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Suddenly a Telenor Maritim signal!  Good progress both yesterday and today. Two very minor disasters: I sat on my sunglasses when a sharp wave made me sit. Three pieces, unrepairable. The other was the new large thermos, bought in Stornoway, it suddenly exploded as I was pouring out a cuppa, fortunately not spraying me with very hot water. 

Lovely sunny day today, with unfortunately a dying wind. On with the engine this afternoon. Rolypoly waves. ETA Egersund tomorrow evening. Noce sunset. Alls well!

Nearly at the edge, (no, not the sea, but the internet connection!), so a quick blog. Progress has been very good, with plenty of wind to push us along against the current, but the seas have been very bouncy. The tide has just changed and the direction of the current is now more with us than against, and in spite of the wind dying somewhat we are still making good speed over the ground (SOG).

There have been showers, but no sunshine yet, the earlier promise not fulfilled. With plenty of layers on, I’m plenty warm enough. It’ll get colder!

Only one fishing boat has been sharing our bits of sea so far, everyone else on the AIS seems to be anchored or moored. Boring but safe!

Alls well.

Start passage back over the North Sea.

Thursday was spent doing boat maintenance, washing and cleaning and generally getting ready. Margaret planning her next few days before flying out of LHR on the 18th and trying to get eveything back into her large trollybag, funny how things grow, isnt it? Friday we bussed into Inverness and did some necessary shopping, shared a farewell lunch (in McDonalds of all places!), and then went our separate ways. Margaret wanted to make the most of her time in the UK and planned time in both Edinburgh and York on her way south. Finding accomodation in Edinburgh took time and patience, as we hadn’t realised it was Festival time! Success in the end. I returned to Lossiemouth by train to Elgin (much quicker) and bus from there. Filled fluids and checked everything on the boat again. Then cooked and made passage food. Sausages. Eggs, HB. Sandwiches. Fruit and cheese. Sardine tins at the ready. Camping dried dinners waiting in their bags. (Haven’t tried them yet, so that will be interesting). Chocolate. Nuts. Raisins. Biscuits, (shortbread of course). Anything nourishing in fact. I will not want!

Wind is in the north west, 10 to 15 knots, over a rolypoly sea, and course is set somewhat north of direct, in order to fill the sails and sail. Seas are confused due to a south-going current and hitting the keys on this iPad is not very consistent. Forgive the spllng. Clouds are beginning to break up and the patches of blue sky are encouraging. Forecast is for the wind to gradually back more to the west, but unfortunately less of it, but we ought to be able to sail at least until tomorrow. With a High to the south later, winds will lessen further, so the engine will have to help. (Enough fuel onboard to motor all the way actually). GPS says 290 nm to Egersund. As long as speed is five knots or more we should be in on monday evening. 

Alls well.

Wednesday 9th august. Evening.

Sorry folks, long time no blog.

Back in Lossiemouth, after a (sort of) circumnavigation of Scotland. 41 days, 700 nautical miles. Sailing sometimes, motoring at others. Weather, variable, but better than it could have been apparently.

The trip from Wick today was rather special. Left at the top of the tide, with a gentle south-going current to help, and an increasing NW-ly wind to fill the gennaker and blast us along at grinning speed. Past the oil installations and enormous windmill being installed with gigantic cranes, in very good visibility, they all looked quite lego-like on the horizon, until black clouds and rainstorms chased us and showered us and changed the wind strength and direction and confused the seas. Much movement which kept on collapsing the sails and resulted in the inevitable motoring for the last couple of hours. A very variable day, but fast, and we tied up just in time for tea.

Since the last blog from Westray, we sailed and bounced (these currents certainly cause choppy seas), to North Ronaldsay, with the intention to experience “The Sheep Festival”, with local music, food and dance. But alas no. The harbour, on the south end of the island was inadequately protected from the wind and swell, the jetty was very boat-unfriendly (only for the ferry), and the mooring was a long way from a stony beach. After a serious evaluation and a cuppa, we decided to retreat un-festvalled, and seek anchorage on the way to Kirkwall. Against a goodly wind and the three knot current, progress was both wet and rough until we entered Calf Sound on Eday. There two “visiting yachts” moorings and the choice was ours. A bay very well sheltered from the wind and swell, but the current still swirled back and forth. A safe place.

