56:19.50 N, 005:35.22 W

 

The weather was rather better than predicted when the alarm went off at 7am, and we had a fine sail mostly on port tack south past the Small Isles, with all of Eigg, Rhum, Muck and Canna quite clear, rounding Ardnamurchan around lunchtime.

 

Surely it can’t be spring yet?

 

The Mallaig to Skye Calmac

 

Eigg from close E

 

Ardnamurchan

 

Sound of Mull, between hail storms

 

Duart Castle

 

The coastguard started broadcasting notice of the next gale, but it's not due to arrive until 'later' which is at least 12 hours away, so we carried on all the way down the sound of Mull. There were very few other boats out, but we passed another Rustler coming north! It was hailing violently at the time, so no picture of it.

 

At around 6pm we rounded the corner at Duart castle and reached across the to the anchorage at Pulladobhrain, arriving just as it got dark. In season it's a very crowded anchorage, especially on a Saturday night when there are frequently nearly 30 yachts, but there were only two others and we were able to creep far into the cove and anchor in peace. The gale warnings are getting more and more strident, for S 6-8 backing SE and increasing storm 10 later, so this very sheltered anchorage looks a good place to stay for a day.