2025 7th April, Day 9 from Bangor across the North Channel.

DRAFT WIP

More pictures and video to follow, having band width problems and my back is aching.

An excellent sail for a change although chilly. After a reasonable amount of sleep, but still not enough, I had the anchor up at 07:15 and was under sail soon after in a rising wind that topped out at F4. The  cruising chute went up lust before 11 as I was able to bear off in the now south easterly wind once past the Maidens. It stayed up until 12:30 when wind picked up to 15 knots when I could make good speed under fore and aft sails.

The Maidens

The Mull of Kintyre.

I just made the tide off The Mull of Kintyre at 14:00 and headed up the west side. The wind started playing tricks increasing briefly to 22 knots from the south then dropping to 6 - 10 nots before swinging all over the place at a few knots so the engine when on at 15:20 and I was at anchor in Machrihanish Bay at 17:00.

More on the anchorage, the airfield etc to follow.

The last time I was at Machrihanish. Left base to land on the
very long cold war runway, it was a dispersal site for nuclear
bombers, RAF V force (Vulcans) and USAF (B52s).

It may look bland but this egg fried rice with chicken etc. tasted good.

Arriving at a sensible time, one of the reasons for not going further north the other being 5 hours of adverse tide, I had time to cook. 

I was a bit put out, I cooked off two portions of chicken in a little olive oil that I had got from a "traditional" butcher in Howth, by the time they were done so much water had come out of them that the chicken stock covered the diced chicken. One portion for the "special" fried rice the other with some sweet and sour cook in sauce for tomorrow.

9 hours 45 minutes for the 49 GPS miles.

Click here for Loch Stornoway.