What a night! Lamlash to Bangor 29 July 2024

 


This morning, still securely attached to our mooring buoy in Lamlash Bay.  Thank goodness.  It had been a horrid night with very little sleep.  Thumps, bangs, groans and creaks, squeaks, slapping and gurgling water, and the boat rocking from side to side just about all night.  We all slept very little, and both Gordon and I were up, at separate times, twice during the night to check that we hadn’t broken loose and something dire was happening.

Wind in one direction and short sharp waves coming into the bay from a different direction at right angles, meant we rocked all night.  We really like Lamlash but its bay gave us a thrashing.

We slipped our mooring at 09.00 to head out into the north Irish Sea with a brisk breeze blowing.


Our bowsprit flag was rigid from the outset and stayed that way all the way home.  It got really quite rough from the bottom end of Arran until well past Ailsa Craig, but nothing the boat can’t handle.  The second half of the journey was a little bit calmer, though quite cool all the way until we got to Bangor - then it was roasting.

Ailsa Craig was looking a little ominous as we passed, but it didn’t rain on us.

What do you do on a long cool lumpy journey home? 
You watch Nadal play Djokovic at the Paris Olympics (a bit of a one sided match).

Meanwhile, in the real world, Lazaway had to navigate its way through a plethora of Portavogie fishing boats all doing their own thing.  For good measure there was also a freighter heading towards us, also navigating through the fishing boats. If you look closely at the right hand picture you can spot a wee Lazaway amongst the throng.


The boat bird list was just 18 species - it was too rough to spot stuff and to use binoculars.  However I did see lots of Storm Petrels - beautifully smelling birds.

Arrived back in a really hot and sunny Bangor at 15.30 after a short but brilliant trip.  It was fantastic to have got so far up Loch Fyne, and to visit Portavadie for the swim and spa, and then those scallops at The Drift Inn - to die for!!



















































































































































































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