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