Ardencaple Bay

We had seen this little stop off anchorage in the guide book and it looked perfect protected all round and the weather was forecast to be glorious. Have a look on the map. It could not have been more perfect.
We snuck in out of the wind. It was mirror flat and we were going to have a swim.
Mark and I riveted our reefing rings to the mast while I Sykes myself up for the big dip.
There was a big splash next to Samba a James was on his way over. He is a hardened cold water swimmer so this gave me no confident that it was warm. Next on deck was Sarah and Lizzie in there swimming cossys there was a bit more huffing and puffing a squeaking on entry but in they went. The pressure was on to take a dip. And there was no where to hide. A slick dive, not. Followed bay a rapid and nun to graceful scramble up the boat ladder and the joy of wild swimming was mine.
That evening we decided to go on a dinghy adventure. Lizzie and Sarah ended up being in with us and the boys powered off down the coachman sound with us following (towards the bridge over the Atlantic) the water was clear shallow and fast moving and it wasn’t long before Mike and James bravery had seen them motor to a spot we couldn’t follow. So we turned and punched tide back up the sound. WE thought they were brave but they had run out of fuel and were drifting back towards the Cuan sound. When we, me mark and the girls got back to the boats Lizzie and Sarah launched and SARS mission and started putting on warm cloths and packing food into backpacks. By the time the rescue plan was ready to be executed, Mike and James had scrounged some fuel off a nice chap near the bank and self rescued through the sound. What a relief.Read more