|
or “three old men in three old boats” - Ian, Mike and me. This is the log of the cruise made by the three Vertues, Maid of Tesa, Owendo, and Patience. We went from the River Blackwater in Essex, to the Western Isles of Scotland, and back, a distance of 1425 nm. Our plan was to sail in easy stages up the east coast to Inverness, go through the Caledonian Canal, and then sail north to Cape Wrath, and so back to the east coast via the Orkney Isles. For the most part we would all be single-handed, but would ship crew as far as Whitby, as crossing the Wash and the Humber estuary solo would be foolhardy in the extreme. We would leave in early May, and be back by mid August, in time for the West Mersea Regatta. We prepared the boats, stocked up with food, charts and pilot books, and were ready to leave. Day 1,May2nd. Wind SE-E-SE 1 Heybridge Basin to Harwich In company with Patience, and with Wayne as crew, I locked out of Heybridge Basin at 10.45, an hour before high water, and setting main and Genoa, with the engine helping when necessary, set out for Harwich. This was to be our rendezvous with Owendo, who had come up from West Mersea. Here we were joined by Tim and Ann on Mid-day Sun, a live-aboard couple who would sail in company with us to Lowestoft, our next port. In the evening I saw my old boat, Tarka, looking very smart, and being sailed for the first time by her new owners. They came alongside, and we talked boats, had supper, and after Tarka had sailed off, we all settled down for the night, ready for an early start in the morning. Day 2. May 3rd. Wind SW 1-2 --Harwich to Lowestoft. We left Harwich two hours before H.W., motoring and with main and Genoa to make the best of what little wind there was. All through the morning the wind shifted between S.W and S.E, never more than f.1 or 2. and with a light rain that was extra-ordinarily cold. Off the Aldeburgh Ridge we sighted porpoises, which in the West Country are known as “’ errin’ ’ogs”—”when ’errin’ ’ogs jump, look to yer pumps.” In retrospect, this was ominous, because 45 minutes later we were hit by an almighty squall from the N.W.-a great rolling mass of black cloud on the sea, and winds up to f8-9 After a wild struggle we got the Genoa down, reefed the main and set the stay’s, as the wind settled into the N.W. at f.6., and when we were able to look around us, we saw that Patience, initially knocked flat, was getting sail off, and was motoring, while Owendo, who had been more alert, was snugly reefed, and was happily sailing on. During all this, Wayne fell heavily and damaged his neck, an old problem, but he carried on, in great discomfort, and made us both a much needed hot drink. To add to my woes, my oilskins leaked, or rather absorbed water, and so by the time we got into Lowestoft, I was cold and very wet. All three of us were able to moor up together, and after hot drinks suitably strengthened, we tidied up, and made our number with the N.S.Y.C., who were most helpful in many small ways, making our enforced stay, (three days), most pleasant. With great reluctance, Wayne had to leave because of his neck, which, on past experience, would take several days to repair. (in fact ,it was to be ten days before he was able to move freely). Days 3 and 4,May 4th and 5th. Wind S.W. 6-7 During these two days, I sought a replacement crew, without success, and a new suit of oilskins. It’s not really true to say that I had no success finding a crew- one guy had a good look at Tesa, and seemed quite enthusiastic, but the next day “remembered that I said I would tidy up my daughter’s garage.”—rather tidy a garage than sail on a Vertue? What ever next! During this time, we were treated to a fine display of seamanship by the lifeboat crew exercising the off-shore boat among the heavy breakers just out side the harbour. This skill was to be very important to me personally, later in the trip. At last, the wind began to ease, and we were able to move on. Day 5, May 6th wind S-S.W 3-4 forecast V 3-W4 later. After much debate, we agreed that Plan A was Bridlington, and Plan B the Humber, and that the others would close up if I wanted a rest, as I was single-handed, and they with crew. We left Lowestoft an hour before high water, and headed north over a lumpy sea left over from the high winds of the past days, all setting working sails. As the tide turned in our favour, we began to make excellent progress up the coast,7.5-8 kts g.s., and by 1400 I was off the Scroby , and the new wind farm still abuilding. Then out of the banks via the Cockle Gat, and so off the Norfolk coast, and setting course for Bridlington, some 120 nms on. The wind vane self-steering, Otto), kept Tesa beautifully on course with the wind as it was, but as it began to fall light, and it became necessary to use the engine to maintain passage speed, I switched to the Autohelm, and thus was able to attend to cooking and navigating. This last was much simplified as I had a Yeoman plotter connected to the g.p.s., and so was able to keep a very accurate plot going at all times. The wind continued to be fickle, and variable, but seemed to favour N.E.