Waiting for the next weather window before we leave Orkney we've decided to take a week out and do 'normal' things.
Summer should arrive soon, or so they say, and we can then move onto the next chapter of our journey.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Ferries and Fishermen
Southbound from Rousay and through Vassa Sound once again shrouded in mist. Our passage plan was again spot on for an easy passage through the sound. We chose the main buoyed channel in preference to the inside route knowing full well our visual transit to Kirkwall Cathedral would be obscured. At one point we shared the narrow channel with a northbound ferry still transmitting his AIS data as 'Moored', destination 'Kirkwall [the other way]' and speed 9 kts! – not quite MCA practice I'm sure. What really made us more angry though were the crab pots in the same narrow channel marked only by 5 litre black or dark blue oil cans almost completely submerged by the strong tide, not something to get tangled in with rocks and shallows both sides; these would have been totally invisible at night.
Anyhow, back to Kirkwall for protection from the strong northerlies and a return to fender juggling before planning our next sortie.
Anyhow, back to Kirkwall for protection from the strong northerlies and a return to fender juggling before planning our next sortie.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Misty Island Hop
We left Stronsay with a good breeze to sail and followed the local ferry out down the channel retracing our steps from the previous passage before turning across the main tidal flow, the Westray & Stronsay Firths; direction Rousay and Trumland Pier.
Our passage plan for the strong cross currents was spot on and we had a smooth sail all the way spoilt only by the low cloud and drizzle which hid from us another section of beautiful coastline. The wind began to pick up upon our arrival and a place on the pier we declined in favour of a mooring buoy; there we could sit it out until the wind backed to a more favourable direction to prevent getting bashed onto the pier pilings.
The mooring buoy was a wise though not particularly popular choice, Rousay has been seen only briefly through the mist and rain and the prospect of staying another day will be denied by the strong winds forecast. We shall have to seek cover and probably head for the security of Kirkwall again though even there there is little protection from the north.
Our passage plan for the strong cross currents was spot on and we had a smooth sail all the way spoilt only by the low cloud and drizzle which hid from us another section of beautiful coastline. The wind began to pick up upon our arrival and a place on the pier we declined in favour of a mooring buoy; there we could sit it out until the wind backed to a more favourable direction to prevent getting bashed onto the pier pilings.
The mooring buoy was a wise though not particularly popular choice, Rousay has been seen only briefly through the mist and rain and the prospect of staying another day will be denied by the strong winds forecast. We shall have to seek cover and probably head for the security of Kirkwall again though even there there is little protection from the north.
All arms and legs
21Jun13
In a flat calm we slipped away from our mooring buoy and headed for Whitehall pier between Stronsay and Papa Stronsay. We jumped on the south-going stream in the early hours and were soon doing 7 knots with the engine on tickover. The lack of wind enabled us to clearly observe the twisting local tides turning the water in all directions trapping shoals of fish for the sea birds and threatening dangerous situations for the unwary on a more 'lively' day. The tidal streams around Orkney are some of the strongest in the British Isles and demand complete respect.
Whitehall, as with many of the harbours along our journey, grew from the herring trade long since gone and Stronsay is described as being 'all arms and legs' with its many deep bays which bite into the land; the small island Papa Stronsay is once again the home for Orkney's monks and their accommodation blocks can be clearly seen from the pier. Stronsay has a different 'feel' to Westray, it is now more of a farming community with its low profile and verdant landscape.
Many of these islands can be tranquil one moment and manic the next as the Ro-Ro ferries arrive, load and unload the commuting public and then disappear once again leaving the scene all within a few minutes; a vital link to the community – tomorrow is the inter-island sports meeting to be held on Westray and extra ferries have been laid on for all the children.
We are currently moored on the pier wall and making the best of the space left by a 'permanent' visitor who is using the only electric point available and making access difficult for everyone with a floating-fendered tripping line to a side anchor, cunningly disguised as a lobster pot marker; our treasured fender board is taking a bashing so tomorrow we shall head towards the south-western isles and towards Rousay and see what we can discover there.
