February 11th, 2010 John
Early in 2009 a decision was made to take one of the charter yachts, Pamina a Bavaria 44, operated by Charter For You based at Inverkip to the Canaries for the winter of 2009. With the yacht making the return trip in the Spring of 2010.
Pamina en route
Having worked for Charter For You for the past couple of seasons it was an ideal opportunity for me to work towards my Yachtmaster Ocean qualification.
I completed an intensive theory course in the spring which concentrated on celestial navigation and ocean passage making, but not without thinking that my brain was going into meltdown as I tried to get to grips with the theory behind sun sights and the use of the sextant. Bill the skipper for the whole of the voyage planned the trip in four legs. Inverkip to Southern Ireland, Northern Spain then Madeira, finally arriving in Lanzarote.
Approaching Madeira
I joined the yacht for the leg from La Coruna to Madeira and attached is a link to the narrative log I kept for the 6 days it took to complete the passage.
The narrative log along with the ships log and sun sights taken en route were then presented to an Ocean Examiner for checking, with an oral exam of approximately 2 hours being the final part of the process, which I completed in October.
Although not intending to use the qualification in a professional manner, it was the culmination of a long held ambition of mine and well worth the effort.
Tags: Baiona, Lanzarote, long distance cruising, Madeira, Pamina, yachtmaster passages
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January 13th, 2010 alison
Book your charter holiday with Charter For You before the 31st January and still take advantage of 2009 prices!
Details are on our website or contact the office to discuss your charter requirements.
Tel. 01475 528 825 or use the contact form.
Tags: Bargain charter prices, sailing in Scotland, Scotland Sailing, yacht charter, Yacht Charter Scotland
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December 7th, 2009 alison
Stuck for Christmas present ideas? Why not buy somebody a daysail? We can supply vouchers for any number of people and they can book their days sailing to suit, with dates running throughout next year.
The itinerary for your day out is flexible. A standard itinerary is as below:
0930 - Arrive at Charter For You Office, Kip Marina where you will get your yachting pack of waterproofs, lifejackets, harness and harness lines. The skipper(s) will introduce themselves and give a short briefing of the day ahead, the weather expected etc. On completion your group move to the pontoon yacht and board one of our yachts.
1015 - A further short onboard safety briefing by the skipper will guide you through safety procedures afloat and you will also be introduced to the deck equipment such as winches, halyards, clutches, boom, emphasising their safe use.
1045 - Mainsail cover ready, the skipper slips the mooring and you’re now on your day sail. The skipper will helm until well outside the marina and the yacht is sailing nicely, then you will be given the opportunity to take part in sailing the yacht, if you wish. You will practice tacking and gybing and make your way towards our lunchtime anchorage. This may be at Millport on the Island of Great Cumbrae, or perhaps the bay at Rothesay or even our own mooring at Innellan. The choice of location is dependent on many factors, including the wind strength and direction on the day.
1245 - Wherever the lunchtime destination, we will aim to be there by about 1245. If more than one boat is used, yachts may raft up, weather permitting, at the anchorage. If the weather is favourable you may have lunch on deck, otherwise in the saloon. It’s a relaxing lunch but we try to keep things moving without rushing.
1400 - Making sure that all is secure, we slip or up anchor and make our way back. If there is more than one boat in the party we may have a fun race back towards our home base at Kip Marina, giving you a chance to improve those sailing skills that you picked up before lunch. Alternatively you may wish to just absorb the scenery, the wildlife and the exhilaration of moving through the water under the power of the wind.
1600 - Approaching the marina, the sails are packed, the deck is tidied and the engine goes on as we reach the marina. The skipper brings the yacht back into the marina and secures her along side.
1700 - You return your sailing pack to the office and perhaps you have a tea or coffee in the café at the marina.
Please call 01475 528 825 or contact the Charter For You office to book your day sail or to get a quotation for any specific requests, eg works outings, team building, group activities etc.
Daysails cost £90 per person and include a soup and sandwich lunch. Vouchers are also available for RYA sailing courses.
Tags: Christmas gift voucher, CHristmas present, day sails, Daysail, Gift voucher, Xmas, Xmas gift voucher
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November 25th, 2009 alison
Snow on the water
Over the winter it can be hard to fit in looking after your boat around all the festivities. Let Charter For You take the pressure off and keep an eye on your yacht for you. Based at Kip Marina we can respond to the weather when you can’t and check that lines are secure and that electrical connections and equipment such as heaters and dehumidifiers are still working. A number of Winter Care / Guardianage packages are available, and can be tailored to suit your needs. All of which means you can enjoy all the other activities which winter brings while having peace of mind that your boat is being cared for.
Details are available from Charter For You. Fill in the contact form, or call us on 01475 528 825
Tags: Guardianage, Kip, Kip Marina, Winter, Winter Yacht Care, yacht
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November 18th, 2009 alison
As the sailing season draws to a close for most it is probably time to think about how to make the most of our time on the water next year.
