Strong Winds and Strong Currents to Kyle of Lochalsh

Our Peaceful Anchorage (from the previous night) at Loch Scavaig
We woke early in the bright sunshine and prepared for an expedition ashore to have a picnic breakfast and explore this wild and impressive landscape.  However, Loch Scavaig had other plans for us!
The wind started to rise and it was soon blowing strongly into the anchorage.  It was no longer safe to leave the boat and we would have had a difficult time rowing back to the boat in this wind.

So we up-anchored and headed away from Loch Scavaig.  This is not a good place to be in strong winds as the high mountain peaks would soon be dropping fierce (katabatic) gusts in all directions onto the waters below.

The wind dropped slightly as we ate our picnic breakfast under sail.  But the seas looked more threatening ahead with higher waves than expected by this wind strength.  A fog bank was also headed towards us from the south.  Soon enough the boat was hard pressed and sailing close hauled as our peaceful sail had rapidly become a fierce beat into F6/7 winds with poor visibility.  Time for 2 reefs and a smaller jib area.  We were certainly working hard for our passage today.

As we rounded the peninsular and could finally ease sheets to bear away northwards up the Sound of Sleat along the east coast of Skye, the wind decreased and we had a brisk sail in sunny weather and once again good visibility.  Our test was over!

We stopped half way up to anchor inside Ornsay Island to wait for a favourable tide and for Doug to do some hand sewing to repair a torn batten pocket on our mainsail.

At 3:30pm we set off again with a fair tide as the Sound closed in on us towards the narrows at Kyle Rhea.  Here the north-going tide sets at up to 7 knots so you need to get your tidal calculations right!  We travelled through the turbulent waters of Kyle Rhea and were surprised to come across groups of seals happily enjoying the fish bonanza as food was swirled up from the sea bed :)

A Seal (back) in Kyle Rhea - very fast movers and hard to photograph!
We sailed on to tie up at the pontoons at Kyle of Lochash town, just before the mighty bridge between Skye and the mainland.


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