In a flat calm we slipped away from our mooring buoy and headed for Whitehall pier between Stronsay and Papa Stronsay. We jumped on the south-going stream in the early hours and were soon doing 7 knots with the engine on tickover. The lack of wind enabled us to clearly observe the twisting local tides turning the water in all directions trapping shoals of fish for the sea birds and threatening dangerous situations for the unwary on a more 'lively' day. The tidal streams around Orkney are some of the strongest in the British Isles and demand complete respect.
Many of these islands can be tranquil one moment and manic the next as the Ro-Ro ferries arrive, load and unload the commuting public and then disappear once again leaving the scene all within a few minutes; a vital link to the community – tomorrow is the inter-island sports meeting to be held on Westray and extra ferries have been laid on for all the children.
We are currently moored on the pier wall and making the best of the space left by a 'permanent' visitor who is using the only electric point available and making access difficult for everyone with a floating-fendered tripping line to a side anchor, cunningly disguised as a lobster pot marker; our treasured fender board is taking a bashing so tomorrow we shall head towards the south-western isles and towards Rousay and see what we can discover there.
Dragging weed
20Jun13
After leaving Pierowall we had tried anchoring in two locations around the Isle of Eday but failed miserably as masses of kelp prevented our anchor setting and just resulted in a mass of greenery attached to the flukes which took a long time to clear; not a good situation to be in whilst drifting freely on the wind and tide fearing to engage the propeller for fear of becoming entangled with 20m of trailing seaweed.
Thankfully, there has been a lot of investment by Orkney Islands Council to encourage visitors with the building of new piers and the improvement of established harbours including the provision of mooring buoys in the high season. So, another night on a mooring buoy and another tranquil night free of charge in comparison to some of the increasing marina rates – though a ticket may still be needed for overnight mooring – this should encourage the visitor to spend money in the local community which we are pleased to do.
After leaving Pierowall we had tried anchoring in two locations around the Isle of Eday but failed miserably as masses of kelp prevented our anchor setting and just resulted in a mass of greenery attached to the flukes which took a long time to clear; not a good situation to be in whilst drifting freely on the wind and tide fearing to engage the propeller for fear of becoming entangled with 20m of trailing seaweed.
Thankfully, there has been a lot of investment by Orkney Islands Council to encourage visitors with the building of new piers and the improvement of established harbours including the provision of mooring buoys in the high season. So, another night on a mooring buoy and another tranquil night free of charge in comparison to some of the increasing marina rates – though a ticket may still be needed for overnight mooring – this should encourage the visitor to spend money in the local community which we are pleased to do.
More buoy
19Jun13
Pierowall is a friendly place with the locals going out of their way to help the visitor to their shores. The following morning we pulled into the marina, once Moby Dick had made his exit, then wandered around the shoreline making the most of the local amenities around the bay including an excellent supply of fresh fish; the monkfish was particularly tasty with a glass of wine and the setting sun over a beautiful bay once safely back on our mooring buoy.
We prefer Orkney to Shetland, they both have their merits but Orkney appeals to the romantic. When the sun shines it exudes a sense of belonging, pushes the rest of the world out and simply says, this is what it should all be like.
Pierowall is a friendly place with the locals going out of their way to help the visitor to their shores. The following morning we pulled into the marina, once Moby Dick had made his exit, then wandered around the shoreline making the most of the local amenities around the bay including an excellent supply of fresh fish; the monkfish was particularly tasty with a glass of wine and the setting sun over a beautiful bay once safely back on our mooring buoy.
We prefer Orkney to Shetland, they both have their merits but Orkney appeals to the romantic. When the sun shines it exudes a sense of belonging, pushes the rest of the world out and simply says, this is what it should all be like.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
So when does the fun start?
18Jun13
With the rocky sandstone crags eerily clad in mist and the locals well into their daily tasks we slipped lines at 07h30 to clear space for the ferry and headed off for Orkney...