Next morning, back to the tide and current info, to find the way to Kirkwall. Nice day. Clear skies and warm sun. Sailed south in a gentle westerly the first couple of hours until we turned west and had to motor. Tried the northern route round Shapinsay. Much stronger current against than we’d calculated. Try the southern route instead. Likewise, bother, but now the die was cast, and we crept past the interesting west, lots of bird-cliffs, and south, beaches, coastline of Shapinsay, and in to Kirkwall, with famous Christian Radich, magnificent and resplendent lording it on the outer pontoon, in time for lunch. Tied up between a large German motor cruiser and a large motor catamaran from Bergen. Looked a bit incongruous, but near the ramp, fuel and WiFi.

In the afternoon, with camera at the ready, out to view Christian Radich. Too big and too close to photograph really, and visitors were not welcome at the moment. Nice chat in Norwegian with one of the tee-shirted crew at the end of the end of the gangplank.

And then a gawp at a most unusual sight which arrived. A 1930’s vintage three-liter, six-cylinder open-topped Lagonda, in concours black and shining chrome condition, with proud owner answering questions and telling the story. I took pics of the engine.

We were greeted by our now-friend Hans, from Shetland, whom we had met in several places before, and whose company we had enjoyed. A convivial evening with him in the bar of the nearest hotel, the restaurant was full, but the menu was apparently the same and the food was good.

A plague in several places we had been were the boy racers. Loud-exhaust, hard-accelerating, tyre screeching cars circulating the town and the harbour walls until late. Kirkwall was the worst. But damped for a while by the presence of a police car. A short chat with the yellow-clad policewoman- “Yes, they do make a lot of noise, don’t they”, smile. Ah well. Earplugs to the rescue.

That’ll do for now. More tomorrow.

Alls well.

Its thursday afternoon. Raining. Windy. No activity outside. Cockpit canopy up. An indoor day. Heater going. Coffee at the elbow. OK.

No pics with this, as the internet connection is occasional, GPRS standard and can really be described as snails pace.

The trip here from Stromness was again planned to take advantage of the tides and currents, and if the wind had played kind, it would have been a very pleasant sail up the coast. We were “spat” westward out of Hoy Sound in a 3 knot current, and found the predicted westerly wind when turned northward. But after the first exhilarating couple of hours, the wind gradually died, leaving many waves over which we pitched and rolled with the engine doing its reliable thing. Sea birds to watch. Sharp lookout kept for fishing equipment. Horizon searching for orcas, which are around these waters we were told. I am sure I saw one blow and curl, but M maintained that it was only a large dolphin. No camera at the ready, so no evidence. But it was by itself, and aren’t dolphins always in flocks?

So how’ve the Orkneys been? The contrast with the Outer Hebrides could hardly have been clearer. Lewis was almost a treeless landscape of peatbogs, whereas the Orkney landscape is verdant and productive. Cattle and sheep everywhere, on newly-shorn fields and tractor eggs, and although the houses are just as colourless and even drab, there is a feeling of prosperity. The people are just as friendly and welcoming however, and always willing to have a chat, or help. Time has another dimension here, and the absence of feeling of stress is very therapeutic.

Our last day at Stromness was spent individually. Margaret went for an explore of Mainland and Kirkwall by bus and I attended to Josin’s needs and also attacked leaks. Silicone here. Fiberglass there. Duct tape other places, all in between the very impressive showers. So far, in the heavy rain last night, there seems to be success.

On our last evening we dined, yes dined, at the Havnavoe restaurant. Difficult to find in a narrow back alley. Very small, only a few tables. Family business. Parents in the kitchen, daughter receptionist/waitress, (easterly gale voice). Very good food indeed. Bookings in advance only, (we booked the day we got there). We ate royally and too much. Slow wander back to the boat. Memorable.

Walked up the jetty yesterday afternoon and there was a small fishing boat unloading. Large bucket with crabs. Could we buy one or two? “Just take some”. Really? Two OK? “More if you want”. Spread-hand size. Fresh crab for supper last night and for lunch today. Scrumptuous.

We will probably be here tomorrow too, if the forecast holds, before venturing further east to North Ronaldsay, ca 20 nm, the extreme north east island in the group. The attraction is a concert in the pub of local music, (fiddle and accordion), song and dance, which ought to be enthralling. We must experience that before we leave.

