Lismore in the wake of commercial boats

There are quite a few commercial boats around Lismore and because I have not encountered many on my sea loch voyages, I was a bit wary of the wake waves they may make. I have heard of small boats being swamped by large wakes and it best to head into the wake bow first rather that let them hit side on. However in the waves caused by the wind and tides around Lismore I didn’t even notice the wake of passing boats.

Leaving the shelter of Port Ramsay, I almost ran into this fishing boat while rounding a skerry. It was on the plane (skimming along on top of the water) and moving very fast, presumably in a hurry to get home for lunch. My boat couldn’t go that fast even with a huge engine as the hull is a displacement type shape and has a max speed of around 6 knots regardless how large the engine



A short while later I gave way to the Rose of Lorne which is a barge that transports cargo from Loch Creran to Glensanda Quarry on the other side of Loch Linnhe. It is large and slow moving but hardly made any wake wave.



I decided to follow it round the skerries and through the channel between Lismore and the mainland, safe in the knowledge that I would not hit any submerged reefs following its footsteps.



There was a fair flow of tide and waves as I passed through the narrows at the end of Lismore but it didn’t stop the boat. This is the landing stage on Lismore where the ferry from Port Appin on the mainland berths. Its a passengers only service. Cars wanting to visit the Island must catch the ferry from Oban to Achnacroish.



I journeyed down the east side of Lismore for around half a mile but the sea was quite choppy in the fresh wind so I decided to turn and run for home. You can see the passanger ferry berthed at Port Appin in this photo.



All the lighthouses and sea buoys are now powered by solar panels. This lighthouse is on the skerries just outside Port Appin



I noticed these deserted Lime Kilns on Eilean nan Caorach whish is just north of Lismore. As it was lunch time I decided to land and explore for a bit ...