...hindsight can be a wonderful thing and so can having an up-to-date weather forecast. With no mobile signal and no VHF reception we were working from a forecast acquired the previous day enroute from Brae. Despite there being a neap tide and a low tidal coefficient a big sea soon built up. Wind 'with' tide, as we had, is supposed to be less of a beast but not this time. Sea state was supposed to be moderate at worst [1.25m-2.5m] we had rough [2.5m-4.0m] and more. By the time we had cleared Foula, with no space to return, we decided our best option was to keep going on our planned route which was safer than battling against it all to retreat back north; there were no obstacles in our path so we carried on. The wind was not particulary strong but the sea state was mixed and difficult to deal with. Most of the big breaking waves we could anticipate and ride over but as usual there was the odd random set which was larger and more challenging, launching us up in the air to land down with jets of water shooting up through the scuppers (cockpit drains) giving us a good drenching. We could only make safe progress on one tack, the other tack would allow breaking waves on the beam of the boat which could knock us over, so we had to sail a little further than desired away from our destination. However, the wind and waves decreased as predicted (this time) on the approach to Orkney and we were able to safely tack and correct our earlier loss of mileage, thankfully before we reached South America.
Our bonus five hours gained by visiting Foula were all lost as our 11 hour passage turned into a 16 hour pounding. Approaching Pierowall [Westray] in the ambient light of midnight all the pontoons were occupied, we also noticed the presence of the notorious 25m German ketch 'Moby Dick' renowned for rafting onto smaller boats and being a general nuisance, so we grabbed a visitor's mooring buoy just outside the harbour, thanked Arbalest for looking after us and then Zebedee said, 'Time for bed.'
With the rocky sandstone crags eerily clad in mist and the locals well into their daily tasks we slipped lines at 07h30 to clear space for the ferry and headed off for Orkney...
...hindsight can be a wonderful thing and so can having an up-to-date weather forecast. With no mobile signal and no VHF reception we were working from a forecast acquired the previous day enroute from Brae. Despite there being a neap tide and a low tidal coefficient a big sea soon built up. Wind 'with' tide, as we had, is supposed to be less of a beast but not this time. Sea state was supposed to be moderate at worst [1.25m-2.5m] we had rough [2.5m-4.0m] and more. By the time we had cleared Foula, with no space to return, we decided our best option was to keep going on our planned route which was safer than battling against it all to retreat back north; there were no obstacles in our path so we carried on. The wind was not particulary strong but the sea state was mixed and difficult to deal with. Most of the big breaking waves we could anticipate and ride over but as usual there was the odd random set which was larger and more challenging, launching us up in the air to land down with jets of water shooting up through the scuppers (cockpit drains) giving us a good drenching. We could only make safe progress on one tack, the other tack would allow breaking waves on the beam of the boat which could knock us over, so we had to sail a little further than desired away from our destination. However, the wind and waves decreased as predicted (this time) on the approach to Orkney and we were able to safely tack and correct our earlier loss of mileage, thankfully before we reached South America.
Foula
17Jun13
Following some quick research we decided to break the journey from Brae back to the Orkneys by stopping off at the Island of Foula which is just west of the Shetland mainland; this also served the benefit of reducing the passage by five hours. Very light winds would probably mean motoring all the way but had the added benefit of making the passage past Papa Stour more comfortable. We past the WWII gun emplacements opposite Muckle Row and were soon past Papa Stour with just a little swell to contend with. We could see Foula in the distance and our anticipation grew as its five dramatic peaks loomed above the horizon. Ham Voe on the east side is a tiny harbour and entrance and the pier wall a mere 30m in total.
We had been advised to raft up against an old 35ft Liverpool class life boat keeping well away from Foula's Mail boat launching crane -- kept out of the water to protect it from the severe storms which can blast through. The Mail boat is very important to the islanders and allows them independence from the mainland; times when the the boat has been based there [the mainland] has seen the economy and population suffer.
Safely moored we had time for a quick coastal walk up to the war memorial through the cottongrass and sea-pinks to the foot of the 418m Da Sneug. Wildlife a plenty on the way with seals basking at the shoreline and the magnificent 'vvv' sound of diving Snipe marking their territory. The peat soil and wild landscape was alive with nesting birds, the Bonxies [Great Skuas] and Skootie Allens [Arctic Skuas] being very prolific. We are very pleased to have made the effort to come here as it is another magical place only a privileged few get to see; we wish we could have spent more time exploring.
Anyhow, we must move on and make room for the Mail boat to be launched and so next stop NW Orkney and hopefully by sail.
