DARWIN SOUND

Sailing plans for 2012

2012-01-22T19:35:00.001-08:00

Although another winter snow storm is blasting through our home base in Whistler and, while skiing occupies some part of each day, we have enjoyed browsing charts and discussing sailing options for the coming summer season in Europe.

Darwin Sound is currently on the hard just outside Glasgow, Scotland. We plan to return to Scotland in April, sail among the western isles for a month or so, then set off across the North Sea to Norway.

Some of our goals for the beginning of this next season: landing on Ailsa Craig and other island seabird colonies, hill-walking among spring flowers, visiting few more castles and historic sites.

We will leave the Hebrides some time in May, either with a transit of the Caledonia Canal to Inverness or (if conditions appeal) by rounding Cape Wrath to the north coast and Orkney.

By mid-June our peregrinations will most likely have us exploring the south coast of Norway en route to Sweden.

A map will soon be added to show possible routes.

Cowl Gathering

2011-09-06T12:18:00.003-07:00

Piping, highland dancing, heavy athletics...it's all there at the annual gathering in Dunoon on the Clyde.
Never heard of it? Well, competitors from all over make their way there, including elite competitors from across Canada....and over 10,000 spectators!

All day long pipe bands warm up in an adjoining field, which is the best place for a close-up view of them.

On queue each band marches out to one of several competition areas in the field.

Pipe bands include community members, young and old, boys, girls, aunts, uncles, amateurs and serious musicians.

Each pipe band is judged by several experienced, retired pipers.

The World Highland Dancing Championships were part of the Cowl Gathering this year. Again, dancers from all over the world were there, including many from across Canada. We got to watch a variety of dancers practicing before their competitions, but mostly the younger, local kids.

But since this was a World Championship event, and we were not VIPs, we were not able to get close to the internationally-ranked dancers. Here is a glimpse from a distance.

Sometimes they wandered about, relaxing between competitions. Here is one of the male dancer doing some stretches.

Many proud Scots turn out (and dress up) for the Gathering.

It's not all about pipers and dancers. Heavy athletes draw the crowds too. These include wrestling, log throwing and the tossing of heavy objects backwards, over high bars!

A girl beat out a lot of the other wrestlers, including the tough-looking guys with tatoos.

A local girl also won the overall log-tossing, being out a tough-looking girl from Iceland.

And a giant powerhouse of a guy won the toss-the-heavy-weight-backwards-over-the-high-bar competition!

When you've had enough of pipes and marching there is always people-watching, which includes sporran-spotting and brogue-admiration.

http://cowalgathering.com/

River Clyde

2011-09-04T13:39:00.019-07:00

We navigated Darwin Sound up the River Clyde, a motoring-only trip of about 3 hours from Inverclyde town of Greenock right into the heart of downtown Glasgow. This was our second trip up the river, and we will probably head up there again next season. After all, what better way to explore what was once the busiest ship-building centre in the world than by boat.

From Greenock we passed by the Newark Castle at Port Glasgow.

As the river narrowed we followed a buoyed channel across to Dumbarton Rock. Remnants of Dumarton Castle are still evident on this rock, known mostly as the place where William Wallace was held after his capture by the English, and as the castle from which Mary Queen of Scots was secreted off to France during her childhood.

Another waypoint is Bowling and the entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal. The canal was opened in 1790 and is still operational today. If you have heard of the Falkirk Wheel then you'll know something of this canal. It could be a fun way to cross Scotland but Darwin Sound is far too big for this canal.

The true sense of being on a river takes hold when passing under the Erskine Bridge. The current is not strong, but it is definitely advantageous to go up river with the rising tide.

In the lower reaches much of the riverside reveals only rotting remnants of hundreds of docks, along with a few derelict vessels.

The Clyde ship-building industry consists of only a few boat yards now.

Much of the riverside is being revitalized with walking and biking trails. Closer to town are some modern apartment blocks.

In an attempt to lure yachts up river a few free visitor pontoons have been installed. We only saw three other sailboats during our 3-day visit, one from Norway, one from England and the other our new friends from the US. As last year, we tied to a pontoon up-river from the Millenium Bridge and below the BBC building and Science Centre.

We also tied up at the new Riverside Museum of Transport, an impressive building housing an fabulous collection of boats, cars, bikes and more.

While in Glasgow we wanted to see some of the work of turn-of-the-century architect Charles Rennie MacIntosh. We met Mary at the Willow Tea Rooms then went on a tour of the Art School.
Earlier we had visited the MacIntosh-designed Hill House in Helensburgh so it was very interesting to see more of his work around Glasgow. CRM has quite a following. To learn more click here:

http://www.crmsociety.com/

We enjoyed wandering around Glasgow streets, soaking up the vibrant atmosphere and viewing the eclectic array of buildings. Buchanan Street is one of the pedestrian streets in the city, a busy area filled with browsers and shopppers at any hour of the day. (It is also home to my favourite Apple Store!)

Later we also walked across town to Kelvingrove park and museum, and around the historic university buildings near where Mike and Mary spent 4 fours this summer. To learn more about their time in Glasgow click on the link to Marys' Lens on the side bar of this blog.

There is so much to enjoy about Glasgow that we can tell you about in this short blog post. We are sure to head up-river again next season and would welcome some company!

Holy Loch

2011-08-30T09:05:00.005-07:00

A lot has happened since our last post about our hike up Goatfell on Arran Island.

From Arran we sailed over to the marina at Largs on the mainland. The wind was blowing from the SE or we might have gone to Ardrossen, but "falling off" 30 degrees gave us a great sail straight to Largs instead.

At Largs Al got to browse one of his favourite Chandlers and pick up a few bits of gear. Certainly our boating this season has been very much about making improvements to the boat, especially getting caught up with the smaller jobs that aren't essential and tend to get overlooked. Those smaller gear items are difficult to find, especially in the more remote corners of Scotland, which is another reason those smaller repairs are often delayed.

When we left Largs the wind was still blowing from the south so we sailed north to Holy Loch, a place we had been wanting to stop since last season. The marina is being rebuilt but for now it is quiet and offers a welcome change from the high-end service-oriented marina at Largs.

While at Holy Loch we were reminded of the annual Cowl"gathering"in Dunoon so we plan to return next week-end.

Here is the location for the Holy Loch Marina at Sandbank, near Dunoon.

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Longitude:-4.94772
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Goat Fell

2011-08-19T23:37:00.004-07:00

We had a good weather day for a hike on Arran Island and headed up Goat Fell from Corrie, along the edge of the burn (creek) to the ridge between the highest peaks. Goat Fell is not quite a Monro, being just under 900 M high, but going straight up from sea level every meter is an honest meter of elevation.

From Corrie the trail is just 2.5 miles from the roadway at sea level to the summit. The challenge is to get up and down again before the mist obscures everything, particularly the steep drop offs and the way back down! We did a circuit, descending on a different route which lead us 3.5 miles in a southerly direction to Brodick Castle.

We wiped our hiking boots for a tour of the castle, then relaxed in the castle tea room and reflected on our great day of "hill walking".

Arran Island

2011-08-19T07:08:00.002-07:00

At last!

We attempted a visit Arran Island in May but the weather was such that we never got to shore for long, and the weather would not allow for the planned walk up to Goat Fell. This week was perfect and we took the opportunity to:

A explore Lochranza, a small village around an attractive bay complete with a castle ruin

B hike up Goat Fell, a craggy peak almost 900M above sea level

C visit Brodick Castle and gardens, a view into excessive the life styles of the rich

photos to be posted within 12 hours...(we are briefly in a place with GREAT internet)

Campbeltown, Kintyre

2011-08-16T06:53:00.002-07:00

We stopped for a couple of days at Campbeltown, just north on the inside of the Mull of Kintyre. Campbeltown is a secure, natural harbour with a visitor pontoons in the centre of town. The waterfront promenade is long and lined with beautiful Victorian homes, lush gardens, and expansive green spaces. It was here that Beatle Paul McCartney had a home (and several farms) and - according to one local I met - could be seen taking an evening stroll and chatting with other locals. There is memorial garden to Linda McCartney located next to an historic building, and - of course - we will take a moment to listen to the Wings song "Mull of Kintyre".

