Open Canoe Sailing Group

In June 2004, six members of the OCSG met on the beach at Crinan. It was late afternoon and we were setting out for a sailing and camping cruise. There was not a lot of time to get far on that first evening so we headed north and after a few miles made camp on Island Macaskin. The landing was not very good with the tide out and deep mud lining the shore. It was a difficult carry of the gear and the boats up to the camp at the top of the beach, but the campsite was OK on level ground and short grass.

 

The next day we decided to head north, but first we had to go out through the Dorus Mor. This is a tidal gate that we had to go through on slack water. We had to be up early to give us time to get there before the tide turned at around 8-30am. We got the timing just right and the tidal race was like a mill pond as we went through with no problems. As the tide turned it started to flood north and with gentle winds we had an easy run.

 

 

Keith in his Mad River Explorer. Here he is running under jib and mizzen, having dropped his lugsail main.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave S in a Solway Dory decked plywood sailing canoe. He had a 44sq ft bermudan main with a 14sq ft mizzen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris with a 44sq ft fully battened main, with jib and lugsail mizzen. He used a set of homemade outriggers.

 

 

 

 

Keith running in light conditions under main and mizzen. The weather improved throughout the morning as we made our way up the Sound of Luing. The tide was flowing quite fast between the west coast of Luing and the outlying islands. There were occasional overfalls as the tide surged over underlying shallows which added to the interest in the benign conditions.

 

 

 

 

Dave P in his fibreglass Osprey trimaran, passing the lighthouse on Fladda.

 

 

 

 

We stopped for lunch at Easdale, pulling the boats up in the harbour on the island. Later we made use of the good conditions and sailed across to Mull.

 

 

We found a really good campsite at Port Donain, overlooking a wide white sandy beach. Wild camping in such a place doesn't get any better than this. We had sailed 22 miles in only light breezes.

 

 

The next morning was bright and still. We decided to press on northwards and kept to the shore on Mull. The last of the ebb was flowing against us and with light winds we had to paddle to make any headway. We reached the mouth of the Sound of Mull as the tide turned and made our way over to Eilean Musdile at the southern end of Lismore.

 

 

 

We stopped by the lighthouse and had early lunch and then had a siesta in the hot sun whilst we waited for a bit of breeze.

 

 

 

 

 

Eventually a steady force 2 came up from the south and we set off on a beam reach, crossing the 4 miles to Oban in less than an hour. Dave P spent an extra 5 minutes rigging up a mizzen staysail and got left far behind, but with his 96sq ft of sail he overtook us all before the other side.

 

 

 

 

We went into Oban and found a beach near the harbour and walked into town for a coffee.

 

 

 

When we were suitably refreshed we set off down the Sound of Kerrera, looking for a campsite, and found a nice shingle beach, with good camping behind, on the east shore of Kerrera. We managed to make a small campfire on the beach in the evening in an attempt to ward off the midges, and sampled Bernard's whisky.

 

The next day the wind was still from the south and had increased to a force 3 to 4. We beat down the sound of Kerrera and headed for the shelter of Clachan sound. The tide was still flowing northwards in the sound and in the narrow channel we had to paddle really hard to make it through to the Bridge over the Atlantic. There we had a lunch stop and found another cafe (this cruising can be really hard work).

 

Later, with the wind getting stronger and going round to the west, we had a really fast beam reach down Seil Sound. The trimarans were making 10 knots whilst the monohulls were struggling to keep up only doing 7 knots. As we left the shelter of the islands the wind was force 5 and the sea state began to build.

 

 

The prospect of sailing in worsening conditions down to and through the Dorus Mor was too daunting so we found a beach and slipway at Arduaine. A quick phone call to a local friend found us with transport back to the cars and so the expedition came to an early end. By the time the transport had arrived the wind had died, the sea was calm and the midges came out, but the impetus of the trip had disappeared. Still there is always another year and, as we drove back home, plans were beginning to form.