Following some quick research we decided to break the journey from Brae back to the Orkneys by stopping off at the Island of Foula which is just west of the Shetland mainland; this also served the benefit of reducing the passage by five hours. Very light winds would probably mean motoring all the way but had the added benefit of making the passage past Papa Stour more comfortable. We past the WWII gun emplacements opposite Muckle Row and were soon past Papa Stour with just a little swell to contend with. We could see Foula in the distance and our anticipation grew as its five dramatic peaks loomed above the horizon. Ham Voe on the east side is a tiny harbour and entrance and the pier wall a mere 30m in total.
Anyhow, we must move on and make room for the Mail boat to be launched and so next stop NW Orkney and hopefully by sail.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Insomnia
The long hours of daylight up here make for a very atmospheric end to the day as the ambient light creates an ethereal mood; a film director's dream, an extended 'magic hour'. Whilst nowhere near as extreme as Alaska it reminds me of the Christopher Nolan film 'Insomnia' with Al Pacino in which he struggles to sleep in the constant daylight. We have had to add extra blackouts to the port lights to help prevent us from waking at silly-o'clock every morning; it does not always work. When we were on Fair Isle we asked one of the locals, a crofter, how they dealt with the extended darkness at the opposite end of the year and their response was to say that they looked forward to it for a rest after working such long hours during the Summer months.
We were going to make a break for it today which has now turned into tomorrow or maybe Tuesday, perhaps we shall just have to bite the bullet?
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Haggis Tweed
13Jun13
It is difficult to make a long term plan as the weather changes so quickly; time to move on.
From Symbister we decide to make progress down the western side of Shetland and head for Brae in Busta Voe, somewhere secure from the forecast strong winds. Now, Brae as the crow flies is just a few miles away but unfortunately not if you are travelling by boat as a very small strip of land at the south of Sullom Voe is in the way. So, we set course north west for the racing tides of Yell Sound and then north to round the top of the mainland. An early start revealed thick fog from the previous day's rain so back to bed to reassess the situation at a more sensible hour. A sudden wind increase awoke us and the visibility improved to a safe distance, we were back on plan. Confidence rose as the locals rushed out in their fishing boats trying to catch the same tide.
The visibility never increased over a mile or so and we missed a lot of the dramatic scenery along the way just looming headlands out from the mist. As we passed between the Point of Fethaland and the Ramna Stacks a confluence of tides was trapping masses of fish, the terns and cormorants were feeding like crazy and as we passed over in the backs of our minds we thought: whale!? Our fellow travellers on Silent Wings had already reported seeing killer whales a day or two previously.
We sailed on without incident and as the wind and sea state inceased we fell into a groove and were beating as close to wind as we could touching over 8 knots at times. Arbalest took it in her stride and her beautifully shaped hull parted the way for us with no crashing and banging as can be experienced on some of the lighter boats around.
Brae has a good breakwater and adequate depth once inside. Two 16m hammerheads are available plus two 4m single finger pontoons if the local boats are out. Again, rings rather than cleats seem to be the norm on the pontoons which can make short-handed mooring a challenge in gusty weather.
The landscape here is very 'Scottish' lowlands with a loch or two thrown in. In the centre of Brae is Frankie's Chippy, the most northerly fish and chip shop in the UK and well worth a visit -- have a portion of Haggis Tweeds!
Big seas have been reported south of here around Papa Stour [open to the Atlantic] so despite very favourable winds we have decided to delay our journey and let things calm down a little hoping the wind will turn favourable again
It is difficult to make a long term plan as the weather changes so quickly; time to move on.
From Symbister we decide to make progress down the western side of Shetland and head for Brae in Busta Voe, somewhere secure from the forecast strong winds. Now, Brae as the crow flies is just a few miles away but unfortunately not if you are travelling by boat as a very small strip of land at the south of Sullom Voe is in the way. So, we set course north west for the racing tides of Yell Sound and then north to round the top of the mainland. An early start revealed thick fog from the previous day's rain so back to bed to reassess the situation at a more sensible hour. A sudden wind increase awoke us and the visibility improved to a safe distance, we were back on plan. Confidence rose as the locals rushed out in their fishing boats trying to catch the same tide.
We sailed on without incident and as the wind and sea state inceased we fell into a groove and were beating as close to wind as we could touching over 8 knots at times. Arbalest took it in her stride and her beautifully shaped hull parted the way for us with no crashing and banging as can be experienced on some of the lighter boats around.