This week-end the Bootleg Beatles are playing, apparently the best-ever of this sort of band in the world. Maybe Sir Paul will come by to do the intro?

The town is surrounded by attractive hillsides with easy walking trails as well as a network of cross-country bike trails. This photo shows a glimpse of town below the hills where we walked.

A little clarification: in Scotland hiking is called hill-walking, so we call all our hikes walks, even though they are often what we would normally consider hikes (more strenuous) at home in Canada.

Rounding the Mull of Kintyre

2011-08-16T02:43:00.002-07:00

We chose the best weather window of the week for rounding the Mull, sailing south from Islay about 20 KM, west about 10NM and then north about 10NM to Campbeltown on the east side of the Kintyre Peninsula.

The Mull has a reputation for rough seas because it's exposed and tidal currents can be very strong. We timed our departure from Islay for the best weather day of the week and enjoyed fast sail with a westerly breeze of about 15-20 knots. It was challenging to find this weather window because one low pressure system after another has been coming across the Atlantic, bringing poor weather to Scotland.

The other part of the plan was to find a mid-day tidal situation that would allow us to pass the cape in relatively calm seas, and hopefully with a current to aide our passage from west to east.

The idea is to avoid rough seas, whirlpools and overfalls, and to ride with the tide rather than be pushed backwards in adverse currents!

As it turned out we enjoyed a fast sail south in clear, dry weather that was mostly sunny. Our arrival at the cape was timed perfectly so we had flat seas and a 3-knot current going with us. As we turned north the wind died down a bit, but then freshened again and we were able to sail right into the harbour.

The Campbeltown music festival starts in a few days.....

Islay

2011-08-10T05:32:00.002-07:00

Port Ellen on the south coast of Islay is our home for a few days.

Gigha

2011-08-10T05:17:00.002-07:00

We stopped overnight at the delightful island of Gigha, tied to a buoy in just over 4M of water over white sand. In the sunshine the place looks almost tropical! But, we had strong winds and even though our harbour was protected by the island it was still quite rough. A dozen boats were nestled into the small bay, all rolling about in the waves.

Then next morning was calmer so we put the outboard engine on our inflatable and went ashore. the island is only about 6 square miles in size, with a population of under 200. About 10 years ago the local community formed a trust and purchased their island, something that has taken place with a number of the smaller Scottish islands.

There is a small shop, church, art galley and some houses to rent for holidays. The main attraction - beyond the beaches and remote island sense of the place, is Achamore Gardens, created in the mid-1900s by Sir John Horlick. We were most interested in the old graveyard filled with very old headstones and the remains of a small chapel.

While the shallow by with clear waters over white sands looked like an inviting place to swim I must admit that I have - once again - passed up the opportunity to get wet.

With a good breeze from the NW we left Gigha for a fast sail across to Islay.

Ardfern, Loch Craignish

2011-08-05T03:57:00.002-07:00

We are spending few days at a marina in a friendly coastal community.

This marina is fully equipped and Al is in chandlery heaven. Some call the chandlery a shackle chapel, and it sounds appropriate when you see sailors wandering in a trance, looking at shackles, fittings and other gear they really want to justify needing and buying for their boats. Al has found a number of items, including navigation lights that are brighter, more compact and draw less power. A new anchor (remember our current anchor dragged at Canna) and maybe some new shackles for use here and there. Most importantly, though, he has be able to purchase the parts necessary to rebuild the heat exchanger and is now replacing the exhaust pipe, both far less romantic but important jobs requiring attention at this time.

This community is hosting an arts festival as well as a scarecrow contest, which make our stay here even more interesting. Some photos of creative scarecrows will be added asap.

Garvellachs

2011-08-02T03:37:00.003-07:00

Isles of the Sea

Similar to Iona, Eileach an Naoimh (the southern most island in this group) was inhabited by Celtic monks looking for solitude. In fact, it is believed that St Brendan established his monastery here before St Columba established his place on Iona.

Essentially what we can see now are remains of some beehive cells, where monks must have found solitude and a sense of connection to God, some remains of the main monastery building, ruins of a chapel, walls of a garden (monks grew their own food) and graveyard.

The island is an appealing and peaceful place so it's easy to understand why the monks chose to live here.

Bonus: it even has a reasonable place to anchor in settled weather. We loved our stop there!

To see the location on a map, plus links and other photos, click on our SPOT link below:

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.22
Longitude:-5.80499
GPS location Date/Time:08/02/2011 12:38:09 CEST

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Loch Linnhe

2011-07-30T14:07:00.004-07:00

We spent almost a week among the mountains surronding Loch Linnhe. That's the body of water leading to the Great Glen / Divide where the Caledonia Canal cuts across northern Scotland.

We enjoyed being among the mountains, both on the boat and up in the hills. One day we hiked around a classic cirque, hiking along a ridge with multiple summits at about 600M, all with panoramic views of more mountains and a myriad of inlets below.

You will notice we had sunshine too!

You can actually rent a small stone house in the area and spend a week exploring!

For more info and photos click on this link:

www.kingairloch.co.uk

Below is the location of where we spend quite a few nights tied securely to a mooring buoy (which allows us to roam without concerns regarding the safety of the boat).

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.61638
Longitude:-5.51321
GPS location Date/Time:07/30/2011 23:07:40 CEST

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Appin

2011-07-26T06:06:00.002-07:00

We spent a few days around Appin, which you may have heard of if you read Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. This is where the murder was said to take place....

It's an attractive area, dominated by Castle Stalker. Of course I wanted to visit the castle but it is privately owned. Unfortunately the owners were not home so they were unable to invite me in to tea!

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Latitude:56.54694
Longitude:-5.41373
GPS location Date/Time:07/26/2011 15:06:36 CEST

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Oban

2011-07-24T10:54:00.002-07:00

We are back in Oban after a couple of nights in Loch Spelve on Mull.

In Loch Spelve we tied to a buoy off the mussel farm and hiked in the rather remote-looking hills. Surely there must have been greater population in this beautiful area, but now it is very quiet. After having the place to ourselves for a day and a might we were surprised when we were joined by 7 boats filled with young boys, all on a summer adventure camp put on by the Gordonstone School. The 3week adventure includes some other land-based adventures too, all for 5,000 pounds per kid. Needless to say, there was a lot of laughter in the bay last night, and even a few kids in swimming.

Yes, we do have sunshine now but the air is still quite fresh. The locals confirm this is a cooler than usual summer so far.

Oh and the mussel farm offers 2 kilo bags of mussels for just 2 pounds, which we pay into an honesty box. We seem to have forgotten just how many mussels one can get in a 2 kilo bag .... We bought 2 bags! We wish our Toria could parachute in and help us eat them now!

Text added via iPhone one letter at a time.... Photos and more text to follow when we finally get Internet for a laptop to go on line.

Iona

2011-07-22T12:36:00.002-07:00

A calm, sunny day provided the opportunity for a peaceful and refreshing visit to this spiritual centre. Photos to be uploaded when we finally find Internet access.

West coast Mull

2011-07-21T12:17:00.003-07:00

We had a fabulous sail out of Loch Sunart and south along the west coast of Mull.

Overnight anchorage below Ben Mor in Loch nanKeal

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.49098
Longitude:-6.01483
GPS location Date/Time:07/21/2011 21:18:09 CEST

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Loch Sunart

2011-07-17T00:56:00.003-07:00

After a month around Skye and the Small Isles we have begun to sail south. We are currently exploring Loch Sunart, which is east of Mull and west of the Caledonia Canal and Ben Nevis.

Ideally we will find the combination of dry conditions and a safe harbour with some near-by hills to climb. We loved our long day climbing the 5 Sisters - "bagging several Monros" and numerous other shorter hikes to summits of 300M to 500M and will be looking for more options this week up Loch Sunart.

We found a proper all-weather anchorage here:

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.65598
Longitude:-5.92056
GPS location Date/Time:07/17/2011 09:56:41 CEST

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Mull

2011-07-16T06:36:00.003-07:00

We are back at Tobormoray on the Isle of Mull after a sail around The Small Isles.

