Saturday 3 July Blyth to Whitby

The forecast for Sunday is F7-8 gales so we headed to Whitby to have Sunday as a lay day before our final 180 mile trip across the wash home.

The 50 miles was a quick motor sail starting at 5 :30 to enable us to have enough water to enter the harbour. We left in sun and arrived in sun , I think its the first day for a long while.

So hope fully we rest up and arrive home Tuesday or Wednesday depending whether we stop in Lowestoft or not.

Friday 2 July Eyemouth to Blyth

The weather forecast for the next week is aweful so its time to get as far south as possible.
We had intended to stop at Holy Island but the weather coditions did not make it possible so sailed as close to the island and passed inshore of the Farne islands on our way to Blyth.

Holy Island

The Farne islands

Blyth Harbour

The entrance to the harbour is easily spotted due to two giant wind turbines off the entrance and another few along the breakwater.
The harbur is home to the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club wose club house is an old wooden lightship.

Thursday 1 July Eyemouth

Following a good sleep (much needed) It was a tour or Eyemouth. The town is a busy fishing port with a maritime museum that is a work in progress following the closure of Exeter museum , many of the boats are stl in storage. A visit to Gunsgreen House , one of the districts smugglers is also worth a visit to explore all the hidden store holes in the house.

The museum building

Gunshill House




A word of warning we left it till 8:00 in the evening to eat and every thing had shut except the Indian, I hope they are busier in the tourist season.

Tuesday 29 June Stroomness(Orkney) to Wick

It was a 4:00 start to allow us to cross Scapa Flow and have time to spare to catch the tide across the Pentland Firth. It was an uneventful crossing in 5kn of wind so it was motor all the way. Looking out for killer whales that my brother hadspotted a few days previously. We arrived off Wick late morning and due to the easy passage continued onto Peterhead where wwe arrived late evening . Since we had both had some sleep on route and it was going to be a windless night we carried onto Eyemouth arrivig at 17:00 the following afternoon. 210 miles in 31 hours under engine, It will be good to sail the boat.

The Orkneys

We all ways intended to stay a few days in the Orkneys to visit all the historic sights so we hired a car for 2 days to do a whistle stop tour.

Stroomness has a new marina run as a trust by the Orkney Council , it will take around 20 visiting boats but was only a third full all the time we were there. The Marina master is very helpful with visits at 10:00 and 18:00 so he can fit his golf in.


View from the Tomb of the Eagles
Inside the Tomb

The Italian Chapel, Built out of scrap inside an old tin prision hut by Italian prisioners of war

Skara Brae Stone age village hidden under the dunes until exposed by a storm

The Bishops Palace

Pilots cottages at Stroomness

Pics to follow

Thursday 24 June Kinlovhbervie to Stromness Orkney.

The trip to the Orkneys need very careful planning for both tide and weather. The tides were correct but the wind was forecast to build , but we knew that if it was to rough we could stop in Loch Eriboll.
We left in 25 kns of wind which gave us a good trip round Cape Wrath but it was bitterly cold. So now another righthand corner completed. Later the cloud lifted from the sea but stayed over the land giving us a few hours of great downwind sailing.
We arrived at 17:30 after 75 miles sailing, we are now closer to Norway than home.

Wednesday 23 June Badachro to Kinlochbervie

The weather has been very cold for the last few days so are now using the favourable forecast to head North for the Orkneys. On this leg of the trip we finally got to see Puffins and had dolphins swimming all around the boat , but they always disappear when the camera is got out. At least for the sail to Kinlochbervie we had enough wind from behind us so the 40 + miles soon passed and we were glad to tie up in the old fishing port out of the wind. At one time Kinlochbervie had a very very large fishing fleet and still has a huge fish market but is in the middle of nowhere.

The very narrow entrance
Where are all the fishing boats

Tuesday 22 June Kyle Akin via Plockton to Portree

A gentle motor around the corner the next morning to look at Plockton giving the wind a chance to fillin. The plan was to stop at Portree but this was dead to windward so the secluded anchorage at Badachro in Loch Gairloch was chosen instead. The forcast changed to F6 so it was good to be in a very sheltered bay where we anchored for the night . It was just a short dinghy ride to the single pub that was very busy.

Monday 21 June Rum to kyle Akin Via Sound of Sleat

Another Day without any wind. The trip up the sound of Sleat passed through the high hills on the way to the Sky bridge. At the top of the sound the passage narows giving strong currents and whirlpools. A large seal was lurking in these turbulant waters as the area is teaming with wildlife.
We picked up a visitors buoy at opposite Kyle Akin opposite Loch Alsh and a few hundred yards from the Sky bridge in the otter pool. The tide is very strng under the bridge and the pool was full of fish with once again a seal in residance. That evening the fish were jumping all around the boat , Using a small spinner I managed to catch a few what they were I dont know yet but they were almost throwing themselves into the dinghy

Sky bridge

Dinner!!

Sunday 20 June Tobermory to Rum

The Isle of Rum provided a loverly quiet anchorage in the bay on the eastern side of the island. Until the peace was shattered by the generator on the sea cadets motor boat that arrived later that evening. Normally in the bay you can see otters , eagles and salmon .
There are only a few houses and a shop that opens from 5-7 pm . Most of the visitors to the island come for the walking and solitude . Every thing is on trust even the showers that are in a shed on the side of open ground that is called the campsite. The evening walk along the shore was pleasant since we went early enough to avoid the midges and they don’t come out over the warte as far as the anchorage.




