Swept Away HR46 at anchor Second Wind at anchor Northern Exposure at anchor

Sunday, July 18, 2010, in Ardfern, Scotland

 

Hi everyone. Well, we’re still sitting in Ardfern, because today is the beginning of the Clyde Cruising Club Centenary Cruise. We’ll be participating with 175 other boats in a two-week tour around the area. Last week, we had just arrived here.

There isn’t much to Ardfern, but we both had boat tasks to keep us busy for the week. Art was overseeing some repairs being made by the yard. I had some work to do aboard, and both of us needed to prepare the boat for company.

And the sun came out. True, it had rained in the morning, and the temperature was still in the mid-60s, and it got cloudy and threatening in the evening. But when the sun was out, it was blissfully hot. Not hot enough to have lunch outdoors, and the restaurant patio furniture was wet when we arrived and was wetter when we finished. But I was down to one shirt, and even that was too much. I refused to face the fact that the shirt I was wearing in mid-July was a turtleneck.

It didn’t last. The next day was sunny, but there were twenty-five knots of wind in the marina and the air was cold. It’s an odd feeling to be relieved that you don’t have to leave the boat to search for newness in a tiny town.

Our new crew arrived on Friday as the marina became busier and more crowded with cruise participants. The official start of the cruise will be tonight, and by now, we are certainly ready for the festivities.

Well no doubt have more to tell you next week. Hope you’re all doing fine.

Love, Karen (and Art)