From Eigg we sailed north to Skye, flying the spinnaker under blue skies. Nestled in a small bay under the Black Cullin allowed us to hike at Loch Coruisk and until the hills above the anchorage. Unstable weather the next day did not allow us to "bag a Monro" however so we sailed over to Canna (island), the outermost of the Small Islands. Here we scrambled over the hillsides to find historic sites and - of course - seabirds. We were rewarded with some close-up views of puffins and a Bonxie attack.

As predicted, our anchor dragged (due to heavy seaweed cover), but not until we had been safely stable for 24 hours. We can relate the story of Irene saving the boat at another time....

Canna

2011-07-14T06:37:00.003-07:00

We spent two nights anchored at Canna, one of the Small Islands south of Skye. The island is managed by the National Trust of Scotland. Highlights of our stay include watching Atlantic Puffins.

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.05531
Longitude:-6.4977
GPS location Date/Time:07/14/2011 15:37:33 CEST

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Eigg

2011-07-13T01:20:00.002-07:00

A high pressure system has brought us some summer weather at last: blue sky, air warm enough for shorts, seas calm enough to perch in an open roadstead off this small island, and ground dry enough for a hike the rocky, volcanic plug called the Sgurr.

We plan to take advantage of this weather by heading into a small cove below the black Cullin mountains of Skye for some hiking.

Internet connections are not easy to find along this mountainous coast, so this blog has not been kept up with text or photos. If you click on our SPOT links you will usually find some good photos (posted by others) to give you an idea of the areas we are exploring.

Moidart

2011-07-09T04:23:00.002-07:00

We spent a couple of nights tucked up in Moidart, just in from this lovely castle ruin.

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Latitude:56.78812
Longitude:-5.82288
GPS location Date/Time:07/09/2011 13:24:05 CEST

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Arisaig

2011-07-07T07:57:00.003-07:00

DarwinSound is tied to a buoy in this secure harbour, with a view of Rhum and Eigg. Harbour seals were lounging on the rocks at low tide as we navigated the narrow, shallow channel and we are completing a dinghy exploration for some superb bird and seal watching.

A complex low pressure system has brought us a variety of conditions including heavy rain like in the tropics as well as warm sunshine under blue skies sprinkled with cumulus clouds.

Check out our location

Latitude:56.90704
Longitude:-5.85623
GPS location Date/Time:07/07/2011 16:57:10 CEST

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Loch Hourne

2011-07-04T09:55:00.002-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.1124
Longitude:-5.58282
GPS location Date/Time:07/04/2011 18:56:04 CEST

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Glenelg

2011-07-03T10:10:00.003-07:00

DarwinSound In Glenelg
Latitude:57.20936
Longitude:-5.63235
we stopped here to explore the glen (valley) . A few miles up the beautifully lush river valley we came across two large Pictish brochs (forts).

We have enjoyed warmer conditions these past few days.

Still no Internet for laptops so no photos or extensive text.

But if you click on the spot links you will find photos and info for this area.

location Date/Time:07/03/2011 19:10:17 CEST

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2011-07-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

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Latitude:57.18905
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GPS location Date/Time:07/02/2011 16:00:41 CEST

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2011-07-01T12:07:00.001-07:00

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GPS location Date/Time:07/01/2011 21:07:40 CEST

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2011-06-28T09:28:00.002-07:00

DarwinSound was in Plockton for three nights.

It is a very attractive Coastal village surrounded by great scenery and a network of trails supported by the National Trust. We enjoyed a dinner at the atmospheric Plockton Hotel and numerous walks on the Coastal paths.

Still not Internet access for laptops so descriptive text and photos will be posted later.

Plockton:
Latitude:57.34339
Longitude:-5.64005
GPS location Date/Time:06/28/2011 18:28:18 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/5CYhu/57.34339N/5.64005W

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http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=57.34339,-5.64005&ll=57.34339,-5.64005&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

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2011-06-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.41212
Longitude:-6.18582
GPS location Date/Time:06/26/2011 09:09:59 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/5B0eo/57.41212N/6.18582W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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2011-06-23T12:26:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.28369
Longitude:-5.99905
GPS location Date/Time:06/23/2011 21:27:03 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/59ILt/57.28369N/5.99905W

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2011-06-21T13:38:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.16887
Longitude:-5.79266
GPS location Date/Time:06/21/2011 22:38:48 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/580ei/57.16887N/5.79266W

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2011-06-19T10:53:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.97221
Longitude:-5.63489
GPS location Date/Time:06/19/2011 19:53:32 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/56hNF/56.97221N/5.63489W

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2011-06-18T02:02:00.000-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.03111
Longitude:-5.68723
GPS location Date/Time:06/18/2011 11:03:11 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/55ov8/57.03111N/5.68723W

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Mallaig

2011-06-16T13:28:00.004-07:00

Internet access has not been easy so most of our contact has been limited to our SPOT messages.

While we can usually view email via our iphone we can't seem to reply with any success. This has been frustrating, especially in the case of personal email messages we would like to be sending. And, of course we would enjoy the option to use Skype but if we can't get on line in any reliable manner we can't Skype...

We do have a cell phone here and would be happy to have a call! If we are in range and cell phone service is actually available we will reply! If we don't reply to your call please don't leave a message because we have not yet sorted out how to retrieve messages!

There is no fee for us to receive phone calls, by the way, but phoning out is prohibitive (for us) with our basic pay-as-you-go SIM card. If you call us via Skype there won't be much cost for you and it will not use up any of our SIM card.

We are in Mallaig now and it's sunny and calm, although still quite cool.

Our plan is to head north to Skye, explore some inlets we saw briefly in past seasons and spend time in some others we have not yet seen at all.

When and if we finally get on some reliable internet we will post some photos and news.

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2011-06-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.00565
Longitude:-5.82343
GPS location Date/Time:06/16/2011 17:12:35 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/54fgp/57.00565N/5.82343W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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2011-06-15T00:56:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.54104
Longitude:-5.76135
GPS location Date/Time:06/15/2011 09:56:29 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/53rBw/56.54104N/5.76135W

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2011-06-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.41193
Longitude:-5.48611
GPS location Date/Time:06/12/2011 16:35:11 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/525QD/56.41193N/5.48611W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.41193,-5.48611&ll=56.41193,-5.48611&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

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2011-06-11T00:31:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.24934
Longitude:-5.5181
GPS location Date/Time:06/11/2011 09:31:40 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/51GqG/56.24934N/5.5181W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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2011-06-10T10:57:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.24936
Longitude:-5.5181
GPS location Date/Time:06/10/2011 19:58:05 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/50uvA/56.24936N/5.5181W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.24936,-5.5181&ll=56.24936,-5.5181&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

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2011-06-09T08:53:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.09089
Longitude:-5.55499
GPS location Date/Time:06/09/2011 17:53:42 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/50DOJ/56.09089N/5.55499W

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2011-06-06T06:11:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.01742
Longitude:-5.44919
GPS location Date/Time:06/06/2011 15:12:05 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/4-SNc/56.01742N/5.44919W

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East Tarbert

2011-06-04T14:22:00.005-07:00

Saturday evening here in East Tarbert, a fishing village with some new pontoons for yachties and a nice place to stop for a quiet evening.

Here is a photo of the shore, with the keel boat pontoons in the background and a small local craft beached off the village.

We had a glass of wine on board a Contessa 32, a sister-ship to the the boat Al sailed across the Atlantic some years ago. This is a small vessel that can go anywhere, and maybe the best option for Charlotte's next boat? (We have news that Charlotte and crew have arrived safely at Queen Charlotte City, which is very impressive and great news!)

Here is a photo of the colourful harbour street.

We hiked up into the hills above Tarbert village to see the ruins of an old castle, then followed part of the long distance walk called the Kintyre Way.

Here is a view from one of the viewpoints along the way, looking north up the loch.

