Out of the Harbour and Turn Right

By Howard and Mary Williams

Grangemouth to the Isle of Whithorn

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Day 1 – Friday 12^th May. Port Edgar (Edinburgh) to the Forth Clyde canal Sea Lock 1. Distance 12 NM. 

With the mast lowered the day before, we slipped the Port Edgar marina moorings at  1125 to motor the 12 NM to the Forth Clyde Canal sea lock on a rising tide. The trip was relatively free of surprises, although the Radome, at 2.6 metres above the water level, had to be removed to clear the river Carron road bridges. We arrived at the sea lock at 13-30, fully expecting to be able to crack on through the canal to the Falkirk Wheel, but British Waterways informed us that this was not going to happen due to staff shortages. Lock One is hardly the best place to spend the night, but we simply had too many things to do with the boat to be bored.

Day 2 – Saturday 13^th May. Sealock 1 to The Stables pub - 21 NM

Although the British Waterways men operated the locks, it was a tough day of handling ropes and fending off lock walls. Until we reached the Falkirk Wheel (the rotating boat lift) there was little memorable in the whole trip, but with the wheel and the industrial bits behind us we were able to enjoy the beautiful environment. It was so beautiful we had to keep reminding ourselves that we were in fact in the industrial central belt of Scotland! The Edinburgh Glasgow train just did not have sights like these! 

Our berth for the night was alongside the pontoons at The Stables, a pub come restaurant near Kirkintilloch, where we entertained a friend of our daughters and had a visit from an old work friend. It had been a hard but interesting day. 

Day 3 – Sunday 14^th May. The Stables to Bowling – 14 NM.

This was another real surprise day as we again took in the delights of Glasgow and Clydebank. We were up early for the 6 mile trip to Maryhill, Glasgow, and it was an amazing trip. It was only over the last mile or so did we notice any built up areas, and although we expected little in the way of human traffic (it was 0800 on a Sunday) we were surprised to see teenage youths up and about on the banks. They were pleasant enough with us as we sailed bay, but we did keep a close look out for stones and supermarket trolleys. At the Maryhill locks we met an incredible fisherman who had the most sophisticated specially designed fishing chair I’d ever seen. Parked nearby was his X type jag, and although we had a good laugh with him it was clear he just wanted us to bog off as soon as possible so he could get on with the task of the day – fishing.  

The BW team arrived on time at 0830 and task of getting to Bowling continued. At Clydebank we had a break for an hour to lunch on Fish and Chips from the floating chip shop and get vittles from the nearby Asda. At this point one of our fellow travelers prop got entangles with something and we ended up towing him and his crew the rest of the way. We had a long wait at the Dumbarton road under-lock and arrived tired and hungry at 1930. The Pub in Bowling was a welcome place that evening.

Day 4 – Monday 15^th May. Bowling. 

A bent bottle screw whilst raising the mast resulted in an unforeseen train ride to Duncans chandlers in Glasgow. Luckily for us we managed to find the perfect spare part, but our trip down the Clyde had to be postponed – we could not get back in time for the BW staff. Not the start we had planned …  

Day 5 – Tuesday 16^th May. Bowling to Rothesay –21 NM

We exited the canal at 1425 for the short trip down the Clyde to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. We had little opportunity to sail as the wind was at most a W1 but that did not matter. We had started on our journey and here I was motoring down one of the greatest and most famous rivers in the world. 

For me, it was an incredibly moving trip, but it was also quite eerie - for the first 8 miles we were the only vessel that was moving on the river, which I found quite saddening. Indeed, we had to wait until Greenock before we saw another vessel out on the water, where we crossed paths with what looked like the Helensburgh ferry. Between Cloch Point and Toward Point we noticed another sailing boat motoring up inside us, and it was also aiming for Rothesay, gradually overtaking us, reaching the visitors mooring to the SE of Rothesay just before we did at 1855.

Day 6 – Wednesday 17^th May. Rothesay to Troon Marina –25 NM

After a truly grand night afloat, we slipped the moorings at 0850 on a grey and still day for Troon marina. With little wind we were forced to motor until a S2/3 materialised from nowhere at 1135 but it also disappeared into nowhere shortly after we had raised the sails. For the next three hours the wind came and disappeared, gradually backing to the south and then southeast, rising to a good SE5 as we entered Troon harbour and tied up at 1530. From there it was all-downhill, with the wind increasing to SE9 by early evening.

