We are now parked at Dunstaffnage Marina,( 56:27.30N, 005:26.0W) waiting for the Caledonian Canal to reopen for traffic, once the repairs to it ( ie fixing the big leak) have been finished. The current expected re opening is 30 April. In view of the risk of slippage, and likely chaos on the first few days, we have decided to organise ourselves around a Monday 4 May departure from Dunstaffnage to the Canal.

So, the plan is for me to go home for a few days, and Claire and her husband John will have a few days holiday up here based on the boat and touring the area on land, as good old fashioned tourists. As it turns out, the weather became so bad ( wind, cold and hail) , there was unlikely to be much sailing for a few days anyway. Dunstaffnage is a fairly wild marina in a strong northerly breeze...and that is exactly what we had. Coupled with the tide that runs through the pontoons it makes for pitching pontoons and focuses the mind when checking mooring lines.

Nothing from Bogdan...he is suffering from the cold and has hidden somewhere, presumably semi hibernating.