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2011-06-04T10:21:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.86592
Longitude:-5.40964
GPS location Date/Time:06/04/2011 19:21:53 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/4zPG6/55.86592N/5.40964W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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2011-06-03T12:08:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.95283
Longitude:-5.19702
GPS location Date/Time:06/03/2011 21:09:05 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/4ytEr/55.95283N/5.19702W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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2011-06-02T00:30:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.92556
Longitude:-5.1582
GPS location Date/Time:06/02/2011 09:30:34 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/4y0eV/55.92556N/5.1582W

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2011-05-31T10:00:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.89326
Longitude:-5.23706
GPS location Date/Time:05/31/2011 19:01:00 CEST

Message:We are exploring around this area and all is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/4x9hi/55.89326N/5.23706W

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Eilean Caladh

2011-05-30T07:31:00.002-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.93104
Longitude:-5.18567
GPS location Date/Time:05/30/2011 16:31:57 CEST

We found a lovely anchorage in the Kyles of Bute!

Kyle means strait and this photo shows the Burnt Islands at the northern end of Bute where the east Kyle meets the west Kyle. Here we have to navigate carefully between the islets and the shallows, sometimes with strong current due to tides.

Our anchorage is just to the left of the photo, off the Kyles and behind a small island called Eilean Caladh. Look, it's a sunny day!

Also note the rhodos have gone wild here! The photo is from my walk along the Cowel Way, a long distance walk that passes by this part of the peninsula.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/4wZMt/55.93104N/5.18567W

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Bute, around the island

2011-05-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

We spent the day exploring Bute, first by taking a double-decker bus ride around the island. We stopped to walk around the estate at Mount Stuart, the mansion which locals are proud to say was the place where Stella McCartney was married last year or so. While this photo shows a manicured lawn, there are many different theme gardens on the property, including a kitchen garden with fresh, organic veggies. Most of the grounds are wooded, with quiet paths. We followed a path that lead to the shore and along the coast to a small village, then hopped on the next bus back to Rothesay.

Later than day I followed another forest path around the island and beyond the town, then hiked up a hillside to a summit called "Canada Hill" . According to the locals it was from this hill that people watched Glasgow folk leave on ships to a new life in Canada. People on Canada Hill waves white bed sheets as the ships passed by, down the Clyde and off to sea.

In the 1960s Scottish emigrants were offered boat passage for just $20 if they would agree to live and work in Canada for a minimum of two years. If they came home to Scotland before that time they had to pay back the cost of the boat trip.

There was a similar scheme for emigrating to Australia as that Commonwealth country was also looking for able workers.

Funny, my high school boyfriend Allister came to Canada because his parents took up the offer. They later returned to Glasgow then went to Australia on the same scheme, then returned to Canada again on their own dollar before moving again to Australia. Standing on Canada Hill, I can imagine what it might have been like for his young parents, off on a new adventure to a new country!

This photo is a view from the top of Canada Hill, but looking north west and not east to where the ships would have passed. (It was too windy looking east!)

Rothesay, Isle of Bute in the Clyde

2011-05-28T07:39:00.004-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.83812
Longitude:-5.05325
GPS location Date/Time:05/28/2011 16:39:41 CEST

Weather reports around here are consistently suggesting more low pressure off the coast of Scotland, and more strong gales winds to keep us alert! So, after two nights bouncing a bit while tied to a buoy off Lamlash, Arran Island we decided to head into a marina for a couple of nights.

When the weather calms down we plan to return to Arran and spend a few days exploring on land, but not until conditions improve.

It's no wonder the locals are always talking about the weather! It can be entertaining to say the least, with sunshine one minute, black clouds the next, and the odd tropical downpour in between. While some of this may go unnoticed for city dwellers, the weather is very much a part of our daily lives on the sea.

So, we gave up on our plan to get on shore for some hiking around Arran, put the dinghy back on deck, secured everything above and below decks, ducked below while a rainstorm passed over us, then untied and departed. Hasta luego, Arran!

We had a fast sail heading north in brisk winds over seas that were not too rough because, after all, we are still in the Clyde and not out at sea. With one reef in the main and the staysail set we rushed along at over 8 knots on one tack all the way from Arran to Bute, stopping a few hours later at Rothesay.

The inner harbour here is small, surrounded by a stone breakwater, and very secure. The village is dominated by a castle (mostly in ruins) and our harbour is right in the heart of town. As it is Saturday night I expect the challenge for us will be deciding which pub to visit for a pint and live music!

Here is the link to our location at Rothesay.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/4vPvL/55.83812N/5.05325W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=55.83812,-5.05325&ll=55.83812,-5.05325&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

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Arran Island, first attempt

2011-05-26T12:15:00.003-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.53506
Longitude:-5.11697
GPS location Date/Time:05/26/2011 21:15:30 CEST

Well, this was our first SPOT message of the season. After 4 nights tied securely in the Largs Marina whle waiting for the storm force winds to become gale force winds we finally ventured out and sailed with the breeze to Arran Island. It was great to be off again, and we really didn't care which of the numerous destinations we would head for so long as we were sailing with the wind and not beating into rough seas, so we decided on Arran.

We set the main with one reef and the staysail only. Our boat speed was over 8 knots most of the way and at one point Al called out: oh! 9.2!

So, as he says, we were truckin!

We tied to a mooring buoy off Lamlash, Arran Island. The large bay is somewhat protected by Holy Isle to the east, but still a bit open to the NE and SE so it's not like the cosy BC Coast anchorages where we are snug no matter what the wind. Consequently, when the breeze came up the sea did too and for some of the time we were rolling enough that a pan slid off the stove top...crash! Hmm, don't leave your wine glass unattended!

Next day we did some boat work in the morning then put the dinghy in the water, lowered the outboard to the dinghy, and prepared to head ashore. But wait, the outboard won't start....? We serviced it somewhat, but got interrupted by the next rain storm and went below. Just around the time we were deciding that maybe shore didn't look that interesting anyway, but a local couple came by in their mega-inflatable and insisted we go ashore with them. They towed the dinghy behind and once on shore Al worked on the outboard again and got is started. (something with the injection pump being a bit clogged?) . By then it was dinner time and the sea was getting rough so we buzzed back to the boat. The balance of the evening was enjoyed reading while wedged into a cosy corner of the salon.

Click the link below to see where we were located.
http://fms.ws/4uVOQ/55.53506/\-5.11697

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=55.53506,-5.11697&ll=55.53506,-5.11697&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

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Largs

2011-05-24T13:18:00.003-07:00

We are still in Largs Marina. The wind speed is down and the marina has returned to normal. Now it's time to re-polish the hull where our 8 fenders rolled and squished against the dock, rubbing some grime into our gelcoat.

While here we walked north along the coastal path to Largs town and south along the coastal path towards Fairlie. I also walked to the Kilburn castle and estate. The castle is private (lived in) and has been painted by some grafitti artists!

Storm Bound

2011-05-23T06:29:00.005-07:00

Weather alert! Darwin Sound is heeling over at the marina as a low pressure system and a storm bring Force 10-11 winds over the Hebrides.

Yes, we are in a marina and not out sailing!

There are 730 boats in this marina and it's very noisy! Consider 730 masts lined up on half a dozen pontoons, and the constant clang-clang-clang of all those halyards, plus the constant howling of the wind.....

The internet is a bit slow for adding photos so picture in your mind the boat not only pinned against the dock, but heeling over....and the galley stove swinging in the main cabin.... tea cups secured from skating across the table....and ourselves standing at an angle...all while inside a major marina and tied up at the dock!

To fend off the pontoon we have out all six regular fenders plus two large balls, and they are all squished to the max. Hopefully they will survive for another day. If not, the marina has a great chandlery which I am sure would be happy to sell us more!

Needless to say, we are not planning to go sailing any time soon!

SAILING

2011-05-22T11:23:00.002-07:00

We left Rosneath in the morning and enjoyed a fast sail in brisk winds, first under mail and genoa but soon with one reef in the main. We were beating into a good breeze and before long reduced the main again with a second reef, then furled the genoa and put out the smaller staysail. Beating into building winds towards our proposed destination was fine until the wind came up to 36 knots and we decided a different destination might be more appealing! So, we fell off and sailed downwind to Largs Marina, which is where we plan to sleep well as a predicted Force 10 comes through overnight.

At the moment the breeze is down, the sun is out, and we are enjoying a cool drink in the cockpit.

Boat launch!

