On Friday 4th June two Skerries boats and one from Rush set off on a trip that would take in the Isle of Man and the Firth of Clyde.  Yachts Rockabill and Blue Air joined by Humalong from Rush set off in advance of the annual Skerries to Peel race.  Although not part of the cruise to Scotland, John and Marian Furlong sailing in Parabellum joined the cruisers on the way to Peel.  The mixture of cruising and racing sailors in Peel created a great air of festivity probably to the amazement of the many bikers that had come to the island for the annual TT races.

After a full day stopover in Peel, Isle of Man, the boats left for Portpatrick, Scotland.  Unfortunately one boat developed engine problems on this leg.  It was able to accompany the others to Girvan and then to Troon where it remained awaiting repairs.  The others continued to Inverkip and then into the Clyde all the way to Glasgow city centre.  After a week-end in this vibrant city the remaining two boats sailed for Rothesay on the isle of Bute.  This was followed by a wonderful cruise up the East Kyle and the two boats anchored in An Caladh (see photo) for an afternoon.

From An Caladh they proceeded to East Loch Tarbert and then to Campbeltown calling at Portavadie and Loch Ranza (on Arran) en route.  Then it was time to head home and the return leg included Glenarm and Ardglass before reaching Skerries at 18:00 on Saturday 19th June..

The weather was sunny and warm for most of the time but winds were very light except for one day of force five on the nose (Troon to Inverkip).  Marina and berthing facilities varied a lot with access to basic services such as toilets and showers being complicated in some ports.  Portavadie and Troon stood out as excellent and, although it is still developing, the welcome in Girvan was unforgettable.  Dining ashore after 21:00 proved difficult in many places.

Although this trip was possible in two weeks most of us wanted to spend more time exploring the inner reaches of the Firth of Clyde.  For a two-week plan it would probably be better to focus on the eastern side of the Clyde (including Glasgow) or focus on the western side (including Bute and Arran) but not both.  Being over-ambitious in the number of places to visit tends to mean over-reliance on engine rather than sail.

One thing is clear: Skerries is ideally situated for a wondrerful range of cruises on the Irish coast and to the neighbouring islands.