BLUEMOMENT

Off to play around on the west coast next week, passage planning in full swing. I want to get around Mull this year if I can, possibly a bit ambitious from the Clyde, out and back round the Mull. One scenario puts me around Iona on Mon night when the wind is currently forcast to be F5-6 southerly, so the question is how sheltered is Tinker's hole from a southerly swell? It looks quite open to that direction, but I suppose the off-lying rocks may help to shelter from swell. I have read that Bull Hole is subject to southerly swell so the best alternative in these conditions would seem to be Bunessan, but I would really like to spend the night in Tinker's if possible.

Don't know the wind strength (5, maybe 6), but we've been anchored in Tinker's Hole in calm conditions, and watched waves crashing about the rocks to the south in what would have been a southerly or southeasterly. The rocks to the south, the narrow entrance, and the tide running through the anchorage seems to keep it fairly pleasant.

One thing though, there are some semi-submerged rocks near the entrance, which I suppose may make the approach tricky in a six or above. Anyone here done it strong winds?

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The rock awash in the entrance is likely to be pretty obvious in a strong southerly, so I don't see any problem. The anchorage itself is pretty much perfectly sheltered from any wind direction, but if it is really blowing a hoolie from the S and you don't fancy it you could consider going up the Sound of Iona and round to Bunessan.

Once you are in its OK (Tinker's Hole) We have bottled out a couple of times because in fresh winds it can all look a tad intimidating but I've never known the Bull hole to be bad - it just gets busy, I guess - with people who have chosen it rather than Tinkers if conditions feel marginal.
I'm personally allergic to Bunessan.

Thanks for the advice guys. Having now visited said Tinker's orifice I can see that the narrowness and geometry of the entrance and offlying rocks would indeed prevent much swell from entering. As it happened I dropped in there for lunch last Monday on my way from Oronsay to Tobermory and had it all to myself. All in all quite a wonderful day. I was bowled over by the beauty of the Oronsay anchorage; the crossing to Mull was in thick fog which cleared spectacularly to glorious blue as Torran Rocks were approached then, following a quick trip ashore at Tinker's Hole to climb the hill for the view, there were basking sharks at the north end of the Sound of Iona, a memorable drift around at the entrance to Fingle's cave and another shark at the entrance to the Sound of Mull. This along with my first view of Ardnamurchan Pt. and views beyond to Skye and a pleasant evening in Tobers (where the area left for anchoring S of the moorings is rather less than one is lead to believe) rounded off a rather lovely day on the water. In fact the whole week went remarkably close to plan, except for the overnight in Coll which I thought unwise in the forcast NE conditions. Although the total of over 370 miles left little time for activities ashore (although I did make it for an evening in the T an T), working the tides in the sounds of Islay, Mull, Luing and Jura certainly made it easier. Roll on next year!