Reflections...

A CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MAINLAND SCOTLAND

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Arbroath to Port Edgar

52M/10Hrs/S-SE 1-3

A serious deisel slog heading into an almost non-existent southerly wind to Fife Ness, our cts being due South from Arbroath.
We'd hoped the promised back to SE and freshening would give us a broad reach home, it was not to be - we tried, the flogging sails were soon put away.
When familiar landmarks came into view our spirits were lifted and we eventually ghosted home at 17.30.
Rab did his thang with the hooter (a bit coy at first, but then with gusto!)
Susan,Bill,Lynda and Findlay met us at the quayside - it was all over.
Right now I need to sleep.


ghosting home.


Home, sweet home!


the gruesome twosome.

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Stonehaven to Arbroath

30M/6hrs/S4-5>SW4 for a time.

It would have been a perfect sailing day except that the wind was right on the nose and we had to keep moving South.
However in the afternoon the wind had veered enough to allow a decent couple of hours of fine reaching.
When we arrived at Arbroath it was clear something special was happening - "seafest" was seriously underway.
Shoehorn is the only word that comes to mind when I recall the berthing arrangements today!
Despite the organised chaos we managed to feed ourselves and water the boat, fortunately we'd enough fuel to complete the trip from here.
I fully intended an early night to prepare for a long day tomorrow (honest!)
The pipes were soon out - when in Rome...


The Reaper in Arbroath harbour.


Arbroath Seafest.


While you wait "haddies"


Arbroath inshore lifeboat - join the RNLI today and save a life at sea.

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Peterhead to Stonehaven

35M/6hrs/SW>S 2

The weather cheered up nicely for the last 3 legs - still southerly inclination but at least not fresh.
In fact, today ended up a diesel day in pleasant sunshine - just fine for a singlehanded trip and an easy berth at Stonehaven.
The main hazards on this leg were the hundreds of lobster trot marker buoys - these really are a menace and have seriously proliferated since my last visit to this area.It seems anyone with something that floats and a couple of creels is trying their luck.
The second issue was the heavy big ship traffic at the Aberdeen harbour VTS.
This is where the AIS (automatic identification system) receiver really earned its keep!



Peterhead prison - Peterhead has a prison and, um, that's about it!
Na! that's unfair - the marina is secure and the harbour staff were most helpful.
We scored a bullseye with Stewart (Elaine's taxis)- who repsonded perfectly to the instruction "Spar,offy and indjun restaurant please" - he picked us up later (bang on time) and arranged Aberdeen transfers for the next day.



The AIS got a bit busy off Aberdeen - brilliant bit of kit.
We are the black triangle with pecked rings around, our planned route is red and the heavy shipping are the red triangles.



Stonehaven, pretty and secure in the outer harbour.
Bill arrived from Glen Eagles with Mike (a mutual friend from school days) - beer and whisky were taken.

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Closing the circle...

It was a pity that we had to suspend the trip at Peterhead.

As it turns out, there have been no decent passage making days on the east coast to date (Sunday 02/08) - so the scurry home has been vindicated.

The weather gribs (thanks Heinrich!) are looking promising for the coming weekend (with the usual caveat about not trusting a forecast more than 24 hours ahead)

The plan might be:- Mike takes leg 16 to Stonehaven to meet Bill (ideally there to take my lines - when singlehanding the first 10ft and the last 10ft are the stress points)

Bill and Mike then have an easy jolly to Arbroath on Saturday then a longer leg (53 miles) home on Sunday.

Homecoming excitement should relieve some of the will sapping that I find accompanies a 12+ hour leg.

Hopefully I'll find time to acquire a new canister for me hooter - I feel I'll be entitled to make a scene re-entering my home port.

I'd like Rab,("ole reliable"), to accompany me home - he can't make Friday, hopefully he will be able to press the hooter on Sunday.

Whitehills to Peterhead

35M/7Hrs/SW5 > S6

A perfect reach from Whitehills to Kinnaird Head and then...

A southerly force 6 really kicked up at Rattray Head - the boat and gear were fine but me and Rab were knackered!

48 hours of 5-7 winds from the wrong direction were then forecast so we decided to suspend the trip at Peterhead (nice wee marina) and high tail it home for some R n' R

I confess I had been starting to feel very homesick and it was great to be home on my birthday!

It was only 4 hours to home from Peterhead (taxi/train/bus) - however, just my luck, Aberdeen station set off it's fire alarm provoking a complete evacuation just as we arrived!

I've been checking the grib weather charts for next week with a view to closing the circle next weekend - fingers crossed

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Wick to Whitehills

49M/10Hrs/SW4-5


This is my "I'm not scared, am I?" face - 25 miles to land North, 25 miles to land South and only an oil platform for company!

This turned out to be my first single handed leg - I'm an anxious sailor at the best of times, but heh, you have to get on with it.

My only eyeball pilotage was Beatrice oil field (which exists btw) - with which I became very well aquainted over the 11 hour passage.

The video shows typical conditions:- ie: close hauled with the engine on tick over.

Whitehills harbour extended the best welcome of all the refuge points on this trip, I spent a comfortable evening waiting for Rab. (ole reliable!)