Further plans are to the marina in Kirkwall town, to “do” that. Then sail back to the Scottish mainland, to first Wick, then Lossiemouth.

Yesterday, thursday, was a long day, from Kinlochbervie, the most northerly harbour on the Scottish mainland. We left there at 07:50, a bit later than planned, (oh stress!) and arrived here at 21:30, 75 nautical miles later. Planning this one had taken us many hours of reading Sailing Instructions, Tide Tables, Cruising Guides, and the internet, to try and get the currents to be with us rather than against, and avoid the dangerous places. We succeeded!

The two hours or so up to the Cape were powered by just a reefed mainsail in a gusting strong wind almost dead aft, and rolling seas and sharp waves, which, for the first time, the autopilot couldn’t quite handle, so I steered.  But I didn’t do any better. One moment’s inattention and a gybe happened. Luckily the only casualty being the window which I was trying to replace. An artistically-shaped large piece remained.

First major planned aquatic hurdle was Cape Wrath, (the Old Norse name doesn’t mean that), which “spat” us back into the North Sea at an incredible rate of knots, even at a respectful distance from the cape itself because of previously-read dire warnings. No problem. Even the seas were smoothed out to some extent, and we turned east in the sustained current, gleefully glancing at the speed log. The current gradually lessened until it effectively ceased after about two hours. Then the wind, previously south, turned fickle, and it was on and off with the engine until about midday when we could sail again.

The next aquatic hurdle was getting to Hoy Sound, on the way in to Stromness, at the right state of the tide at the right time, which was planned for about 20:45. Predictions of our ETA varied significantly, due to unreliable winds, so we motored the last four hours. The weather had changed from low clouds and threatening rain when we started, to much brighter skies and heavy showers, S&BP, winds in all directions, so we took it in turns to get showered upon and dry out again. The entry into Hoy Sound, with its predicted angry  tide races (“roosts” in the vernacular), was into a nearly-full rainbow and clear-clear air, most spectacular, but because we had arrived at just the right, predicted, time the roost was a smooth current of only two knots. We didn’t catch up with the rainbow however. The ferry from Scrabster came past us just as we were admiring “The Old Man of Hoy”, an amazing rock pillar several tens of meters high just a few miles south of the sound, and we followed the ferry into a sleeping harbour. We had managed to contact the marina manager, Ruby, on the phone, after no-one answered over the VHF, to hear there was an available pontoon berth, into which we gladly but wearily nudged. It was too late for a meal so we supped on a whole packet of potato chips and fell into bed. It had been a most successful, and enjoyable, day, very varied.

Today will be a day of R & R, washing things, doing odd boat jobs, scrutinising Stromness and planning the sightseeing. More about previous days, later.

Alls well.

After many attempts to publish the last one, with all the pictures, I sent it with only some. Here hopefully, are the rest:

Josin, dressed overall

Tidbit hen at lunch:

Me and a middling stone

Sunday evening. Weather forecast promising for tomorrow. Early start planned.

Alls well

They must be the most friendly and service-minded of people these Lewisters. I was searching for a new thermos, to replace the one which took a flying visit to the bilges on the way here. Tesco was apparently promising. Tesco. Enormous. Find shelf. Shelf empty. Manageress. “I’ll look in the back store, should have come in yesterday”. Ten minutes later. “Sorry. A new delivery tomorrow hopefully”. Anywhere else in Stornoway possibly? “Aladdins cave? just round the corner”. Four corners later, and Tesco is a large building, back inside. Asked the man in the basket checkout, he didn’t look too busy. “Yes, just round the corner”. Mumblings about not finding it. “I’ll show you”. And up he gets from his checkout seat and leads me through the throng. Are you allowed to do this? it is most kind. “Why not?” Round two corners. “See the building with the yellow-stone corner? Round that to the left”. Effusive thanks. “No problem”. Where else would one get such service?  No suitable thermos in Aladdins Cave. But, the Home Improvement Centre, round the next corner, had a thermos. Double size. Ah well, more cups of tea then!

Weatherwise, we have been incredibly fortunate, although the wind, easterly, has been a bit chilly. Must be because of the Stornorway Festival, very much in evidence. Three days. Boats dressed overall with signal flags, (Josin’s too, in the correct order if you please).

