A picture of the boat in Banavie with Ben Nevis in the background

All change at Banavie

Saturday is changeover day at Banavie.

This morning we waved off my friend Mike on his marathon 15 hour journey back to London on the train and this afternoon said farewell to Megan as she boarded the coach, ready and eager to face the challenge of an overnight stint on what used to be called National Express

Tonny, my new crewmate isn’t due to arrive for a couple of days so I am busying myself with a few domestic tasks and general tidying

.... there doesn’t seem to be any noticeable improvement in the boat’s appearance just yet, but at least it got some admiring comments from an American tourist who was passing by, so it can’t be all bad!!

Here is a picture of Neptune’s Staircase which will be our next challenge on Tuesday morning

The end of the canal

The crew are all sad at coming to the end of our journey through the Caledonian Canal but excited to think of a return to work next week.

It has been scorching again today and my friend Mike was surprised to see snow on the top of Ben Nevis despite the temperature on the canal ....24 degrees!After a pleasant trip we were happy to moor in Banavie at the top of Jacobs Staircase, which is a set of locks that will take us back down to the sea.Sadly Mike and Megan leave tomorrow after a great week of discussion, conversation and fun . I am most grateful for their help in moving the boat so far forward without major hassle.

I look forward to welcoming my friend Tonny to the crew on Monday night when we hope to set sail again towards the Westetn Isles

Caledonian good fortune for Calismarde

There was much tension in Fort Douglas this morning. Yesterday the swing bridge which opens to enable boats to enter the 5 locks going up hill  to Loch Oich got stuck because of the heat.

Would the bridge work?? and would we make the cut  and be chosen to be one of the lucky boats  to be in the first tranche???

YES.....!!! 

We packed the lock and were placed behind a very expensive Swedish Yacht . Thankfully we did not cause any damage either to the yacht or our pride. Indeed the crew did a magnificent job in managing the boat in a very 

difficult environment.We heard later that the bridge was closed after we left and no boats can now escape from Fort Douglas.....How lucky was that!!

After a few more bridges and locks we entered Loch Oich in sizzling temperatures so were pleased to seize  the opportunity of having a swim off the boat.

This picture shows my friend Mike cooling off

Loch Linnie is a most spectacular place with beautiful views and a wonderful atmosphere of calm

By 4.30 the crew were keen to tie up and we were pleased to settle down on a pontoon near the locks st the top end of Loch Lochy.

After a plenary session in the pub nearby, which is housed in an old Dutch barge, the crew enjoyed Chilli con Carne aboard, along with a couple of glasses of  Linie Aqua Vit

Can tomorrow trump this?

Only time will tell!!

In search of Nessie

This is my second attempt at publishing  a blog tonight!!!!

After a leisurely breakfast the crew were delighted to secure an early entry to the locks that enabled us to get into Loch Ness at a reasonable time 

During a morning of chugging along we maintained s vigilant lookout for Nessie.

In this respect we were pleased to receive help from our latest crew member 

Sadly we were unsuccessful in our endeavours to see the monster , so were consoled by our arrival at Urqhart Castle. We dropped the anchor and rowed ashore to visit what is a Castle in spectacular surroundings but sadly which lacks a spark of historical romanticism 

At least we could admire Calismarde from the ramparts

Tonight we are tied up at the bottom end of Loch Ness reflecting on what had been a most enjoyable day.

Calm in the Caledonian Canal

After two full days, the crew were glad to have the opportunity of spending a relaxed day settling down before the tense excitement of possibly seeing Nessie

After a leisurely start we entered the canal and immediately became aware of a different Karma influencing the boat.We visited Inverness and enjoyed a trip round the most excellent museum and art gallery. As a consequence Megan has now become our local expert on the life of Mary Queen of Scots and my friend Mike has become a connoiseur of Inverness contemporary art

It is an honour to be sharing a boat with two intellectuals.

I have cleaned the binoculars and readied them for a sighting of Nessie tomorrow. In the meantime, I have purchased a replica to make sure that any sighting is correctly verified

Tucked in in Inverness

Well here we are in Inverness ready to face the challenge of the Caledonian Canal which starts tomorrow

My friend Mike is excited at the prospect of seeing the monster whilst Megan tells me her holiday will not have been worthwhile without a visit to the Nessie Museum. We are all very eager if not slightly apprehensive about what may lie in store.

Today started calmly with a leisurely breakfast and we continued with calm weather until we neared Inverness when the wind piped up

This picture shows that we had a straight wake and confirms the effectiveness of my new friend the self steering thingy

After celebratory drinks on arrival, the crew persuaded me to walk into town where we were not dissapointed.

This picture was taken at 10.45.... can you believe it!

Who knows what excitement tomorrow will bring.... we are all full of eager anticipation

Up and Round the Corner

We are no longer travelling North!!

After an early start we motored the many miles to Rattray Head then turned left into th Moray Forth and began our chuggging journey West towards Inverness

My friend Mike says he was s bit disappointed with Rattray  Head. It certainly did not seem very awe inspiring for such a famous headland  as the photo will testifyAfter a further plod past some very beautiful scenery we arrived at Whitehills Marina

This tiny marina is most welcoming and we were relieved to be able to enjoy s tasty fish supper in the tiny local restaurant. 

