RYA Powerboat and Shorebased Courses

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Day 5 - Banavie to Dunstaffnage Marina

Day 5 – Banavie to Dunstaffnage Marina

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Day 3 & 4 Kytra to Batavia (via a night stop in Laggan)

Day 3 & 4 Kytra to Batavia (via a night stop in Laggan)

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Day 2 Dochgarroch to Kytra

Day 2 Dochgarroch to Kytra

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Adventure 2022 - Setting sail from Inverness Marina.

Adventure 2022 – Setting sail from Inverness Marina.

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Day 8 Craobh to Ardfern via Melfort Bay

Day 8 Craobh to Ardfern via Melfort Bay

After a trip to Craobh chandlery to pick up some bits and bobs along with some new mooring lines we did our engine checks, started her up and popped around to B Hammerhead to grab some diesel. One of the best bits about this trip is how little fuel we have used in comparison to our adventures in the Bristol Channel. We have been able to cruise slower in flatter water and do shorter trips which…

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Day 7 - Oban to Craobh Marina

Day 7 – Oban to Craobh Marina

Having managed to reserve a berth in Craobh Marina for the night we set sail around lunchtime for a leisurely trip south down the coast. Departing the North Pier Pontoons and out into Oban Bay it is essential that you keep a listening watch on VHF Channel 12 to hear the departures and arrivals of the commercial passenger vessels to and from the islands who dock at the Railway Quay. Negotiating…

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Day 4/5/6 - Banavie, Neptune’s Staircase and to Sea!

Day 4/5/6 – Banavie, Neptune’s Staircase and to Sea!

Having spent the night alongside at Banavie with a few other private boats also waiting to head to sea, skippers and crews were up early hoping for an early descent down Neptune’s staircase. Unfortunately there was a large private vessel M/V Aumichakiad sitting in Corpach basin which needed to come up the flight before we could all head down. As there is an embargo on swinging the road / rail…

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Day 3 - Fort Augustus to Banavie

Day 3 – Fort Augustus to Banavie

The final section of the Caledonian Canal from the top of Fort Augustus flight all the way through Loch Oich and Loch Lochy to Banavie and the top of Neptune’s Staircase. Departing Fort Augustus you head along the canal to the next set of locks at Kytra there are pontoons on the west side of the lock the lock that also have shorepower. Looks like a great place to overnight – perhaps we will stop…

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Day 2 - Dochgarroch to Fort Augustus

Day 2 – Dochgarroch to Fort Augustus

After a peaceful night alongside in Dochgarroch we decided to set sail for Fort Augustus on a hunt for Nessie! 🦕 Before slipping our lines we took a quick run ashore to look at the lock control and the facilities. There is a cafe and gift shop (An Talla meaning gathering place) owned by Jacobite Cruises right beside the lock and although we didn’t try out the cafe there were some great gifts on…

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Day 1 - Inverness to Dochgarroch

Day 1 – Inverness to Dochgarroch

Finally Le Grand Depart and we can slip our lines in Inverness Marina and set off on this years adventure. For day 1 this year we are joined by some old friends (who just happened to have also relocated up to the Highlands! 😳) Andy and Eleanor along with Eleanor’s brother John. It was a misty morning with lots of low cloud over the hills. We slipped out lines and headed out of Inverness Marina…

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Adventure 2021 - the planning begins

Adventure 2021 – the planning begins

This year we have relocated from Portishead up to the beautiful Scottish Highlands basing our boats out of Inverness Marina. Our summer adventure this year is an entirely new cruising ground for us as we are planning on departing our new home in Inverness, heading down the beautiful and dramatic Caledonian Canal to explore the Western Isles before returning up the canal and back to…

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2020 - Swansea to Milford Haven

2020 – Swansea to Milford Haven

We are on a roll!!! After just one night in Swansea (last years it was was 8!!!) we are OFF to Milford Haven. A quick run ashore for Izzy and we got the Engines started at 0930 heading out of the marina for the 0940 outbound lock through Tawe Lock.

Swansea Bay can often be a bit rolly as the weather/wind usually comes south westerly but today it was flat calm – a great day to be out boating!…

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2020 - Day 3 - Penarth to Swansea

2020 – Day 3 – Penarth to Swansea

A beautiful wind free Day dawned for Day 2 of this years adventure so after a leisurely breakfast On board we slipped our lines and headed to the fuel berth to grab some diesel. With the wind blowing us on to the pontoon the coming alongside was the easy bit – the departing a different matter!!

Penarth Fuel berth

Having called Penarth Marina to open the lock gates we went out into the bay…

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2020 - Day 3 - Penarth to Swansea

2020 – Day 3 – Penarth to Swansea

A beautiful wind free Day dawned for Day 2 of this years adventure so after a leisurely breakfast On board we slipped our lines and headed to the fuel berth to grab some diesel. With the wind blowing us on to the pontoon the coming alongside was the easy bit – the departing a different matter!!

Penarth Fuel berth

Having called Penarth Marina to open the lock gates we went out into the bay…

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2020 - Day 2 - off to Cardiff

2020 – Day 2 – off to Cardiff

With a bit of breeze this morning and the wind dropping as the day went on we decided on a leisurely day checking the boat this morning and an evening sail across to Cardiff on the flood tide. A lovely lunchtime walk in Easton Woods past the Royal pub gave Izzy a lovely run ashore and us a great view of the sandbanks at low water and the lock gates!

Celtic North was looking mighty fine in the…

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Adventure 2020 begins! :-) 😃

Adventure 2020 begins! :-) 😃 Despite COVID-19 and all it’s challenges we are finally getting away in the good ship for a 2 week adventure. Today has been a day of victualling, organising and stowing kit.

Despite COVID-19 and all it’s challenges we are finally getting away in the good ship for a 2 week adventure. Today has been a day of victualling, organising and stowing kit. Usually we would be more organised but with the COVID-19 lockdown we have hardly had chance to get the boat away. Good evening from Skipper Jake and Skipper Kath on the good ship Celtic North!

So new for 2020 we have a…

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Day 8 - 11 A new kind of Chariot! 🚙

Day 8 - 11 A new kind of Chariot! 🚙 Meet IVOR the i10 taking us around Carmarthen Bay.

Hats off to the wind for it’s persistence it has NOT stopped blowing in what now feels like weeks! So boating is off the agenda for a few more days ☹️. We were determined to see the beautiful beaches around the coast one way or another so the only way was to hire a car and go on a road trip instead.

So meet Ivor the i10 a very snazzy teeny tiny motorcar just big enough for the 3 of us!

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