CCC Centenary Cruise

A Cruise to the Outer Hebrides

We joined the Clyde Cruising Club, who were celebrating its hundredth anniversary. The cruise took us from Argyll on the coast to the Outer Hebrides and back to Oban.

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All 176 boats (and their crew) met at the marina in the village of Ardfern, in Argyll (like the socks). No doubt our numbers exceeded the local population of residents. No doubt our numbers were exceeded by the local population of sheep.

The first official function was a race to Tobermory. We ambled and watched.

What do you do with hundreds of sailboats? Well, apparently you get them all to anchor in a circle, making a fiberglass sunflower. It took all day, but we met lots of nice people along the way.

Here's how the sunflower looked from above.

The cruise boats took up this usually-sleepy harbor at Vatersay beach in the Outer Hebrides.

The tradition in this area is to attach heather to the bow of your vessel if you've conquered the waters around Ardnamurchan, which was on our itinerary. We didn't do this, but some of the participants did.

The Royal Highlands Yacht Club sponsored a mussel dinner on yet another secluded beach. There were two competing mussel pots with four competing sauces. See that mussel on top? That's my fork.

It wouldn't have been easy for this guy to get to Loch Spelve to play his bagpipes, but there are few festivities in Scotland without pipe accompaniment.

The final dinner was more formal than the other events. Oban Distillery was giving out drams of Scotch, but I think this kid is drinking apple juice. At least that's what he told his mother.

There's nothing like a formal pipe band in a boatyard. After the final dinner, there was a fireworks show.