The word is out that nasty weather is coming for the next few days. Captain Dougie wants to pull anchor in Eigg and get an early start to a sheltered cove before the storms hit. Ian lays out pastry and bagels for the morning repast and we quickly move on.
Dougie wasn’t kidding about the weather. On top of that we’re moving through a complex tidal zone where transit is tough in the best of weather. The Gemini is a seriously solid vessel but still moves with the water and things get rowdy. The best place to be is the common area as it is too rough for anyone to be outside or below deck. Absolutely no going outside unless escorted by a crew member (no worries there anyway as most of us are hanging on to the dining table). We have heavy waves (1 to 2 meters) for several hours and the boat gets tossed about a fair amount. Several of the passengers get sick, luckily not either of us, though Dick might have been close. Finally, we found the shelter of Tobermory and tied to a pontoon deck own the town dock. Pontoon decks are great – we can come and go as we please and not depend on a zodiac to get to shore. With the roller coaster over, Ian prepared a salmon omelet with shredded potato cake for brunch. Geez. He’s good.
We explored the small town of Tobermory. It’s a very picturesque fishing village that shows up in all the Hebrides travel brochures due to it’s brightly painted buildings. There are shops, a nice little pub and a local distillery, where we book a tour for the next day.
The weather is overcast and cool, so Ian maked a wonderful lasagna and salad for dinner, followed by chocolate brownies with ice cream and raspberry sauce for dessert. For some reason Esther is encouraging whisky consumption later from the honor bar.