Bliss's Web Diary - Monach Islands to Castlebay

Monach Islands to Castlebay

Bliss

Thu 26 May 2016 09:59

I am officially a wus! I couldn't settle yesterday, I felt jittery and just a bit anxious. Not so much that we were spending our first night at anchor, it was more that if things went wrong there was no bolt hole we could run to. The routes through to the west side of the Outer Hebrides are tricky, and quite a long way from where we were planning to spend the night, we sailed 45 miles yesterday and 45 miles again today in good conditions, that's nearly 9 hours sailing each day, there was nowhere that we passed where we could have taken shelter had we needed to. When we arrived and dropped anchor in the Monachs, the boat held, and we were sheltered from the Atlantic swell, but these isles are low and the we were fully exposed to the North-easterly that was whistling through at about 20 knots, so we didn't feel confident about leaving the boat to go ashore. We had studied the forecast, were confident that we would be fine, but, on reflection, I'm not sure it was the best decision, hey-ho, we were fine, put it down to experience.
I think that churning feeling finally went as we sailed into Castlebay on Barra at 5pm this afternoon. Chris has had to put up with a slightly cranky, quieter than normal crew, maybe that was a bonus! Full voice resumed as we arrived and picked up a mooring in this sunny, fabulous corner of the Hebrides. Took the dinghy ashore and I went for a run, good to feel solid ground beneath my feet. As is normal for these parts, no mobile signal, no wifi. The Castlebay Hotel provided wifi and beer, looking out from the hotel we had a fantastic view of the bay, and the castle which sits out in the middle of the bay, clear blue sky, calm, clear water, you would never have guessed that this is part of the Outer Hebrides "the yachtsman's graveyard"!
Next evening........ Just to clarify, the yachtsman's graveyard doesn't apply to all of the Outer Hebrides, just a bit ; Washington's Reef is what it refers to, not far from here, and we did have to sail past it!

Blog Entries

2018

Aug 2018

Wed 29 Aug 06:25
- Inner Hebrides
Mon 27 Aug 07:51
- Orkneys June/July 2018

Jul 2018

Thu 26 Jul 07:25
- Stromness 21st June 2018

May 2018

Tue 15 May 21:33
- Peterhead
Mon 14 May 21:02
- St Abbs to Stonehaven 9/5/2018
Sat 12 May 11:38
- St Abbs
Wed 9 May 21:59
- Amble to St Abbs
- Whitby to Amble 6th May 2018
Tue 8 May 10:08
- Whitby 4-6th May
Mon 7 May 10:58
- Lowestoft to Whitby 3/4th May
Wed 2 May 12:51
- Here we go again!

2016

Sep 2016

Sun 18 Sep 18:03
- Thames Estuary Sunday 18th September
Sat 17 Sep 21:21
Fri 16 Sep 10:43
- Lymington to Newtown via the Needles
Tue 13 Sep 15:47
- Lymington
Sun 11 Sep 21:13
- Brixham and East
Tue 6 Sep 21:42
- Exeter
Mon 5 Sep 17:02
- Salcombe- Dartmouth
Thu 1 Sep 12:29
- Plymouth and Salcombe
- Mevagissey and Fowey

Aug 2016

Sun 28 Aug 13:34
- Falmouth....cont'd
Mon 22 Aug 21:08
- Falmouth
- Lizard Point and Falmouth
Tue 16 Aug 21:33
- Penzance
- Padstow
Wed 10 Aug 20:45
- Lundy
Tue 9 Aug 09:27
- Milford Haven, visitors and Lundy
Thu 4 Aug 08:53
- Fishguard and South
Mon 1 Aug 17:26
- Aberystwyth

Jul 2016

Tue 26 Jul 22:15
Fri 15 Jul 09:31
- Isle of Man
Mon 11 Jul 08:49
- (no subject)
Sun 10 Jul 08:19
- The Lakes
Fri 8 Jul 11:54
- Kirkcudbright
Tue 5 Jul 20:42
- Arran to Portpatrick
- Tighnabruaich and Arran
Sat 2 Jul 09:00
- Position
Fri 1 Jul 11:26
- Corryvreckan to Crinan Canal

Jun 2016

Mon 27 Jun 09:00
- Position only
Sun 26 Jun 13:37
Wed 22 Jun 14:32
- Sailing with friends
Fri 17 Jun 10:15
- Stornoway to Acairsed Mhor, Rona
Wed 15 Jun 19:44
- Stornoway
Tue 14 Jun 21:50
- Shiant Islands and puffins
Mon 13 Jun 11:00
Sun 12 Jun 15:30
- Lochboisdale to The Kettle Pool in Loch Skipport
Fri 10 Jun 11:19
- Kettle Pool position only
Thu 9 Jun 22:07
- Part Two of The Adventure

May 2016

Fri 27 May 18:30
- Barra to Lochboisdale
- BARRA TO LOCHBOISDALE POSITION ONLY
Thu 26 May 10:29
- Castlebay and Barra
- Monach Islands to Castlebay
Wed 25 May 10:08
- From Lochmaddy to Monach Island
Sun 22 May 21:47
- North Uist
Sat 21 May 19:24
- The Little Minch
Fri 20 May 06:53
- Carbost
Wed 18 May 16:10
- Skye
- Canna
Mon 16 May 21:48
- The Inner Hebrides
Sat 14 May 19:46
- West Coast here we come!
Thu 12 May 22:15
- Ben Nevis
Tue 10 May 16:19
- The Canal Saturday 7th May
Fri 6 May 06:20
- Lossiemouth
Wed 4 May 14:55
- Moray Firth/Whitehills
Mon 2 May 09:20
- Arbroath to Peterhead to Whitehills

Apr 2016

Fri 29 Apr 08:06
- Arbroath
Sun 24 Apr 19:41
- Staying put
- Amble
Fri 22 Apr 11:23
- Amble- puffins!
Tue 19 Apr 22:00
- Hartlepool
Sun 17 Apr 09:21
- Fwd: Big Birthday
Sat 16 Apr 12:47
- Cabin Boy Log
Fri 15 Apr 12:30
- Fwd: FW: To Whitby
Thu 14 Apr 12:15
Wed 13 Apr 05:39
- To Lowestoft
Mon 11 Apr 22:09

Monach Islands to Castlebay

Blog Entries

Wed 29 Aug 06:25

Mon 27 Aug 07:51

Thu 26 Jul 07:25

Tue 15 May 21:33

Mon 14 May 21:02

Sat 12 May 11:38

Wed 9 May 21:59

Tue 8 May 10:08

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Wed 2 May 12:51

Sun 18 Sep 18:03

Sat 17 Sep 21:21

Fri 16 Sep 10:43

Tue 13 Sep 15:47

Sun 11 Sep 21:13

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Sun 28 Aug 13:34

Mon 22 Aug 21:08

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Fri 15 Jul 09:31

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Sat 2 Jul 09:00

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Mon 27 Jun 09:00

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Fri 27 May 18:30

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Sun 22 May 21:47

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Fri 20 May 06:53

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Sat 14 May 19:46

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Wed 13 Apr 05:39

Mon 11 Apr 22:09