Tobes Ahoy

A fine morning for a sail up the Sound of Mull until the wind got a bit flukey and then sprung up strongly on the nose for the last few interminable miles. But then I read about the entrance to Tobermory from the south. As it was high tide, I sneaked up it, with my Antares charts at hand. Ok, it’s quite simple and there are two perches to guide you, but arriving at the pontoons (surprisingly empty) this guy greeted me - did I see you come in through the Doirlinn, he gushed. Indeed. I’ve never seen that done before, he said. Shucks, eh? (Maybe he can’t do simple maths 0.7m drying height, 1.1m keel, 3.4m tide - 1.6m to spare).
Anyway, excitement wasn’t over as who did I then meet but 82 year old Murdoch McGregor on his solo sail round Britain.  He’d only started sailing at the age of 73 and in fact his first boat was.. the Linnet! He bought my old student flatmate’s boat from Granton, y’see. He remembered AK most fondly as he took him out and gave him his first sailing lessons. Och, small world.
After that it was Sunday papers and cracking open a beer in the sun. This is alright! Or is it all right?