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Al, Val & Bill boarded Evarne midnight Friday to join Sam who had gone to the boat during the week.
Saturday proved to be a very windy & wet day, with the boat's complement doddering around Kilmelford and not doing anything marine-orientated - except Al had to strip and wade in pouring rain to fetch back dinghy anchor at point.
17.00: Joined by Jim Kavanagh of Pensacola and Alistair McCabe who had taken Jim for a quick tour of wet Scotland and Caithness Glass where Jim blew his holiday money on pressies for Carole, his wife. Dinner at Cuilfail. Walk in the country for Sam, Val, Bill & Alistair.
09.00: Rose to a very calm morning, bright and promising. Usual breakfast of bacon & eggs and decision to hoof it over to Corry. Wind/breeze freshening to SW 3/4
10.45: Cast off. Motored over to speak to Ian & Gordon who were hosing down nets; then off to Corry. Jim assuring us he's enchanted with the boat and the scenery, but the ship's crew might be a bit much for him, even though he's holding his own in rude banter. Bill Hynd and Alistair McCabe together are a fearsome duo. Of course, the presence of Sam keeps everything well-oiled!
13.00: Arrived Pigs Bay. Corry quiet. Ashore for hike, cave exploration, beer on beach, Sam for a snorkel. Watched standing wave, etc.
17.00: Weighed anchor, heading back through Corry for Melfort - SORRY, wrong route - heading out of Corry on west side to go back via Garvellachs & Cuan Sound. (Writer of log not looking out of window to see where we're headed.) Fair swell coming out of Corry, with drinks cupboard spewing out its contents.
18.00: Jim, Bill, Alistair & Val ashore to visit ancient village on Garvellachs. Then up to trig point to savour the fantastic view across to Islay, Colonsay, Iona & Mull. Hundred of feet of sheer drop, with Jim jumping up and down on the edge like a certifiable chimpanzee. Sam & Al stayed on board to enjoy the roly poly motion of Evarne at anchor.
18.45: Hikers back on board. Sam had caught one mackerel and three very respectable pollock. Well done, Sam.
18.50: Weighed anchor to go round west side of Garvellachs and up to Cuan.
We all know Prince Brennan had to spend some time down in the Corry with his ropes of wool, hemp and maiden hair, but not many folk know of the members of the Clan Chúlàin - a race of small people who lived in the same area as the good Prince Brechan. These wee folk were short of stature, red of hair and fair of face, with a good head for heights and a tendency to sit in the evening with a tankard of ale watching the sun go down and telling stories to one another.
These people made their living by scraping the barnacles off the great celtic warships, for even the most mighty of galleons becomes a wee bit fouled and a haven for the clinging things in the sea when there is no one to fight and ships must sit in the water. Because there were no cranes in those days, the boats could not be lifted very high on to their blocks and so the folk of the clan Chúlàin were the only ones of a fitting size to clean the hulls. They would spend their days scrubbing and scraping clean the timbers of warships and fishing vessels alike, washing them down and then recaulking them firmly, telling each other the old stories, inventing new ones and singing songs.
Their only problem was they had nowhere to live. The caves that some folk lived in were too big and draughty for those of short stature, and they were a race who liked to live as close to the earth as they could, and they did not like the houses that people of the larger clans built.
Then one day, Prince Brennan came to ask them to tend the hull of his ship before he went to test the might of the Gulf of Corryvrekan. Make my ship strong and clean, said he, better than you have made any other ship strong and clean, and I will give you anything that is within my power to give. We will do this for you, said the clan leader, a chap called Torrie, if you find us somewhere to live.
Torrie and the Prince sealed their pact and the Clan Chúlàin worked day and night to clean and caulk the Prince's ship as it had never been cleaned and caulked before. On seeing what a fine job the little folk had done, the Prince called to his great eagle, Seth:
"Fly your fastest, Lord of the Air, and find the great Irish giant Brechan, for he owes me a deed, and I have one for him."
With a great roar of his wings, the eagle set off and returned seven days later, Brechan striding behind him, head as high as the Paps of Jura. The Prince told the giant what he wanted, for it was to be a surprise, and Brennan guffawed with a great bellow when he heard the Prince's whisper, moving Shuna slightly further south, such was the force of his laughter and he agreed at once.
When Prince Brennan left, he took the Clan Chúlàin and the Giant Brechan with him, and stopped for a while at the middle island of the three that are the Garvellachs. Brechan bent down low and poked his fingers deep into the cliff near the top, making holes that faced west. he then scooped up the little people, tiny in his hand, and let them climb into the holes he had made.
"Here is your new home," he said, and waded away back to Ireland.
Prince Brennan carried on south, and the Clan Chúlàin were so grateful for their wonderful new home, where none would disturb them and they could watch the sun set, that they carved a likeness of the Prince (although some say it is of the giant, Brechan and who is to argue?) into the cliff face next to their home, and this can be seen until this day.(You can go and look, if you don't believe me!).
What a talented girl you are, Sam! & Mum
20.13: Into Cuan with spring ebb. Bill at helm.
20.20: Out of Cuan
21.00: Melfort.
Although Saturday was a day of inactivity in the rain and wind, sitting at the mooring or in front of Ian's telly watching Silverstone F1 timed practice, Sunday turned out to be a day full of going places and clambering around the Scottish islands. The weather was overcast, dry, bright, sunny, cold,not warm but entirely acceptable. From Pigs Bay to Cuan Sound, not a moment wasted. Lots of exercise climbing up hills and through bracken, and lots of calorie intake eating everything to hand on board. Excellent company, splendid scenery a weekend short on time, but long in our memories.
Thanks to all of you && Val
21.00 hours, 10th July 1994
Certified true, verbatim copy
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