Brae has a good breakwater and adequate depth once inside. Two 16m hammerheads are available plus two 4m single finger pontoons if the local boats are out. Again, rings rather than cleats seem to be the norm on the pontoons which can make short-handed mooring a challenge in gusty weather.
The landscape here is very 'Scottish' lowlands with a loch or two thrown in. In the centre of Brae is Frankie's Chippy, the most northerly fish and chip shop in the UK and well worth a visit -- have a portion of Haggis Tweeds!
Big seas have been reported south of here around Papa Stour [open to the Atlantic] so despite very favourable winds we have decided to delay our journey and let things calm down a little hoping the wind will turn favourable again
Inset Onset
10Jun13
We said our farewells to Fair Isle and headed north west towards Shetland. We were cautious with our planning to cross the 20 miles or so to the Shetland mainland setting our course to steer to cope with the impending spring tide...it never came. We had a fine sail and made best of the available wind to keep our course and finally reach the place on the weather map or atlas that is always drawn in an inset box. Passing 60 degrees north felt quite an achievement and it was not long before we were rafted up in Lerwick against one of the many Norwegian yachts in the area.
Following the delights of Kirkwall, Lerwick was a bit of a disappointment and we did not feel welcome as the marina had soon to be cleared awaiting the imminent arrival of cruise ships and their tenders. After a brief look around and a visit to the chandlery we quickly made plans and headed out for Symbister on Whalsay; a simpler, slower place. We were invited to stay on the hammerhead of the local boating club's pontoons and received a friendly welcome. The difference from Lerwick immediately apparent, friendly folk where everyone offers a wave of acknowledgment on passing whether on foot or just driving by. The pontoons are all privately owned, electricity is available but there are no hose pipes -- the local ferries do stop during the night and are not really a nuisance more entertainment.
The following day was pretty nasty weather-wise and so we decided to stay and get caught up on some much-needed tasks including planning for our future exit back towards Orkney and Scotland.
We said our farewells to Fair Isle and headed north west towards Shetland. We were cautious with our planning to cross the 20 miles or so to the Shetland mainland setting our course to steer to cope with the impending spring tide...it never came. We had a fine sail and made best of the available wind to keep our course and finally reach the place on the weather map or atlas that is always drawn in an inset box. Passing 60 degrees north felt quite an achievement and it was not long before we were rafted up in Lerwick against one of the many Norwegian yachts in the area.
The following day was pretty nasty weather-wise and so we decided to stay and get caught up on some much-needed tasks including planning for our future exit back towards Orkney and Scotland.
Time Further Out
08Jun13
Wow! The North Haven here on Fair Isle is absolutely idyllic and we feel totally privileged to be here.
F3/F4 all the way up had given us a splendid sail and apart from the uncomfortable tide rips at the south of the island just the occasional cargo ship to dodge. We moored up on the wall just in front of the ferry and were awe struck at the beauty of the place, home to a myriad of birds nestling in the rocky crevices we felt the need to whisper as we quickly tied up and silenced the engine.
The following day, accompanied by fine sunny weather, we walked the length of the island taking in the rugged beauty all around. For all you twitchers out there we've seen puffins, fulmars, oyster catchers, guillemots, black guillemots, razor bills, snipe, gannets, shags, cormorants, lapwings, great skuas, great and lesser black-backed gulls, terns a plenty (they all look the same to us) and lots of smaller stuff we can't identify. Before this trip we had never seen a puffin, here we were sat on the cliffs watching them in and out of their burrows from only 10ft away, an amazing experience. The bird sanctuary here on Fair Isle is recognised worldwide and the specialist observatory offers food and accommodation for visiting ornithologists with a very long waiting list.
Fine weather means we can clearly see Shetland and it is now calling to us. Top of a spring tide is not the ideal time to go but the fine weather should help, we may have to turn round and come back if we cannot make reasonable progress but we shall try.
F3/F4 all the way up had given us a splendid sail and apart from the uncomfortable tide rips at the south of the island just the occasional cargo ship to dodge. We moored up on the wall just in front of the ferry and were awe struck at the beauty of the place, home to a myriad of birds nestling in the rocky crevices we felt the need to whisper as we quickly tied up and silenced the engine.