-E f.2, and I took this opportunity to have a good supper, and to go “off watch” for a couple of hours, with Owendo in close attendance. Day 5 slid into Day 6 as we approached the gas fields off the Humber, and continued to motor on over a smooth sea . Mist banks began to form, and by daylight visibility was down to half a mile at best, but at 0530 we received a forecast from both the Met and the Netherlands C.G of N.-N.W winds up to f7 ! Without too much hesitation or consultation, we all agreed on Plan B-shelter in the Humber, behind Spurn Head. The main problems were the mist and the spring ebb tide that had just started, but with the wind building on the quarter, we made steady progress, and although we were all sailing in our own little worlds, we kept in touch by radio, each giving information as to what we could see, and in this way we soon came up to the Haile Sand buoy. Thankfully the mist cleared, and by 1030 were off Spurn Point, sailing against a strong ebb, reefed in a N.W. 5-6. We anchored behind the Point at 1300, to rest and wait for the tide to turn. It was extremely rough, and although the Pilot books recommend this as an anchorage, I cannot endorse this in any thing but very settled conditions. Still, it gave us all a respite, and I was able to make some hot soup and get a couple of hours sleep. We all left together at 17.15 for Grimsby Marina and with a N.-NW. f.6, I set the stay sail only and went very well over the rough water, steering for the conspic. Hydraulic Tower at the entrance of the Fish Dock. It is important to call up the control, and get permission before entering, and although Owendo, who was in the lead, did inform them that THREE Vertues in close company requested permission to enter, only he was logged in, and both Patience and I got blasted for not requesting-----------.To make up for that, we all got the most friendly welcome from every one at the marina, and the individual acts of kindness we received remain a highlight of the whole trip. Days 7and 8 were spent watching the weather and finding out a bit more about Grimsby- the Fishing Heritage Museum is a must, and the regeneration of the whole fish dock area looks most impressive. The passage crews left, and now we were all single-handed, and eager to move on. Day9, May 10th forecast N.E.3-4, wind N 3-4 local mist patches We left an hour before high water, through the Fish Dock with sails set—wrong—”sailing in the dock is not allowed” “Sorry, but I’m under engine, and single-handed” “ sailing in the dock is not allowed.” “O.K. thank you -I’ll remember next time.” It was that man again in the cabin at the entrance, and he said the same to each of us as we went by-a nice man who was only doing his safety job; big ships do use that dock, and the entrance is not that wide. Moving out into that fast flowing murky river, with ships moving in all directions, and mist patches coming and going, was daunting to say the least. The advice we had been given regarding navigation on this river was “TO BE VERY VERY CAREFUL”. This we were told so many times that we believed them, and were and I called Humber C.G., giving our E.T.A. of 1800 at Bridlington. We made for the S.E Chequers buoy as advised, and then headed north leaving the Outer Binks to starboard, finally sailing clear of the mist, and into bright sun. For several hours all was well. We were hard on the wind, and with a strong tide were maintaining a g.s. of 6-7 kns., and then the wind began to back to N -NW, and to maintain progress, we all motor sailed. Ian called up to say that his engine was over heating, so we slowed down and waited while he replaced the impeller. By 1700 the mist was re-forming, and the coast disappearing, so I kept a close eye on the echo-sounder and tacked out from the coast when we were in 4 metres. The wind veered and backed continually, but what was lost in one shift was gained on the other, and as each feature was identified, so it was passed to