Loch Lomond Sailing Club Newsletters page

Newsletter - Number 77 - Summer 2006

Marsupials at Dawn
David Sparkes

"Well Lynda, you're a very brave lady!" shouted Andrew from the deck of his Achilles, as we paddled away from the moorings. I wondered if he secretly meant 'stupid', as I strained to keep the canoe on course - the wind was definitely stronger than it had looked from the shore.

A potential news headline crossed my mind - "Couple Drown in Homemade Boat Disaster - RS200 Up For Sale". Still, we were making good progress, and still had a couple of hours of daylight left - might as well give it a go.

Slowly, the wind started to die down, as we came closer to Bucinch, until finally all was calm. "Mind those rocks!" shouted Lynda - as the whole family of them took off, flying across our bows and quacking noisily. After a brief rest in the lee of the island, we struck out once more to the East. Though fierce at first, the wind again gradually died down as we neared Inchconnachan, until at last we slipped past a rocky headland and into a sandy bay............

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Newsletter - Number 76 - Spring 2006

Messing About in Boats
Andrew Rycroft

On Sunday 30th October, the morning after the Annual Dinner, I was woken suddenly: not by the usual squirrel or falling bits of oak tree landing on the caravan roof, but by Bob Williamson - banging on the door with the words, "Quick, there's a crisis. Can you come and help?". After realising where I was, and resisting the the temptation to suggest to Bob that he might "depart forthwith", curiosity got me dressed and outside in about 2 minutes. Bob told me there was a boat sinking. Sure enough, straight out from the jetty, where Irvin Campbell and Cammy Dunn had left it moored the day before, was the Hunter, "Beano, sitting rather lower in the water than usual..............

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Newsletter - Number 75 - Autumn 2005

Flying Fifteens
Trevor Cooper, Fifteen Captain

Again the Flying Fifteen visitors went away not only with the prizes but praising the Club for a well organised weekend. I know that at the prize giving thanks were given to all concerned from the Officer of the Day, Peter McLaren and his team, the providers of food, shore personnel and the entertainment by Peter Edmond. A special thanks was given to the team who helped launching and recovery of the boats on both days. That was really appreciated, as was the speed of the results service. The general welcoming of our visitors is worth mentioning, as it all assists in bringing them back. This year we had 25 entries, although only 24 took to the water. They came form Monklands, Lock Ard, Lock Earn, Peterhead, Isle of Bute, Oban, Bassenthwaite and 8 from Derwent. Of our own members, of which there were seven, Alastair Logan with son Scott as crew, starred by winning race 4 and leading the local fleet

Personally I do not like a windward leeward course as the opportunity to plane is denied or starting with a sausage as it heightens the possibility of serious damage in strong winds as encountered on the Saturday. For me the traditional triangle, sausage, triangle course is prefered.

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Newsletter - Number 74 - Summer 2005

Pirates on Loch Lomond
Fergus Duncanson

They were armed to the teeth, each with a long weapon for murdering natives. The long yellow pirate craft glided out and, on orders "Starboard broadside, ready, aim, FIRE!", set the gunnery practice on some strange pink floating things, they had stocked up with ammunition to fire broadsides galore.

Nosing in towards Ceardach, they gave it two broadsides, and landed to pillage. The crew fought through the undergrowth to find natives to murder, but they had fled! Every bit of treasure they could find was gathered up. Quickly , they re-embarked and headed for Bucinch. Two more broadsides preceded the assault, and they swarmed ashore. Circling the island in search of inhabitants to murder, they hit impenetrable jungle, and had to climb up to the hilltop....................

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Newsletter - Number 73 - Spring 2005

COMMODORE’S NOTES

Welcome to the Spring Newsletter.

Spring must be round the corner because the daylight hours are gradually getting longer.

After the storms came the clearing up. There was an impressive turn-out of Members, Associates, Probationary Members, dugs and weans at the Work Sunday in February in an effort to clear up after the (exceptional) storms in January. The detritus, driven ashore on the (almost) record high water level by the 100+mph winds, reached as far as the McVoy’s caravan and most shingle around the slips / beach areas had been badly scoured and relocated by the waves. The steps into the front doors of the canoe shed were buried by a gently sloping shingle bank. By the end of the day though, re-landscaping had been completed by the many hands and rakes making light work of the task some thought (including myself), would need a 3c (or rather a 4x4 JCB Backhoe-Loader to some). "Vorsrprung Durch Technik" as they say in Newton Mearns.

Peter Boocock has been keeping records of the water level, the rainfall and the associated trends since 1968, and has compiled some interesting facts and figures about the way the Loch reacts to rainfall. Continual rainfall of up to 80mm (3½”) per day for a period of days in January resulted in the second highest level of the Loch since Peter’s records began. The level reached in 1990, was some 305mm (a foot) higher. This level of water, coupled with the hurricane-plus force winds, resulted in a formidable combination and we were lucky to escape with so little damage. Crombie Smith’s tree maintenance regime paid dividends too. Peter has agreed to condense some of his extensive research into an article for the next newsletter.

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