Day 22: Loch Laxford to The Summer Isles

ETD1015, CTS180, 37nm

Woke up to warming sunshine for breakfast on deck in the lovely anchorage. Departed the maze of Loch Laxford to head south, first to pass the bird sanctuary Handa Island which was home to pirates with camels at one time!

Saw a pod of dolphins in Eddrachillis Bay with its islands. Gentle sailing with the boat nicely trimmed only needing to tap the wheel with my foot every so often. Slower progress again saw the engine back on as we sailed down Sutherland past Lochinver and the spectacular snow topped mountains; including the dramatic Suliven, one I've always fancied climbing. Through Enard Bay and around to the 30 Summer Isles to anchor behind Isle Ristol at 1745.

A sandy beach beckoned a RIB landing party who enjoyed a walk through the heather and moss up a hill for wonderful views of the mountains beyond and the yacht in the fore (photos).

Day 21: Scrabster to Loch Laxford

28th April 2012
ETD 0700, CTS275, 76nm

Half Century Viking!

Woke up to a clear day, winds dropped, cards to open on my birthday. It would be amazing if we could sail around Cape Wrath, the Viking Turning Point, on my 50th.

Although northerly, the winds were not now strong enough for sailing, the engine on, coupled with the residual swell from the strong N Easterlies, made for unpleasant queeziness for a number of us.

Past Dounreay and a bay I remember visiting as a child called Bettyhill, we anchored for lunch off Rabbit Island inside The Kyle of Tongue.

With that, candles were placed on the special birthday fruit cake with which I'd been packed off by my wife, Libby, and I was presented with an adult Viking helmet by Stella and Pete from Orkney for the very kind rendition of Happy Birthday and blowing out of cake candles (photo).

Moving on I navigated us towards and around Cape Wrath in fairly benign conditions. On approach I knocked off my Viking helmet on the back stay to see it drifting back to the Orkneys. Peter, the skipper was great: Viking helmet overboard drill! Duly recovered we headed on to the cape until we reached the south flowing ebb tide to sweep us south. A significant moment as, at last, we turned south and towards home! The stream whisked us 12 miles down the coast to Loch Laxford. Views of summits beyond, the loch was hewn out among what appeared to be low level igneous rocks. We entered among the islets and outcrops in a SW direction, and once well down the loch headed N, then NW and then E in order to tuck around into the glorious and still tributary Loch a Chad-fi (photo of pink mountains in setting sun).

Missing my family I was grateful to the fabulous crew for throwing a great party. We started on deck with Champagne from Libby, followed by Haggis with neaps and tatties, with the great low lander suitable Edradour malt whisky from Pitlochry, expertly prepared by our true onboard Scot Brian. A surprise was a selection of Scottish cheeses with Thurso Whisky Liqeur from aka Debbie and Libby's fruit cake. Clearly I was required to wear the mid-life Viking helmet for the evenings frivolities! The passing of this Vikings half century was pretty spectacular - thank you to all for you good wishes.
I'll ponder another time upon what the nordic 'wrath' turning point means for mid-life!

Day 20: Scrabster Mission

Sitting in the Fishermen's Mission in Scrabster. A good cuppa and great piece of toffee and banana cake. Picture shows Lesley and James, Lesley has transformed the menu and hospitality of the mission which is full of the stories and tales of local fishermen and visiting seafarers. A marvellous hub, service and ministry in this community. Keep it up the Royal National Mission To Deep Sea Fishermen.

One more night against the quay and we set off west tomorrow morning; the weather quickly settling down.

Yesterday I went for a 5 mile hike past the lighthouse around the headland.
Incredible winds blowing the sea up through blowholes in the cliffs. Photo. A dramatic stack with sea birds, I was blown so much that twice I lost my footing; waterfalls over the cliffs were being blown back up over the tops like rain. Came across a disused slate quarry which has made Thurso famous for its large flat slate paving slabs. They make great walls locally in this old viking town. Scrabster harbour is in the midst of major engineering reconstruction and change as it is becoming a port hub for tidal energy support vessels one installations are made using the powerful tides of the firth. Strange that we crossed the Pentland Firth a whole week ago, and despite going our farthest north to Stromness, we have only progressed 15 miles west along the north coast of Scotland.

Got some haggis and bottle of malt gravy for my half century supper tomorrow which I hope will be in Loch Laxford where I'm not confident of a signal; so, best wishes to you all!

Day 19: Boat Maintenance and Dentistry

To service, maintain or repair kit on a boat, even at just 4 years old is essential for our safety on a 2000 mile voyage. There's no one here to do it for you and the sailing gear, engine and electrics must work.

An example was in jamming the furling main from the mast the other day; but that was a learning curve on winding it away carefully.