the others. By 2100 we were some 10 miles from Bridlington, and with the visibility increasing, the shore lights of the various towns began to show, but those of Brid continued to be elusive. One of the problems of Pilot books is that they don’t relate the harbour to the rest of the town lights, and a “tower conspic.” hidden by street lights isn’t always easy to spot, but at 2200 I had identified the S.W. Smithic W. cardinal, sailed up to it, tacked, to find that the wind had backed again, and we were heading back down the coast. Frustration set in, reason departed, and to make a good offing for the final tack, I stood too far in, and went aground -I had sailed up the beach on a falling tide, some three miles south of the harbour. As I was trying to sort things out, Ian called to ask where I was, and having been told of the situation, asked if he could call the Coast Guard. On a flat beach, and a falling tide there didn’t seem much they could do, but he insisted, and within twenty minutes or so the shore team had found me, and young Jason came wading through the surf to assess the conditions onboard, and if I needed any medical help. Next, the inshore inflatable arrived, and tried to pull Tesa round as waves were now breaking into the cockpit, but she was too hard on by this time, and beginning to pound and grind in a most horrible way. Then the offshore boat arrived, and backing through the surf, (shades of Lowestoft), was able to get a rope to Jason who attached it to the sampson post, and very gradually began to inch Tesa round until after some heavy crashes, the poor old girl was pulled into deep water, and taken into Bridlington harbour. We soon had the water out of her, and there didn’t appear to be any damage apart to the paint-work, and once tied up alongside the others, I went ashore to fill in various forms, to thank each and every one of the twenty or so people who had been involved. My special thanks went to young Jason (18 in ten days time), who had been a tower of strength throughout the whole ordeal-” that’s alright Rob, we enjoy sorting things out- bit of excitement mate!” Yes, well! We stayed in Brid. For the next three days, during which I dried out the boat, went to see the lifeboat crew with little gifts, did laundry, and gradually relaxed. One very pleasant evening was spent with Jack Penty and his partner. We had met them in Grimsby, and through him, we were able to use the Royal Yorkshire Y.C. for showers, as the harbours’ were somewhat primitive. The sun shone, and on Day 12, we left Brid. For Whitby. Day 12,13th. May, wind S.W.2-3, high cloud, and warm. We left at 1015, as soon as we floated, setting main and Genoa to a lovely breeze on the quarter, sailing at its best! There was a large swell off Flamboro’ Head, but this didn’t stop us, only adding to the enjoyment. But all good things come to an end, and by mid-day the wind had gone, leaving us slatting and banging in the swell, so there was nothing for it but to fire up the engine, and chug on .It became misty again, and it was difficult to identify anything except major headlands and Scarborough Castle, but then a nice friendly S.E.2 came up, and we were soon off Robin Hood Bay. The Pilot for Whitby is very specific-” the entrance and the approaches for some distance offshore are dangerous in strong onshore winds from north-west to south east.” When we arrived off the entrance, it was low water, and so we hove-to, had supper while we waited, and entered at 2030, observing both sets of leading marks most meticulously. The bridge to the inner marina wouldn’t be open until the following morning, so we tied up to a private floating pontoon- at least we were told it was private, and although we used it several times, no one made any objections. We spent the next two days here on make do and mend. We each had things to do; Ian had broken one of his light boxes and was busy gluing it back to-gether; Mike worked on his self-steering bracket; and I was busy sanding and filling the seams that had sprung when I had gone aground. Tesa was well known in Whitby, having been sailed there by Arthur Potter her builder, and several people came up to talk about her. One such was an old friend of Arthur, Eric Cree, who had written to me on several occasions about Arthur and Tesa, and it was good to be able to put a face to a name. Another reason I wanted to come to Whitby, was that I had bought Tarka from here some 35 years ago, and it was interesting to see how the harbour had changed. Then there was no marina, no Endeavour