A paddle sailing epiphany on the way to Morar.

On leaving the Arisaig skerries the wind veered to the SW about F3-4. We now faced the joy of a 7km downwind paddle back to the mouth of Morar Bay.

This was payback time for our hard upwind paddle earlier in the day.

It was on this run that Ian experienced his paddle sailing epiphany. In his own words:

"The major thing for me when considering whether or not to take up sea kayak sailing was that the advantage had to outweigh the faff of rigging a sail and the extra clutter on deck. As a professional seafarer, loose bights of line really trigger my OCD! Safe to say, the advantage (and sheer fun) most definitely does outweigh the faff/clutter. Oh, and don't listen to anyone claiming that sea-kayak sailing is somehow "cheating" (cheating what exactly?!) - these will likely be the same folk who buy a kayak with hull speed as a major consideration....."

Well Ian took to paddle sailing like a duck to water and we covered the 7km in just over 45 minutes. All toosoon we passed the headland at the mouth of Morar Bay and...

..entered the sheltered waters within.

It was nearly the end of our four day trip round the lands of Moidart and the Arisaig skerries. We paddled slowly up Morar Bay which was backed by mysterious mountains disappearing into the mist.

Our trip ended on the white sands of Morar.

56.9 degrees North, the coral sands and the green lagoon of Arisaig.

We now entered the calm water inside the Arisaig skerries. The flood tide was now pushing us in augmenting the pull of the sails.

We decided to stop for third luncheon on a little tidal beach of coral sand on Eilean an Fhraoich Beag, which had a view over...

 ...the lagoon to Luinga Mhor.

The coral is made up of the  bleached skeletons of the red algae, Lithothamnium calcareum.

It did not take long to get the stoves and flasks out.

 Then we were off  again, threading through the maze of skerries and the...

...crystal clear, green waters of the Arisaig lagoon.