April 2015

We sail up to, and round Shetland, to the continued bemusement of locals.

After 2 weeks work, we caught the Saturday night ferry back to Kirkwall and Ruby, arriving back on board at midnight.  Very thankful for the central heating which got the cabin up to comfortable temperature by the time Elsie had made the bed.

We had been unable to re-fuel before departure, as the fuelling pontoon had broken loose in Spring gales and power had not yet been restored.  Volunteer staff had located a wander lead in our absence, so this was our first task, not aided by a 20 knot wind blowing us onto the berth.  Out and away, up to the North and back to Jack’s hole for the night.  Westerly winds forecast for the next few days – fair for a passage to Shetland. Much discussion as to whether we would do this in one long hop (about 75 miles) or go via Fair Isle.  The former seemed a bit far in big Atlantic swells on our first full day back and the latter a little risky since there is only one usable harbour, with a very confined anchorage and no pontoon (who would need it this early in the year?) at the pier.  In the end we decided on an early start; route to Fair Isle and, if we didn’t like what we saw, we would have sufficient daylight to make Shetland.

Up at 6 on Monday for a great sail up to Fair Isle with 2 reefs in the main giving us 8 knots plus through the water in a W’ly F5.  Round the top, to avoid the rost off the Southern tip and into North Haven.  What a lovely surprise! Beautifully sheltered and oversize fenders provided to keep us off the black rubber of the pier.  The bird sanctuary was not open (too early – again) but we had a pleasant walk up the hill to the airfield where I had once made a precautionary landing in a helicopter. 

Fair Isle - North Haven

Tuesday gave a great beam reach up to Scalloway with 2 reefs again in a WSWly F4-5.  4 Metre Atlantic swells meant that Elsie was unwilling to go below and, as they were behind the beam, gave us surges as we surfed down their fronts so that our mean speed of 8 knots occasionally increased to over 10.  George struggled a little as the passing swells also yawed us and we regretted not rigging the wind steering.  There are 3 potential entrances to Scalloway and, with the swell and lack of local knowledge, we elected to take the widest, North, entrance, around the wonderfully named island of Hildasay.  In the smoother water inside, Elsie consented to gybe round, even though we still had over 20 knots of wind; smoothly done.  And so confidence builds. 

Scalloway sailing club had a brand new pontoon.  Unusual in design, it has vertical wooden facings and its uniform, light brown colour made it look initially like a concrete pier causing us to overshoot to the marina, where there was clearly no room.  Back out and alongside the pontoon tying up to chromed cleats.  Very posh.  We had been told that we were the first ever users, so took particular care.  Unfortunately neither water nor shore power had yet been connected.  A friendly welcome and pint in the clubhouse was only slightly damped by the news that the nightly mooing fee had been increased from £10 to £15 together with a mandatory £1 per person for use of showers, even though I had already used the boats facilities.  I forbore to ask what the fee would be once power and water were available.

Christening Scalloway's new pontoon.

Wednesday, the wind had backed to SW, still F 4-5, so another wonderful sail round the coast, past Papa Stour and into Swarbacks Minn.  We have both Imray and CCC pilot books on board for Shetland and, following our Orkney experiences, are definitely taking their advice.  This was to go round both Papa Stour and Ve Skerries, giving the latter a wide berth.  Again gybed round, this time in in the full swell but again smoothly accomplished.  Broad reach across St Magnus bay, dropping the main as we approached Swarbacks head in case of gusts in the wind which was now gusting F6.  A run up Busta Voe under Genoa to Brae.  This sail furled early to prepare fenders and lines, but we still made over 4 knots under bare poles.  Into the marina, which I had watched being built 8 years earlier from my then lodging on the hill above and on to the pontoon hammerhead.  Plenty of room as the local boats were still in their winter positions on the hard standing.  Ashore for a meal at Frankie’s, Britain’s most northerly (and highly recommended) chippie, use of laundry (a snip at £1 each for washer and drier) and a beer with a couple of old colleagues.

The weather forecast again gave us a dilemma.   Strong winds were forecast; Brae is a snug haven and it was also my home-from-home for nearly 14 years.  We could easily stay here for 2-3 days.  Then the forecast changed to give us sailing winds for Thursday and Friday (although stronger on Thursday night) with the storm postponed until the weekend.  This would allow us to tick another box by rounding Muckle Flugga, the most northerly point of the U.K., overnighting in Balta Sound, and down the East coast to Burra Voe before the worst of the weather.  Phone call to Balta Sound.  Their pontoon also missing, which would mean anchoring in less than ideal location, or tying up to the pier.  The latter was definitely out and the former risky if the weather was worse than forecast.  More consultation of pilot books revealed a suitable anchorage on the east coast of the mainland, which would give us a good launch pad for Muckle Flugga if the forecast improved.  So, after just one night in Brae, we set off again.  A pleasant beat (wouldn’t have put those two words together with the previous headsail) down Busta Voe was followed by a good passage up the West coast, close hauled, then reaching and finally running before the SWly wind.  By now the swell had built to over 5 metres so Elsie was definitely at edge of comfort zone.  Round Ramna stacks (make the Needles look pretty tame), another beat down Yell sound and into Ollaberry bay for a quiet night at anchor.