replica, mini or major, but a thriving fishing fleet, and busy shipyard. We found that the majority of ports we used had changed, but instead of cursing about it most have seen the cruising yachtsman and tourist as a good source of income, and have put in facilities for them- more power to their elbow say I. Day 15,- May 16th. Forecast S-SW 2-3 sunny and warm. We left at 0600,to take the tide up to Hartlepool, with a N1-2- so much for the forecast! Before long the wind slowly backed to the NW, and we sailed slowly over a smooth sea, long and short tacking as necessary. As the coast turned, we were able to sail the course, but by midday the wind died away, so engines on, and into Hartlepool marina by about 1400. The marina entrance is shallow,-less than a metre at low water, but we found a good depth at half flood. It’s worth noting that the entrance is not that easy to pick out from all the new building going up there, and we were almost tempted to use the Victoria dock, when we saw some boats leaving the marina, and so all was made clear. They’re a friendly lot, and took a lot of interest in three old wooden Vertues, and telling us tales of long ago. We stayed one night, and on- Day 16, -May 17th. we went to Blythe, with a grand W-NW3- 4 We left at 0645, setting main and yankee, on a grand reach over a smooth sea. Off Seaham, the wind increased as cloud built up, and so it was heave-to, reef in, reef out, as the occasion demanded. We were soon across the Tyne entrance, and by 1230 could see the two large wind turbines off-shore at Blythe, very “conspic”. I entered the harbour at 1400, and tied up to the visitors pontoon to await the others. Again so many changes since Tesa was last here; the South harbour is given over to a marina of sorts, with the headquarters of the Royal Northumberland Y.C. When Tesa was being built near the Tees, Jack Laurent-Giles would pay her a visit on his way to the R.H.Y.C. of which he was a member. Arthur Potter told me that Jack was very complimentary on his workmanship, and said that “she will be a very strong ship, and should last a long time.” How right he was! The South dock is a long way from the town, but after a long walk, I was able to get bread and milk for us all, and in the evening, we went to the club ship, ex-lightship “Calshot Spit”, and spent a pleasant evening with some club members. The visitors pontoon is rather vulnerable to winds with north in it, so if you visit Blythe, be warned! Day 17, May 19th, wind W-SW, 4-5-6, bright sun. We left Blythe for Amble, a short sail of 15 miles or so, but we were told that Amble was not to be missed, and they were right- Amble is a very nice place! Like all the East Coast harbours, it is prone to silting, and so we needed to be off the entrance from half flood onwards. We rampled up the coast, a wonderful sail, over a moderate sea, and against a weak tide, but we were too fast, and reefed down so as to pass through the Coquet Channel, a narrow rock-girt passage guarding the entrance to the Coquet river, at half flood. There were no buoys in this channel, and it is very narrow and twisty, so we proceeded with great caution, but by 1450 we were in the marina, turned so that we facing the strong wind. All the staff were very helpful, and showed us where to get fuel, and also ran me up to the local motor store to get one of my two batteries checked. All in all we spent a pleasant few days here- longer than we wanted to, but as the wind continued to roar out of the north, we had little choice. By Day 21 the forecast looked promising, so we planned for Eyemouth in the morning. One of the “specials” of Amble are the eider drakes and ducks that breed on Coquet Island each summer. This is the farthest south these large sea birds breed in the U.K., and when the young are hatched, they are brought by the ducks into the safety of the harbour. The drakes are strikingly handsome in their breeding plumage, and their calls very distinctive. We got a lot of amusement out of them when two or three started calling all together. Day 22, May23rd variable 1-2-0 At dawn there was no wind, but a heavy swell in the entrance which caused a bit of bother in getting out, but we were well away by 0600, and setting sail to the lightest of SE cats paws, although we had the engines on for the next four hours. By 1030 we were at the Farns, and shaping to go through the Inner Sound, with the promised SE breeze helping us along, and a 2kt. tide kicking up a very lumpy sea . Next came Lindisfarne, and then across Berwick bay, and so into