Don't Touch the Overalls!
Jura to Oban - Sunday 6th August
Things were quite grey this morning, Jura's beauty had disappeared behind the rain and we set off in soggy, cold wind.
There was a fair bit of tricky navigation in amongst the islands especially because o
ur navigation system is not working. Fortunately, when we go to Corryvrekan, scene of many of my nightmares, we got behind a yacht that looked like it was making a passage (apparently this means it is being driven by someone who knows what they are doing) and so we followed his course by slowing down and checked on the paper charts. No whirlpools but some really funny water - deep eddies, smooth oily-looking patches and areas where the sea seems to boi. Once safely through we took off past the sailing boat and waved our thanks to him. I think he knew what we were doing, from the tone of his returning wave.
Anyone who has spent anytime in this part of Scotland knows that it is beautiful, and when you see how cheap old stone houses are on the islands, we like all Londoners started planning a renovation project with paying guests.
Oban was great fun. As soon as we arrived on the railway pier (the train station that connects to London, very odd) we attracted a crowd. I wonder if it is because of the recent series on the BBC called "Trawlermen", I think they must be the new pin-up boys because when the other fishing boats came in, the cameras were going like mad.
Following a recommendation in "The Rough Guide" I bought dinner from the seafood shack. It is green, for reference, and we had some langoustines (like Dublin Bay prawns) but smaller, some razor clams which moved about in the plastic bag in an unnerving way (until I got them onto a searing hot griddle) and a whole, small brown hen crab. Razor clams were great - that roasted shell flavour is just like the seaside on a hot day. All was superbly fresh and I can't wait to go back there.
A very handsome tail of oak-smoked salmon
It took us three hours from arriving to our dinner; everyone wants to talk to find out what we are up to. That was, until a more interesting boat turned up, and it was the "Rosa & Ada" an 1908 Whitstable oyster smack, a little like a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, but smaller, and very pretty. You can see her at www.rosaandada.com. The master is a Scot as is the mistress and they have owned her for ages. They did exactly what we are doing and were a bit nostalgic about sleeping in the fish-hold on pallets. They also knew "Heroine" from their home port of Troon, and were very glad to find out what her future will be.
I got back from a walk to find another fishing boat rafted up on the outside of us, and thought that we were in for a worrying night, but it was another decommissioned boat, just bought by a local fireman who plans to renovate it and when he retires to take it to Greenland, Iceland and Canada. What a great idea. She is the "Clifton", from Maraig. No pictures just yet. Our fireman friend brought his colleagues down to the quay for a look-around and they arrived in the company car - the fire-engine. Happily for us "Rosa & Ada" was rafted out alongside the Clifton and we knew that was all we were getting. Even the most hardended fishing skipper is not going to raft onto an antique.
Things were quite grey this morning, Jura's beauty had disappeared behind the rain and we set off in soggy, cold wind.
There was a fair bit of tricky navigation in amongst the islands especially because o
ur navigation system is not working. Fortunately, when we go to Corryvrekan, scene of many of my nightmares, we got behind a yacht that looked like it was making a passage (apparently this means it is being driven by someone who knows what they are doing) and so we followed his course by slowing down and checked on the paper charts. No whirlpools but some really funny water - deep eddies, smooth oily-looking patches and areas where the sea seems to boi. Once safely through we took off past the sailing boat and waved our thanks to him. I think he knew what we were doing, from the tone of his returning wave.
Anyone who has spent anytime in this part of Scotland knows that it is beautiful, and when you see how cheap old stone houses are on the islands, we like all Londoners started planning a renovation project with paying guests.
Oban was great fun. As soon as we arrived on the railway pier (the train station that connects to London, very odd) we attracted a crowd. I wonder if it is because of the recent series on the BBC called "Trawlermen", I think they must be the new pin-up boys because when the other fishing boats came in, the cameras were going like mad.
Following a recommendation in "The Rough Guide" I bought dinner from the seafood shack. It is green, for reference, and we had some langoustines (like Dublin Bay prawns) but smaller, some razor clams which moved about in the plastic bag in an unnerving way (until I got them onto a searing hot griddle) and a whole, small brown hen crab. Razor clams were great - that roasted shell flavour is just like the seaside on a hot day. All was superbly fresh and I can't wait to go back there.
A very handsome tail of oak-smoked salmon
It took us three hours from arriving to our dinner; everyone wants to talk to find out what we are up to. That was, until a more interesting boat turned up, and it was the "Rosa & Ada" an 1908 Whitstable oyster smack, a little like a Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, but smaller, and very pretty. You can see her at www.rosaandada.com. The master is a Scot as is the mistress and they have owned her for ages. They did exactly what we are doing and were a bit nostalgic about sleeping in the fish-hold on pallets. They also knew "Heroine" from their home port of Troon, and were very glad to find out what her future will be.
I got back from a walk to find another fishing boat rafted up on the outside of us, and thought that we were in for a worrying night, but it was another decommissioned boat, just bought by a local fireman who plans to renovate it and when he retires to take it to Greenland, Iceland and Canada. What a great idea. She is the "Clifton", from Maraig. No pictures just yet. Our fireman friend brought his colleagues down to the quay for a look-around and they arrived in the company car - the fire-engine. Happily for us "Rosa & Ada" was rafted out alongside the Clifton and we knew that was all we were getting. Even the most hardended fishing skipper is not going to raft onto an antique.
posted by Pomme at 10:13 pm
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