 

Large tents in the castle grounds opposite, with varying music, thumping in the evenings. Bunting everywhere. Summer-clad people in droves. Push chairs. Street stands. Bagpipes  inflated, tuned, (necessary), and tamed by a most musical (I was reliably informed) fourteen-year-old, attracting well-earned attention and coins in the pedestrian street.

We wanted to hire a car for tomorrow, to explore Lewis and its attractions. Why not an electric one, for which we had acquired a brochure? After much foot-wearying searching and helpful directions, we found, at one of the addresses in the brochure, the sign-makers business, where, it turned out the car-hire manager works. Lucky us!. Not at the airport where all the cars are parked. He must have then spent a half hour on the phone. “Festival you see, not a car left”. Later. “There are no petrol ones, can you accept an electric one”. Margaret very sceptical, me OK. “We will fetch you, it is at the airport”. Service again!!. Timothy in a Renault Zoe. To airport. Paperwork. Plastic transaction. Zoe awaiting at the charging point, with instructions from Timothy, particularly about charging, necessary as Zoe was only partly charged. Where then?. “Bus station. And there’s one at The North Point somewhere, and one at Tarbert”. More instructions. We depart, Margaret driving gingerly, experimentally. Bus station. Several wrong turnings until we found the tall black and white cabinet, with a screen face and two arms with cables. Followed instructions, prodding virtual buttons, offering  the critical card. Nix. several times. Still nix. Suddenly Timothy appeared. Service again!!. “I’ll have a try”. Many tries. Still nix. “Last person must have not ended the process correctly!” OK, what now. “To the office, there are several charging points”. Followed Timothy. Yes. A charger available. Leave it on charge and fetch it in the morning. By now it was long into the evening. Effusive thanks from us. “No problem. have a nice day tomorrow!”. Foot it back to the boat, and F&C for supper. Not the best, rather greasy.

Friday dawns, not-a-cloud, not-a-breath. M sleeps still. I enjoy the early morning walk to fetch the car, now fully charged, with 80 to 100 miles worth apparently. Breakfast. Where to? Consult map. At least northward, to the charging point. M still rather sceptical. Off and away, main road north. Several things to see.

Heath land. Not a single tree. Wide views. Peat bogs everywhere with signs of taking.

First stop Steinaclert Cairn and Stones. 200 meters to walk uphill, good, but Lewis meters are at least double. Placard with info. Take picture, not very impressive. Walk down again. Onward to the Port of Ness, at the very top of Lewis, a drying harbour.

Search for charging point. Ask at the filling station back down the road. “No, sorry”. What now? Cleaning lady chipped in. “There’s one at the Community Centre, I’ve seen it”. Back up the road. Found! Smaller, white cabinet.

 

 

Wandered around, taking unusable pics for the three quarters to fully charged. Away again, confidence-charged. South and west along the coast, to The 40 North restaurant, recommended for lunch. Closed. But wait! It opens at twelve. Sure enough. Warm welcome but “fully booked for lunch, but we have much for takeaway”. Can we sit at these garden tables? “Of course, I’ll fetch the menu”. Reindeer pie and salad for me, chicken something for M, both delicious. Unusual to have a hen awaiting the tidbits.

 

Then on to The Blackhouse Village, representing how the crofters might have lived. Interesting buildings, with minimum use of very scarce roof timbers. All on the slope. Must be very odd for the people living there to live at an angle.

 

Then to he Dun Carloway Broch. Impressive enough building on the top of a mound overlooking the sea. Astonishing considering how long ago it was built. A lot of it had fallen down and the top had gone. Two concentric circles of stones with a sizeable gap between, gradually tapering towards the top with probably a small roof. Scarce timber again.

 

Then to the Callanish Standing Stones. Very popular. The German bus we had seen before. Carpark full. Restaurant very busy. Climb the slope to the Stones. A central ring with four alleyways radiating out at cardinal directions. (Except that the builders must have used the summer solstice as the defining direction). North wasn’t invented then. Difficult to photograph.

 

Me at one of the smaller stones.

Then back to Stornoway. What? Still 50 miles left? OK. Out to Portnaguran, past the airport. One-track road, with the occasional signed passing place. One car and one campervan.  Lighthouse, Major. Otherwise just sea, The Minch, with waves. Beentheredonethat. Back to town. Shopping. Back to boat. Deliver car. Walk back. what a day!. Dinner. Relax. Big Festival day tomorrow

 

 

 

It was a lovely morning, but very little wind, so it was motor-sailing all the way north to the Shiant islands, luckily no waves or swell, so we could go very close inshore.

to see more amazing rock formations. Staffa is not the only one with them and there were far fewer people/boats to get in the way! No dolphins though.

