Minella had already been to St Kilda with two of her three previous owners and, with the rest of the family in Australia with friends for a few weeks, it seemed that a further visit was timely.  A Friday in mid July thus found three of us (all MCA members) assembling after work for a supermarket provisioning dash and then on to Port Dinorwic, where everything was finally stowed on board by the small hours of Saturday morning.

Saturday morning we headed east through the Swellies and just as a score or more of boats were tacking up and down off Menai Bridge, awaiting the start of the Round the Island Race.  Through Puffin Sound and then away to the north, hastened by a brisk SW 4/5.  Although initially grey and drizzly it cleared later in the afternoon with Minella pushing on at 5–6 knots throughout much of the day and subsequent night, passing SW of the Chicken Rock in the evening and up the west side of the Isle of Man overnight.  Dawn saw us becalmed on a glassy sea somewhere east of Belfast Lough.  From then on it was mainly the valiant 10HP Saab which carried us up past the Mull of Kintyre and so to an evening anchorage just past the Ardmore Islands in a bay near the mouth of the Sound of Islay, where an adverse tide called a halt.  After a very early start the next day (taking the last three hours of N going tide through the Sound in the dark), we were carrying the spinnaker up the east side of Colonsay by 0700, heading for the Ross of Mull.  Strengthening winds, rain and deteriorating visibility saw the spinnaker down and a fast beam reach through the Torran Rocks and west of Iona.  Chased north by a good southerly 5 and continuous rain we left the Treshnish Islands to port and carried on round the north of Mull to finally anchor in Aros Bay, Tobermory in the evening – still raining!

On Tuesday we had perfect passage making conditions with a beam reach out past the N of Coll and over the Minch to N Bay, Barra.  Wind S4+, rain showers plus sun, white horses and glistening spray.  Wednesday morning we passed through the Sound of Barra  and thence to the NW with St Kilda in our sights.  A rather overcast passage for most of the day, alleviated by a 20 mile pull with the spinnaker. In the early evening the cloud rose to 1000 feet and the Islands were clearly visible from 19 miles.  From then on the approach was stunning, with a bank of horizontal black cloud overhead, the sun setting pink behind Hirta, Boreray on the starboard bow and the moon rising on the port bow.  The anchor went down in Village Bay a few minutes after midnight.  The following day we donned our St Kilda specially laundered “foot and mouth” clothing (as specified in our permits) and tramped the village street in gentle rain, while one of the crew braved Glen Bay and the skuas to the north.

Bad weather forecast 48 hours hence dictated an overnight passage (mainly under engine) back to the Sound of Harris - which we passed through early morning on the Friday.  Anchor was finally dropped in N Harbour, Scalpay at lunchtime, the weather foggy but clearing during the afternoon.  The following day we took the last of the north going tide through the Sound of Shiant and then on to Loch Mariveg, helped by a brisk following wind – which reached a good 6 just as we slipped into the lee of the off lying islands at the entrance.  Anchoring in the innermost corner of this amazing series of bays and channels an elderly lone fisherman in a small open boat was soon alongside, throwing a couple of lobsters and a 2 foot Ling into the cockpit.  He refused payment but then suggested ”a wee dram”, so stood in the dripping rain downing a glass of Laphroig and hanging onto our guardrail with his other hand!

Following days took us across to Gairloch  (a good F6 close reach initially, with the third slab necessary) and then, in decreasing winds, to Plockton, Loch Hourn and Loch Scavaig.  The last of these was as impressive as ever, but with limited views due to low cloud and rain (which didn’t stop one of the crew making a complete loch side circuit of  Coruisk, though various rushing torrents).  After a night in Loch Drumbuie we had a spectacular sunlit spinnaker run down the Sound of Mull in company with around 75 other boats on the last day of West Highland week.  One of the crew changed in Dunstaffnage marina the next morning (Saturday) and after some provisioning in the Oban Tesco we carried on to Puilladobhrain for the night.  We passed through the Sound of Luing with the tide early the next morning, followed by a good sail down the Sound of Jura.  Eventually becalmed off the Mull of Kintyre it was once again up to the engine to get us down to Bangor by the small hours of the following morning.

A day and a half followed in Strangford Lough (our first visit), with nights at anchor in Quoile and Audrey’s Roads, as well as a lunch time visit to Ballydorn (the converted light ship HQ of the Down YC).  Interesting but disconcerting navigation with low land and many poorly marked pladdies to avoid.  Thursday of the third week found us flying the kite for over 8 hours before a NW3/4 all the way back to Holyhead, where a mooring was picked up just after midnight.   A good passage but marred at the end by lack of concentration regarding tidal details as we dropped the spinnaker in the pitch dark, too near to the Skerries for comfort.  A further 16 miles under spinnaker and over a sparkling sea on the Friday took us from Harry Furlong to Trwm Ddu.  After that it was hard on the wind down the  Straits, through the Swellies bang on slack water and moored back in Port Dinorwic by early Friday afternoon.

991 miles in 21 days, 105 under spinnaker, 260 or so under power.  A good trip!