Fine weather means we can clearly see Shetland and it is now calling to us. Top of a spring tide is not the ideal time to go but the fine weather should help, we may have to turn round and come back if we cannot make reasonable progress but we shall try.
Time Out
07Jun13
We decided to stay in Kirkwall for a rest otherwise it becomes one passage plan after another. The centre is very pleasant and geared up for the tourist industry though not in a tacky way; nothing leaves you screaming 'get me out of here' as in many other similar places back on the mainland UK. It surprises us that The Orkneys are not more popular for holidays, the weather is warmer than expected due to the Gulf Stream, closer to Scotland than we used to imagine and a delight to explore with a very interesting history. However, we did leave just before three cruise ships were due to arrive bringing passengers that would almost double the population overnight!
Taking time out we made a brief bus tour of the island to see the bits not generally accessible directly by boat including Skara Brae a 5000 year-old Neolithic settlement exposed by a massive storm towards the end of the 19th Century, very interesting but best seen on a 'quiet' day.
Tourist bit done we felt the need to be close to water again; it's strange how not being able to see the water at all times becomes uncomfortable, as though something is missing. We departed our mooring at silly o'clock to catch the tide and pass back through The String and head north east for Fair Isle; we decided more of Orkney could be explored later as we wanted to catch the currently available weather window. Word of warning to visitors on the long pontoon at Kirkwall: about half along there's a massive submerged chain [pontoon anchor] which is around rudder depth -- we had to spring off because of the wind and were lucky to see it in time.
We decided to stay in Kirkwall for a rest otherwise it becomes one passage plan after another. The centre is very pleasant and geared up for the tourist industry though not in a tacky way; nothing leaves you screaming 'get me out of here' as in many other similar places back on the mainland UK. It surprises us that The Orkneys are not more popular for holidays, the weather is warmer than expected due to the Gulf Stream, closer to Scotland than we used to imagine and a delight to explore with a very interesting history. However, we did leave just before three cruise ships were due to arrive bringing passengers that would almost double the population overnight!
Tourist bit done we felt the need to be close to water again; it's strange how not being able to see the water at all times becomes uncomfortable, as though something is missing. We departed our mooring at silly o'clock to catch the tide and pass back through The String and head north east for Fair Isle; we decided more of Orkney could be explored later as we wanted to catch the currently available weather window. Word of warning to visitors on the long pontoon at Kirkwall: about half along there's a massive submerged chain [pontoon anchor] which is around rudder depth -- we had to spring off because of the wind and were lucky to see it in time.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
A new horizon
Delaying our departure was a wise decision after reports of dense fog enroute were reported by fellow travellers on Boozeroo -- there has been a lot of mist along our route so far and it denies us views of the coastline we have come to see. Destination The Orkneys we cast off at around 08.15 and made excellent progress towards Duncansby Head (John-O'Groats). The harbour master advised us to hug the coast for the end of the south-going stream and then head over the notorious Pentland Firth at HW+1 Dover at slack water: perfect. The wind wasn't strong enough to sail safely so we motored across -- a good decision as the wind fell off half way across. Approaching the Pentland Skerries spectacular views opened up of the islands and the promise of exploration.
Duncansby Head
The Islands are quite different in their topography from what we have seen so far: craggy in places, devoid of trees, dramatic in evening light yet somehow soft in appearance on this eastern side; bays with settlements and ancient, castle-like retreats, a thousand books could be written.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Killing time
Wick is a busy marina and a setting-off point for the Orkneys. As with most of the marinas on the way costs have risen from the published prices making planning on a budget difficult at best. Anywhere marked as having a chandlery take with a pinch of salt as the Internet trade is killing them off just like the major supermarkets are killing off the High Street shops. One bonus we have found since entering Scotland is the availablity of haggis and black pudding in many local dishes, a welcome addition to the menu
Fog has delayed us here for at least another day which will give us chance to have a good look around maybe up to the distillery for a few samples.
Fog has delayed us here for at least another day which will give us chance to have a good look around maybe up to the distillery for a few samples.
Pitstop
I don't think Peterhead is on the tourist map despite the excellent marina facilities so we planned our departure for the next day, destination Wick. In boating terms you can't always guarantee your destination and the log often reads something like "Peterhead 'towards' Wick" as passage plans sometimes have to be altered for weather or other situations that may arise along the way.
