56:25.1N 005:29.8W

Melvyn is in Oban.  He stopped off on the Isle of Islay and took in one of the distillery tours on offer.  Naturally he felt obliged to accept the offer of a sample and took a bottle of their wares back to the boat too.  He could have made Oban in one go but as it would have meant arriving around midnight he decided to drop anchor 20/30 yards off shore on an uninhabited island called Lunga – north of the islands of Scarba and Jura.  There was no one else there, utterly peaceful, with the only sounds being the lapping of the water and the call of the birds.  However he said there was a strong wind in the morning and it had found the only gap on the boat and was blowing straight into his face as he slept.

He had intended to stay a few days in Oban, but is now obliged to as the boat will probably have to come out of the water.  He thinks a bearing has gone on the prop shaft.  He has a friend coming to stay onboard for a few days and is also meeting up with Richard, with whom he has sailed for many years.  Richard has a catamaran which he is sailing around the British Isles, taking it in stages, with various friends and relatives acting as crew.  Richard left the boat in Oban a few weeks back in order to spend some time back at home before returning tomorrow to start the next leg around the top of Scotland and down the east coast.

Anne

The Scribe