Royal Air Force Yacht Club

Nick Entract and Sarah Fazakerley's Scottish Adventure

“Thank God that’s over!” 

We were of course referring to the nine hour drive from home in Berkshire to the Wild West of Scotland.  

Browsing boat adverts whilst one should be working, as we all know is a sin.  And, as with all sins must they have to be paid for. My  punishment was to find myself the owner of a 2006 steel Roberts Mauritius 43, based in Loch Melfort 15miles south by road from Oban on Scotland’s beautiful west coast. All this was while also still owning my rather nice Moody Halberdier moored just up the Hamble from the Club. 

We also all know the folly of persuading oneself that buying a boat at the other end of the country is only ‘a nice little delivery trip’ away, and anyway ‘it’ll be fun’! This is however exactly what we did.

So there we were, boat bought in November 2010, and 6 months to contemplate our (my) foolishness. 

April 16th found us surrounded by boating gear standing at the bottom of a very tall ladder with a big boat looking somewhat insecure in a launching cradle that must surely have been at the very top of its safe working load. Glorious weather, fabulous back drop of the hills and mountains of Argyll, small white houses and a handful of yachts on their moorings. Perhaps the prospect of sailing in Scotland was not so daft?  

The yard had agreed to launch us at high water Monday. Having bought Theseus untested with a ‘take it of leave it’ offer, you will doubtless realise that the hours (not to say the months) leading up to her Monday splash were quite anxious. Launching at Kilmelford Yacht Haven is a sort of free fall affair rather akin to launching a life boat backwards. They ease the boat and cradle into the water until the hull is about half wet then release the cable and off you go down the slipway, finally coming to rest as you bob up out of the strops at the required depth of water.  

We had pretty well got her rigged whilst in the cradle, having fun with such novelties as fully battened main and mizzen, a baby stay and self tacking staysl. All the sails and running rigging were almost new, the sails having been cut by Owens sails of Oban were of very superior quality. The engine ( 2 year old BetaMarine 75hp) started first turn and all the fancy navigation gear all lit up a nicely.

Well after waiting six months to try out our baby we were not going to wait around. The weather was still idyllic we headed south west down the loch, to complete a quick circumnavigation of the Isle of Shuna which took all of about 60minutes. It is quite interesting adjusting to sailing these waters. Distances which at a quick glance at the chart look to be substantial because they cover such large amounts of geographical diversity, transpire be perhaps only 5 miles from end to end. For instance, Loch Melfort where we are based and the surrounding waters extending 7 or 8 miles in either direction probably contain 5 or 6 other lochs of various sizes, numerous headlands and islands, and several hundred rocks the vast majority of which lurk just beneath the surface.

Tidal range is only about 1.5 metres, and compared with the eastern and mid part of the English Channel pretty benign, except of course where the flow is squeezed between the islands. Here at springs currents of 7kts are quite possible. What that means is that careful passage planning is vital but once through the ‘pinch points’ good progress is possible even with a foul tide.

So where did we go? Well we had thought that it would be pretty good if we made it up to Tobermorey which lies at the north western end of the Sound of Mull. As it turned out this was easily achieved with a transit though the (somewhat dreaded) Cuan Sound with  afore mentioned 7kt tides, overfalls and several rocks both awash and unseen thrown in for interests sake.  Overnight anchoring in Loch Spelvey and then Loch Aline, just for pleasure rather than any real need to break the journey.   

 So how did she go? Well one of my concerns about Theseus was that she was rather heavily built. She had been built at the Fairfield Ship yard on the Clyde by the yard apprentices as a project for the retiring Director of Training. Some of the hull and deck plating is 6mm, and we are not talking here about the areas around the keel root (garboard) where I understand the plate is considerably thicker. So at the back of my mind was the thought that she might be over heavy and sail like a ‘dog’. As we cut the engine on that first day and sheeted the sails I hardly dared breathe. She heeled a few degrees with the 8kt breeze and began to glide across the calm surface of the Loch, moments later we were looking at 4.5 then 5kts as she settled into the groove.

 What a relief, but as we know gliding along in calm water with gentle zephyrs caressing the sails is very different to open water sailing with the gunwales awash. Would she rise to the occasion or bury her bow and be a nasty wet ride? We had to wait a while to get a bit of a breeze as we departed Tobermorey a few days later with a nice 20-25kt blowing across the anchorage. We headed out of the Sound of Mull laying a course for an anchorage on the eastern shore of the Isle of Coll.

Theseus pretty soon showed that this was what she really was built for, effortlessly reeling off the miles close reaching at 7.5 – 8kts. On most points of sail she barely needs a finger on the wheel, being well balanced and gifted with just a couple of degrees of deflection showing on the rudder indicator proved that she was well balanced and not about to tire the helmsman. Her steering gear is Vetus hydraulic, and, never having owned a boat fitted with such a steering set up I was interested to see how it felt. I had heard about the lack of feel with hydraulic gear, but the plus side is that once the helmsman applies some rudder deflection that angle stays ‘on’. This is a pretty desirable asset on a heavy long keel boat. Such boats do not have the benefit of the semi balanced blade setup which is more commonly found on modern yachts with either a skeg hung or unsupported rudder.

 Two weeks of blue skies and comfortable temperatures in that area in late April must be pretty unheard of. Plus the much talked of Midges had not yet cast their shadow. We loved it up there, the empty Lochs, secure (free) anchorages, peaceful foreshores and interesting walks were a bit of a revelation to us Solent based sailors. And you get to look out for seals, whales and eagles; well, anyone can look.

 What happens next? Well the plan is to sail Theseus back down to the South over the summer. Sarah and I have taken leave in both June and July, fingers crossed we will have at least week during that time when the wind is not from the south west. The plan will be to try and visit Belfast, Isle of Mann and Dublin as well as the Scillies on the way down, but if the weather window is short it may turn into a three or four day dash for Falmouth. Who knows?  

	Just launched and alongside at Kilmelford Yacht Haven in Argyll
	Just launched and alongside at Kilmelford Yacht Haven in Argyll
	Dawn at KYH
	Splendid isolation at Lock Spelvey on the Isle of Mull
	And it looked like such a cool idea to put the haliyards in the marina washing machine whilst we had dinner!
	Sarah at the helm
	And this is me (Nick)

  For the technically inclined:

Theseus:

Hull laid down 1992 Fairfield Shipyard Clyde

Launched 2006

Length 43ft

Beam 13ft

Hull form is ‘round’, that is, she is not of the more usually seen ‘hard chine’ steel construction.

Hull and deck plating is mainly 6mm steel increasing towards the keel area.

Designed displacement 15tonne (probably more)

Ketch rigged, with inner fore stay and self tacking stay sail.

Center Cockpit

Engine 2008 Betamarine 75hp

Autopilot and all navigation gear and plotter by Raymarine

Spars by Z Spars (2006)

Sails fully battened main and mizzen by Owen Sails of Oban.

Home comforts are: Heating by Eberspatcher, Cooker by Taylors and Toilet by Blakes.

Downsides, well there has to be one doesn’t there? The previous owner who built her was very sociable, but plainly did not enjoy sharing his sleeping quarters. Therefore Theseus, who has a saloon big enough for a fair sized cocktail party, has in her fore and aft cabins just a pair of wide single bunks! We are accordingly on the lookout for a decent joiner who will do some alterations at a fair price.