260816 The Voyage Home (pt.1)

For once the forecast was more or less accurate. We exited Lock 1 into a grey drizzle after a brief wait for extra water due to an unusually low tide. The weather improved gradually and the monotony of motoring was broken once or twice by some porpoises. More importantly we managed to hoist sails, first north of Arran for about 15 minutes, and second in the Cumbrae Channel. After mooring up on a visitors' buoy we took the dinghy ashore to pick up some dinner at the fish & chips shop, then back on board for the evening. An uninvited guest then turned up when Sammy the Seal paid us a visit during dinner, making himself comfortable on our dinghy. We'd left the dinghy tied up astern while we ate and when we came out to stow the dinghy there was Sammy, looking quite comfy and set for the evening. It took a bit of persuasion before he agreed to move on, tipping our dinghy in the process, but we had been hungry and there was nothing left for him after dinner.