2011-05-20T06:53:00.003-07:00

The boat is floating once again! Here is a photo of the travel lift carrying the boat down to the shore.

Rosneath

2011-05-18T13:53:00.004-07:00

The boat had wintered over at Rosneath, just west of Glasgow.

The local castle out on the point was obviously a beautiful place, with a superb view of the Clyde. However, the castle is currently being used as a barn for cattle, which is something castles sometimes get used for after the rich folks move on and the next generation cannot afford the up-keep.

And here is a photo of the old graveyard in the village. There has been a church at this location since the 7th Century!

Stirling & environs

2011-05-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

On May 12th we had a wonderful tour around Stirling, visiting the Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle, the old cemetery, the Argyll residence, and the nearby Doune castle being a few of the highlights for us.

Walking trails and views from around the Wallace Monument made this stop most interesting, especially because we arrived early and had the hillside to ourselves. This monument can be seen for miles around and houses a great deal of historic informal about Wallace, and Scotland.

Stirling Castle is filled with historic and educational areas, much like Edinburgh Castle, the most "interactive" being the kitchens and the tapestry project. Here is a photo of the entrance to the castle, which is really more like a complex of buildings inside fortification walls. The light brick is the great hall, which has been "freshened" in the interest of preservation. Soon the refurbished palace will be open to the public too.

The Doune Castle is classic, a single building with high walls, winding staircases, great rooms and private quarters for royals with small cracks in the walls for looking out over the hills and larger windows overlooking a central courtyard.

Our visit was enhanced by listening to an audio guide which included some parts from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which was filmed there.

Here is a photo of the entrance, and one of Al standing in a large fireplace (17 ft wide) in one of the main rooms.

West Moss Side

2011-05-10T12:07:00.002-07:00

We enjoyed an overnight visit with Kate at West Moss Side, followed by some walking across the bog at Flanders Moss.

Arrival at the boat

2011-05-09T13:36:00.001-07:00

We finally drove to the boat to drop off our duffel bags, and assess how the boat had fared over the winter. It was a beautifully sunny day and the boat looked just fine, so we drove away again for more land-based adventures. Our destination: West Moss Side for a visit with Kate.

Text and photos of our walk in Flanders Moss will be posted soon.

Mid Lothian

2011-05-08T13:33:00.002-07:00

After a delightful overnight at an old house cum hotel located on the cliffs near Dunbar we headed west, back to the Mid-Lothian area south of Edinburgh.

Highlights of the day included: Roslyn Chapel , Craigmillar Castle, and Linlithgow Castle.

This first photo is of Roslyn Chapel. This chapel was featured in the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, but is way more important than that.....

Our next stop was Craigmillar Castle, within view of Edinburgh and one of the places frequented by Mary, Queen of Scots.

And, then we visited the huge castle on the loch, Linlithgow.

Here are a few photos of the entrance, the great hall, and the inner courtyard.

More East Lothian sites

2011-05-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

More highlights from our drive around East Lothian....

At Prestonpans we discovered the murals that were inspired by our own Vancouver Island project that you can read about here: http://chemainusbc.com/

To learn more about how this became a project in Scotland click on the link here: http://www.prestoungrange.org/gothenburg/

Next stop was for a walk through the woods of Seton House to see the historic Seton chapel.

We then went along to Dirleton Castle, a proper castle with a moat!

Then we found the most impressive Tantallon Castle, perched on a cliff above the sea!

East Lothian

2011-05-07T13:53:00.006-07:00

We rented a car in Edinburgh and headed east along the coast road in search of pretty villages and historic sites, particularly castles.

A few highlights of our day: Prestonpans (murals and a totem pole!), Seton Church, North Berwick, Dirleton Castle, Tantallon Castle, and Dunbar.

As we drove along we suddenly noticed this totem pole on the side of the road, just above the beach.
Well, this seemed odd so we stopped to explore.

As it turns out, the Baron of Prestongrange visited Chemainus and found the murals interesting. He wanted to see him ancestral village re-juvenated in a similar way so stared a mural project, and brought over two first-nations fellows to help the locals carve their own totem pole. Note the brick, the tea pot and the local boat on the pole!

Some of the murals:

Edinburgh

2011-05-06T00:28:00.001-07:00

We started our discovery of Edinburgh with a walk up Calton Hill for a panoramic view of the city and beyond.

One of the monuments on Calton Hill is the Nelson Monument. Shaped like a telescope, the monument has a ball up in the rigging on top. At 1300 each day the ball drops to show mariners the time. At the same moment a cannon is fired from the nearby Edinburgh Castle (in case it's foggy and mariners can't see the ball drop).

We walked up the Royal Mile, past historic buildings and shops....

pass numerous narrow alleyways....

into St Giles Cathedral,

and to Edinburgh Castle on top of the Mound.

A very full day of walking & exploring!

Google Earth Image

2011-03-30T17:11:00.003-07:00

Darwin Sound is currently "on the hard" in a boat yard near Glasgow,
Scotland. You could zoom in to see the location, but the photos of this area are
not as good as most Google Earth images....

Our plan for this season is to continue exploring the Hebrides, sailing among the islands and staying longer in some places where we can "bag a Monro" and explore further on land.

We may sail back over the top, via Cape Wrath, or take the Caledonia Canal through the Great Glen to Inverness. Either way, the plan is to sail back across the North Sea to Norway sometime in July.

Sailing plans for summer 2011

2011-01-13T16:33:00.004-08:00

(http://earth.google.com)

Darwin Sound is currently near Glasgow, Scotland.

Where will we sail next?

Here is one option we researched quite extensively:
A passage across the North Atlantic from Scotland to Canada via the Faeroes, Iceland and Greenland.

The red line indicates the most direct route but we know sailing seldom involves the most direct route. It's a exciting idea, and one we have rejected for this summer. Generally, this route involves a fair amount of beating to weather, making the trip much longer and more tiring than the more classic ocean passages. Ice conditions vary from year to year, but generally arrival on the east coast of Greenland should be delayed until late July. Even then, one has to be prepared to encounter pack ice that can restrict entry into east coast inlets, and the beautiful Prins Christian Sund. The passage from Greenland to Labrador is best completed by mid-August, and cruising the coast of Labrador is likely to involve weather delays. All considered, the journey doesn't leave much time for exploring the beautiful and more accessible west coast of Greenland.

And so, we decided we would prefer to enjoy more "gunkholing" around Scotland and Norway this season.

Google Earth Image

2010-09-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Our route May - August 2010

Son, Norway - Stromstad, Sweden - Oslo, Norway
then westward along the south coast to Kristiansand
and north to Bergen

In July we crossed over to Scotland
landfall: Lerwick, Shetland

south to Fair Isle
then south to Orkney
south and west to Cape Wrath & around the Hebrides

Darwin Sound "on the hard" near Glasgow for the winter

Winter storage

2010-09-10T00:40:00.002-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.00607
Longitude:-4.79608

Getting settled for winter in a protected location at DRB boat yard in Scotland.

Click the link below to see where DS is located.
http://fms.ws/3S5pf/56.00607/\-4.79608
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.00607,-4.79608&ll=56.00607,-4.79608&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Haul out!

2010-09-08T08:53:00.001-07:00

Darwin Sound is was lifted from the water by a 75 T "travel lift".

The crew actually drove this "travel lift" right down the beach and into the water, which is unusual. (At most places a boat moves into a slit of water with dock on both sides, so the lift is on solid ground well above water level.)

Once the straps are positioned under the boat they are pulled up tight, positions are checked again, then the boat is lifted, and the lift is driven into the boat yard. Next the underwater part of the boat is pressure-washed to remove any growth. We were happy to notice how clean our hull was after 4 months of cruising in these waters, especially as they are rich in sea life.

Lochgoilhead

2010-09-07T12:12:00.003-07:00

We spent two nights at Lochgoilhead and enjoyed another great hike some 400M above sea level.

As you can see, we got beyond the walking track and right up among the heather and grasses.

Here is a view over Lochgoilhead at low tide. Darwin Sound is down there on a mooring.....