Scotland at, as near as I could judge, 1415. By 1450, the wind had died away, the others caught up, downed sail, and we motored in convoy to Eyemouth. There is a very precise approach to the harbour, starting at the Hurkar Rocks north cardinal buoy, and lining up carefully on the leading marks, which are visible from at least three miles out. It is also very necessary to call Port Control to get permission to enter, as the entrance is 15metres wide only, and very large fishing trawlers coming out at speed don’t leave a lot of room! However all was well, and we were safely in, and berthed at the Gunsgreen Quay pontoon, for £15 a night!!!! We first saw the Harbour Master in his official H.M. gear- smart navy blue outfit, white topped cap with gold badge, and the standard yellow oilskin long coat; you couldn’t begrudge him his harbour dues dressed like that, so we paid up with a smile. The next time we met him, he was driving a fork-lift, loading gear onto a fishing boat, then supervising the ice-shoot, now dressed in overalls. The following day, he took the dues of the other boats on the pontoon, but just” waived us“- he was renovating a Morecambe Bay prawner, so perhaps he was being kind to three old wooden boats. The weather reverted to type- blow-blow- narrow window-blow-blow. We had used the narrow window to get here, and were now in the blow- blow phase. So I got out my pressure-cooker, and made us all a very alcoholic stew, followed by a very alcoholic evening. Thank goodness we were tied to the pontoon, and not at anchor! The following morning, we made an attempt to get away, but found a N-NW 5-6 causing a heavy swell and breaking waves in the approaches to the harbour. We tried to push through, but took such a lot of water on board, that we all “thumbed down” the idea of going on, and returned to harbour. Our friendly harbour master welcomed us back with “no place for small boats out there to-day- best wait a day.” Once again he didn’t seem to see us when he came to collect the harbour dues. Nice man!! Day 23- May 24th. wind NE 3, as forecast. Eyemouth to Anstruther. There was still a heavy swell in the offing as we left, with the wind blowing straight into the harbour entrance, and it took us all a long slog out to the more regular seas before we could set sail. We cleared St. Abb’s Head comfortably, and the wind dropped. So once again the engines were fired up, and we motored across the Firth of Forth, past the Bass rock, and the Isle of May, both looking lovely in the sunshine, and so to the approaches of Anstruther. At this point, an easterly breeze filled in, to let us sail the last half mile! We went alongside the wall just inside the entrance, where there was just under two metres at low water, so we were able to float at all states of the tide. A new pontoon had just been installed in the inner harbour, and one for the outer was to be put in place during the following week.( it still hadn’t been when we returned two months later.) The forecast for the next few days was for strong NE-E winds, and as the harbour master said,” the coast up to the north east will be very difficult in this wind- you may have to wait here for days” So after much debate, we decided to go through the Forth-Clyde canal, and get to the west coast that way. It was a decision we were to regret. Day 25, May 26th. Wind NE-E 3-4 Anstruther- Port Edgar. We were away as the tide began to flood, out into the Forth estuary, and running before this cold wind. I had engine trouble as we left the harbour, and spent the next hour trying to get it to run on both cylinders. Once it got going, it blew clouds of smoke until it cleared itself. I was to have more trouble with that engine all though the canal, and didn’t clear the problem until I was able to get the correct replacement plugs. We ran on up the Forth with an ever increasing wind, until it was blowing a good 5/6,and we all reduced sail as we got near to the two Forth bridges, and prepared to enter the marina at Pt. Edgar. Ian had radioed ahead, and we were given berths by the crane that was to lift out our masts, at a cost of £29.50,( plus £11 a night.) We were too late to do anything that night, and the following day the operators couldn’t fit us in until the afternoon,” you should have booked ahead, pal!,” and we were still lashing down well into the late evening. So we were two nights there, and got away for the canal early the following morning. Day 27, May 28th. Pt. Edgar-the Canal and beyond! It was necessary to be at the sea-lock on the Carron