A port main sheet winch failed in use the other day, Peter the skipper dismantled the block to find that the sprung locking tooth had stuck simply through lack of winch grease. Re-greased and all is fine. So here we dismantled the starboard winch down to the teeth to grease and service the mechanism, picture. It's great to understand the working of these things and pre-empt any failures through routine maintenance.

The engine is of course regularly checked, I have value that diesel course now over 5 weeks ago!

Oil level, fuel filter with dirt and water check, auxiliary belt, fresh water coolant, drying the bilge etc.; picture.

We've also changed the battery, connected wires afters changing connectors, sorted anchor and bow bi-colour light bulb and terminals, replaced stanchions, attended to the failing hob ring and oven burner on the cooker, dried bilges, checked the tightness of the steering mechanism in the rear section of the boat accessed from the back of the stern cabins, adjusted cupboard locks and drawer runners when they become impossible to open, repaired a cabin door handle - the spring of which broke in rough water; all routine and ongoing!

Our ropes and lines are vulnerable, especially to abrasion. Peter had purchased some wide water pipe in Whitby which we have used here in Scrabster. Using washing up liquid we fed our lines through the pipe so that they are protected at the tugging hence abrasion points on the harbour wall as they are taking such strain in these high winds; picture. 24hrs later and ropes were adjusted allowing another section to take the strain.

SHIP'S DENTIST
You could say that part of boat care is also keeping the crew in good well maintained order. So, under the direction of Mike, who is our ship's orthodontist, a tooth repair was effected to Brian who was in pain from a lost filling. So with the emergency dental kit that Mike carries everywhere, the photogenic Brian can be seen having a temporary filling applied; a good photo for the mantlepiece!

Day 18: The Old Man of Hoy and GPS Blocking

25th April 2012

I've spent the past couple of days ready with pilotage and a passage plan to take us around Cape Wrath to the west. I could have been a bit sharper with the weather which was steadily NE F4 to 7s over the last few days. But it was threatening to build to Storm Force 8. The Met Office inshore forecast at midnight left a final opportunity for us to get past the 'Turning Point' (Wrath in the Norse root of the word meant tuning point!). So, I set up the boat ready for leave Stromness at 0630 this morning and leave for the cape via a slight detour to see The Old Man of Hoy.

I arose at 0530 and checked the 0600 forecast. For Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath for next 24 hrs it read: NE 5 or 6, increasing 7 or 8; moderate or rough; becoming rough or very rough. Could we run ahead of this still or had we lost the weather window? Although the skipper was clear, for training purposes, he waited to see what I would do if I want to gain my offshore yacht master. After dithering with all the factors, including delay in being decisive, I commended leaving the beatiful Orkney's And visiting The Old Man ahead of returning to the mainland with a visit to Scrabster and Thurso.

Trouble is we're now weathered in here for 2 if not 3 days.

Stromness to Scrabster
ETD 0750, 28nm, NE 4/5

The sail over was splendid with wind gusting off Hoy and modest swell to the west of Pentland Firth.

We could imagine how treacherous it was becomming in the wind over tide. Fully reefed in we still sailed at 8kts. Pictures show the passage past the Old Man, and the chart and Scrabster view from the Navionics chart app. We nearly hada bit of excitement when at 1100, the radio (VHF) announced 'Securite, securite, securite; Shetland Coastguard, Shetland Coastguard, Shetland Coastguard, All Stations ... Your GPS will be blocked from 1110 for one hour! A new one on us as the military exercise sought to block GPS signals. In the event, apart from being brushed by a fighter jet, it was no event.

We were greeted at the harbour by the duty Harbourmaster taking our lines against the high wall. Time now to explore the port kindly sposored by Dave and by Mike & Pat in helping me support the Climate Justice Fund; whilst Thurso town was sposored by the late Chris Holden who passed away the week I left and who is rembrred with warmth and affection.

In Thurso I'll see if I can get a signal to upload this blog. Anyway, I can say there we be no sailing tomorrow; perhaps not again until my birthday!

Day 17: Neolithic crew!

A final day on the Orkney's, moored in Stromness, ahead of our plan to slip the mooring at 0630 in the morning to head west around Cape Wrath to anchor in Loch Laxford. About 80 miles, but none of us are confident of having any phone, let alone internet, signals there. Can't therefore say when next update will be; "bear with!"

In view of our Neolithic day on shore, I'll sign off and let Stella write the rest of this blog.

"We decided to hire cars to your the sights of mainland Orkney. the weather was forecast to be showery and it certainly was! Two Skoda Fabias were available so off we set. Four headed for Maes Howe, a neolithic buriel cairn and three headed to Tesco's!