Zillions of birds, Puffins, guillimots, razorbills, gannets, gulls, ravens and some unidentified.

  

Grassy slopes punctured with puffin burrows, and a hole through one of the islands.

 

One of the sailing boats there had just come from an anchorage they could warmly recommend, so we went west Lewis, to Loch Claidh, and the anchorage behind a small island on the northeast shore. Multiple seals, including young nursing, very lazy in the warm sunshine. Later, another boat, Canadian, in the sunset.

 

Awakened early next morning by another sailing boat, which came in earlier puffing clouds of blue smoke from its old engine and anchored a bit close I thought, swinging round in the changing breeze and nudging Josin. Bit annoying as he didn’t make any sign of doing anything, like moving, so we did. Quick breakfast, then leave. Light north east wind, gradually increasing, which was good, but a very confused, rolypoly and nodding seas which required lots of engine help to make progress, which was not so good. Final sail into the outer harbour at Stornoway, cowering to avoid a gull-swarmed fishing boat and the ferry from Ullapool in the narrower bit. Pontoon berth. Lots of flags. Ah, a festival, of which more another time.

We’ll be here a few days, contrary winds, of uncomfortable strength for crossing the Minch. 

Alls well

 

 

 

(Sent from Stornoway, wednesday afternoon, 24 degrees, phew!)

We stayed two nights in Mallaig, firstly to dry out, and also to ensure that we could properly see the steam train arrive from Fort William. The marina master had warned us that at 12:25, 400 Japanese tourists all dressed as wizards from Hogwart, would disgorge and descend on all the coffee shops and restaurants. Well, it didn’t happen quite like that, we mostly saw hurrying people, inadequately clothed, bending against the rain, many umbrella’d, and nary a wizard, but the bit about the coffee shops and restaurant was correct. Shame for the tourists though. And we got wet again too.

There was a F&C shop in the corner of the station building, and we waited until the second, slightly drier, steam train tourist horde had left. Luckily they were not sold out, and we enjoyed yet another evening finger-meal out of the plastic.

Intended to get up early the next morning, sunday, to ensure that we got to the narrows at Kyle Rhea on the rising tide, but managed just that morning to not wake up at six. But the wind blew. Hard. From almost behind. We rushed up the Sound of Sleat and reached the narrows at the right time anyway, to be rushed through the turbulent waters on a four-knot jaccuzzi. As the wind also gusted from 25 knots to nothing and back again, it was an interesting passage, in close company with two other boats. Josin behaved beautifully, and as the sailing directions said, we were “spat out into the relative calm of Loch Alsh”. We turned east, and found a calm little bay with a substantial mooring at Totaig, opposite the tourist attraction of Donnan castle. It apparently featured in a James Bond film, which added to its magnetism. Intended to just stop for lunch and regain our breath so to speak, but setting out again, the wind, against, and waves, short and sharp, proved most uncomfortable, so we returned and spent the night there.

Monday. Less wind, more from the south west which meant sailing, and except for the bit near and under the impressive Skye Bridge, we did, a little helped by the engine at times. The gradient wind, forecast as fairly constant in both strength and direction, is affected to a large degree by the mountains and lochs, causing much variation and trimming of sails. The day was promised to be sunny, but the low clouds didn’t really clear until we arrived at the anchorage on the island of Rona. Major building works going on, so the Lodge was closed, (we had read about local sea food available there), so we dingy-ed ashore, paid our dues and went for a short walk up the hill to get a better view of the anchorage. One of the other boats from Kyle Rhea came in and anchored, and the whole crew took a dip. 13,8 degrees. They said that they enjoyed it, but with one saying he’d re-evaluated his judgement of “cold”. Whatever, the most hardy of them, with goggles, was invited to swim over and inspect Josin’s propeller. Clean. Thankyou!

High pressure has arrived, and the forecast for tomorrow is for sunshine, very light winds and temperatures over 20. So, we plan to visit the Shiant bird-islands off the coast of North Harris, then to Stornoway.