Let's Go Outside: Days of sunshine, surf and sail - on the Clyde!

Jun 19 2009

When I signed up for a weekend cruise on the Clyde with sportscotland National Centre Cumbrae, I expected to return home desperate for a bath and a night in my own bed. But, far from ending up tired and salt-caked, I came back refreshed and sun-tanned.

A spell of brilliant weather helped, as did the excellent instruction from our skipper, Charlotte. She showed us enough of the yacht and how it worked to get underway then helped us learn the ropes as we went.

Most of the National Centre’s watersports courses are held on Cumbrae, but the weekend cruises start from Largs Yacht Haven, where the Centre berths its two yachts. We assembled there on Friday evening and were kitted out with heavy-duty waterproofs (which we never wore).

We’d been told to be ready to go at 7.30pm, so Andrew and I drove down from Perthshire in time for an al fresco dinner on the seafront. The other two crew members arrived by train and plane.

Bob from Lancashire wanted to crew on a friend’s yacht, but had been told to get some experience first. While Clive from Nottingham was keen to progress his family’s enjoyment of dinghy sailing into yacht cruising.

As the conditions were warm and windless, Charlotte suggested that we motor across to Cumbrae to berth overnight at the National Centre. That would give us a chance to use the facilities there, which included a bar and showers. So, we gently chugged across a mile of glassy water that was bathed in a golden light from the setting sun.

The next morning a gentle south-easterly breeze offered great conditions for learning how to sail ‘Somerled of Cumbrae’, our Jeanneau Sunfast 37. With the aid of winches, hoisting the mainsail and jib were much easier than I expected. Soon we were running downwind, towards the Arrochar Alps, a jagged blue line on the northern horizon.

I took the first stint at the helm. Within moments I veered off course, distracted by the sight of a porpoise breaking the surface a few metres away. Each time its back curved above the water, we heard a short whoosh as it breathed out. It was the first – and closest – of many we were to see over the weekend.

Steering a yacht with a wheel felt very different to a dinghy with a tiller that directly moves the rudder. It took a while to learn how much to turn to get the desired effect, and to avoid making the boat snake across the water by over-correcting.

Our plan was to sail around the north end of Bute, through the narrows known as the Kyles of Bute, and to stop overnight in Loch Fyne. Looking at the route on the maritime charts gave no clue as to how picturesque the surrounding landscape would be. From the rocky mountains of the Isle of Arran to the green hills and pretty seaside villages of Cowal, the views were superb.

At times – especially when we sailed between the scattered Burnt Islands near the north end of Bute – the land seemed close enough to touch. Fortunately, we kept well off the rocks, instead cruising serenely between the red and green buoys marking the deep-water channel.

With a depth gauge in the cockpit, whoever was at the helm could always see how close our keel was to the bottom. And down in the cabin the GPS system showed a rolling view of our position, even keeping a tally of the nautical miles we had covered.

Despite the benefits of modern technology, Charlotte advised us to learn how to navigate by traditional means if we were aiming to cruise independently. So we took it in turns to log our course on the paper chart every hour, and practised using a sighting compass to take two or three bearings off landmarks to fix our position.

After rounding the top end of Bute, we began tacking back into the wind. As we glided past pretty Tighnabruich, Andrew volunteered to go below and prepare our lunch – soup and rolls – to eat on deck in the sun.

A few minutes later the wind increased and we heeled over with the starboard rail touching the water. The sudden lurch was accompanied by a curse from below, as a mug of chicken soup careered over the table rim onto the floor.

We finished eating before reaching Ardlamont Point at the southerly tip of the Cowal peninsula. Although nicknamed ‘seasick point’ – because of the disturbance caused by conflicting tides and wind, our lunch remained firmly in place.

By the time we reached Loch Fyne, we’d seen so many other yachts taking advantage of the brilliant weather that Charlotte expected Tarbert’s natural harbour to be crowded. So, instead of landing on the Kintyre peninsula, we set course for the opposite shore where a new marina has been developed at Portavadie in Cowal.

Here we enjoyed the lap of luxury, sipping drinks on the patio of a swanky new stone, glass and steel building, which also housed a suite of beautifully fitted out showers. They had not only hairdryers, but also hair-straightening tongs – even in the gents!

The next day dawned cloudless and still. We motored out into the sea loch and soon found enough wind to hoist the sails and cruise along on a broad reach between Bute and Arran.

We anchored for lunch in peaceful Glencallum Bay, where gorse growing above the shore was a dazzling yellow in the bright sunshine. The heat seemed to lull both us and the sea into a very relaxed state. There was now very little wind, so we fired up the engine and serenely motored back to Largs, passing Millport, the sleepy ‘capital’ of Cumbrae.

It was great fun working together as a team on the yacht, and I was sorry to have to say goodbye at the end. The Firth of Clyde, with its many islands and sea lochs, proved a wonderful place to cruise.

Participants must be 16+ for the weekend cruises, which run from April to October. The inclusive price per person is £180 low season, £195 high season. For further information see www.nationalcentrecumbrae.org.uk or phone 01475 530757.