The four of us did the 10 o'clock tour of Mars Howe and got very wet walking to it. But it was well worth it, ducking under a low entrance and through a low tunnel to an amazing chamber. There are three utile niches which would have housed skeletons of, it is thought, three families. The structure, built 2750BC, is incredible and still around. On winter solstice sun shines through the door passage and illuminates the far inner wall.

The roof was broken in by Vikings in C12th. They were seeking shelter and while there carved graffiti in the form of runes, some in code. Such words were "Ingigerd was the best of them all" and "I am writing this as high as I can," - which was a good 3m upon the wall!

The stone door weighs a ton and pivots on one point so well that a child could close it!

On from there past two rings of standing stones we were in Skara Brae; a Neolithic village that the sea uncovered in 1850. The houses were occupied from 3100BC to 2600BC. The village is so well preserved it is unique. On the edge of beautiful Skaill Bay it is a privilege to see. The houses are linked by passageways and have stone furniture, such as beds, storage boxes and dressers surrounding the central hearth.

On next to Skaill House, a C17th mansion owned by the 12th Laird of Breckness on whose land is Skara Brae (or should it visa versa?). Fascinating to see the rooms preserved as was in 1950's, very poignant, complete with a tiger skin rug. Of interest was a collection of James Cook's china dinner service which was acquired when, after his death, 2 ships came back to Orkney and sold artefacts in order to pay the sailors!

After lunch with the rest of the crew in the visitor centre, we set off north to walk up to the Kitchener Memorial Tower; he was drowned with the ships company when HMS Hampshire struck a mine here off Marwick Bay in 1918 en route to Russia. Then a quick tour around the north and east of the mainland with stunning views of Rounsay Island and a tidal race of standing waves before returning to the yacht."
Stella.

Courtesy Flag!

A warm welcome is to be found here in Orkney. Out of courtesy to the folk and respect for the islands I bought a lovely Orkney flag to hoist on the starboard side of the mast at the cross trees (and a nice souvenir keepsake!). By protocol we sail here under the red ensign, but it's nice to appreciate this special place. Orkney's is a lovely flag.

Day 16: Scapa to Stromness

ETD 0830, CTS 330, 13nm

A motor through Scapa Flow west to the port of Stromness. Beautiful scenery with tempting to climb hills on Hoy to the south. Tide started to flow against us for the last few miles, the streams are everywhere here. Arrived at the new marina by 1100, a good brunch followed by a few jobs done (bilge, decks scrub, fresh water, fuel etc). Time to explore... Some caught bus back to Kirkwell, others showered and explored here. I'm due to be chef this evening!

Day 15: Sail Jam

Sunday 22nd April

What was I saying about the virtues of furling mainsails the other day? Well forget it because we discovered a downside today, one which has been known to lead to sails being cut off the mast in a crisis!

We woke to a beautiful morning with gentle breeze in a spacious anchorage, ideal for sailing off the anchor. Skipper asked me to take the helm, and we started to unfurl the mainsail. A couple of metres out and it abruptly stopped - jammed. It would not move, skipper climbed on mast, tried easing, but part of the jam was up with the first spreaders, out of reach.

We learned a lesson for it seems that in the euphoria of crossing the firth we did not put enough tension on the outhaul rope as we furled the sail in. This led to folds inside the mast around the furler which we're easing off through the slot and jamming as we unfurled. Someone was needed to ease the folds back in with their fingers which meant climbing the mast. No problem with a 'bosuns chair'; a harness seat which lifts people up on a halyard. I volunteered, fancying the chance to go up; a good learning curve. Dinghy gloves on I was all set but where was the seat? We searched deck locker to bilges, forward to aft; it's one of those things that will turn up later when you're not looking for it. Help!

Jury rig (home made) to the recue! The skipper made two rope climbing steps, one for each of two halyards, using the Rolling Hitch (a great knot for lines in a crisis) which allows strain to be taken in one direction and eases in the other. With feet in the loops I was to climb the mast, alternatively raising the knot to raise my foot one step at a time. Climbers must be familiar with this. My safety was a third halyard, bowline tied rather than using its shackle, to the harness ring on the lifejacket. This was raised on a block as I went up and down. In the event it was great apart from the pressure on fingers of holding on and easing the creases as the sail gradually unfurled past the folds.

An hour had passed but a good lesson was learnt in the context of the growth of inmast furling mains. My reward was to sail off the anchor at 1100.


