Ireland to tandems

Adrian writes on Tuesday 10th~Today was a bit epic for me. First we cycled 53 miles, the first decent cycling we have done since New Year. The first 27 miles were covered at hard pace because we were late for a hot chocolate appointment in Tobermory. Plus it was into a strong headwind and there were some large Mullish hills in the way. On return from the long hard bike ride we had to row each of the tandems out to the boat, made more entertaining by a fresh wind and some waves. Then the tandems had to be partially dismantled and stowed below. After that there were 40 metres of chain to haul up, a mainsail and a staysail and then there was a quantity of hanging on to be done as we thrashed our way the 6 miles to windward to gain the wonderful peace of Loch Aline on the North side of the Sound of Mull.

Lucy writes on Wed 11th~We would like to say more than our 160 characters a day allows. Last week from Ireland to Oban was one of our best so far, mostly because Jura was so fantastic. We stayed for two days sheltering from strong winds in a spectacular loch with no habitation (and no phone reception). Catherine was with us and is enthusiastic and knowledgable on flora and fauna, which was great, we found orchids and butterflies and plants that eat insects. Alas, no longed for eagles. We took both dinghies up an extraordinary rocky channel with a strong tidal stream into an inner loch. If we timed it right we did not have to row at all, just whoosh magically along (we didn't time it right on the way back and had to wait in the rain with Catherine telling stories). Week ended windless and wetly and we didn't make Oban in time for Julian's early morning train.

This week is a cycling week. Our friends the Hairies (aka Clive and Sarah) arrved in Oban with their tandem, our tandem (previously sent to them in a large box) and vast amounts of luggage. They were shipped aboard via the helpful Oban marina shuttle boat. We have since managed 3 days cycling, despite Sarah's bad back.

Adrian again~ Oban marina is a very friendly and relaxed place by marina standards. It is perhaps partly due to this that it seems to have more than its fair share of good looking boats. The enormous 30s yacht Halcyon was the most eye-catching. But the most interesting for me was the brand new replica of Bill Tilman's Mischief, a pilot cutter which made venturesome Antarctic mountaneering voyages in the 1950s which put our current venture hopelessly in the shade. The new replica is too shiny and new to even be recognised by Tilman but given a
few years bouncing off icebergs it should look better. Another classic boat was friendly to us when we had an onion crisis on curry night. Refreshingly traditional, the skipper instructed me to go and find his wife in the laundrette and ask her where the onions were kept.