A82 Inverness to Fort William..

OK. I could have flaked the head of the luff a bit tidier. We had just
tied up to do a bit of shopping (1) at Fort Augustus so I didn't rap it
up.
Would you?(2)

This was before heading up Loch Ness, to have a very nice meal at a
hotel.

While on Loch Ness we moored near Urqhart Castle, in Drumnadrochit
Marina and ate at Drumnadrochit, but I can't remember the name of the
place. We just walked in did the Loch Ness Monster exhibition then found
somewhere to eat. The place even offered us a ride back to the Marina.

Gull Winging on Loch Ness.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25701154@N04/5120265316/


(1) Went to get some glasses to drink wine out of. It didn't seem right
drinking the good stuff out of mugs.

(2)How did your sailing go, was it Greece or Turkey?

 

Nice one.

Did you try the fish and chip shop next to the locks in Fort Augustus.
It comes recommended.

 

We tried 'The Bothy' pub...it was shit.

 

Isn't it just!

We went in there to get a meal and spend a goodly amount of money for
the evening.
I asked if the landlord could recommend a good local real ale as he took
our order for food. His reply was:
"I wouldn't drink that shit if you paid me. I only keep the stuff
because people ask for it. I only drink larger."

I looked across at a heaped up pile of food on a plate that was being
server to the next tale.

We stood up and left having pointed out we had the same opinion about
his food.

The Lock Inn up the road was better.

 

Aye, picked on location rather than anything.

Staff were miserable, fucking hopeless too

 

On 27 Oct, 10:20, Mick Whittingham <>
wrote:
..

Oh yes - both going and coming back! Didn't have the cheesy chips
though.

 

aptly named pub, considering the hour I left one morning. I only went in
for a quick snifter before looking for a B&B. Left about 2am and slept in
the car. That was my first solo motor trip, in a 205Gti c.1989. It was a
shit car to sleep in and I drove home from there at dawn. I don't suppose I
sobered up until Manchester.

 

Hehe. No, of course not. But recent charters have tended to have a
lazy bag, which makes it all so much easier. As also do self-locking
cleats for main hallyard and sheet, gib furling line, topping lift,
etc. etc. Oh, and cabin-top winches for the aforementioned lines with
separate cockpit-side ones for jib sheets.

I always like sailing like that, but J doesn't often let me, as in
calm winds it's too easy to lose the genoa completely, and in stronger
conditions there's often a risk of self-gibing the main. And whether
she's steering or on the sheets she finds it too much like hard work.

But in medium conditions I can persuade her. Usually.

Turkey again, and it was great. We were on a Sun Oddysey 35, with easy
options as mentioned, and a half-decent auto helm. Which are important
to me with a knackered back, as I can just relax for much more of the
time. Even so, Alcohol was needed to relax as soon as we berther every
night, just to loosen things up a bit.

But some great sailing days, winds on some days up to 20-25 knots, so
we were happy to reef main and genoa and clip along at 6-7knots. Just
one day we fucked up trying to gull-wing in a force 5, when I forgot
to reset the autohelm before going to trim the sheets... first time
I've ever been broached, but it pulled all the way around and we
sailed out of it no problem.

Weather was way too hot to start, but better in the second week, nice
people, great little harbours/restaurants, etc. So all in all a damn
good time.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Ace

I've never gull-winged anything bigger than a dinghy, but I used to
*love* that feeling that it could all go astonishingly pear-shaped at
any moment.

Of course, it usually did, and then we got wet. But it's all a laugh at
that size. I once gull-winged a Mirror the length of Coniston Water and
didn't hardly drown at all.

 

I find the same with women.

 

have you tried it with two at the same time? That situation can be
sublimely good, but go nuclear at any moment.

 

I chartered a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36i.
Fitted will *all* the bells and whistles.
Makes life so much easier.

 

It 's a strange sensation of really shifting with only an apparent light
wind over you.

Like lots of things, if you are on the ball and on top of everything
there's no problem.

Then comes the sudden and unexpected change of wind direction..........

If you sail along Loch Lochy the close proximity of mountains and
valleys make the wind direction and strength wild in places. This is
compounded by the lack of effect and indication on the surface of the
water.
You can't see the instant 100 deg shift in wind direction and it's
instant increase from 2 to force 5, because it's happening 2 meters
above the surface of the water.

And erm... yes it did catch me out erm.... once.