Widewall Bay, South Ronaldsay to St.Mary's
ETD 1100, CTS 035, 9 nm

From the southerly island we sailed in to Scapa Flow proper. 9 nm NE to anchor off the quay at St.Mary's for a walk to the Italian Chapel. It's at the red dot on Lamb Holm Island on the right of the chart photo! A fabulous nissen hut which the Italian POWS were allowed to convert in to their chapel; painted up in true Italian style. The smooth walls appear tiled from the illusion of the paintwork, a fresco ceiling could have been Michelangelo himself. An interesting and positive wartime story of the POWS who helped build the 'Churchill Barriers' to protect the fleet following wartime tragedy in the loss of HMS Royal Oak. As a strategic safe haven Scapa Flow has known too much conflict and loss from both wars.

St.Mary's to Scapa
ETD1500, CTS330, 6nm

To charge the battery we motored to the next night time anchorage in Scapa, out of the NE winds.

Ashore it was a couple of miles to walk north across the island (called Mainland) to the capital of Kirkwell. Chart photo. A couple of us were trying for Evensong (equivalent) in the grand C11th Cathedral; Kirk. Got there at 1827 but it closed at 1800 and sadly there was no evening worship. Through the high street to the harbour, the group of 4 explorers were drawn to The Skipper's Bar for local Orkney Dark Ale etc.

Day 14: Peterhead to Orkney Isles

Saturday 21st April
97nm, CTS350, NE F3-4

0700 the boys of the crew slipped mooring lines and set off on a course of 330 for Wick to arrive in the evening to stop over before endeavouring the notorious Pentland Firth crossing over to the Isles of Orkney. Sails were up pretty quickly and we started an amazing beam reach in moderate waters soon bagging 9kts sailing speed; 10.4kts was the highest I saw recorded when, later Jill was on the helm on our shared watch.

HARBOUR CLOSED!

Before losing phone signals in the Morray Firth the skipper phoned Wick Harbour with our ETA to be greeted with news that 10mins earlier the harbour was closed! This because, with an unusual week of persistent Easterlies the swell on the east coast has become too great to enter the lee shore harbours safely; no safe harbours here then!

Momentous Decision Time.

SW for safe ports towards Inverness and the Caledonian Canal or ...?

With the amazing speed we were holding on our reach, storming across the firth under sail, the skipper reckoned we could reach the Pentland Firth when, for a few minutes it was slack. But it was 70 miles way and we'd have to keep our speed up or we'd miss it and have to wait off in the sea until the next safe tidal window. We pressed on...

The chart photo shows our approach to the firth shortly before the tide turned to flow from the Atlantic in to the North Sea. At just 5 miles wide and with many rocks, skerries and islets, it makes for some of the most treacherous waters in Europe let alone Britain. At Springs (now!) we'd expect 9kts tide on our passage which has been recorded up to 14kts at Pentland Skerries (on our track!). Hence it is imperative that you attempt the passage in the very short slack time only. Imagine the tide added to swell with strong wind; get it wrong, the seas climb and run, throw in a bit of wind over tide and for small craft (us) the word is 'peril'. Ask the locals and hardy sailors, I'm not exaggerating.

So, there was no decision then, it was clear we could only change course to 350 and head straight for the firth in one go! Well, although anxious about what we'd find by this port closing swell, it was one of my aspirations to sail the Pentland Firth, hence, with some trepidation I silently cheered.

Now, this side of it, we all marvel that having raced 70 miles across the Moray Firth we hit the slack as spot on and kept sailing right across to the Orkneys, putting the engine on for the first time once we were over, sheltered by S.Ronaldsay, and could feel the easterly flowing tide turning against us, building rapidly.

On the approach we were excited but anxiously subdued at the same time. To psych up I played the one track on my phone, an Amy Grant praise song, and texted family, said if you want to pray - now is the time; only to be told by Matt 'not to worry!' Family have sent me on this trip to overcome my natural caution - but then it makes you plan for safety. Previously the skipper asked me to calculate my own passage plan and see if it did concur with his as a cross check - it did; so as long as we got there about 1820...

The Navionics phone app chart screen shots show our approach at 1500 followed by our track through the Pentland Skerries at 1816: bang on! I felt moved to echo the songs praises to the Lord especially, upon our close approach all things conspired to calm the water (the wind over the swell with the rush of tide seems, in these rare easterlies, to subdue the waves. Bizarrely it was plain sailing and somewhat an anticlimax having closed up the companion way hatches and strapped ready for rolling. So, it was cameras out and photo shoots to celebrate actually crossing these most hazardous waters under sail after after our 97 mile dash to the northerly tip of mainland Britain and a peaceful anchorage on S.Ronaldsay.

Well done Peter our skipper for the planning and quick thinking on an unexpected day when tides and winds and timing and harbour masters all conspired together to sail past Wick; we all want to say thank you to the harbour master for closing Wick for us!

Photoshoot pics with wine at the anchorage! Fair Winds, Cheers or what? The what for me was Grace.