Sunday 24 August 2014

The Call of the Sea

Last night, Saturday night that is, turned out somewhat different to how it was planned. The plan was to have a meal in our holiday cottage (smoked salmon, prawns, and spinach with fresh pasta). But that was not to be, and on a whim, "it will keep" I said, we shot across the lock to the Crinan Hotel Seafood Bar.

Battered Haddock for me, Arbroath Smokie for First Mate and and some bits from the table and lots of fun with friends for Rockie. Even the owners' dog, Fly, seemed happy to see Rocky.

In the bar we met Hilda and Chris who were on a 38' yacht, moored in Crinan Haven for the night.  (For narrowboat people, a yacht is like the boat you draw when you are 6, with a pointy bit in the middle). They had brought this beauty all the way up from Lagos in Portugal to Oban. They had achieved this in stages over a number of years.

We thought that people with serious sea going craft would hold Princess Lucy in mild contempt, but it turned out that Hilda and Chris are seriously thinking about moving to narrowboating, whereas we, I now confess, have a serious attack of "the call of the sea."

Well, drink was consumed, and we had a tour of the yacht (strange to see Waterways World on top of the navigational charts!) The drinking then continued in our cottage and there was lots of boaty chat including chat about toilet "issues" (pun intended).

We waved them off this morning in glorious sunshine in a flat calm sea (The Sound of Jura). I turned to First Mate, "I said those sails were no use."

The sea still calls.

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