Day 4 - Ready About! Islay to Ulva

Tim with Aviators

Tim without Aviators, 5 seconds later

We were not quite woken by our two neighbours leaving and a new one arriving. Our manta ray sails provided a good start with George’s seal and bacon ciabattas seeing us off from Islay. After some navigational issues, we left Port Ellen in such a hurry, we forgot to prepare lunch, meaning that it was enjoyed slightly late at 3pm. Negotiating McArthur’s Hood (Head) led us to learn how lighthouses operate before we handed over the watch to Team Extreme who tacked erratically up the Sound of Islay. Tim got the worst of the genoa sheet, and his aviators were flung into the drink. After passing yet another distillery, we headed out into the huge swell of the Atlantic Ocean.


We managed to keep the sails up for passing through the notoriously treacherous Torran Rocks, taking heed of the cardinals (once we’d figured out which direction they advised). The Sound of Iona necessitated yet more tacking (flawless by our third attempt). Here we stopped for dinner, only after Elliot, Tim and Johnny had taken a severe beating from the genoa sheets whilst being slow at stowing the staysail. Phil took the opportunity to catch some bass, thirty seconds is an undeniably impressive time. We have discovered that peaches and condensed milk are a foolish idea in moderate to high seas. More serious swell before passing close by Fingal’s Cave on Staffa. Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite provided beautifully dramatic backing music for such epic sailing. We slipped round the corner of Gometra and were anchored up in Loch Tuath by a sensible 22:50.