The Hiltgund Logbook – 2023 Season
(you can click on photos and log book pages to see larger images)
The orange line shows where the boat went while on the cruise during the early summer of 2023 – and by car while in the Outer Hebrides, we covered pretty much all the major roads and many minor ones between Eriskay and Stornoway, Callanish & Garenin and Uig Bay & Mangersta on Lewis.
14th May – Crinan Boatyard
Monday 5th June – “Shakedown cruise” to Macaskin Island
So Hiltgund is now off on her holidays! Goodness knows how far we will get, but the captain and crew both have clear diaries for a few weeks so there is no rush…. (spoiler alert – we achieved a circumnavigation of the Isle of Skye without ever setting foot on that island….)
Today (Wednesday 7th June) we loaded provisions etc and waited for a fair north going tide and set out from Crinan in scorching sunshine and barely a breath of breeze. So not much ground covered on day 1, but we have left which is often half the battle!
Watch this space for position reports and other news…… (and scroll to the foot of the page to see a map which shows the route of the whole cruise.)
Wednesday 7th June: Craobh Haven
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hk9gZPGcjsxnifCY9?g_st=iw
Thursday 8th June: Craobh to Loch Aline – via the Cuan Sound
Thursday 8th June: Loch Aline
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7pMrmECrmVY9FMzPA?g_st=iw
Friday 9th June: Tobermory
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xmjjsNBdqB15dw4N6?g_st=iw
Sunday 11th June: Tobermory to Canna
Sunday 11th June: Isle of Canna
https://maps.app.goo.gl/THbspamJp1L2v2Fn6?g_st=ic
Monday 12th June: Canna to Loch Boisdale
Monday 12th June: Loch Boisdale, South Uist
https://maps.app.goo.gl/h35faxMR47CmJrCC9?g_st=iw
Wednesday 14th June: We hired a car to explore Eriskay, South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist while the boat was berthed at Lochboisdale.
Thursday 15th June: more exploration on North Uist.
Friday 16th June: by boat from Loch Boisdale towards Loch Maddy after our visit by car yesterday.
Friday 16th – Sunday 18th June: Lochmaddy, North Uist
https://maps.google.com/?q=57.5963392,-7.1584323&hl=en-GB&gl=uk&entry=gps&lucs=,47071704&g_st=iw
Sunday 18th June: On passage to Harris – not as warm as it was a week ago!
Sunday 18th June: Tarbert, Isle of Harris https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fr7XLGvo4T3xYqdQ6?g_st=iw
Arrived Tarbert, East Loch Tarbert on Harris. Regretfully, we motored all the way from Loch Maddy. What little breeze there was smack on the nose as usual!
So we think that Hiltgund is now further north than ever before! And to make the most of this, we remained in Tarbert for over a week. That’s not to say the boat did not move during that time – she occupied 4 different berths just to keep us on our toes!
The first spot was rather close to the ferry berth….
And here’s the ferry:
And several minutes after the ferry arrived, here is the swell she kicked up bouncing us around and popping the fenders out! We moved around the corner onto the main pontoon as soon as we had managed to ask the other boats there to squeeze up to give us a space.
This was a convenient spot for a distillery visit – easy walking distance from the pontoon!
Hiltgund now in her third berth at Tarbert after moving up to the end of the pontoon from our second space.
And here she is in berth 4 a couple of days later. You can see the distillery in the background on the left.
We hired a car to explore Harris and Lewis while the boat was berthed at Tarbert.
Here is a helpful map showing where the “Isle” of Harris ends and the “Isle” of Lewis starts – strangely Hebridean!
The best meal ashore during the cruise – North Harbour Bistro on the Isle of Scalpay – quite exceptional!!
Monday 26th June: from Tarbert, Isle of Harris towards Isle of Rona
We had a snag-free if at times lively run over The Little Minch and down the east side of Skye to Rona, clocking over 9 knots under reefed main as we sailed towards the West side of Rona.
Safely under the Scalpay Bridge – after careful calculations and taking the burgee down just in case! Now heading South towards the Isle of Rona on the east side of Skye.
Monday 26th June: Acarseid Mhòr, Isle of Rona
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GA6fXdBHpw462pNN6?g_st=iw
Wednesday 28th June: Kyle of Lochalsh
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3KydtaLWTkmwahUN8?g_st=iw
Thursday 29th June: A short hop from Kyle of Lochalsh to Plockton in company with Phil S on Bethamar
Thursday 29th June – Tuesday 4th July: Plockton https://maps.app.goo.gl/P1fSFwHVeR9DaTVj6?g_st=iw
Back in Plockton after nearly 20 years!! It seems vaguely familiar – maybe we will remember more when we get ashore…. (see here for our previous visit – https://www.chrisperring.org.uk/Hiltgund2004b/Hiltgund2004b4.htm)
Tuesday 4th July: Rounding Ardnamurchan Point
Tuesday 4th July – Sunday 9th July: Tobermory
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CKe5cAuHwqGpriTXA?g_st=iw
Tuesday 4th July
Plockton to Tobermory – 59.9 nautical miles run in 10 hours – not bad for the old girl and some fairly old boys – quite weary on arrival at Tobermory!
Thursday 6th July – a wet day in Tobermory.
Saturday 8th July – a modest Rack of Ribs for supper at Macgochans – PLUS onion rings on the side!!
Sunday 9th July: Dunstaffnage
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VoYGGQB7YWMchiqm8?g_st=iw
Rather overshadowed by a very big and noisy tug (generators running all night), but very nice to be back at the Wide Mouthed Frog after a great many years!
Monday 10th July: Crinan
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qSCPycbjB3RH66ax8?g_st=iw
So Hiltgund was away from Crinan for 5 weeks and covered just under 354 nautical miles – a complete circumnavigation of the Isle of Skye without once setting foot on or mooring at that island! And Tarbert on Harris is the furthest north Hiltgund has ever been in the British Isles.
Postscript – August 2023. The ship’s photographer has now processed about 650 photos which he took. Keep checking back as I will add *some* (!) of these as and when I have time ….
Monday 28th August
Sunday 3rd September
Monday 16th October
Wednesday 25th October – end of 2023 season – Hiltgund slipped out and tucked away in the top shed at Crinan Boatyard.
