Day 7 Traigh Gheal to Ulva

Mark Rosenthal

Plan to raise the anchor art 09:00 was managed to the minute as we motored in flat calm conditions away from this lovely anchorage. Visibility was slightly occluded but perfect conditions for motoring and recharging the batteries. With very limited access through my Vodafone network I am struggling to make connections to use the new apps I had hoped to take advantage of, Savvy Navvy and Sail ties. Approaching Staffa we did get good internet allowing me to update various pieces of the software mix. So Vodafone is not good here, Al gets much more connectivity on EE! Dolphins Helen saw at 10:20 The voyage to Staffa went without a hitch under motor and we passed 4 significant sized motor yachts with overall length in excess of 100m in the other small coves to the west of where we had spent the night, thank goodness we had been on our own! The sound between Iona and the Ross of Mull looked very interesting, with its Cathedral, but we had decided to stay outside the west coast of Iona so we motored on seeing boats in Tinkers Hole and avoiding the isolated rocks to the south of Iona. Rounding the Iona we headed north watching with interest the marine traffic arriving and departing from Fingals Cave. We had the Mendelssohn Fingals Cave playing on the radio from Spotify as we approached with a beautiful large French sailing boat circling around the entrance. We decided to M toro past the masses and anchored off the northern side of the entrance and sat down for our mackerel and salad lunch. After lunch Helen decided to stay on Flair IV on ancho r watch while we other 3 went ashore to look at the birds and get into the cave. The place was busy, although nothing like the crows at The Giants Causeway, but from our landing place we walked up the steep cliff path meeting lots of visitors who had come on the Staffa Tour boats. Having negotiated the human traffic on the very steep and busy stairs we finally made it into the cave. it is hugely impressive especially the accousatics for Tess singing. I received a call from Helen concerned about the anchor slipping just as I was about to enter the cave, I advised her that it was probably just the anchor chain slipping to straighten itself but asked her to call me if the situation developed further. In the cave I informed the crew and we then hurried back t the boat and after a slightly difficult launch with the dinghy in the now brisk Northerly wind but we made it safely back to Flair and prepared to set off on the second leg for the day eastwards to Geometra Harbour. With the wind now at 16 to 22 Kt this passage did not take very long from 15:00 when we raised the anchor to 16:30 on the anchor in the bay in around 6m of water at 2 hours after the start of the ebb tide. Passage discussions over a drink before Helen went for a swim have and then she and Al went off in the dinghy while Tess made dinner and I sat to write up todays log.