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| Coming down Neptune's Staircase with the Swedish boat |
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| In Neptune's Staircase |
Today it's time to leave the canal and return to the sea. So we had better pay some attention to the weather forecast, tides and other complicated things. After two energetic days there is no way we are going to attempt the 8am lock, so we go down at 1130 or so, together with a Swedish boat. It's a Nicholson 32 which is obviously equipped for serious cruising with a fixed doghouse built on the forward half of the cockpit. The young couple on board plan to sail to Australia via Panama, and intend to be away for 18 months or until the money runs out.
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| Leaving the canal |
As expected, it was quite slow going through Neptune's Staircase, which is a flight of 8 locks, but eventually we arrived in Corpach basin, just before the sea lock. After a brief food shopping trip we were ready to go and joined a large motor boat in the sea lock. The Three Peaks Race was in progress and we found that the leading boat was less than 20 miles away and going well. Too late to wait to see boats arrive.
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| Three Peaks boat |
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| Back at sea at last in Loch Linnhe |
We had a long beat down Loch Linnhe in about F4. On the way we saw the first 3 of the Three Peaks Race boats (the others were about 70 miles behind). We gave them cheery waves but they were either too tired or concentrating too hard to notice.
The West Coast is full of cosy little anchorages behind islands, but few of these are in Loch Linnhe and we felt the need for a bit of security and proper sleep so picked up a mooring at Linnhe Marine, in Shuna Sound.
Done 692 miles. 11 miles to go. Follow the
track on Google Maps.
We had a long beat down Loch Linnhe in about F4. On the way we saw the first 3 of the Three Peaks Race boats (the others were about 70 miles behind). We gave them cheery waves but they were either too tired or concentrating too hard to notice.