Leg 27

Lamlash, Arran to Port Ellen, Islay Thursday 12th August
So we left Lamlash, on a forecast of 'NW 5 or 6, decreasing 4 or 5 later, moderate sea, occasionally rough in the North'. There was no wind in the bay, and we only planned to go to Campbeltown, to then catch the tide the next day, go round the Mull of Kintyre to Islay. The clouds cleared and revealed some of the hills of Arran as we left, all hunky dorey!!
We got a good start, so good, we decided we would head for Sanda Island, just off the Mull, anchor for the night in the bay, then go round the Mull the next day, rather than retrace our steps to Campbeltown. Well, as soon as we poked our nose out round the south end of Arran, the seas were up, the wind was up, and it started getting exciting!
Ivan took the helm, I dipped below, to look at our options! As we kept our course for Sanda, our option for heading to Campbeltown was out. Then as soon as we got near to Sanda, the tide started to take us West, the wind was getting stronger - gusting up to 20-25mph, and Ivan was loving it! I wasn't so much, and instead realised that anchoring was a no no, we were on our way to Islay, like it or not!
The wind got too much, and while we still could we got the sails down. It was my turn to helm, as Ivan had done a long stint, so for the next 2 hours, as we went round the Mull, I tried to steer from a sitting position, as I was too scared to stand, and see the full size of the sea we were in!! The spring tides were taking us at a speed of 8 knots round the mull with a head wind of 25mph, with gusts of 30-35mph. The resulting sea was enormous as it rushed to get over the outfalls of the Mull. The hardest job was keeping the course, as the wind was dead on the nose, and if we came beam on to the sea and she broached - heaven knows how we would have fared - I don't want to even think about it!!
Well, it seemed to take forever to get across to Islay, but we actually had the tide with us till the last couple of hours. The wind didn't let up though at all. We got to Port Ellen at dusk, feeling quite battered. It was about 63 miles and had taken best part of 12 hours! A very exciting trip, but not one that I would wish to repeat!!
Its always the way, that the photos we have are of pleasant calm weather! I wish I had taken a picture of this journey so you could see what I have tried to describe, but I don't need a picture to remind me of the sea that day, it will be imprinted on my memory for a long long time!!