Day 4 – Traffic on the Clyde

• Ardmore Point to North Bute
• 43 kms

It was taking me a little time to adjust to having so much stuff. It all went in the boat ok, but I hadn’t quite got familiar with where everything was. I felt like I was faffing a lot when getting ready this morning.

I had my breakfast on the foreshore looking across the Clyde. I spotted the Waverley, the sea going paddle steamer, moored up behind a much less impressive cruise ship.

Once on the water, I headed towards the “Sugar Boat”, the rusting remains of a boat wrecked on a sandbar 50 years ago. I’ve been round it before in a “Tail O’ The Bank” kayak race, but didn’t have time to look at it in any detail that time.

It was so calm today that I could have landed and taken a walk on its hull, but probably not wise considering the state of it.

Before reaching the “Sugar Boat” I heard a radio message from the Waverley to say that it was heading out on sea trials. Great! An opportunity to get a better look at it. I wasn’t quite expecting to get as close as I did.

As I rounded the headland before Kilcreggan, I could see the Waverley again moored at the pier. Then, as I approached closer, it left the pier and sailed across my bow (I’m pretty sure the blast on its horn wasn’t targeted at me).

After that encounter, I was keeping a close look out and ear to the VHF to be sure I didn’t interfere with other vessels – especially the Dunoon ferries. I had the VHF on dual watch 12 (Clyde Navigation) and 16, but decided to switch to scanning all stations. The problem with this is you can’t tell which station a communication is on unless you’re looking at the radio.

After Dunoon, the traffic dropped off, and the rest of the day was a lovely paddle with sunshine and light winds.