Having spent the morning with my chainsaw and chipper, chopping trees and processing the branches, I decided to take the afternoon off and head out in the Taran. I was a beautiful day after all.
With no particular plan in mind, I headed across to Clynder, to gain some shelter from the wind blowing up Gareloch, not that it was particularly strong, before heading out through the narrows at Rhu. I'd checked before setting off with KHM if there were any vessel movements to be aware off, there wasn't any planned, so I knew I had the channel to myself. There were loads of people on the spit fishing. As I rounded the headland between Roseneath caravan park and Perch Rock, it was decision time... Head around to Kilcreggan, or out to the Sugarboat. I think it was the fact that I knew the cafe at Kilcreggan would have been shut by the time I got there, persuaded me to opt for the Sugarboat. The seals were in fine voice on Perch Rock.
Approaching the Sugarboat I breifly saw a long shape in the water. I was hoping to spot some porpoises or even dolphins, but the shape I saw was neither. I had to have been a seal.
A quick lap of the MV Captayannis and I headed back towards Helensburgh. The tide was still on its way out, despite it being very close to low water, but using transits to try and stay as close to a straight line as possible to Helensburgh leisure centre, I was being pushed by the tide towards Rhu. ie. in a northerly direction. This is despite the tide emptying from Gareloch in the north. There is obviously somewhere between Helensburgh and Rhu where the two tides meet, before swinging back out towards Dunoon and down the Clyde.
Back at Rhu narrows I decided to drop some Mackerel feathers to see if there were any fish about. Judging by the number of fishermen, the narrows must be a good spot. No sooner had I started winding the line in on my hand reel, I felt the tug of fish on the line. I tried a few more times on my way back to my slipway, picking up 7 good sized mackerel. There were more fish, but some escaped as I was trying to get them into the boat. One fish managed to jump out of the cockpit to make its escape.
Back at the slipway I bagged the fish, before rinsing the inside of my boat out.
10.7 nm 2 hours 57 minutes (Includes time spent mackerel fishing)
Fab!
GPS track
