Tarbert

Tarbert harbour exit, distant hills in sunlight, a rainbow, and behind us a huge, grumpy cloud full of rain and wind.
And there's an otter playing in the water somewhere to the right of the green buoy.

Tarbert is a beautiful place, no doubt, and it has some sailing history. We've spent two nights here, sitting out the strong winds that have been blowing - the first winds of that kind for six weeks, and blowing in the wrong direction as always.
It will be a little sad to leave Tarbert. I don't know why. Linnhe Marine was a bit like that, too. But we've decided we'll get in a warm, comfy car some time and do the whole trip again.
There's a big squall coming through, and today I've put new gaskets in the aft cabin windows, to stop them dripping, and bought a new vial of Captain Tolly's Creeping Crack Cure, although it has changed its name.
So tomorrow, as long as the gale has blown itself out, to Campbeltown, then across to Bangor - a voyage slightly less than going from Gravesend to Boulogne. Time constantly puts pressure on us, but staying in Tarbert has been fantastic.
Added to the list of best places, of course, are Eyemouth and Whitby, apart from Whitby's peculiar restaurant hours.
As we left Tarbert, the wind channelled down through Tarbert harbour, about 18 knots of wind, gusting more, with the sea outside the harbour covered in white horses (cats paws, my mother used to call them). Either side of the harbour entrance was calm at about a F4.
Putting up some sail had us backed up, though, and the wind wasn't steady.
We motored on, and found ourselves in a short, steep sea with sea flooding the foredeck, and followed by a Francis 26 that was showing a lot of its keel, and getting soused by the sea. The skipper was seen to be crawling to the foredeck, and back again as he followed us in to the shelter of the hills. This was good. The wind died off, as predicted by at least three weather forecasts, but not the inshore forecast or the BBC.
Now in Campbeltown, in the darkness, with the rain pouring down. We didn't go ashore, but paid our £10 into the collection box on the pontoon entrance.

I wonder how the leaks are.