Next morning, no improvement in the forecast, so heading for good shelter for the weekend is called for.  The currents dictate that the passage through the bottom of Yell Sound is best made mid-afternoon, so a lazy start and then a beat up Sullom Voe past the oil terminal.  The last time I had seen it from seaward was in the ship simulator at Warsash some 30 years ago.  Turned at Sullom jetty and ran back, following the coastal route I had flown many times in a helicopter, into Burra Voe on Yell.  Onto the hammerhead.  Oops, no cleats, posts or bollards, just hoops to tie onto.  Not the easiest things to get ropes attached to from a yacht with an appreciable freeboard and a crew who definitely does not leap ashore until all fast.  We manage.

Burra Voe.

Another delightful harbour.  Facilities, including showers and laundry with honesty box are housed in an immaculate building roofed by an inverted lifeboat from the Canberra.  The village shop is volunteer run and only opens one hour per day so we made sure that we were there at 11 the next morning.  A surprisingly good selection and reasonable prices.  The ‘pub’ is the village hall, which opens for 4 hours on a Saturday evening but we were in luck! Not only were they opening early to watch the Grand National but fish suppers were being served as well.  A good evening.

Sunday was another lazy day, just catching up on laundry and other domestic tasks.  An otter swam under the pontoon, 10 ft away from the boat but, by the time Elsie looked, it had gone.

Tuesday looked possible for another attempt at our summit, Muckle Flugga, so we repositioned back to Ollaberry for the attempt, entertaining ourselves on the way by beating right up Sullom Voe to Brae and taking the dinghy ashore for provisions.  We are experimenting keeping dinghy on the foredeck, using an 8 ft spar clipped onto the mast track and inner halliard as a crane for launch and recovery.  Seems to work quite well, but modifications will no doubt be made in time.

Tuesday – no go: winds still too strong and the Atlantic swell will have had a week of F 6-8 to build.

Wednesday, still too strong for a clockwise transit but, as the forecast is for the winds to die overnight and then to go more Northerly, we decide to go the other way about.  So, once more through Yell Sound and another spirited sail with 2, then 3 reefs in W’ly F 5-7, up to Balta Sound and anchored as far in as possible.

Thursday, another early start and motored, in light airs, round the northern tip off Unst, staying well out for the rost, across the top and, finally, Muckle Flugga.  We have now achieved East (Norfolk) and North.  Just West (St Kilda?) and South (Scillies?) to go.  Passing M.F., we unfurled full genoa, to supplement already full main (making its first appearance of the year!) and had a glorious reach back down to Yell Sound.  Motored through here, in light airs and to anchor in Hamna Voe (Yell) in time to be disturbed by the late helicopters going back to their roosts at Scatsta.

Friday, light airs.  Motored down to Lerwick.  Fuelled at Albert dock and introduced Elsie to Shetland’s answer to Harrods – Harry’s department store.  Then round to the Marina at Gremista.  Met by local who showed us a snug berth and kindly gave me a lift to replenish camping gas.  A resident of this marina - just across from the fish processors - is a seal who greets incoming boats, expecting to be fed.

Where's my fish supper?

Saturday, we were joined by Luke, a workmate and sometime Cox of Aith Lifeboat, for a day sail round Whalsay.  Enjoyable day, playing with staysail and cruising chute before dying wind forced us to motor the last few miles.  Luke had been programmed to be our 3^rd crew member on the delivery voyage, more than a year ago and was finally able to wear the new deck shoes that he had bought for the occasion.

Ruby well moored fendered, cleaned and tidied, we departed on the evening ferry back to Aberdeen for another 2 weeks work.

March 2015

We break free from the canal and head North, to the bemusement of locals.

