Jean Says: Last night, we were invited onboard The Cuan Fisher by George and his first mate John. They were both up from Bangor, and were heading up towards Skye and beyond. We drank whiskey and red wine with them on George's lovely cosy boat (he had the heating on full blast), and because they both knew the area inside out, they gave us loads of tips about the best places to visit in the Western Isles. George is an ex corporate man and John is an ex trawler man, and they not only have bags of sailing experience, but were full of great seafaring tales collected over the years. George said that he was feeling a bit passed it these days to sail singlehandedly, and usually gets a friend onboard to help. He told us that he often motor sails just with the main sail up to minimise the hard work. I've definitely warmed to this idea. The Cuan Fisher has an enclosed wheelhouse immune to the elements, which is another appealing idea, especially at the moment. We stayed quite late, thoroughly enjoying their company, and were sorry to leave.
I popped my head up early this morning when I heard them preparing the boat to go. I could see George ensconced in his wheelhouse, and John was on deck in what looked like arctic clothing, tidying up the warps and fenders. They were too engrossed in the process of leaving to see me, so I wasn't able to wave, but I felt fondly towards our new friends as I watched the Cuan Fisher head out into the vast open space of the Irish Sea.
We set off intending to go to Campeltown, but changed our minds and went a bit further to Lamlash Bay on the Isle of Arran. We parked ourselves on a mooring buoy in the bay, and felt the liberation of not needing to have shelter for the first time in more than four weeks. The wind had dropped dramatically today, and although it was still freezing cold, the sea was flat, and we had the easiest ride we've had since we started the trip. The scenery is still varying shades of grey, and it makes it difficult to take a good photo. When we first came here years ago, I was disappointed to discover that this is not Arran of jumper fame. The jumper Arran is in Ireland, and apparently, very few people realise that. On route, Bob made a very delicious and comforting oven baked fish dish which included baked beans, but they were posh ones. We also polished off a bottle of (comforting) white wine to help with the warming process. Boat food has to be comforting, especially when you've woken up to your breath being visible even when you're still in bed, and the day resembles a very cold day in February.

Approaching Arran with Holy Island on the right and Goatfell in the background.