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Kinlochbervie to Scrabster to Wick

96M/19Hrs/W 3-4



Today was a long day. twelve hours from Kinlochbervie to Scrabster, where we stopped for a couple of hours to feed,take a $h*t, and wait for our moment in the pentland firth.

Cape Wrath was finally rounded - surprisingly quiet north then huge seas as we turned east but only for 40 minutes or so.A serious box ticked! Then five hours to Wick via the firth, which proved to be very docile despite the pilot book's dire warnings.

Mind you, yours truly, had agonised over the passage for hours to ensure that we "shot the rapids" at the optimum moment. We did and it was fine, nae, it was yet another damp squid.(*phew*).

We approached Wick in the pitch dark and very tired.Fortunately, Ewan was still functioning perfectly and quickly sorted approach lights from harbour lights.

You earned your keep that night Ewan - thanks!



Approaching Cape Wrath.



Dunett Head retreats to the west - we're committed now!



Safe at Wick, a lovely harbour for a rest day (new socks tomorrow!)

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Lochinver to Kinlochbervie

30M/5Hrs/SW3
1st attempt at Cape Wrath N5-6 aborted
2cnd attempt Cape Wrath W3-4



Kinlochbervie is a nice wee place at what feels like the end of the world.

We've had two attempts at Cape Wrath - first time we went to the assistance of a yacht with engine failure and towed it back to Kinlochbervie.

When we set off again we faced huge swells and a strong northerly wind. 8 miles from the Cape I decided that the conditions were too strong for us and turned back.

Probably we should have set off a bit earlier to avoid the wind against tide conditions that kick up quick and severe up here.

Third time lucky tomorrow?



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Loch Gairloch to Lochinver

40M/7.5Hrs/SW2

A settled day saw us motorsailing past the two headlands to Lochinver - the usual big swell for an hour at each but no big deal.

This leg turned out to be the wildlife leg - dolphins in pods of 12+ were all over the place, but, notoriously hard to photograph - the video shows a couple of these pods (honest - run it more than once!)

A minke whale surfaced v breifly, again, nae chance of a photo. maybe he's shy.

Sea birds of every sort circled and dived all around, after the same food that the massive seals were hunting for.


You're never far from a spar! (thank goodness)


Dolphins...

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Kyle of Lochalsh to Loch Gairloch

35M/5Hrs/SW 6-8

After turning right at the bridge the wind really picked up - with two reefs in the main and a working jib we averaged 7 kts (including the 90 minutes that we towed the inverted dinghy/outboard) - that was a bummer, still, a wee bit wd40 at Gairloch, and it fired up like new (*grin*)

The RN need to practice torpedo firing somewhere and this is the place they do it,the BUTEC lady was very nice, so was MV Milton and, presumably, HMS submerged.

Our hull is in tact and we were not required to repell borders - in fact we fair blasted our way to Loch Gairloch with a following F7.

Bit hairy in Loch Gairloch when we were eventually required to turn head to wind to hand sails etc. (I'd been worrying about this for an hour or two in anticipation) - we were really carrying more sail than we should have been - in the event, "rabster" played a stormer and we got away with it - thanks Rab.




An army marches on it's stomach

The blogger


29 metres headroom - though it feels a lot less till you get there!

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Mallaig to Kyle of Lochalsh

21M/4Hrs/S5

Kyle Rhea was a damp squid - p'raps because we'd planned our passage at the head of the sound of sleat to perfection - ie: slack water/north turn of stream + you're through the narrows in under 30 minutes - once you reach Loch Alsh you'd think you were back in the firth of Clyde.

Kyleakin is the best place to stop but it was full,kyle of lochalsh harbour had spaces - no wonder,it's a crap harbour, we were pinned on to a windward pontoon all night- no amount of fairy liquid could eliminate the fender squeak.







Mallaig, on the other hand, was quiet and stress free - ie: completely the reverse of the accepted wisdom - and nobody came to get my money, despite two or three phone calls to the numbers painted on the mooring bouys - a definite result!

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Tobermory to Mallaig

34M/5Hrs/SW4-5

Ardnamurchan point is the most westerly point on the uk mainland - like most headlands the swell picked up significantly as we approached but the wind wasn't too strong so things were fine.

Tragically, a clam dredger foundered at this place shortly after we passed the point and three men were lost - a timely reminder of the power of the sea.

With heavy hearts we moored up at Mallaig harbour.


The first dead run of the trip with jury rigged boat hook for goose winging - every item carriied aboard MUST have at least two functions!


Our first sight of Ardnamurchan Point - it seemed to take a week to round it.
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Dunstaffnage to Tobermory

31M/6Hrs/NW4-5

An early start on a calm and sunny day saw us motoring up the sound of Mull - by lunchtime the wind had filled in from the NW (ie: on the nose as usual) then the tide turned giving us a wee bit of a bounce in the last hour to Tobermory.








My version of the picture postcard.


Rab couldn't resist this one!


At anchor inTobermory bay - proved to be an agitated night of "cruising at a standstill" - N5 - the only direction that Tobermory is crap to stay in!
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