![\"\"](\"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/20200924_104500-300x225.jpg\")
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It\u2019s a terrible thing to have to admit but the Pilot book for the Hebrides was still in the bookcase. This revered collection of wisdom, researched over generations by the bewhiskered gentlemen of the Clyde Cruising Club is said to be essential for sailors in these unpredictable northern waters.<\/p>\n
Now I was out of the Irish Sea, maybe it was time to get serious \u2013 to stop navigating by mobile phone as if I was in an unfamiliar high street and Googling \u201cpub near me\u201d \u2013 and since I would be going north rather than south to get from one side of the country to the other, I had it fixed in my mind that I wanted to go to Tinker\u2019s Hole.<\/p>\n
Tinker\u2019s Hole, on the far western extremity of the Island of Mull, had been a must-see destination for years. The new generation of Clyde Cruising Club gentlemen describe it as one of the most popular on the west coast: \u201cIn places it is less than half a cable wide and on the east side the shore consists of sheer walls of pink granite.\u201d<\/p>\n
All I had to do was get to it. Meanwhile, Islay was in the way. I\u2019ve been to Islay \u2013 pleasant enough and lots of whisky but when you\u2019ve done one distillery tour\u2026<\/p>\n
The obvious thing to do was keep plugging on: I was already two days out from Carlingford Lough, what was another 24 hours? I set a course to round the twin peninsulars of The Oa and Orsay at the end of the Rhinns of Islay. By the time I got there I would have a hatful of wind \u2013 force seven on the nose according to the forecast \u2013 but once I turned the corner, it would be with me. I set a waypoint a mile off the Oa, adjusted the Aries and Samsara<\/em> romped off on her adventure.<\/p>\n Since she didn\u2019t need me, I thought it might be a good idea to get the book out \u2013 after all, some of these islands up here set up tidal races off the headlands\u2026<\/p>\n What did I find: \u201cBecause of overfalls, both the Oa and the Rhinns of Islay should be passed at a distance of several miles\u201d.<\/p>\n But, clearly, that might not be enough to make the pluckier mariner see sense, so there was this as well: \u201cSome of the worst overfalls in the UK extend for up to 8miles WSW of Orsay where there is an underwater cliff 50-75metres high. With any sea running at all the area must be avoided.\u201d<\/p>\n OK, point taken. I slipped into Islay\u2019s Kilnaughton Bay just as the sun was setting.<\/p>\n A good dinner followed by a taste-test to compare Lamb\u2019s Navy Rum with Aldi\u2019s \u00a39.99 alternative, an episode of the new series of Ghosts on iPlayer – and not having to wake up every 20 minutes all through the night\u2026 sheer luxury (even though I\u2019ll have to watch Ghosts again because I fell asleep.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s a terrible thing to have to admit but the Pilot book for the Hebrides was still in the bookcase. This revered collection of wisdom, researched over generations by the bewhiskered gentlemen of the Clyde Cruising Club is said to be essential for sailors in these unpredictable northern waters. Now I was out of the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1282"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1289,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282\/revisions\/1289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}