Sail Caledonia finishes

It's Saturday 31st May. 

Vagabond and I completed the transit through the Caledonian Canal with Sail Caledonia yesterday and left the rest of the fleet to their final race (and party*) whilst I head south for another party and Vagabond rests in the new marina at Inverness. Both of us have bumps and bruises that need attention.

We'll meet again next week.

Sail Caledonia was exhausting and I can only remember some highlights:

- A cascade of sleet, hail and rain whilst negotiating the Sea Lock at Corpach, followed by wearing my wet clothes dry in the heat of the bar in Ros Crannach (one of the support vessels)

- Motoring along the canal in bright, warm sunshine whilst the real contestants rowed and a white streaked Ben Nevis loomed in the back ground

- Bluebells, gorse, hawthorn, elderflower and broom blooming along the banks of the canal

- Locks crammed with the fleet as we rose up Neptunes staircase

- Sailing and rowing races (fortunately, Vagabond has neither rowlocks nor oars, so Freddie took the strain)

- Descending into Loch Ness at Fort Augustus, followed by fish and chips, beer and a hangover

- A race to windward up half the length of Loch Ness ( 35 tacks, according to the GPS) in which Vagabond romped through the fleet, only to lose out to another Swallow boat after I had decided to play safe by taking in one reef (there was a long gust at 24 Kn true wind and I didn't want to get my temporary home wet)

- the creation of a mini harbour by the two large support boats so that the fleet could shelter on an unprotected pier

- Following the very light wind round in a complete circle on the next day!

- The sound of the bag pipes welcoming us "home" at the end of each days activites

- The wide variation of boat size (from 12 ft to 25ft)

- The courage and determination of all, particularly the guys sailing (and rowing) the small boats on the unpredictable Loch Ness

- catching a rope round the propeller that jammed both Freddie and the steering whilst approaching a lock at far too high a velocity....

- and, finally, the apparent unflappability of the organisers.

If you search for the Sail Caledonia facebook page you'll lots of photos - even some of Vagabond.

 *Written on the sleeper from Inverness and I can't spell Ceilidh at this time of night.