Is the boat leaving soon?

Day 46 was less relaxed than it should have been; after an easy walk, mostly along the beach, we reached Troon and were just sitting down to lunch in a nice bistro when word came through that the MV Glen Sannox, the spanking new vessel that was due to carry us to Arran, had got a suspected rope round its propellor. Attempts to catch an earlier sailing failed, so we waited in the queue for news. Special agent Sarah was dispatched to the front line with binoculars, and was able to tell us the story as it unfolded.

“There are several hi-vis men messing around with the Glen Sannox. There’s lots of staring at the water off the port stern. I don’t think it looks good – a box of beer has just been unloaded. A truck from Shearwater Marine Services has arrived. Unloading of kit, incl. a couple of gas cylinders – they might be the divers! Unreeling an extremely long hose. I can see a man putting on a dry suit, flippers and weights belt. Big helmets with mega Go Pros. Ginger diver climbing down ladder into water. CalMac man staring into trailer – watching livestream for fault analysis or hoping for a cuppa? Diver coming up – seems to have a length of frayed rope with him. Kit dismantling and re-reeling of hose. Will start boarding at 1615.”

Hurrah! All nine of the final Miles to Malts crew have made it to Arran, and largely unsoaked by the frequent showers. Track of the Day is “There’s a boat that’s leaving soon for New York” from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin – granted, Arran isn’t quite the Big Apple but the departure was just as eagerly anticipated.