2015 is the year, health permitting, that we spend as much time as possible on Ruby, to discover if we are really cut out for prolonged cruising.  The plan is to start out reasonably locally, on the West coast of Scotland, and spend 10 – 14 days per month on board returning to our part-time jobs for the remaining periods to keep the finances in order.  Plan ‘A’ was to move our berth from Inverness to Corpach at the West end of the Caledonian Canal and move gradually further afield.  Our Autumn cruise, when we spent most of the time planning how to arrive back in the right place at the right time with the forecast weather, showed us that this might not be the best way.  Why not see which way the weather wanted us to go and follow it instead?  Accordingly, plan ‘B’ was to head West at the earliest reasonable opportunity, early March and cruise in the shelter of the Western Isles until it was prudent to head further North.  This plan was scuppered when it was discovered, too late to position Ruby to the West, that the Canal would be closed to through traffic from early January ‘til late March.  Plan ‘C’ took us on a cruise on the more demanding East coast in March, through the canal in April and then continue as plan ‘B’.  We actually set out on this but, on the day we departed, parts of the canal were washed away by a storm and it was announced that the closure would last at least another month.  We were committed.

Our first day of ‘freedom’, the 10^th March, took us North, to Wick. Mostly broad reaching in a westerly F5 with well reefed sails.  A cracking 70 miles in the bag to set us going.  The forecast for the next couple of days was for Westerly gales, so we hunkered down and planned our crossing of the dreaded Pentland Firth for the 3^rd day.  This was forecast for light airs and so it proved.  So motored across at slack(ish) water.  Even then the currents and chop were apparent which vindicated our caution.  Motored up to St Margaret’s Hope – a beautifully sheltered anchorage.

The following day, with Southerly F5-6 winds, we played with our new Genoa.  What a difference! Even reefed, we can point to within 40 degrees of the wind and make 6-7 knots through the water.  Beating becomes almost a pleasure.  We cut some long, elegant grooves in the surface of Scapa Flow before heading into Stromness.  What a beautiful little town this is!  If the temperature were only 20 degrees warmer it would be perfect.  But then, others would think so too and it would be teeming with tourists, souvenir shops and fast food joints and it would join all those other ‘used to be perfect’ places further South.  Perhaps just as well to keep it for those prepared to wrap up warm to enjoy it.  A fish supper was called for and of the many places available, we followed the example of the locals and ate from a mobile chippy.  Good decision – excellent food and enormous portions.

Stromness

Up to this point, the medium range forecast had been for the wind to turn Northerly, facilitating a return to the mainland and an approximation to our earlier plan ‘B’, possibly leaving Ruby at Plockton.  This now changed to South Westerlies.  No problems – we are now flexible.

After a rest day, for Elsie to nurse a cold, we headed back out to sea.  An early start, to catch favourable currents through Hoy Mouth, then North up the coast. Past Mull head, round Papa Westray and into Pierowall.  Once again, we were met with surprise that anyone should be sailing this far North so early in the year.  The visitors’ pontoon was not yet in place so we tied up to an old floating oil hose which acts as a giant fender.  Only slightly to the annoyance of a local fisherman who entered the harbour an hour later, did a handbrake turn, and went round to tie up on the outside of the wall.

Tuesday saw us heading up as far North as Orkney stretches, to the North of North Ronaldsay.  S’ly F4 gave us a reasonable speed, but not so much comfort as we came out of the shelter of the islands and into the full Atlantic swell.  Our plan to pass down the Eastern side was defeated by a dying wind and a strong Northerly current, so we retreated and headed into Otterswick on Sanday for the night.  Huge anchorage area to choose from, but a low swell kept us rolling all night.

Wednesday dawned with very poor visibility and a cautious departure, making full use of plotter, radar and AIS.  Down the West of Sanday through Lashy sound.  A cursory reading of the pilot book, and current arrows on my Navionincs ap had suggested we might expect adverse currents of up to 2 knots.  There were, so engine on to assist.  3 knots, 4, 5.  Genoa away and main tightened. 6 knots. 7.  Full power and we were only creeping ahead. 25 minutes of precise steering to navigate the tightest part of the sound, then we were through.  Another lesson learned.  Read the pilot book more carefully!  Into Jack’s hole at the entrance to Whitehall to a very nice anchorage just outside the channel.  Elsie was a little concerned that we might impede the ferry, but he showed his manoeuvrability with handbrake turns round the bouys.

Thursday was supposed to be a trip down to the South end, to look at the Churchill barriers.  The weather co-operated but the engine didn’t.  Totally flat starter battery.  Rigged a jump lead from the service battery and 30 minutes later we were ready to go but with yesterday’s experience showing the importance of a reliable engine in these parts, we decided to head for Kirkwall for maintenance.  Good sail down and tied up early afternoon.  Port control had located a helpful local expert who looked at the starter battery, pronounced it duff and arranged for a new one.  He also agreed to look at our AIS which periodically trips out for no apparent reason.  The radar also trips out at sea.  Theories for this include chafing wires inside the mast and overheating after a period of operation.  Further investigation required.

Friday was a day for maintenance, with outboard, which has never run properly, away for a service and provisioning of dry stores (and some wet ones!) for next trip.