Departing Peterhead, we took the recommendation from the harbour master to catch the tide right and we had a fine sail around Rattray Head -- generally, the tide accelerates in speed and strength around headlands. It was quite 'lively' at times due to the NW'ly swell with a very short period between waves but Arbalest is the kind of yacht that can take it in her stride and with some seasoned helming we slid over the worst of it. Close hauled we couldn't quite keep our course with the wind direction and decided to change tack, when we did the wind dropped again leaving us becalmed; on with the engine. If the wind had held we would have had a perfect course for an over-nighter to Kirkwall in the Orkneys but without a proper passage plan we decided not to gamble and stick with our original destination.
We arrived in Wick just after sunset tired but pleased that we had made the decision to make progress rather than wait for the never-to-arrive 'perfect day'. Again, we were entertained by a wealth of bird life on the way from puffins, guillemots, auks and the occasional skua to the now ubiquitous beady-eyed and curious fulmar. The North Sea can be very black at times but today was glorious and it never ceases to amaze how quiet it is, there is so little traffic.
Departing Peterhead, we took the recommendation from the harbour master to catch the tide right and we had a fine sail around Rattray Head -- generally, the tide accelerates in speed and strength around headlands. It was quite 'lively' at times due to the NW'ly swell with a very short period between waves but Arbalest is the kind of yacht that can take it in her stride and with some seasoned helming we slid over the worst of it. Close hauled we couldn't quite keep our course with the wind direction and decided to change tack, when we did the wind dropped again leaving us becalmed; on with the engine. If the wind had held we would have had a perfect course for an over-nighter to Kirkwall in the Orkneys but without a proper passage plan we decided not to gamble and stick with our original destination.
We arrived in Wick just after sunset tired but pleased that we had made the decision to make progress rather than wait for the never-to-arrive 'perfect day'. Again, we were entertained by a wealth of bird life on the way from puffins, guillemots, auks and the occasional skua to the now ubiquitous beady-eyed and curious fulmar. The North Sea can be very black at times but today was glorious and it never ceases to amaze how quiet it is, there is so little traffic.
Hospital Radio
Moving further north we're finding the limitations of modern technology and struggling for phone signals and WiFi connections.
We're going to miss Arbroath: the Arbroath Smokies that were a definite treat and very popular with the locals and the resident dolphins which we managed to see again from the cliff tops. Another local delicacy was Radio North Angus give it a try: an alternative form of evening entertainment but with an excellent, yet diverse, playlist -- don't knock it 'til you've tried it!
We slipped lines as soon as the harbour master arrived to open the lock gates at 07.15 to head north for Peterhead. I say lock gates but they leak and the guaranteed 2.5m of water was often reduced to 1.6m, with a combination of that and local silting this meant tip-toeing around the boat at low water as we sank into the mud.
The weather situation is now becoming a familiar pattern with the temptation of wind for some comfortable sailing soon to be replaced by a flat calm and sunshine. Offshore the sun has blazed down whilst the land can be seen shrouded in cloud and showers; our engine is getting a good workout lately. Peterhead arrived without incident, a welcome pitstop along the way: good clean facilities and some familiar boats to moor along side, seems like we're all heading the same way!?
We're going to miss Arbroath: the Arbroath Smokies that were a definite treat and very popular with the locals and the resident dolphins which we managed to see again from the cliff tops. Another local delicacy was Radio North Angus give it a try: an alternative form of evening entertainment but with an excellent, yet diverse, playlist -- don't knock it 'til you've tried it!
We slipped lines as soon as the harbour master arrived to open the lock gates at 07.15 to head north for Peterhead. I say lock gates but they leak and the guaranteed 2.5m of water was often reduced to 1.6m, with a combination of that and local silting this meant tip-toeing around the boat at low water as we sank into the mud.
The weather situation is now becoming a familiar pattern with the temptation of wind for some comfortable sailing soon to be replaced by a flat calm and sunshine. Offshore the sun has blazed down whilst the land can be seen shrouded in cloud and showers; our engine is getting a good workout lately. Peterhead arrived without incident, a welcome pitstop along the way: good clean facilities and some familiar boats to moor along side, seems like we're all heading the same way!?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)