Between Saturday 10th April and Sunday 18th April 2010 why not joinCharter For You on a trip from Kip Marina to Badachro, Gairloch (North of Skye). Aboard “Iona“, our Bavaria 39, it’s the perfect opportunity to gain 250+ miles and Yachtmaster qualifying passages all while experiencing the fantastic sailing waters and beautiful scenery that Scotland has to offer.
Leaving Kip on the Saturday afternoon for the short sail to Lamlash lets you get familiar with the boat before the real milebuilding begins. All stops are, of course, weather dependent, but Gigha, Islay, Oban, Loch Aline, Tobermory, Arisaig, Mallaig, Plockton and Applecross are all possibilities. Arriving at Badachro no later than the next Saturday evening you have plenty of time to make your homeward journey on the Sunday.
Places cost £550 and include all meals on board, berthing, fuel and transport from Badachro to Inverness where there are good connections to Glasgow and elsewhere.
For more information on the trip contact Charter For You using the contact us button, or call 01475 528 825.
Tags: Applecross, Arisaig, Badachro, Gairloch, Gigha, Inverkip, Islay, Kip, Loch Aline, long passages, Mallaig, Milebuilder, milebuilding, Plockton, Skye, Tobermory, Yachtmaster qualifying passages
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November 2nd, 2009 alison
Read Part 4
We got up early to catch the tide down the Sound of Mull and make our way to Kerrera for some crew changes. Being close to Oban it has good transport connections and also gave us the opportunity to have a meal ashore in one of the restaurants on the North Pier.
The next day after the crew change over and some provisioning we carried on our way to Puilladobhrain where we were going to anchor for the night. Being not much more than an hours sail from Oban it makes a good stop if you can’t leave until after lunch. There was limited space there as 15 boats were already anchored, but we found a gap and enjoyed what remained of the sun while watching a seal play around the boats in the hope he would get lucky with some food.
Sunset at Puilladobhrain
The next part of the trip was going to take us south again, although when we left Puilladobhrain we hadn’t actually decided where we were going to stop. We left early and passed Insh Island, Easdale, and retraced our steps through the Cuan Sound. We had decided we wanted a mooring or a berth rather than anchoring and that gave us options of Kilmelford Harbour and Pier, Kilmelford Yacht Haven, Craobh Marina or Crinan boatyard. After deciding that Loch Melfort would probably be more peaceful than Crinan boatyard we headed there and picked up a mooring at Kilmelford Harbour and Pier, just in time to inflate the dinghy before lunch, and to spend a leisurely afternoon on shore.
Fishing boat on the beach at Loch Melfort
The final part of our trip was to take us to Ardfern where we were leaving the boat. As we got ready to leave the wind picked up and we had one of the best sails of the trip down Loch Shuna, through the Dorus Mor and up Loch Craignish, avoiding the lobster pots as we went. We were tied up in the marina about 4 and a half hours later and cleaned up the boat and ourselves before we treated ourselves to a final night dinner in the Galley of Lorne.
Tags: Craobh, Crinan Canal, Loch Melfort, Oban, Puilladobhrain, sailing in Scotland, Sailing Scotland, Seil, Tobermory, West coast of Scotland
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October 29th, 2009 alison
Read Part 3
Loch Drumbuie
At half 11 we upped anchor and left Loch Aline. We were headed for Loch Drumbuie (Loch na Droma Buidhe), and as we entered the Sound of Mull we put up the mainsail and drifted downwind towards our destination, enjoying a cuppa enroute. At half 1 we were off the entrance to Loch Sunart and being careful to avoid both Little and Big Stirk we turned to see the entrance of Loch Drumbuie ahead of us. We dropped the sail, motored through the gap, wary of the underwater rock just inside the entrance. After deciding on the traditional spot just to the right of the entrance where only 2 other yachts were anchored, we dropped the hook in 6 metres. With the anchor holding first time we settled to a leisurely lunch and kept an eye on whether or not we were going to drag, as the wind was funnelling through the loch and making us swing about quite a bit. There are numerous options for places to anchor in Loch Drumbuie and as the afternoon progressed more boats arrived with another couple anchoring close to us, many up the head of the loch, and the Glen Massan anchoring on the opposite side (near where the fish farm used to be). The weather was warm despite the funnelling wind, and some children off one of the other boats had gone in swimming, but wetsuits were required!
The next morning we were up early and travelling the 5 miles to Tobermory. We thought we would try to meet up with the West Higland Week fleet and enjoy some of the fun of the regatta. At 10.15 we raised the anchor and headed out into a southeasterly 20kt breeze. However, we had no plans to sail for this short hop as the main aim was to get into Tobermory before the race boats and hopefully get a pontoon berth before they were filled.
