Wanderer Mini-Cruise

Published 13:38 on 19 Jun 2026

Both in 2025 and this year, it had been planned to run a pre-regatta dinghy cruise to the Forth bridges but the wind had other ideas, this year gusting up to around 35 knots from the west on Friday.

However, the weather on Monday looked more promising and an impromptu change to the schedule allowed Leonie and visitors Alasdair and Chris to get out in Leonie's Wanderer Jennifer, accompanied by Chris Callender in his Leisure 17, Scherzo.

The intention was a lap of Inchcolm and a picnic in a forecast F5 ENE wind, however on passing Cramond Island the wind appeared to have a bit more north in it, and the decision was taken to go to the bridges instead. Both boats enjoyed a fast downwind sail west with Jennifer slightly outpacing Scherzo, who was running with a storm jib and reefed main.

When the boats approached the rail bridge, the oil tanker Ardbeg loomed on the horizon and on Scherzo's AIS at the same time and it was decided that Chris would be safer to go through the south span rather than meeting the tanker head on under the bridge in the main channel.

After passing Inchgarvie and the rail bridge pier to starboard, both boats hardened up onto the wind, completed the bridge loop back through the north span and started the somewhat longer beat back to Hound Point.

The Wanderer went to windward well, benefiting from having 3 people on board. On the Leisure, Chris was now happy with his foresail choice, also going to windward nicely and well matched to the Wanderer. After a few tacks the boats cleared the eastern end of Hound Point oil terminal, and then were just able to hold a course on port tack outside the Buchan rocks and across Drum Sands to Cramond bar.

They both arrived back together with plenty of tide remaining and it was time to put boats away, say goodbyes and start planning for next year, very happy that we'd managed to find a way to cruise to the intended destination after two years of trying.