RTYC West Coast of Scotland gathering 2008

On mooring at Melfort Pier in company with Northern Whistler (Bill & Grace Berguis with Duncan & Annemieke Cunningham) and Kaparda (Gavin & Pippa Shanks representing the RHYC) and joined by road by the crew of Swordfish (Peter & Ruth Tracey, guests of Mike Crane). 

Very unpromising weather forecast for the weekend has so far been proved wrong – rather better than expected!  Not in fact sunny, but it stayed dry for the day allowing us all to have agreeable sails round to Loch Melfort from various starting points.  Hiltgund’s resident crew of John & Gilly Bourke arrived at Craobh in time for us to sail round the south end of Shuna and then up Shuna Sound into Loch Melfort and we were joined by Peter Tracey for this short late afternoon potter.  Ideal breeze for full main and cruising jib – just one gybe on the south end of Shuna and no tacks at all – very easy sailing and we zipped along at up to 7 knots!! 

Now it is starting to rain, so as Hiltgund has limited capacity for entertaining large numbers in the dry even with the boom tent deployed, we are all heading over to Northern Whistler.  Splendidly, we have the services of Andy Malcolm in his RIB to ferry us all from boat to boat and then ashore for dinner at the Shower of Herring.  Looking forward to a good dinner and probably not a very early night!!

Aboard Northern Whistler II – we only needed the brollies for about 5 minutes

(photos by Grace Bergius)