Day 7 – Thursday 18^th May. Troon

We awoke to grey skies, SE 7-9 and with the outlook for the next 3 days pretty dire we abandoned ship, hitching a ride to Troon station with a fellow sailor and took the train home. I suppose that we used the weather as our main excuse for going home, but in reality we had been in such a rush to get away that we had left so many vital bits behind. Troon was, therefore, our last convenient place to easily get home. 

Day 8 – Friday 19^th May. Troon to Girvan –22 NM 

With the weather forecast surprisingly good for today we rushed back to Troon intent on moving on, and after a quick lunch we set sail out into the Clyde and onwards to Girvan, eventually leaving the harbour at 1310 into a SW3 which gradually died away after an hour and we once again reverted to the Iron Sail, arriving at Girvan harbour pontoons at 1835.

Left the pontoon at 0750 and out into the Clyde to a NW 4 for a cracking sail. We were worried about the high-speed ferries out of Stranraer, but the few that did pass us gave us sufficient space and we hardly felt the wake. The wind gradually increased to a NW5/6 by the time we had arrived at Portpatrick the wind and supporting cross currents of 2 knots made all 28 horses from the engine very welcome. We crabbed in through the narrow entrance on the difficult-to-spot transit, eventually tying up at 1500.

After a game of Pitch and Putt (I won) we paid a visit to the local lifeboat station, keen to chat to the Lifeboat Coxswain, whose mobile number is quoted in the CCC sailing directions should you need any advice about entering the harbour. The view from his station over the harbour entrance is outstanding, and it was comforting to know that had I made a pigs ear of the entrance he was poised on the microphone to issue instructions. Three days later a real life rescue was needed as a French boat hit rocks off the entrance, shearing the rudder and wiping out the boat, though not before the lifeboat had rescued all aboard 

Day 10 – Sun. 21^st May. Portpatrick 

A visit early on in the day to the lifeboat coxswain put paid to any sailing that day. With SW gales forecast and the barometer dropping rapidly we went for a walk along the cliffs, followed by a bus ride to wallow in nostalgia in Stranraer. It was nostalgic as it was the venue for the first night of our honeymoon and we had afternoon tea at the hotel in question, a short distance from the ferry terminal. We did not recognise any of it – hardly surprising as we did have other things on our mind at the time!

We also were looking for charts. In our mad rush to get away I had completely forgotten to get any charts of the Solway Firth or the coast from Carlisle to North Wales, but although we tried everywhere, we could find none.

Day 11 – Mon. 22^nd May Portpatrick to Isle of Whithorn - 36 NM

Got the nod from the coxswain early that the NW 6 was OK for a trip to the Isle of Man, but was also OK to the Isle of Whithorn, though Luce bay would be rough as the winds run down Loch Ryan and then across the bay, and he kindly loaned us two old RNLI charts covering the forgotten area. We set off at 1235 with three mainsail reefs and about 50% of the Genoa, two hours before high water, on the advice of the RNLI staff, keeping a 3 – 4 cables offshore picking up the back eddy of two knots and to keep this distance off the Mull as well. The pilot book said two miles, and we were wondering whether the RNLI were after a bit of action later!

The advice was good, and we had a fairly smooth and fast ride into a very rough Luce bay, and the most stimulating sail I think I’ve ever had. The Moody relishes strong winds and even with the small amount of sail we had up we consistently moved over the ground on a fine reach at average speeds of 9.5 knots, with peaks over 10.5. As we approached the Isle of Whithorn the wind and sea died somewhat, but we still had sufficient speed to take us into the bay just before the tide that runs across the harbour entrance turned. Indeed, we could not have timed our approach better, getting into the visitors berth at 1925 just when there was sufficient water for our draft.

Day 12 Tuesday 23^rd May Isle of Whithorn 

SW7 winds forecast and recorded on our anemometer, and the sea outside the harbour and bay is just one mass of white water. Time to catch the bus into Whithorn for the day. 

Day 13 Wednesday 24^th May Isle of Whithorn 

The Harbourmaster told us that the Internet forecast was SW4/5, so should be OK. We got ready to leave for Whitehaven as soon as there was sufficient water, but we bottled out when the anemometer peaked at 32 knots while remaining consistently above 25. We asked the harbourmaster why one of the local fishermen had made ready his boat only to close it all up again and for advice as to what he would do. He took one look at the white water at the entrance to the bay and told us there were some nice coastal walks around. We took his advice, and, on the strength of poor weather forecast advice he dropped all charges that night

Next section - Isle of Whithorn to Holyhead