We are booked to go into the Crinan Canal today and it’s an interesting route we have to follow to get there. There are several narrow channels between islands that have tricky tidal streams.
Our route took us down the Kerrera Sound, out round the Islands of Seil and Easdale, down through the sound of Luing between Fladda and Dubh Sgier, then past Lunga, Scarba and Jura. before turning east toward Crinan through a very dodgy patch of water, (we found out) called Domus Mor.
Although the day started a dead calm we expected and got a NW wind of about F4/5. by the time we reach the southern tip of Kerrera it was time to put the sails up. No major upsets this time, the wind was fairly constant and we slipped along at reasonable pace against or with various amounts of tide. LW was about 11am but the tidal streams were too complicated to comprehend. One minute we’d be flying along with a fair tide next struggling against foul, then suddenly going sideways at 4knots. Nobody told us of Dorus Mor, here we found two whirlpools. Just because the big daddy whirlpool is in Corry Vreckan, only 2 miles away, poor old Dorus Mor doesn’t get a mention. These ones still picked our 5 ton boat up, and threw it about, they ought to sell T-shirts, ” I’ve been through Dorus Mor”. We even had to resort to the engine, to get us out of that little cauldron, but then one or two minutes later we’re bowling along in dead flat water into Crinan Bay.
A frustrating wait outside the lock gate for an hour, before entering the tranquil Crinan Basin. and rafted next to another yacht Nautibouy.
Tomorrow we tackle the locks.
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