This can be seen in the background of the picture below

Tomorrow the big push towards Inverness continues

Trains and Boots ....and Trains

This has been a day closely involved with Virgin East Coast Mainline

After saying farewell to Pete on  the  08.15 to Newcastle after an enjoyable week travelling from there to here, I was delighted to meet Megan off the Aberdeen train following her epic bus journey from London.My friend Mike arrived at 5 pm and after an early supper we made the decision to leave early tomorrow on our quest to get to the Caledonian Canal whilst the warm weather holds

I discovered this man in the showers this evening. ‘Please don’t make me travel further North’ He pleaded

Beautiful Stonehaven

Today started off slowly and we left Arbroath at about 10.30

Sadly there was little wind so we chugged then sailed and eventually chug-sailed to Stonehaven

We knew we would have to tie up against the harbour wall but when we arrived just after low tide we were surprised to find that there was no facility to actually tie up!!

 After a bit of a kerfuffle we sorted ourselves out then were pleased to help Martin and his dog  tie up behind us

After a couple of pints and fish and chips in the pub, Martin was summoned by a local sailor to say his boat was getting banged about on the wallFortunately no damage had been caused and we are now happily settled to a night monitoring the drop in the tide and fiddling with relevant ropes during the wee small hours

Sadly tomorrow we say farewell to Pete who has been a brilliant companion and crew during the last weeksl sailing from NewcastleWe look forward to new crew arriving tomorrow

A day in Dundee

After a nourishing breakfast, the crew felt strong enough to face the challenge of a bus trip to Dundee. As you can see it was quite windy, which is why we decided not to sail today.

We passed Carnoustie on the bus... home of this year’s golf open championship and arrived in Dundee keen to visit all the sights it has to offer......

After a walk around the shopping precincts, we were relieved to discover Discovery in Discovery Park.This old ship used to be moored at the Embankment in London and was built for Scott’s first trip to the Antarctic in 1901

It was fascinating to look around and we enjoyed a really interesting exhibition about Polar  exploration as part of the entrance fee. They are housing a V&A gallery next door in a fantastic building which opens in September

This evening we were invited aboard our neighbour’s boat... a comfy Cornish Crabber and enjoyed a delicious casserole with Martin and his dog Buzz who is famous having sailed across the Atlantic twice

.I can’t get over the fact that it is still so light at 10.30. This is the view of Arbroath Harbour now.

Tomorrow  we hope to reach Stonehaven, ready to meet new crew who arrive on Saturday

Arbroath....Home of the Smokie

Today, as part of our corporate team building strategy, the crew took the opportunity to embrace some learning needs around Arbroath 

During the morning we learnt everything there is to know about the Bell Rock Lighthouse which was designed by Robert Stephenson and which was certainly a major engineering triumph of the early 19th century. It has prevented numerous shipping tragedies over the years and is now a major piece of Arbroath history.

In the afternoon , after paying homage to the rear of theArbroath Lifeboat, we visited Arbroath Abbey.

This was a most interesting visit and one which I would recommend to all.William, King of the Scots was buried here.

After personal reflection, peer review and a short plenary , we reflected on our learning goals in the local Wetherspoons. My friend Pete was most impressed with the learning environment there and tells me he can’t wait to return tomorrow for more education.

It looks like strong winds again tomorrow, so we may take the opportunity to learn more,by taking a bus to Dundee and searching out the educational opportunities afforded by Wetherspoons there.

Uncertainty in Eyemouth

After watching football last night we all felt emotionally drained so made the decision to have a day of online training today

After WILLIAM had completed his module entitled ‘Living in Unstable and Enclosed Spaces with Boring Old Gits’  he left to catch the first train home.

Following his departure, my friend Pete, who had previously liked Eyemouth, had a cold shower for which he paid £1.00. This altered his opinion of the town and with that in mind we decided unanimously to leave immediately and sail to Arbroath where at least we could get some smokies.....whatever they are.

After an uneventful sail we arrived in Arbroath in time to get to try some smokies.....smoked haddock... and spend time watching the lifeboat get launched and then the rain fall on the harbour.

This is a picture of us entering Arbroath Harbour

A lifeboat

Rain in Arbroath

Definitely on line training tomorrow .........

The high tide to Scotland

Today we sailed to Scotland.

After an early start we arrived at the Farne Islands in late morning and enjoyed going through the inner channel which goes near the islands and the goes close to Holy Island

As you can see, the waves in the second photo are looking bigger than  they should be based on the weather forecast

Indeed the weather forecast was wrong on several counts and the afternoon was spent bashing into big waves and wind from the wrong direction,

We were very glad to arrive in Eyemouth at 3.30 and tie up next to another sailor who is sailing around Britain.

Eyemouth is a lovely fishing town which has impressed my friend Pete. It is for this reason that after watching footy tonight and saying goodbye to Will in the morning, we are having a day of in house training

A trip to Amble...... not Hamble

Today has been a day of sailing without the engine.... a relative first for this trip; anchoring.... and spelling
Croquet in Northumberland????

In gents loo ‘dispenser’

We left Newcastle early and arrived at Amble early

After a frantic hours snooze we tied up without a hitch and enjoyed a fish based meal at Britain’s best coastal fish restaurant wich has a lovely view across the river and across to Coquet Island

Tomorrow we hope to be off to Bonny Scotland

All change on the Tyne

After a short sail from sunny Sunderland we came into the Tyne yesterday and moored in North Shields at s very posh but comfy marina

My friend Steve really enjoyed getting the metro into Newcastle,  crossing the millennium bridge and the famous Tyne Bridge but he wasn’t sure about the  exhibition   at the Baltic which none of us could understand .However , we all  enjoyed seeing the kittiwakes that nest all over the  city

You can guess from this photo whose restaurant we ate at.

Today we had a crew change and I was sorry to say goodbye to Steve and Jane who have helped us get so far in such a short time

I was delighted however to welcome Pete and Will to this next leg.... hopefully to Amble tomorrow