I remember the Crinan Canal from my boyhood. I grew up sailing an open gaff rigged clinker dingy around Loch Crinan. One great memory was when the filming of From Russia With Love was being shot, no it was not eastern Europe. The boat chase sequences were filmed in Loch Craignish and the crew was based in Crinan. Wrecked and burt out Fairey Marine motor yachts brought tears to a teenagers eyes.
Did my competent crew out of Oban in the tail end of a hurricane in October a few years back. What an incredible five days of being at sea. We found a couple of hurricane holes on that coast and withstood some insane winds. But I will never forget helming under sail down to the west of Insch Island and Easedale in moderate seas that felt like the yacht was buried underwater all too frequently. And the tiller spitting me off my perch clinging onto the guard lines. Twice I ended up on the floor of the aft. Dropping into the bottom of troughs that came half way up the mast. It was superb and I was completely bitten by the sailing bug. If we had been blessed with fair weather I would have learned a quarter of what I gleaned on that trip. Happy travels.
That sounds like an amazing adventure. I agree, it's when the unexpected happens that you learn the most. We did day skipper in the menaii straights in October, the reasoning being, if we can cope with that, we'll be better prepared for everything else.
Oh that's a fun piece of water too. Better to test yourself when the tutor is onboard. We carried on to day skip with the same school and again had superb time. Since then we have travelled the world from the Med very easy sailing apart from those odd winds that appear from nowhere to the Caribbean where its a constant blow. Best way to see the world. @@GillNicholasDelusions
Thank you very much, yep, still in Largs for a bit longer. Storms do make me a bit nervous when we're so far away at the moment but she's a sturdy girl.
@@GillNicholasDelusions I could only afford the beer! Interestingly, I was waiting out strong wind, before doing your trip in reverse. Last October, I then had a full Gale at Oban, thankful for being on a mooring
@@GillNicholasDelusions ha…just realised it was the year before. But was sure happy to pay for a mooring rather than at anchor. Gust were ripping the surface off the sea!
