BT back on board

Our Special Pick nick Society mascot and chief of the admiralty is back on board!

Only 18Nm to go

Last leg today just a short 3 hour hop down sound of Luing to our mooring at craignish lagoon. Lots of fishing to do this morning so we can feed our returning Admiral Jenny to drive us home tomorrow. Been amazing year for us returning from a month away via Norway and the norther isles. It was lovely last night to meet an old friend since mooring at craignish. Stopping at a favourite anchorage (which happens to be everyone elses too (its so packed one dragged and had to leave in the night after canoodling with another boat)), we later watch a boat we recognise come in promptly rowed over and invited them for dinner. Thank you to that friend for share stories and allowing me to share ours, very excited we were too!

8.3 knots

 

At the sea lock

Another lovely relaxing day on the calidonian canal. Short sail down loch lochy and a locking down frenzy between swing bridges run like clock work to let us continuously make today to the sea loch. Neptunes stair case is a lot easier coming down than it would be going up with no turbulent water to fight with and only another yacht join is down made it a lot less stress then locking up at fort augustus. Sat looking up at ben nevis now a small hill compared to some of the peaks in norway. Never the less a very fine site to admire the scenery while we have tea and cake.
Special Pick-nick Society for ever!

Hard day on the lochs

F and F worked hard on the mooring lines while we were locked up at fort augustus today. We all stopped at the glengarry hotel for a swim in loch oich and high tea. Fab to revisit the old cosy hotel now my fifth i think.

Tough stuff

Flying our 1/2 oz and 1.5 oz spinnickars for the first time down loch ness bliss. We had the pleasure of sharing 2/3 of the loch with family friends and sparkling wine, bit of a contrast from some of our recent passages.

Tough stuff

Gorgeous out here

Leaving orkney water to pass the pentland out falls well off and at slack. The sea is smooth, no wind, its weird, first calm weather at sea we have had since leaving newcastle. Basically its as calm under way past pentland firth as it was last night in harbour in 25 knots of wind last night. We are all having a breakfasts as normal and milling about doing we job and taking watches and sleeping. Hopefully this passage continues to be as restful.

Perfect

Leaving kirkwell and orkney heading for deerness and out into flat calm north sea with a gentle tide. Following the slack round and hopefully passed the pentland firth. Today is hopefully a blissful cruise with just enough wind to keep the sails filled. We will have to motor a lot though i fear

Blowing a hoolly

Life afloat! Not bad. Just finished a mornings work at the chart table master minding and organising how we make it into the calinonian canal from here. Planning to leave at 5am thursday arrive inverness firth to anchor 1am fri , big day out!

Big day out

0500 thu to 0200 fri. What fun!

Beam ends sailing

We flew down to Kirkwell yesterday from Westray with the tide, making 9.1 knots over the ground at one point. It was a great relief to enjoy a day of sailing without it raining blowing straight at us and throwing big waves over the bow. Walking up and down the side decks made a change from crawling! The reception at Kirkwell marina and town has been fabulous, today we mentioned we needed to run and fetch a new engine battery and the marina attendant drove us there and back in his car, thanks again for that and its very nice to be made so welcome.
We will sit out a strong blow now for two nights more in Kirkwell before we go for a big 21 hr passage to Inverness.

And it blow

 Last night it blow hard! It was like we were at sea trying to sleep in the harbour! Thankfully it was not to bad for our seasoned sea legs and we all slept well. Last night with little to do and some forced rest i especially was really tired out, an early night was much appreciated. Off to kirkwell today, we will stop at an anchorage on the way and maybe stay the night there if it looks good. Otherwise Kirkwell, and another blow comes. We are looking at east coast return down to inverness now and its forecast for fair winds from wick on thursday. 

Fair isle to westray

Above is the view approaching Westray, and below Fair Isle. Despite the rough crossing we all remained in good spirits with lots of good laughs and jokes to keep us amused. Thank fully we got a signal (off north ronaldsay) and weather forecast to confirm the black clouds ahead was not a near or gale force wind too! With high spirits we arrived in pierowall in great fettle to look back at a bleak blackness closeing over where we once where. Thankfully we made fast in good time and dinner is nearly ready, bear was required! 

Wee bit rolly polly and who like motor sailing into 20 knots?

Bye bye shetland hello fair isle

Why do it!

While coming back across the north sea from Bergen Norway to Lerwick Shetland, my wife and i did wonder what inspires us to want to do such a trip and other outdoor challenges! Like climbing big windy snowy hills in a white out or paddling a canoe in driving rain for a day to camp in some remote place. I felt like its a way of clearing the decks of the mind and communing with nature in as simplistic way as possible. We asked a fellow sailer when we got here why they did it, 'people was his inspiration, to get away from them. I guess we all have slightly differing motivations, to put into words what it means is difficult i think, its true nature lies deeper and probably unexplainable and complex. Its inspiring stuff though, but very tiring. We are resting in the Lerwick Boating club house for the afternoon enjoying the quite still and view out the window. Tommorow we head south in small passages now and first to Fair Isle.

Happy birthday Jenny

 

Made it!

Shetland ahoy!