56:42.74N 005:46.66W
We were woken by torrential rain but it quickly cleared and we spent most for Sunday morning enjoying a leisurely breakfast and watching the frantic boat movements around Tobermory Bay – relieved that we didn’t have an office and Monday morning to race back for. we finally let go our mooring just before noon, by which time we were almost the last boat standing. Sails up in the Bay and off across the top of the Sound to Loch Sunnart. We have visited the entrance many times en route to Loch Drumbuie, and I have long wanted to explore it properly. Truly Fjord like, it runs for 17 miles from the top of the Sound of Mull. The Imray Mull Pilot describes it as “one of the most picturesque west coast lochs, with successive ranks of mountains and islands arranged as in a Victorian engraving of the Highlands”
The winds were still the NW which meant a brisk close/beam reach to the entrance and then a series of broad reaches and gybes, aided by a knot of so of tide. Each bend in the loch seemed set at the perfect angle for the next reach and we soon lost the swell that had built across the north of Mull. After some experimentation, we settled on a single reefed main, sheeted in against an unplanned gybe but flown loose footed with the vang off. This provided a surprising amount of drive without blocking the jib and with the full jib gave us a stable and efficient combination.
Sunnart lived up to expectations and the weather provided a classic, moody, Scottish feel with plenty of sun for us and dramatic skies and cloud formations. We soon passed Salen, but carried on to the narrows before the last section of the loch, where we turned and beat back, neatly dodging another torrential rain shower. Salen Jetty is a magnificent 200 plus year old stone jetty attributed to Thomas Telford. The new owners have just added a splendid pontoon, with 8 berths – on wide 12m fingers with 12m(!!) between each. We could park sideways! Water and shore power beckoned and we tied up next to a Najad 361 just along from a Nauticat – giving a strong Nordic feel to the place.
Salen is pretty little village with a good hotel/pub and lovely walks in the ancient oak forest alongside the loch, with great view down to the harbour. A really excellent diversion from the bustle of the Sound of Mull.
