After letting a serious gust of wind pass, we are heading towards Scotland. The forecast is good: NE wind 3 to 5, occasionally 6, with fine to slightly rough seas and good visibility despite rare rain.
We leave Belfast Bay, leaving the town of White Head and its lighthouse, the Black Head, on our port side.
We hoist the mainsail while reefing as a precaution, hoist the mizzen high and unfurl the yankee and staysail. The cliffs overlooked by green pastures, as well as the numerous anchorages in small bays marked on the map, pass by and invite us to return for more time to Northern Ireland. The next time !
Around 4 p.m., 20-22 knots hit us head on, which was not expected. We reduce, mainsail 2 reefs, mizzen 1 reef, staysail 2/3 and a little piece of yankee to continue, upwind, to pass Rathlin Island and the Altacarry Head lighthouse, with lots of current and “eddies ” (swirls).
A bit stubborn we insist in the direction of Loch Indaal, taking a series of tacks to reach the west. Then the flashes of the lighthouse left in our wake appear, reminding us that night will soon arrive. Reluctant to drop anchor at night, and tired of persisting at 3 knots with the current becoming really contrary this time, we resigned ourselves to heading north, towards Kilnaughton Bay. The Scottish courtesy flag is now raised for several months!
We drop anchor in Scotland, in Islay, near the Flying Dutchman, an old 28m sailboat and the next day the discovery of the surrounding landscape is magical: white sand beach, hills with ocher and gray hues,… and the smoke of the Port Ellen Malthouse on our starboard side. All this just for us, Milagro being all alone in this large bay. Port Ellen is the name of the village but also that of an old distillery which closed several decades ago and which is now dedicated to preparing malt for the surrounding distilleries (there are nine on Islay). The few bottles of Port Ellen whiskey that have been preserved now sell for sometimes astronomical prices.
We took advantage of this stopover to hike several times in the surrounding area, of which here are some images:
And also, to visit the surroundings of Laophraig under a sky as beautiful as it is threatening which made us choose the Port Ellen pub facing the beach, rather than continuing towards Lagavullin Bay and Ardberg Bay:
Two days later we weigh anchor, determined to reach Loch Indaal, near Bruidladdich. The forecast promises us a certain slowness under sail (2 to 4 Beaufort) and we therefore make part of the journey under motor, leaving on our starboard side the cliffs of the Oa peninsula and the 20m high monument named Mull of Oa, dedicated to the memory of American shipwrecked in 1918, during the First World War.
At the end of the afternoon we arrive at our destination and leave Milagro alone in this immense bay, north of Port Charlotte, between Bruidladdich and Bowmore, names which immediately appeal to lovers of peated Scottish whisky!
More in a future post!