Carrick Castle

2010-09-03T10:59:00.004-07:00

We took a side trip up Loch Long to Loch Goil in order to see Carrick Castle, and some of the mountain scenery in the Trossacks National Park.

The castle is perched right on the shore, and below some appealing hillsides with hiking opportunities.

To facilitate a safe and comfortable stay here the local Carrick Castle Boat Club maintains visitor moorings, which is where we are tied now. (click on our SPOT location below)

The club offers free wireless internet so we can pay for mooring on line while still on board, which sure beats wandering around on shore in search of whoever is in charge.

They are obviously a keen bunch as they provide info on all the local walks to make is easy for us to enjoy the area. Their web site also has a photo gallery of visiting yachts and already have added a photo of Darwin Sound.

Click here for boat club info and photos:
http://www.carrick-castle-boat-club.co.uk/photo-gallery.html

We hiked over 400M above sea level. Great exercise and great views of Loch Goil.

Here is our GPS / SPOT location:
DarwinSound
Latitude:56.11194
Longitude:-4.90671
GPS location Date/Time:09/03/2010 20:00:03 CEST
Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3P7tZ/56.11194/\-4.90671
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.11194,-4.90671&ll=56.11194,-4.90671&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Glasgow

2010-08-31T02:03:00.004-07:00

We navigated up the Clyde River to Glasgow. Once a major ship building area, the River Clyde is now a fairly quiet waterway, with limited shipping mostly at Greenock and Port Glasgow, although some cranes remain closer to Glasgow as well.

Most the river side have been transformed and much of it now an historic and scenic journey along walking paths and bike trails, and as well as an interesting in-land expedition for pleasure-boaters like us.

As we entered the Clyde Estuary "inverclyde" we passed Dumbarton. Apparently this fortress/rock has been inhabited since about 400 AD.

Then we passed the pretty village of Bowling part way up the river. There is a lock here for boats to enter into a new waterway across Scotland. (The canal is too narrow for Darwin Sound.)

We spent a couple of hours motoring up-river with the rising tide, arriving mid-day at the (free) visitor pontoon beside the Science Centre and BBC Headquarters.

We seemed to be the only boat heading up the river that day, but by early evening one other sail boat had arrived and tied up at another pontoon on the other side of the river.

Glasgow has received UNESCO recognition as a musical capital and it seems live music can be found here almost every night of the year. As with most other up-dated city centres, Glasgow has a pedestrianized main street. (photo coming)

My major goal was the find the Apple Store, which is an impressive and very busy place in Glasgow! (photo coming)

The next day we went down river to the Inverclyde maritime museum, and took a bus over to see the historic abby in Paisley. The Paisley abby is associated with the abby in Cluny, which we visited last year during our canal trip across France....(photos coming)

Next day we motored down river with the out-going tide. Here is the Clyde in dawn light.

Our journey ended back in Rosneath.

A little trivia: which university (bag)pipe band recently won the huge competition that takes place here every August? (look at the end of this post for the answer)

Photos will be posted later today....

DarwinSound
Latitude:55.87619
Longitude:-4.3606
GPS location Date/Time:08/31/2010 11:03:41 CEST
Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3NhBa/55.87619/\-4.3606
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=55.87619,-4.3606&ll=55.87619,-4.3606&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
DarwinSound
You have received this message because DarwinSound has added you to their SPOT contact list.
Every day is an Adventure. Share Yours.
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pipe band winner: Simon Fraser University from BC!

My Mac is back!

2010-08-30T08:21:00.001-07:00

For any of you who knew about my Mac.....

It was a happy day that I walked up to this historic building with the big white apple out front!

I can now happily report that it is up and running again, thanks to Liam the Mac genius at the huge Mac Store in Glasgow.

Turns out the issue was something caused by introducing the T-Mobile internet stick into my system, so I won't be trying to use that again! The fix was easy because techie Liam had already encountered this issue once before. He simply re-loaded the little part of my operating system that deals with those sorts of things and my happy Mac started!

Beware T-Mobile internet dongles!

Helensburgh

2010-08-27T14:53:00.001-07:00

Trivia question for Scotland, local heros:

Where did John Logie Baird, inventor of the television, come from?

This small, coastal community, which became popular as a seaside resort once train service was completed in 1858, has been called the "Garden City of the Clyde". It is now an attractive bedroom community outside Glasgow, but still a popular waterfront get-away. It is also home to an active sailing club, a royal yacht club and a busy marina.

And, across the loch from our wintering location at Rosneath.

Here is one of many older houses along the waterfront road in Helensburgh, probably a gate house for the stately home hidden behind the trees.

Yes, the inventor of TV came from Helensburgh .... Hope you enjoy this little bit of trivia.

Rosneath

2010-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Eureka!

(I think that's Greek for "I found it")

We have viewed and decided on the location where Darwin Sound will be hauled out for winter: Rosneath. This place is west of Glasgow, very near the entrance to the Clyde River. The boat yard is well protected from the wind so we can leave the mast up while the boat is on land. (At most marinas in Scotland owners are required to have their boat masts removed for the winter.) Our plan is to leave the boat on land from September until May.

We have something else to celebrate today: a new heating system in the boat! Not that we needed it today as this was one of the warmest sunny days of our summer here in Scotland. It will be good to have heat on demand during cooler and wetter times, though, especially when we are not tied to a dock with shore power (we also have a space heater than works when we can plug in). Thanks to Al for his many hours of installations!

Largs

2010-08-22T10:26:00.001-07:00

Here we are in a huge marina not far from Glasgow. This is certainly a different experience for us.

We came here for the chandlery, our first big one since Norway. Al is in boat gear heaven, but really doesn't need to buy anything. He did need to chat with the specialists who know all about the German heating system he is installing in the boat, and pick up some key parts at the local plumping shop. Now he should be able to complete the installation he started in May, in Norway!

Dinner out at the Regatta was excellent, as were the shore showers, laundry facilities and opportunities for meeting other boaters. Marinas can be good, especially if visited rarely.

Crinan Canal

2010-08-20T08:32:00.007-07:00

If you clicked on our most recent SPOT location you may have wondered how the boat got to be inland, beside a road! Well, canals were such a big part of our journey last summer than we simply could not pass up a chance at a short canal transit this season.

The Crinan Canal is a classic. Built from 1793 to 1801, with further improvements in 1816 and again in 1930 and 1932, it started out as a practical waterway for working boats and has become one of the great pleasure boating experiences in Scotland. (Well, and it offers a welcome shortcut for those wishing to avoid crashing around the Mull of Kintyre in rough conditions! )

We spent four nights on the canal, moving short distances each day from one pretty spot to the next. As you can see, the canal is not very wide. We were no boats were coming the other way as there didn't seem to be much room for passing.

The Crinan Canal isn't very long - just 10 NM with 15 locks and 7 swivel bridges - and could probably be transited in about five or six hours. But we took our time and stopped often.

We spent lazy mornings on board, lingering over breakfast, walking along the tow path, reading, and chatting with locals passing by.

Some of the time we worked on the boat, taking advantage of the totally calm conditions and our private pontoon space.

Of the 15 locks in this canal only the first and last are managed by canal staff. The rest must be manually operated by boaters, and most boats tend to have numerous crew along....but not us!

Al stayed on board to run the boat while Irene stayed on shore to prepare the locks, and handle the lines.

Here is how we managed:

Al steered the boat to a floating pontoon near the lock. Irene tied up the boat, ran over to the lock and manually wound the sluice gates up (or down) so the water would flow out (or into) the lock. Then she waited until the level inside the lock was the same as the level as the water Darwin Sound was floating in. ...and pushed the gates open. This required a full-on body push because the gates are heavy!

Here is a lock empty enough for us to enter so we can go up. Once Al had motored the boat inside the lock Irene put a bow line and a stern line around some bollards on the side of the lock, and pushed the heavy doors closed behind us. The sluices that were up were wound down, and the sluices ahead of us that were down were wound up. When the level of the water could go up (or down) to the level in the canal ahead of us. Once the correct level was reached the doors had to be pushed open so the boat could exit. At that point Irene closed everything in the lock we were leaving and ran ahead to prepare the next lock while Al hovered with the boat in the small basin between locks. It was fun, and good exercise! (And we were reminded once again from whom Toria inherited the "I an do it by myself" slogan!)