Saturday, we said goodbye to Ruby, for a couple of weeks; caught 3 busses, 1 ferry and retrieved our car from Inverness and headed home and work.

2014

A year in which damage to boat and owner was repaired by experts.

2014 was a trying year.

Our plan was to have a relaxed sail round the Solent area in February and then sail Ruby North, starting in March and then as time and weather permitted to a new home in the North East of Scotland.  It started well enough with fine conditions and little traffic to impede us.  With the newly installed heating and the cockpit tent rigged on unsailable days, we were very snug.  About 5 days to go, the weather looked favourable for a trip down to Eastbourne and back on consecutive days, so that was the plan.

Downwind

 During the first day, however, the forecast changed and, instead of North
Easterlies the following day, the wind now was going to back to North West and further in the following days.  We had no compelling reason to return to Gosport, so plan changed to be the start of the delivery voyage.  On arrival at Eastbourne, we were warned that recent storms had silted the harbour and to take extreme care.  We did and had no problems, though a following yacht grounded on soft mud and had to wait for the rising tide.  Our departure the following morning was again near low water and again we were warned of perils in the harbour.  Again we went very slowly and had no problems.  The major error was not to increase speed once outside the breakwater and the cross-current caught us, sweeping Ruby on to the bank to the North of the channel.  A departing fishing boat turned back and attempted to pull us clear but failed.  Nothing to do but lay an anchor and wait for rising tide, with life raft ready.  After about an hour of bouncing, we re-floated and proceeded to sea. The bouncing hadn’t seemed too bad and, although we wanted to have the hull checked, any reputable yard seemed as good as another so we elected to continue on voyage, to Ramsgate that day and Shotley the next.

At Shotley, we arranged for a lift out and survey the following day.  The survey showed no external damage beyond to keel paintwork, but a minor gel coat crack on the frame behind the keel mountings.  It was agreed that this was to be investigated and we went home.  The investigation showed nothing worse and we planned to re-join 2 weeks later and continue the voyage, with the assistance of a third crew member.  With 2 days to go, I phoned the boatyard only to be informed that they had found more, and worse, damage.  Bother! (To put it mildly).  4 weeks later, the work was still not complete and, with the Easter rush coming up, they could not give a firm date.  At home, I went for a routine dental check-up and got the second shock of the year.

A small lump on my gum was cancerous.  Small on the surface, but well developed in the jaw. Prognosis was not good but I was fortunate in ‘bagging’ a renowned specialist who did a remarkable job of taking spare parts from other parts of my body and rebuilding my mouth.  It did, however put me out of action for a couple of months.  I was finally fit enough to move at the end of June, as was Ruby.  Unlike me, she had been passed as stronger than new by the surveyor so, with the assistance of Elsie’s cousin and my son, we set about bringing her home.

Day one was a shake-down in fair weather up to Lowestoft.  All went well and we finished the day with a good provisioning for the coming voyage.  The plan was to sail a succession of 36 hour legs to suitable ports.  After 20 hours, with Flamborough Head coming up, we had a conference and with fair winds, fine weather and full moon all in our favour, we agreed to continue for another day.  24 hours later, abeam the Forth estuary brought the same decision and in the end we arrived at Kessock after 72 hours and 5 minutes, with 435 mile run.  An average of just over 6 knots for the voyage.  Very acceptable.  Ruby’s new home was a berth at Seaport Marina, just inside the Caledonian Canal.  Theoretically this gave us good access to both Scottish coasts within reasonable (2 hours) commuting from home.

The delivery voyage was made in a brief period of fitness before I started radio-therapy.  This took a big toll on my health again and, apart from a brief, 3 day, trip into the Moray Firth we did not leave the confines of the canal again until September.  This provided some therapy and enabled us to take some friends and family on day trips to Loch Ness or through the canal to Corpach and back.

In late September, I was finally fit enough to go to sea again and we planned a 3 week trip to the West Coast. I say planned but, at that time of year, it is the weather that does the planning and you arrange your voyaging to match.  We did plenty of sheltering from storms in the small Isles and Inner Sound but had some excellent sailing in between, mostly in strong winds.  We also discovered several new, to us, anchorages which confirmed to us what a magical cruising area this is. 

Tobermory

Another thing confirmed was that that the genoa was reaching the end of its useful working life.  A good, full, shape for downwind cruising in light airs but, once reefed just a misshapen bag unwilling to go within 60 degrees of the wind.  Accordingly we ordered a high-spec replacement, together with a full service for the main.

Back to the canal (sharing locks on return with an 80 foot Oyster) and, after just one more late cruise on Loch Ness, we tucked Ruby up for the winter.