2025 10th April, Day 12 to Loch Aline.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many for all of these video's? Most are best viewed full screen or you miss the details.

It was a trip of two halves:

Motoring from Crinan through Dorus Mor and The Sound of Luing to Insh Island then mainly sailing up the Firth of Lorn, into the Sound of Mull and to Loch Aline. 

The ride through Dorus Mor and the Sound of Luing, whilst not especially dangerous in sensible weather, can be a very quick, even wild ride, this time it was rather sedate with the maximum tide of about 4 knots past Fladda and only a knot and a half through Dorus Mor which I went through at slack water 3 days after neaps, but where NW bound it can run at 8 knots at springs with strong overfalls.

Entering Dorus Mor

Overfalls exiting Dorus Mor. The heart rate went up

when I saw the first of the white foam balls, it was a 

particularly big one and it looked just like a white pot

buoy partially towed under dead ahead. I had already

cut the engine and made a big course change to avoid 

before I realised what it and they were.

Out of Dorus Mor looking towards the Gulf of Corryvreckan,
a pair of Eider Ducks in the foreground.

The Sound of Luing, Fladda in the distance.

Approaching Fladda port side view. The autopilot

steering a steady course, note the change of heading

due to the eddies and over-falls.

Approaching Fladda and Dubh Sgeir, starboard side.

As planned I had motored the tide assisted 12 miles or so until past Fladda, the wind was still light but looked promising and once abeam of Insh Island the wind had set in from the SSE at about 10 knots so up went the big spinnaker.

Spinnaker up (with the pole too low) and in the

few minutes that took me the wind veered 30 

degrees so I had to gybe.

After the gybe and with the pole correctly set. It got a bit
windy for a while, 15 knots and I though I would have
to take it down but the wind dropped and I kept it up till
past Loch Don where the wind backed and I either had
to gybe the spinnaker again to avoid running ashore or
take it down, I being close to the turn into the
Sound of Mull I took it down. 

Black's Memorial Tower, just short of Duart Point.

Lady's Rock Light and Lismore to the right.

Duart Caste, I have been taking pictures of this
since 2020 and not one without scaffolding on it.

Overfalls of Duart Point.

Approaching Glas Eileanan.

 

I was at anchored in Loch Aline at 16:00 after a quick passage helped by the spinnaker run up the firth. No pictures or videos of Loch Aline as there are loads from previous visits, click here for all posts of Loch Aline (it will include this one, opens in a new window).

32 miles in six and a quarter hours.

Dinner: Scratch made Spag Bol.

Click here for a foggy trip to Tobermory.