Leavng in the morning in the drizzle

Tobermory

As we approached the own i was easily recognised by the brightly coloured buildings .
The town is very attractive with the multicoloured buildings , but the local butcher has closed due to last of customers but there are 2 chinese,1 Indian and various other restaurants.
The town has recently installed a pontoon to the east of the harbour which makes getting ashore easier. We moored up at lunch time after a gentle sail from Loch Drumbuie. During the afternoon the wind built from the north producing a severe swell through the bay , many boats left the pontoons for the visitors buoys but still had a rough night. The harbour master said she had not seen it that bad for this time of year , how do we pick them .
Above the town is Ados Park which provides a beautiful scenic walk along the bay towards an abandoned slipway to the south of the bay, a welcome chance to stretch my legs.



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Tobermory

A very bad mobile phone signal so no phots or blog maybe Thursday 24 th

Tuesday 15 June Fort William to Loch Aline

From Fort William we turn right up the Sound of Mull and called into Loch Aline for the night and found an anchorage close to the village opposite the silica sand mine thats now closed . The village has all the facilities we needed and the cafe at the ferry even supplied two cooked breakfasts on request, what service.

The entrance is silting up and we must of scraped through the mud on the way in so had a few hours to kill before we needed to leave. The morning walk started with a dinghy ride across entrance and a couple of miles walk to Ardtornish point for a look round the castle ruins. A pleasant walk on the sun .

The afternoon was yet another motor, this time to Loch Drumbuie opposite Tobermory.

A pretty secluded Loch miles from civilisation

The nearest point for a mobile phone signal

More pics when the phone signal is btter

Monday 14 Tuesday 15 June Oban to Fort William and back

Sun , Sun and shorts !!!!!!!! but very little wind .



A pleasant motor up the loch to Fort William with mirror calm water, and only a couple of other boats in sight.



Ben Nevis was very clear with the remnants of the winter snow vi sable.

We were offered a private buoy opposite Fort William in a small anchorage and the midges were absent .

Ben Nevis in the background

Tuesday was clam and fine once more but a little chilly .






Light House in Loch Linnhe

Friday 11 June to Oban

An uneventful trip to Oban in the drizzle, which dried up during the afternoon. On the way we passed the shore station for the first cross Atlantic telephone cable , we thought it was a sports club.




Oban marina is now added to our list of places to miss, for 3 days now we have not had any water on the pontoons always with the promise that it will be soon but it is reported that there is always a problem in the summer . So Monday morning we are having to over to a private jetty and pay to fill the tanks with water. There are facilities ashore but the bar/eating area is under a couple of fancy tents maybe ok in the warm but not with the weather we are having. The Marina is on an island with a free launch to the main land every hour , so the distillery tour was a must, the down side is the local Tesco are selling whisky £5 a bottle cheaper than the shop.



Oban was a WWII sea plane base and a flight still connects to Glasgow airport. It is interesting watching it try to land amongst the yachts.

The Marina ( Kerrera island) from Dunollie castle

Dunollie castle

McCaig Tower overlooking Oban


Monday up Loch Linnhe North to Fort William

Thursday 10 June Craobh to Puilladobhran

The trip to Puiladobhran involved catching the tide through the Sound of Luing where it can reach 7 knots at times, We were on neap tides so only had 2 kns but it was still interesting navigating through the islands




The bridge over the atlantic

Spot the eagle

Sound of Luing

The anchorage was very attractive and was buried amongst rocks, we were the 3rd boat to anchor, by dark there were 15 of us . 500m away across a field and hill was the bridge over the Atlantic together with a fine country pub .Theafternoon was spent drinking beer and watching Sea Eagles in the cliff opposite. At dusk we were wached by deer from thenearby trees.

Wednesday 9 June Crinan to Craobh

A gentle pootle around today taking in the sceaney and ending up in Graobh ( Croove) Marina. A quite marina formed by knocking down a hill and using the rock to join 3 islands together to form the breakwaters. The marina was fillled by large yachts and the car park with expensive cars. Ashore the flat area created was built on to form a street of houses that are mostly holiday lets or second homes so not much going on.
An eening walk along the islands gave us a sighting of a seal and a sea otter , which disappeared when I got the camera out.

The best picture of an Oter so far :)

Monday 7 June Jura to Crinan

After a peaceful nights sleep it was up early to be at the distillery to book the 9:00 tour. Then the fog descended with less then 100m visibility at times , we actually took a compass ashore to find our way back. We were in the door as soon as it opened to ask for the tour, only to be told today is fully booked so it was 2 fingers up to Jura distillery and we will take our trade else where. There was not anything else to do on the island so we tested the radar and headed off in the fog for Crinan. After a couple of hours we left the fog and the sun came out leaving us with a gentle motor round before picking up a buoy near the canal gates. G & T on deck in shorts what a rarity.

On Tuesday we booked a couple of bikes and cycled the 9 miles to the astern end of the canal watching the yachts transiting the locks. The rain held off until that evening and then the heavens opened.