Time and tide wait for no man…

Our journey is at an end. The wind has gone from force 8 to zero. Not since the days when Antonine popped out from behind his wall to check up on Mr & Mrs McPict, have so many rowed for so long to travel so paltry a distance in these far flung waters.

Cap’n Noel bravely decided to call it a day after Len watched them being passed by a school of retired barnacles at 7AM this morning. The doldrums of Jura had claimed yet another 3 peaks yacht race victim; so cruelly, so close, so late, but never quite so stationary as our intrepid adventurers.

“I’ve never had a problem with wind before” was Cap’n Noel’s initial attempt at justifying their retirement at Oban. The forecast implied that it would be several days before the wind picked up again. “Some of the crew have full-time jobs to go back to”, said the skipper, no doubt referring suspiciously about the runners, who live in that big city.

The team; Cap’n Noel “merryweather” Bristow, Chris Ayres, andrew “len” Lovatt”, Jo Proudlove, and the last minute sensation Rob Westaway have been brilliant, not just sailing, sleeping and running their hearts out, but taking pictures, making movies and demonstrating their uncanny ability of always being able to find shelter from the worst that nature could throw at them, in a pub. Their attempts at trying to break SMap Sanoodi’s free route / outdoor activity tracking software for GPS equipped mobile phones were laudable (BTW team, we reckon it is user error!!).

As the chust sublime fictional master of these waters Para Handy said :

“I am telling you there iss not many men following the sea could sail the
Tapestry the way I could. There iss not a rock, no, nor a chuckie stone
inside the Cumbrie Heid that I do not have a name for. I would ken them fine
in the dark by the smell, and that iss not easy, I’m telling you. And I am
not wan of your dry-land sailors, I wass once at Londonderry with her. We
went at night, and did Dougie no’ go away and forget oil, so that we had no
lamps, and chust had to sail in the dark with our ears wide open. If Dougie
wass here he would tell you. Now and then Dougie would be striking a match
for fear of a collision.” From Neil Munro (with minor amendments)

Thank you all on board (or in the pub). Have a safe journey back to Wales and London, and enjoy your sail back Noel. See you all very soon.

AND DON’T FORGET TO SEND BACK THE BLACKBERRY’S !!

STOP PRESS

Just as we were going to press (well after the article was published) Cap’n Bristow was found lurking in my inbox with this …

Skipper’s comment:

“Well it’s been a long week – the race started with quite a rough sea off
Barmouth and we wondered whether our small engine would actually get us out
to the start line in time. In actual fact we were one of the first across
the line, but we quickly dropped back due to the sea state – we were never
going to be able to keep up with the larger boats unless the winds were
light and the sea much smoother. The first leg of the race to Caernarfon was
dogged by equipment problems – the GPS failing to show where we were, so we
tacked to avoid a reef that was in a different place!

Once we had passed through Bardsey Sound at the end of the Lleyn Peninsula
the sea calmed down and we had a good sail up to Caernarfon, where we
dropped off the runners for their ascent of Snowdon. They did a marvellous
job, but that meant less sleep for us!

Then it was through the Menai Strait, passing through the Swellies at low
water with a strong tide taking us through at high speed. Once we had
cleared Puffin Sound at the North East end of the Menai Strait we set course
for Whitehaven and had a fine spinnaker run up the Irish Sea – this was what
we had been hoping for and we made very good time.

At Whitehaven we dropped the runners off for their trip up Scafell. This is
a long bike ride and run, so we had time for a decent sleep!
Then it was off into the Irish Sea with a mixed set of forecasts showing
everything from Force 4 to occasional Force 7. It soon became obvious that
the wind was going to be much stronger and the seas bigger than expected, so
we put up the storm jib and put two and then three reefs in the mainsail.

By the time we reached the Mull of Galloway the winds had reached gale force
8 and we knew we were in for a hard time as we would be running before the
wind up the North Channel – an area with a fearsome reputation – we dropped
the mainsail and ran before the wind under storm jib alone.

Night became day and then we cound see how large the seas had become, at
night you could hear the hissing of the breaking seas sweeping up behind
you, buit in daylight you could see them rear up above you as they swept
past – it was better not to look back. We were in constant danger of being
broached by the breaking seas. Life below had become hell, as every time the
seas swept over the deck water was squirted through the hatches – the chart
table was awash and everything was soaking. The runners just hunkered down
in their berths and went into hibernation mode – they must have wondered
what they had let themselves in for – I did! My feelings were a mixture of
exhilaration as the boat surfed before the waves, fear at the predicament
and possibilities and complete tiredness – the three sailors were taking 2
hours each to rest (braced down below) followed by 2 hours on watch and then
2 hours on standby.

As we reached the nothern end of the North Channel with the wind showing no
sign of abating and the largest waves reaching 5m it was time to make a
decision – carry on up to the Mull of Kintyre where the seas could be
expected to be even larger, or to seek shelter. After nearly 12 hours of
running before the gale and with at least 12 more to go it was a no-brainer.
Loch Ryan was the nearest shelter and two hours later we were in the
relatively calm waters leading to Stranraer, although it took over two hours
to beat back up to the port. Sleep at last! Then beer!
The decision then was how long to wait till we set out again – we needed
time for the winds to abate and the seas to calm down.

We set out the next evening to catch the tides round the Mull of Kintyre.
The seas had calmed right down and the trip across to the Mull of Kintyre
was great, then we turned up into the Sound of Jura in time for the winds to
drop away and for fog to roll in. We spent the next 6 hours being slowly
washed back to the Mull by the tide. We used the oars to no real avail – a
yacht is just too big to row!! Eventually the tide turned and some wind came
up. Slowly we made our way back up the Sound of Jura till again the tide
turned against us and so did the wind. Unable to make any headway we headed
for an anchoarge on Gigha Island, but unable to make significant headway we
dropped our anchor just off Gigha to wait for the tide to turn again. Our
last decision was that if there was no wind when the tide turned we would
not be able to reach Fort William in time and the race would be over for us.
Sure enough the wind dropped away to nothing and so we motored up to Oban
for a well deserved sleep.

I have been surprised by how little sleep I have had over the last week, but
it has been a great experience and if you ask me next week I might be
willing to try again.

My crew, Len and Chris, and the runners, Jo And Rob have done me proud. My
thanks go to Amanda for all her cakes and support and to Paul at Sanoodi for
making it all possible.

I’m off to the pub for a well earned dram (or two) – Thanks for following
our adventures (mishaps)”

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