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Date: 23 May 2012 19:41:00
Title: Loch Aline to Loch Spelve
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56:22.02N  005:47.41W

We planned a fairly short sail today to Loch Spelve after a trip ashore to Ardtornish Garden at the head of the loch.  An energetic row ashore followed by a stroll along the loch took us to Ardtornish.  There is now a very smart visitor centre (well a room) and we bought a postcard to send to Martin & Dawn.  Unfortunately no stamps, but one of the estate guys very kindly offered to post the card in the village later that day.  As well as a few cards, prints and books they also sell meat from the estate, including venison.  Not needed on this trip but something to note for our next visit.  The gardens were at their peak.  Beautiful rhododendrons and azaleas above great swathes of bluebells.  And from the viewpoint looking down the loch we could see Swallow gently swinging at anchor.


We left the loch at noon, just before Prince Edward arrived by helicopter to visit the dive centre.  As we passed through the narrows the gathering crowd, clearly bored by the wait, turn their cameras on us instead.  The next five hours were some of the creamiest sailing I have ever experienced.  The weather by now was clear, the sea was smooth apart from a few wind ripples and the wind blowing at around 12 kts. We tacked down the Sound of Mull, between Lismore Light and Lady Rock and then back and forth twice between Kerrera and Mull before furling our sails and motoring through the narrows into Loch Spelve. 



 With the wind still in the SE we decided to pass on the usual anchorages at the north of the loch and motored to Kinlochspelve at the southern end, anchoring in 11m in hard mud.  Very much quieter here than in the north and right in front of a house (Barrachandroman Farm) that we rented on a very wet Mull holiday some 26 or so years ago with Roland, Mike and Shelagh.  Another energetic row ashore against the fresh wind and a lovely stroll around the lanes towards Lochbuie.  We finally had supper in the cockpit around 9.30 with sun on the eastern hills and a pair of demented cuckoos trying to outdo the oyster catchers.


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