Discovery of the crew
After a full day of travel by train, plane and carpool from southwest France, I arrived in Fort William, entry point of the Caledonian canal and departure point of the SailCaledonia. It's time to get to know my crew. As soon as I drop my bag at the youth hostel, I go to meet him at the pub. If I had already met Claude, the skipper and designer of the Multimono at the Nautic de Paris, this is my first meeting with the rest of the crew. He left Pornic with Alain and Jean-Jacques and arrived the day before with the boat in tow. Retired, they were able to take a few days to get in the van to Scotland. Philippe just flew in like me. After a first haggis, the stuffed sheep's belly, a Scottish speciality, we go back to our beds to enjoy a real mattress before a week of camping.
The Multimono Loustic with all wings extended
Discovery of the boat and launching
Saturday morning is devoted to launching and checking safety equipment. I discover Loustic, our boat, ready on its trailer, wings spread. This is indeed a feature of the Multimono, the sailboat model designed by Claude, a former physical education teacher. It thus offers a neophyte public a safe way to recall. Unfortunately, the race committee does not like these appendices. He asks us to dismantle them in order to respect the traditional spirit, to Claude's great displeasure as he tries to negotiate until the end. British seriousness obliges, the control of the safety equipment is scrupulous on each of the boats. That makes us run to find a foghorn, that of the boat having remained in Pornic.
Everyone prepares his boat
Control of safety equipment
Launching of Loustic
Ships waiting in the Fort William Sea Loch
Serious briefing despite the presence of a Welsh dragon!
1st regatta: a defeat with the way
At the end of the day, a regatta on the"salty" loch is launched to join our first bivouac, at the entrance of the Caledonian canal. Unfortunately, the wind is absent to subscribers. In the wind, Loustic's sails are no match for the oars. We discover that the rules allow to couple sail and paddles simultaneously. For the first and last time, we stubbornly refuse to paddle and arrive very soon after our competitors. A defeat with the way!
Scottish welcome to the sound of the bagpipes
Loustic passes its 1st lock
First bivouac
A few steps from Fort William, we pitch the tent facing the snow-covered mountains and Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the UK. After a warm first evening at the rugby club, everyone joins his sleeping bag. To start the first full day, breakfast is served on the Ros Crana barge which will follow us throughout the trip.
Camping with view!
Breakfast under the Scottish sun
The Ros Crana barge which provides meals and accommodates several crews
Neptune's stairs
It is time to start one of the emblematic passages of the Caledonian canal. The Neptune stairs are a flight of 8 locks built between 1807 and 1811. They can climb 19.5 m in just 457 m in length, a feat that will remain unequalled until the opening of the Panama Canal. Queen Victoria would have marked her boredom at the slowness of the operation at the inauguration. Although I agree that it can be repetitive, the decor and size of the locks seen from a small boat give a certain charm to the experience, especially within a joyful fleet of 16 sailboats.
The imposing gates of the Neptune staircase locks
It's moving in the locks!
Let's get the oars out!
The day takes place entirely on a channel. For the last portion, the committee launches a rowing race. If the Multimono is designed with fixed rowing stations, Claude, a sports enthusiast, wanted to adapt sliding benches for the occasion. Only problem, they are prohibited in race, our competitors of the traditional sailing boats being equipped with fixed benches. It doesn't matter, we will block the benches during the regatta and take advantage of the strength of our legs in convoying. This is certainly the theory at this stage of SailCaledonia. Facing light boats, sharp competitors and a headwind, we finish in the middle of the table. A new night in front of landscapes mixing countryside and mountain, helps us to meditate on the modifications to bring to our swimming benches, while hoping that the weather of the next day allows us to hoist the sails.
New bivouac, new view at the entrance of Loch Lochy