Along the canal we stopped for a panoramic view from a "bird hide". The view is of the Add Estuary - the Moine Mor (great moss) - which seems to be one of Britain's richest intertidal flats, or raised bogs. Among the many birds we saw a healthy bunch of Canada Goose!

We also unfolded our bikes and rode along the tow paths, and some other trails as well. The bikes have been a bit of burden while sailing in open water, but they sure came in handy for getting around the canal trails. Note the photo of some 4,000 year-old petroglyphs we came across during one bike ride. These are called "cup and ring" carvings, significance only speculation....

Castles seem to be everywhere - we see a couple or more every day! At the western end of the canal we saw this castle, which is about the same vintage of many others, but not in ruins. Besides managing the estate and farm, the owner - Mr R Malcolm - has a few cottages for rent. Looks like a nice place for a summer holiday!

Sunny afternoons on the canal allowed us to strip down to shorts and t-shirts too! Ahh, summer in Scotland after all!

Oh, and what did we hear coming along the canal behind us? Bagpipes?! Yes! How great!

This final photo is of Darwin Sound in the canal basin before the sea lock at the SE end, and the village nearby.

We already look forward to passing through this canal again next year, and the Caledonia Canal too.

Check out the SPOT location I registered while going along the canal:

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.05499
Longitude:-5.46024
GPS location Date/Time:08/20/2010 17:32:36 CEST

http://fms.ws/3IqIN/56.05499/\-5.46024
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.05499,-5.46024&ll=56.05499,-5.46024&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
DarwinSound

Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-08-18T09:29:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.0909
Longitude:-5.55487
GPS location Date/Time:08/18/2010 18:30:02 CEST

Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3HsVY/56.0909/\-5.55487

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.0909,-5.55487&ll=56.0909,-5.55487&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

DarwinSound

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Ardfern, Loch Craignish

2010-08-18T00:34:00.002-07:00

We are spending a couple of days at the Ardfern Yacht Centre, where Al can indulge in shopping at one of the best stocked chandleries in Scotland. We are taking some time to install a number of boat parts, and make minor repairs. A few items, like the new aft shower, required just one more component....something we didn't have on board but could finally find in this shop.

A few glorious days of sunshine have allowed us to take some longer hikes on shore. Photos of castles, hillsides and panoramic views will be posted sometime soon....

DarwinSound
Latitude:56.1818
Longitude:-5.52908
GPS location Date/Time:08/18/2010 09:34:28 CEST
Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3HiJu/56.1818/\-5.52908
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=56.1818,-5.52908&ll=56.1818,-5.52908&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
DarwinSound
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Oban

2010-08-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

We were last in Oban in August 1995. Here we celebrated Toria's 5th birthday with a picnic on near-by Kerrara Island. We gave her a kite but the day was so hot and still that we could not get the kite to fly. IN fact, the weather was so summerly that summer that tourists were heard complaining about the lack of air conditioning in their rooms!

Well, this year the weather is not causing any issues for over-heated tourists! The weather has been cool and wet almost every day, and the sky has been overcast must of the time. Most days some little patches of blue appear for awhile and most days we have been sailing between rainy periods. Also, when we get out for some vigorous walking on shore we actually strip down to one layer. Otherwise, it's thanks to our many Merino wool layers and excellent rain gear that we are keeping warm and dry!

Sailing has been good this past week. We have chosen to sail where the wind blows us, never knowing our destination for sure when we first set off. There are so many options along this coast that this has been an interesting way to chose our next place to explore.

As we work our way south we anticipate internet will be easier to find, and you can look forward to more photos on this blog.

Tobormoray

2010-08-09T07:55:00.002-07:00

Great sail today in brisk wind, first a reach then a down wind sail, wing-on-wing into Tobormoray. This pretty coastal village is post card perfect, and has all the services a yachtie could want. We plan to spend the day here, then proceed toward Oban and one of the options we have in mind for wintering the boat here in Scotland.

Internet has not been easy to find so photos will have to wait until we get a better connection.

Here we are: DarwinSound
Latitude:57.03543
Longitude:-5.68271
GPS location Date/Time:08/09/2010 16:56:09 CEST
Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3DFTi/57.03543/\-5.68271
If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=57.03543,-5.68271&ll=57.03543,-5.68271&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
DarwinSound
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Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-08-06T23:36:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.53818
Longitude:-5.98425
GPS location Date/Time:08/07/2010 08:36:09 CEST

Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3C75I/57.53818/\-5.98425

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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DarwinSound

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Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-08-05T09:37:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.53465
Longitude:-5.56345
GPS location Date/Time:08/05/2010 18:38:09 CEST

Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3BFKR/57.53465/-5.56345

DarwinSound

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Every day is an Adventure. Share Yours.
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Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-08-03T08:13:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.71075
Longitude:-5.68387
GPS location Date/Time:08/03/2010 17:13:39 CEST

Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3ADgx/57.71075/-5.68387

DarwinSound

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Every day is an Adventure. Share Yours.
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Stornoway, Outer Hebrides

2010-08-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Stornoway a few days ago.

Various issues, including a computer crash, have meant blog up-dates are on hold.

We will continue to post our SPOT locations as we sail along.

We also have some great photos which we will post later on to previous blog posts.

Shiant Islands

2010-07-29T12:10:00.003-07:00

En route to the Outer Hebrides we cruised by the Shiant Islands.

Fortunately conditions allowed us to motor slowly and close to shore. Here are some Guillimots nesting on the ledges (in Canada we call them Common Murres).

And below you will see some seals resting at the high tide line.....

Ullapool

2010-07-27T11:20:00.002-07:00

We spend the night tied to a buoy off Ullapool (say it like this: oooo - lah -pool) after an afternoon of in the Summer Isles.

Ullapool is a pleasant town located up a fairly long inlet (called a loch) with a row of attached houses/shops along the shore, and a famous fish and chip place called "the Chippy" where we simply had to have lunch!

DarwinSound
Latitude:57.89363
Longitude:-5.15192
GPS location Date/Time:07/27/2010 20:20:39 CEST
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=57.89363,-5.15192&ll=57.89363,-5.15192&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Ardmore

2010-07-25T02:29:00.002-07:00

When we were last in Scotland (in 1995) we stopped by to visit John Ridgeway, an adventurer who had not only sailed around the world but had also (along with Chay Bligh) rowed an open boat across the Atlantic. During that visit he and his family invited in for tea and gave us an armload of books they had written.

This time we did not get ashore, but we took a photo of the family boat English Rose, pulled up on land below their home on this isolated northern coast.

Click on the link below to see the location of DarwinSound in this harbour:

Latitude:58.41284
Longitude:-5.04953
GPS location Date/Time:07/25/2010 11:29:09 CEST
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=58.41284,-5.04953&ll=58.41284,-5.04953&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Kinlochbervie

2010-07-23T06:33:00.002-07:00

Our first harbour south of Cape Wrath! We entered at low tide and seriously wondered if we might go aground! Once inside we found there was plenty of room for boats larger than ours!

We took on fuel at the huge fishboat dock, the second yacht ever to do this! Then we tied to the new floating pontoon for overnight.

On our way in we had encountered a couple of guys who needed some assistance so after dinner they invited us to their place for "a wee dram". Thanks, Andy and John! We enjoyed sharing stories of all our various escapades!

Take a look at this location:

DarwinSound
Latitude:58.45391
Longitude:-5.0738
GPS location Date/Time:07/23/2010 15:33:27 CEST
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=58.45391,-5.0738&ll=58.45391,-5.0738&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Loch Eribol

2010-07-22T10:49:00.002-07:00

We sailed from Orkney, passed the Old Man of Hoy (see photo) and arrived in Lock Eribol in time to go ashore before dinner. After all the hype about the the 50 NM passage, concerns about tide rips in the Hoy passage, and the probability of unsettled weather, we actually had sunshine, blue skies and reasonable conditions, plus good speeds all the way.

This "loch"is large, and deep. On a sunny day the landscape is beautiful and the inlet feels like a good place to spend at least a week exploring. We can only imagine the rough days in winter when the area must feel desolate and very isolated.

