It was a cracking sail with the wind aft of the beam and the sun shining. Sapphire disappeared into Tarbert, heading for the seafood festival we’d just heard about from various sources, we’ll surely see them again somewhere. Temptress carried on, eventually goosewinged as the wind came right round behind us.

As we neared Ardlamont Point, the same wind blowing down West Kyle, the patch of water between the mainland and the Isle of Bute, reached us. We hardened up and were soon on a beat heading north east. Our goal was the anchorage just south of the Burnt Isles, a lovely spot we’d visited in late May last year. This time we used the Antares charts to pick our way under engine through the western channel and dropped the hook at 5pm just metres from our previous anchoring spot!

The sun was out, the wind down and the seagulls noisy. It’s half tide and on the shore of the Burnt Isles ten or so young seals make wet snoring noises. Presumably their parents are out catching their supper. The low wooded hills around are beautiful, unsurprisingly several large mansions with grounds sweeping down to the shore are scattered along the mainland shore. This idyllic spot is within easy reach of Glasgow. There are other boats around at anchor or on moorings but none nearby, we have this spot to ourselves. Time for a beer in the cockpit to toast Summer and cruising as it should be!