21st Sept 2009, The Flying Visit & Loch Feochan

The flying visit was really very strange – we were going to at anchor in East Tarbet Bay near the Mull of Galloway, the sun was shining and there was a strong (cold) wind blowing – there was also a large grey ship further up in Luce Bay earlier. Anyway, quite amazing – an Admiral came past us quite close, we weren’t sure what was happening, it looked like he was heading for the shore but then turned towards us again but then turned again to the shore. We just watched wondering what was going to happen, we first thought that he was going to come aboard then when he turned to the shore (we had mixed feelings) but then he must have changed his mind ( maybe saw us watching) and actually came aboard. Couldn’t believe it at first! See the pictures below – must have stayed for about 3 hours in all just resting with us in the sunshine – didn’t say much about why he was here, but we saw quite a few that day, maybe even the occasional female one…..



OK – so we have a wild imagination.. There were dozens of them that day all heading in the same direction (I’ve been told it’s all to do with the fairy moans) but the wind was very strong and cold and it did look like a few of them would have ended up in the water. We carried the one from the front of the boat out of the wind so that he (she?) could recover in the warmth of the wheelhouse. We did notice that when they were resting in the sunshine they would have their wings in the closed position [this seems to be the normal resting position for butterflies, moths normally rest with their wings open] – but if you move your hand across to create a shadow (not too close as to frighten them) they open up the wings into to open position.

So there we are – the story of the Flying Visit…. We have forgotten to relate quite a few additional experiences but will hopefully remember to add some of them when we have time.

We are now in Loch Feochan from where we left in July 2007. We got ashore in Gigha and had a nice meal in the hotel and after checking the weather thought that we could head up to Tobermory before some bad weather that is due, via an overnight anchorage on the way. So we left on Saturday morning a couple of hours before low water so that we could go up with the flood tide. A good blow of 20 knots from the south – southwest then coming round to the west, so that was ideal. There would only be a couple of parts of the trip where the waves would be big (but not like the Atlantic big) where we would lose the protection of an island. It started off overcast but then brightened up and we had a fantastic sail up – just like how we remembered it. We had a cracking sail and speed over the ground, because we had a Spring Tide with us, was brilliant. Anyway – on the way up we had been talking & texting with friends from Feochan , checked the tides, we could go into the loch and back out and up to Tobermory next day without any problems. We spoke with the marina to arrange a buoy and were met on the way up by Evantu and the rest of the reception committee were on the pontoon when we got in.

So that is it I suppose – we will just have a few days sailing when the weather is decent and remain on the boat until after the end of the month, go home and restart the land-lubbers life – work etc. There’s still a bit more to tell but that will do for this post…. More in a week or so…..