The waters at Caroy
April 22, 2009
Our boat (appropriately named “Eilean Mor”) arrived last Thursday from Glasgow and today we took her out for a test drive. Initial plan was to launch it off the pier at Milovaig but due to brisk northerly winds we changed plans and decided to go to Caroy, a couple of miles south towards Struan. To make the story complete: over the weekend we bought a second hand 4×4 with tow bar (Mitsubishi Pajero). The Golf was getting a bit of a battering shifting materials for Glendale and having a second car is very handy on Skye.
Anyway, by 2pm Raymond popped over. He had kindly offered to assist us with this first time as we had never launched a boat before. We hooked the trailer and boat onto the Pajero and set out for Caroy. I had never towed a boat + trailer combi and the first miles were a bit awkward. However, everything went smooth. Once at the drive towards the pier, Raymond took over and steered the whole lot razor sharp along the slipway. After some juggling with ropes and ties, the Eilean Mor was floating happily in the water. Engine on and off we were.
Although the sea looked very calm, once on the water it was quite rough and the first plane was very a bumpy experienc. Especially for Claire, as she was sitting in front cabin. We pottered to the bay at Orbost estate and switched off the engine. In the shelter of the cliffs we enjoyed the magnificent views, the abundance of birds and the huge and mysterious looking caves. The beers tasted good and after half an hour we headed back for Caroy.
Getting the boat back on the trailer was a bit harder but within 30 minutes we were on our way back to Skinidin. An amazing experience! Getting the trailer back in its original position was a challenge, however I eventually managed to maneuver it back onto its spot. Conclusion: lovely day, great experience, awesome boat, powerful outboard engine, Pajero is an invaluable piece of equipment and I need to work on my maneuvering skills with the trailer….
Due to a difficulty with the camera, we only have a picture of the delivery of the boat, last week Thursday.
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Great news - she is afloat…… been waiting for days for maiden voyage. Well done. Claire, i guess you best find your sea legs ASAP as even on a calm day the waters around Skye prob a bit choppy. So, when will the first fish be caught and brought on board?
Hopefully next week we’ll go out to catch some fish… that is weather permitting. It’s quite rough now