Voyage over on 2nd August!

Colette is now back on her mooring
1800 nm completed since leaving on

29th May

Thanks to all for your messages and sponsorship.
Sat 11 Jul
Neptune's Staircase

We awoke to yet another glorious blue sky day. The temperature was beautiful and the natural light on Ben Nevis and the surrounding peaks, completely cloud free, gave spectacular and rare views.

David and Verity helped us through the double lock at the end of the basin before we bade them farewell. Di Saville was to join us during the morning, after arriving on the night sleeper. Richard and Penny were to be with us late afternoon; having taken a few days holiday in Edinburgh first.

Our task today was to make our way up Neptune's Staircase. A sequence of eight locks. As you leave one, you move directly into the next. The lock keepers are very experienced and helpful. They make the passage good fun.

The whole process takes a good couple of hours and Di appeared on the side at about the third lock. The extra hand made the process more relaxed.

 

As we emerged from the final lock at Banavie, we took a berth alongside the canal. Di and Chap walked to the supermarket and Graham cleaned up the boat and started on the washing mountain.

Richard and Penny arrived just in time for pre-supper drinks while the chicken roasted in the oven.

Day Run 2nm

Total 1124nm
Sun 12 Jul Banavie to Laggan  
 

What a difference a day makes. Howling winds and pouring rain through the night extinguished the most beautiful of days. Morning came and we prepared for our foray into the canal.

No wind below an overcast sky donminated the scene upto Gairlochy, the entrance to Loch Lochy. Once out of the very deep lock we had sufficient wind to hoist the 'white stuff'. We made good way until the mist and clouds caught up bringing continuous rain for an hour.

Lulls, lifts and dramatic wind shifts took us from close hauled to dead running as we progressed to the end of the loch.

Lunch was taken on the waiting pontoon before negotiating our way thorugh to our overnight berth. Our progress was closely scrutinised by the beady eye of a feathered fowl.

 

Richard had 'internet researched' the floating pub opposite our berth before leaving Mersea. We had an early afternoon beer while pre-ordering our supper for later in the evening. The freshly cooked sea food was excellent.

We had time to take a shower and enjoy a drink with Sandra and Roddy from Aviemore, whose yacht is kept on the canal and berthed behind us for tonight.

Day Run 16nm

1140nm
Mon 13 Jul Laggan to Fort Augustus  
 

By Laggan we were at the highest section of the canal. Today we were to start our descent towards the East Coast.

We enjoyed bright sunshine and just sufficient wind to run under genoa for some of the time. Loch Oich was very pretty.

The entrance to Loch Ness is via the staircase of five locks at Fort Augustus. A smaller version of Neptune's Staircase at Corpach.

We found an overnight berth just beyond the road bridge at the end of the lock chain.

Tomorrow we seek 'Nessie'!

Day Run 12nm

1152nm
Tue 14 Jul Loch Ness  
 

Our mission today was to scour the lock for the world's most elusive super star. All possible precautions were taken to ensure the she did not take us to her 200m deep lair.

We were disappointed that having sailed the entire length of the 20 mile lock and then back to our overnight mooring, no sighting was made. Despair!

However just as we broke open the bar Penny and Di shrieked with enthusiasm, "Get your cameras". A sighting had been made.

Is it a dog? Is it a log?; Or is it the grog? It must be Nessie!

What do you make of the image at the foot of today's log?

(A mouse over the picture may help!)

 

Day Run 12nm

1178nm

Wed 15 Jul Castle Urquhart to Inverness Seaport Marina  
 

We found a beautifully peaceful overnight mooring at Drumnadrochit just one other boat, a large Danish Ketch. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset to watch after our supper.

Our goal for today was to complete our passage through the canal and leave Colette at Inverness Sea Port Marina. We have a planned week at home so this is the last blog entry until Thu/Fri, 24/25 Jul.

We motored slowly along the frontage of the Castle Urquhart remains, which appears to be a significant tourist attraction. Richard has been told that it was built by his Grant dynnasty. This may need further ratification.

The Danes left their mooring just before us and as we can clearly see, they took their quest for 'Nessie' far more seriously than us.

A sunny morning for our windless motor down the loch led us to a pretty lunchtime anchorage at Loch Dochfour. We then motored on through rapidly deteriorating weather with thunder, lightning and torrential rain, to our final lock staircase at Tomnahurich; a flight of four; and then refuelled before securing Colette to her berth for the coming week.

Day Run 14nm

1192nm

 
 

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