I left at 05:15 to carry the tide to and hopefully beyond the Cape. If was frustrating and quite tiring sailing with the wind changing frequently then turning to the west towards the end despite a forecast of easterlies.
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| I had the Cruising Chute up 3 times and flew if from the pole, as the wind changed each time before giving up on it a couple of miles from the Cape. |
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| Cape Wrath, Duslic Rock left. Don't go there. |
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| Cape Wrath Lighthouse |
Cape Wrath in benign conditions.
After rounding the wind dropped and I found myself in a back eddy pushing me east and the engine had to go on to get out of it. I lost count of how many times the engine went on and off before I reached Loch Clash, a slight disappointment as I could have made it around Pointof Stoer if the wind had been as forecast, but it is a good anchorage I have not been to before and I was at anchor before two for a relaxing afternoon. |
| Heading towards Loch Clash which is hidden behind the Island right of centre. |
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| The Sadler yacht and it’s 2 crew arrived that evening, I suspect if they can sort out their engine problem we may well meet again. |
Loch Clash anchorage.
Loch Clash is quite a nice anchorage although over looked by several houses and an area people use to park their camper vans. The down side is that it is exposed to the south west and quite a lot of Kelp, when I arrived the wind was NW and the anchor was secure against going hard astern with the engine.
Later the wind swung to the SE and I dragged, bringing up the anchor there was a lot of mature heavy Kelp on it with stems over an inch thick, I may have been anchored by it or the swinging wind may have unscrewed the anchor and on dragging picked up the Kelp. I suspect the former.
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| Anchor pro track: Initial position at the top with dragging top left as the wind changed then increased. Overnight plots below. |
I re-anchored and had a piece full night in a brisk wind, in the morning a larger yacht to my south that probably anchored just before me, was quite some distance behind her former position in deep water, presumably also having dragged.
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| A day of Cyclonic winds. |
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| 33 miles in 8.5 hours. |
Friday is uncertain, forecast strong easterly winds are not a particular problems but they may turn south or south easterly head winds which could be getting any distance.
Update Friday:
I woke at 04:00 and checked the domestic forecasts (that are updated frequently for the next few days) and the midnight inshore forecast and decided to go back to sleep, it is unlikely that I would get much past the Point of Stoer and, with the exception of the fishing port of Lochinver, the anchorages are rather restricted, either by wind direction or swinging room - an anchorage 100 yards wide is rather tight when the wind is forecast to swing most of the way around the clock.
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| Another reason to stay put, it arrived a bit late but is Forecast to last until early Saturday or a bit beyond. |
Hopefully the forecast for tomorrow is correct showing northerly winds that should allow me to get the 45 miles to Loch Ewe or perhaps a little further before the wind increases overnight on Saturday when I will need a secure anchorage in a Northerly.
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