"Exciting" Sailing

From Ininnmore we expected a long haul up the Sound of Mull, with the tide mostly against us. We’d been warned the Sound was a slog.
We stopped off for elevenses in Lochaline which was friendly, with a great shop & cafe. Then a favourable wind got us sailing in clear skies, with a pretty coastline slipping steadily by.

Later, before the narrows, the wind was up to force 5 and we were sometimes surfing the following waves, surrounded by white horses. At the narrows the wind crept up a notch: Anne had just announced 13.4kph from the GPS (against the tide) - our normal paddling speed is 7, when the situation turned from exhilarating to alarming. I needed to pull in our simple spinnaker, so that Anne could turn round & furl it, but was fighting with all my strength, using paddle & rudder to keep the kayak in line with the steepening following sea. Eventually there was brief a moment when I could tug back the sail, but it was determined to billow out sideways & pull us over. Anne had to turn right round to fasten the sail, causing her spray deck to come loose. [we sit in sea-socks as well, which prevent the whole kayak flooding in a capsize].
The strengthening wind had got us into a situation we couldn’t easily back out of.
There were several yachts about, so help was at hand if we had gone in. We’re working on a quick-release so that we can easily lower the sail & stuff it in a bag, should we be in this situation again.
When we’d got it furled, once we had dodged a seaplane & a cruise ship, we soon reached delightful Tobermory, for more shopping & snacks.

After refreshments, the wind had reduced enough for us to cross to Auliston Point so we’re here camped on stones at a pretty, but midgy spot near Oronsay. It’s nearly June & already it never gets fully dark: the dawn chorus was at 3:30, but a confused cuckoo was calling at 1am, when I was still buzzing with excitement.