Saturday 10 September 2011

Port Nam Murrach (any port in a storm will do)

We were continuing south round the point at Rhu and down the coast to Port Nam Murrach where we would decide our next step. Our choice was whether to wild camp in the shelter of the port or head on down the coast into Loch Nam Uamh.

Once out of the shelter of the south channel, we were again exposed to a chop where wind met the tide but this time it wasn’t so bad for my boat as I was surfing with the waves all the way. My only worry was hitting a submerged skerry while rounding the point but the depth indicator on my fish finder proved invaluable on the trip.



Photographing the sea from a small boat never seems to capture the true size of the waves, but add a kayak for scale and you get a better idea. Sometimes I saw Douglas in the wild land-sea-scape, sometimes I didn’t.



He liked to get in close to the rocks and surf the swell as it broke and fell, but I kept my distance. I’m not as manoeuvrable as a kayak.



Finally we turned out the swell and into the shelter of Port Nam Murrach which must be one of the most scenic sandy bays in the west of Scotland. Douglas nipped through a shallow passage in the “port wall” so landed first. I had to go the full way round to keep in deeper water.



The port provided shelter from the wind and waves out in the Sound of Arisaig. It makes a lovely wild camp site and I first visited it in 2005 when Douglas took me my first Kayak trip. I loved that journey and it has inspired my many other boat journeys, however I prefer the stability of a boat rather than a kayak. My balance is not so good nowadays and I even fall out of wide bottom boats.. but more of that later.



The sea is always crystal clear in the port and the sand bottom gives it a lovely turquoise sheen.I believe it is even more spectacular on a sunny day but I have yet to see the sun at the port.



The subsidiary bay in the port doesn’t have so much sand but forms a lovely curve. Moidart is the land over in the background of this photo.



We had an extended lunch and look around the port as the waves and wind dropped.



Then Douglas asked if I wanted to move on again or set up camp for the night.
I opted to move on again..so that’s we did :-D

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