As the forecasts had been for windy weather we found Tobermory a little busier than expected, with many cruising boats sitting out the worst of the weather, and only one space left on the pontoons. We made use of the new facilties at the harbour and then sat and waited for the pandemonium to begin. As the racing fleet arrived numerous boats came over to try and get a space on the pontoon, only to be turned away by the harbourmaster after a lucky few had been allowed to raft off. The rest had to go and use the moorings, or anchor around the edges of Tobermory Bay, but it didn’t stop them making it to dry land for the evenings entertainment and the Mishnish and Macgochans were bursting at the seams.
Tobermory about to get busier
Tags: Loch Aline, Loch Drumbuie, Loch Sunart, Macgochans, The Mishnish, Tobermory
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October 26th, 2009 alison
Read Part 2
The next day we had planned to head to Oban and try to sneak into Kerrera to berth while all the West Highland Week fleet was out racing. However, we had a change of plan and decided to head for Loch Aline instead where we could spend the night at anchor. Having spent the first part of our holidays in marinas and canals we were looking forward to the change.
We left Craobh and headed for the Cuan Sound, a picturesque narrow channel between the islands of Seil and Luing. We passed by Easdale and headed up the Sound of Luing aiming for the Sound of Mull. There was quite a breeze once we got into the open water and having started with one reef in the main and a well reefed genoa we decided we’d be more comfortable with a second reef and further tested our single line reefing (a pleasant change from the slab reefing which we were used to!). Feeling more under control we headed again towards the Sound of Mull passing Insh Island to starboard, and the entrance of Loch Spelve to port. Just as we were reaching Lady Rock we saw the lead boats in the West Highland Week fleet heading past Lismore Light in the Round Lismore Race. This year they had gone anti-clockwise around Lismore Island. Following close on their heels was the rest of the fleet. Being used to being part of the fleet I hadn’t realised how spectacular it could look, and seeing all the yachts reaching along the island side by side was really fantastic.
West Highland Week passes Lismore Light
We carried on up the Sound of Mull passing Glas Eilean to port and as we got closer to Loch Aline’s entrance rolled away the genoa, sailing through the entrance under the power of the main. You need to keep an eye on the ferry leaving Loch Aline as the entrance is quite narrow and meeting the ferry on its way out would have made it feel very tight for space. We dropped the main once inside the loch, decided where to anchor, and tested the windlass for the first time this trip. Anchored in 9m just into south of the entrance we found ourselves nicely sheltered from the southerly winds forecast, and although another 5 or 6 boats joined us throughout the rest of the day it remained peaceful. The plan for the next part was to head for Loch Drumbuie, and then to make the short hop to Tobermory to join in some of the shoreside festivities that accompany West Highland Week.
Tags: Craobh, cruising, Cuan Sound, Easdale, Kerrera, Loch Aline, Loch Drumbuie, Luing, Oban, sailing in Scotland, Sailing Scotland, Seil, Sound of Luing, Sound of Mull, Tobermory, West coast of Scotland, West Highland Week, west highland yachting week, yacht racing
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October 23rd, 2009 alison
Read Part 1.
The rain from the previous day had gone when we got up, but it didn’t seem far away. We decided to stay above the canal basin and watch all the boats head through the locks - and as the fleet was heading through for West Highland Week there was almost guaranteed to be some entertainment…
As we had our morning coffee the bottleneck began and we were glad to be tucked in out the way against the wall.
Crinan bottleneck
As most of the yachts were heading North through the Dorus Mor most had to be away by lunchtime, and with the bottleneck over we enjoyed a peaceful afternoon and evening with coffee and cake outside the Crinan coffee shop, and later some drinks in the Crinan Hotel bar.
Sunday started a bit sunnier, but with strong winds forecast we decided just to head to Craobh marina, which gave us the option of heading to Oban the next day if the forecast was still for strong winds. We thought we might have seen some of the West Highland Week fleet racing from Craobh to Oban, but we were just a bit too late and just caught the tail end of the fleet rounding the bottom of Shuna, heading up the Sound of Luing and past Fladda Light.
As the weather was nice we extended our sail and went past Craobh, into Loch Melfort to investigate the anchorages and moorings there. Then it was back to Craobh to settle for the evening and enjoy the fabulous sunset.
"Dileas", and the Craobh sunset
Tags: Craobh, Craobh haven, Craobh marina, Crinan, Crinan Canal, cruising, Fladda, Loch Melfort, sailing in Scotland, Sailing Scotland, Shuna, Sound of Luing, West coast of Scotland, West Highland Week, west highland yachting week
Posted in Sailing, cruising | 1 Comment »
October 20th, 2009 alison
Check out our updated Cruising Scotland 2009 photo album, and our album of a daytrip on the PS Waverley.
Part 2 of The Great “Dileas” adventure coming soon
Read Part 1 here
Tags: Cruising Scotland, daytrip, great Dileas adventure, Sailing photos, Waverley
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