Click on the link to see where we are:

DarwinSound and anchored
Latitude:58.49489
Longitude:-4.66492
GPS location Date/Time:07/22/2010 19:50:04 CEST
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=58.49489,-4.66492&ll=58.49489,-4.66492&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Stromness

2010-07-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

We are tied up at the new marina in Stromness, a place we visited numerous times when we were last here during our 1994/95 seasons. Then we anchored off and came ashore by dinghy.

The town has a most attractive main street that winds along between stone houses just above the shore. This is the place the Hudson's Bay Company recruited, and where adventurers included Franklin stopped to take on fresh water before sailing off across the Atlantic to the Americas.

We navigated through thick fog yesterday, mostly motoring with a favourable tidal current and in flat seas. We were glad to have our new radar! From time to time the fog lifted and we had misty views of high cliffs where sea birds nest, and most of the time seabirds swooped by the boat as we moved along. For awhile we were surrounded by dolphins!

Photos will be added soon....

Check back if you wish to see our position sent from our SPOT messenger. We expect to sail across to the north coast of Scotland in the next day or two and that will be our only form of communication.

Stromness

2010-07-20T08:15:00.003-07:00

We navigated through thick fog from Westray and along the west coast of Orkney into Scapa Flow, stopping in the historic town of Stromness.

Here is the Google map link:

DarwinSound
Latitude:58.9644
Longitude:-3.29395
GPS location Date/Time:07/20/2010 17:16:10 CEST
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=58.9644,-3.29395&ll=58.9644,-3.29395&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Westray

2010-07-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

Sailing to Westray with the morning tide,anticipating average of over
10 knots of speed over the ground!

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Mobile in Europe
44 787 2240589

Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-07-13T12:57:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:59.32316
Longitude:-2.97584
GPS location Date/Time:07/13/2010 21:57:28 CEST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Message:Sailing in Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

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Fair Isle

2010-07-10T06:33:00.002-07:00

One of our favourite islands of all time!

We sailed south from our anchorage in southern Shetland and arrived just after lunch at Fair Isle. It was a sunny day and the island cliffs drew us in.

Of course we walked across the island, first south to the small settlement, then up on the bird cliffs where the birds hang out.

Atlantic Puffins are my favourites! Clustered outside their burrows, or out fishing, the Fair Isle Puffins seem to not mind inquisitive humans with cameras!

Take a look at the Google map for our location:
DarwinSound
Latitude:59.53825
Longitude:-1.60418
GPS location Date/Time:07/10/2010 15:33:22 CEST
Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=59.53825,-1.60418&ll=59.53825,-1.60418&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Whalsey

2010-07-07T03:33:00.000-07:00

We sailed north from Lerwick to Whalsey, which comes from the Viking name Hvals-oy (island of whales). Unfortunately, we did not see any cetaceans during our time in the area.

We tied to one of the North Sea fishing boats in the very secure Symbister Harbour because the sailing club dock will filled with local boats.

People have lived on this island for 4,000 years, as indicated by archaeological remains including prehistoric dykes buried under peat bogs, Bronze Age house remains and all sorts of stone structures from various ages.

The Symbister Pier House is one of two bods (warehouses) on teh island from the period (1450-1712) when ships from Germany sailed here to trade seeds, cloth, iron tools, salt and other luxury goods for Shetland fish.

Lerwick, Shetland

2010-07-02T10:41:00.002-07:00

We are enjoying a few days based in Lerwick.

Here is the beach, a lovely golden strand of sand right in town! When we arrived a few high school students were in swimming. Were we tempted to join them?

well, maybe not today.....

Heere are some houses in town, and the old customs house near the dock.

A couple dozen other sailing boats are here this week so we have a small community of yachties to confer with as we consider the weather forecast and appealing places to go next.

Our neighbours at the dock are all seasoned sailors, with North Sea experience of course. We have been tied up to Orca, a boat we first met in Farsund, Norway. We are generally headed the same direction for the next few weeks, and they may end up in Vancouver several years from now.

One boat (much smaller than ours) just arrived from the Faeroes with a bunch of teachers on board. I asked one of them where he was from.

from the Faeroes

Then I asked where he was born, where he was really from...

from the Faeroes

So, I asked him where he went to teacher college....

In the Faeroes

Well, I thought he would have been from somewhere else and just in the Faeroes for a couple years of teaching, for an adventure. How naive and ignorant of me to be surprised by the fact he was born there, educated there, and still working there as a teacher!

Most of the other yachties are either British or Scandinavian. While some of us are planning to head south to Fair Isle then Orkney, about six boats are preparing to cross over to Bergen within the next day or two. We tend meet at the local sailing club, and mingle in the harbour, mostly talking about the weather, where we are going next, and where we have come from....

Weather conditions are, of course, always changing and something we all like to talk about in terms of when and where to sail next. Yesterday we had a gale with winds from the south, then heavy rain overnight, then sunshine this afternoon. Tomorrow winds will still be from the south, maybe stronger on Sunday then lighter on Monday....never boring!

Shetland arrival

2010-07-01T05:39:00.001-07:00

We just sailed across from Norway to Shetland. The sun came out as we approached our destination and we motored by Noss Head, a bird cliff we remembered from our previous visits here over 15 years ago.

Look at those white cliffs.....hmmm, could there be any birds there? Or it the white just years and years of bird droppings? When we were here 15 years ago there were lots of birds here.....

Yes! gannets by the dozens....well, hundreds! And Guillimots involved in some sort of bird-bath ritual?

Cormorants drying their wings in the sunshine.....

And gannets wondering what to do with some freshly gathered seaweed....Note the immature birds with their multi-coloured plumage (above) and the adult (below). We are in bird-watchers' heaven!

And, happy to be in Lerwick harbour. A couple dozen boats are here now, many of us directly from Bergen. After we came in and took this photo another boat arrived from Norway and tied up on the other side of us. The harbour is getting full and with a gale forecast for later today we all plan to stay tied up and enjoy some shore time.

And, we all appreciate the local sailing club which welcomes us all to shower, do laundry, use internet, then come by in the late afternoon for a drink with club members.

Note: With easy internet here I will be able to add more photos to earlier blog posts. You may like to browse through them later if you have time or interest. Thanks to all of you who follow our progress based on our SPOT locations, and send us email messages. We love to get your news, and to know you are interested in ours.

Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-06-30T04:27:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:60.05868
Longitude:-0.54367
GPS location Date/Time:06/30/2010 13:28:05 CEST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=60.05868,-0.54367&ll=60.05868,-0.54367&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:Sailing from Norway to Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-06-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:60.16947
Longitude:5.11864
GPS location Date/Time:06/29/2010 09:25:11 CEST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=60.16947,5.11864&ll=60.16947,5.11864&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:Sailing from Norway to Scotland. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Bergen

2010-06-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

We are currently tied up in Bergen, near the historic trade area that is now a UN World Heritage site.
The fish market is vibrant as ever and we are enjoying our stay in the heart of town. We have enjoyed walking a lot, including up to where the funicular ends on the top of the nearby hillside.

Summer brings out the crowds and Saturday night near the bars was quite noisy.....but not as noisy as the boaters tied up ahead of us, who partied until after 3am, then bumped our hull when they attempted to leave at 4am!

Our Hardangerfjord guests have left and our crossing guests are now on board. Our plan is to sail up the fjord to some islands for a couple of days, then set off across the North Sea to Lerwick, Shetland. The passage is 170 NM and we hope to get there on one tack - in good weather - and arrive after about 30 hours. Tentatively we will leave around June 29 or 30 and arrive in Shetland June 30 or July 1.

Watch for our SPOT messages, which I will send once we get underway and more regularly until we arrive.

Check-in/OK message from DarwinSound SPOT Messenger

2010-06-20T08:29:00.001-07:00

DarwinSound
Latitude:59.28136
Longitude:5.36562
GPS location Date/Time:06/20/2010 17:29:31 CEST

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=59.28136,5.36562&ll=59.28136,5.36562&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:We are now sailing towards Bergen. our news: http://darwinsound.blogspot.com/ email us: irene.whitney@gmail.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!