Stormy weather

We knew about the weather coming in, it has been forecast for a number of days, but I guess nothing quite prepares you for what is a full blown North Atlantic depression, it reminds me of why I don't go deep sea any more.  Today we did three runs to Mull and back, each time the weather was deteriorating and the wind force going up a notch, I had 12 degrees of leeway on to keep her on course with the area around the South of Lismore like a boiling cauldron with the tide and a Gale force 8 wind across it.  At 14:00 we set off but turned back due to the height of the waves, it was blowing about 55 to 60 knots and I noted that the barometer had dropped 6mb in an hour, I'll have to take a photo of the barograph trace.  We are now lying alongside at Oban with every mooring rope out and the engines ticking over just in case we need them at short notice.  

We are being taken off the Mull run tomorrow and are scheduled to visit Coll and Tiree, the Lord of the Isles that usually serves these islands didn't sail at all today so with our bigger capacity we can take two day's worth while she does our regular runs out to Craignure.  I say that we are scheduled to sail to Coll and Tiree, let's see if we make it.