Friday 11th June

 

2000  Derek & Angus arrived at Great Glen Water Park to pick up Jaguar 25 Windy Moon.  Inspection found mouldy food and flat battery but otherwise OK.   Sprayed boat with air freshener and went to pub.

 

Saturday 12th June

 

0900  Alastair arrived.  Fuel found to be low and nobody could flush the suction-o-matic.

1030  Left pontoon, turned left (SW) under swing bridge into Caledonian Canal.

1045  Entered Laggan Locks.  Discovered lack of reverse gear just at the critical moment in manoeuvre.

1055  Entered Loch Lochy, hoisted sails and goose-winged using Alastair as jib pole.

1130  Turned round and beat back up loch.  Took two reefs as wind was gusting force 11 on the Richter scale.

1300  Arrived at Laggan Locks to find lock-keeper on lunch break (still on GMT?)

1430  Motored to Well of Seven Heads, tied up and phoned owner about faults in boat.  Angus & Alastair stocked up on beer and supplies, returning to find Derek and owner doing a fix-it with a plastic thingummy.

1500  Reversed off pontoon in seaman-like manner and fouled prop on mooring rope.  Derek stripped down to He-man T-shirt and went swimming in nice warm water.

1530  Left pontoon with ropes on board this time and motored left (NE) up Loch Oich.

1645  Arr. Cullochy Lock to find lock-keeper Fred Service (winner, "best kept lock" award 1990-1992) cutting his grass.  Grudgingly let into lock.  Resumed grass activities.

1700  Fred Service (winner, "most artistic rockery" for last 7 years) now trimming his begonias.  2 more boats enter lock.  Fred Service (winner, "British Waterways Board Green Fingers" award, 1066,1751,1945) breaks off pruning roses to operate lock.

1800  Arr. Fort Augustus, tied up near Hallsberg-Rassey 49ft Ketch crewed by Norwegian youths.

1830  Entered Lovat Arms for pre-prandial libation and evening repast.  Stayed for post-prandial libations.

2200  Entered Lock Inn to find Norwegians engaged in passionate international relations with local damsels.

2205  Derek and Angus argued over whose round it was.

2300  Retired to Windy Moon (aptly named as it turns out).

 

Sunday13th June

 

0400  1st toilet trip.

0700  2nd toilet trip.

0830  3rd toilet trip.

1020  Entered Fort Augustus locks.

1150  Entered Loch Nessie, beat up N shore.

1448  Still beating, s/board winch exploded.  Alastair solved the resulting jigsaw puzzle.

1500  Progress slow.  Hoisted iron topsail.

1655  Arr. harbour at Clansman hotel, N. shore.  Gentle landing, tied up, went to sleep in sun.

1715  Rudely awoken by Jacobite Warrior tour boat.  Nearly took our bow off and rammed quay wall.

1723  JW moved position and collided with Blakes "bumper car" motor cruiser.  Smashed window in JW and damaged pride.  Some discussions ensued.

1830  Time for crew ablutions.  Alastair paid £2 for shower in hotel, Derek used bucket of harbour water, Angus sprayed t-shirt with air freshener.

1930  50 bikers came in for bar meals and were served in the function room.

2000  Our meal of flavour-reduced food arrived.

2200  Angus and Derek argued over whose round it was.

2230  Bunk time.

 

Windy Moon in Loch Ness

 

Monday 14th June

 

0820  Up’n’at’em.  Intention was to leave before destroyer captain of JW moved his vessel again.

0915  Paid harbour dues to woman in pink 'Nessie' t-shirt.  Should have left at 0910.

0920  Left harbour, turned right (SW), bravely hoisted full sails.  Goose-winged with boathook replacing Alastair as jib pole.

1000  Angus restless, pumped up elderly, patched and rather flaccid Campari dinghy.  Was towed behind Windy Moon to take snaps.  Derek restless, removed rudder from pintails while using ship’s bucket.  Interesting manoeuvres resulted.

1200  Buzzed by RAF grass-cutters.

1305  Arr. Fort Augustus.  Lock keepers on lunch break (still on Pacific Standard Time?)  Angus treated crew to ice cream.

1520  Entered locks.

1630  4 million gallons of water later, left locks.

1650  Arr. Kytra locks.

1725  Arr. Cullochy Lock.  Fred Service (Beechgrove Garden prize Grass Cutting Patterns 1993) was pumping water out of lock to irrigate his vegetable patch.

1830  Tied up at Invergarry.  End of Cruise.

 

Derek Gibb

Angus Forsyth

Alastair Millar

 

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