river by 1015, and as there was no wind, we motored the 9 miles to the entrance, getting there in good time. As we entered, we saw two people in a dinghy who seemed to be shadowing us, but not a word was spoken-(we were firmly in “pal” country,) so their behaviour was rather intimidating at first, until we realised they were the team that was to escort us though the first stretch of the canal, and operate the locks. If anyone who reads this is planning to use the canal, take careful note. The sea lock is screened by a tight bend to the left, and as you make the turn you are straight in the lock. There is no lead in, and remember that you have the mast and all the rigging on deck as well. Also be aware that the staff talk of hull length -” we have three 25 footers- the lock is plenty big enough for all three together”. With the masts down we were 35 footers and it took a few locks and some damage to all three before we persuaded the team to send us through two and one. These locks are not on the Dutch line at all, more a cascading burn down a mountainside style and if you offend your team in any way, the locks become a raging torrent. But we didn’t, and all was well. Mike was the first one to turn the corner, and was faced with swirling water, and no one to take his lines, as “our” team was still in their dinghy. However, when I came in, followed by Ian, the watchers stirred themselves, took our lines, flooded the chamber, and we were through. It took the best part on an hour to get each of us processed, as the head man had to fill in several forms for each boat, which included the boats insurance certificate, and when that was completed, and we had paid the £38.40 canal fee, we set off with our excellent team of John and Angus. These two took our lines and operated the locks, being careful to let the water in so that we lay quietly in the basin. After two locks, Mike and I rafted up, and stayed that way, as it was much easier to control the boats , while Angus looked after Ian. In this way, we went through 16 locks, 10 of which were the Falkirk Flight, and stopped for the night at Camelon, which has a very good pub, the Union, where we dined. It had been a long day, and we were ready to turn in by 2200. Day 28, May 29 Lock 16 -Glasgow Road Bridge. We arranged to meet the team at 1100, and took the opportunity to go to see the Falkirk Wheel, which was only a mile or so up the canal. There were also showers there, courtesy of British Water. We all went in Owendo as mooring space there was limited, and enjoyed the showers, after which we marvelled at the Wheel which lifts boats up 115feet to the Union canal which goes to Edinburgh .We got back to lock 16 in good time to meet the team, and moved off at 1100.On this stretch there are many bridges to negotiate and a few flights, and we were getting well into the swing of things when we came to Kirkintilloch. Here we ran foul of a group of youths, who pelted us with stones and a bb. gun, and Ian swears, a.22 rifle! We went ashore as there were both a supermarket , and a Police station. Ian reported the incident, but there was little to be done, so we moved on to the Glasgow Road Bridge stopover, which was relatively quiet, and had a good pub. Day 29, May 30th. Glasgow Bridge -Bowling. We were to meet our new team at the Maryhill flight at 1000, so set off in line astern at 0800, arriving at 0945.It was a warm sunny day, and the Bank Holiday weekend, and we were to pass through the Linnvale Park to boot! We didn’t get too much trouble, but at one of the bascule bridges, young children clambered up the spans as the bridge was lifting, and dropped things on us as we passed through. One lad tried to pee on us, but nothing came of that !! I was reminded of E.F.Knight’s troubles when he took the Falcon through Holland during his trip to the Baltic in1896. As with him, if you dared to say anything to them, you were in danger of bringing the whole community about your ears! The next interesting place was the drop lock at Dalmuir; here you enter the first chamber, drop down to below road level (just,) move through under the road, and then are lifted up to the canal level. It was very tight, and we all got scraped and banged about before we were clear. From there to journeys end at Bowling was trouble free, but we were all tired ,and turned in after supper, to get ready for masting the boats on the morrow. Day30, May 31st. At Bowling. A warm sunny slow day. We hung about all morning waiting for the crane-man to turn up,( I’ve only time to do one mast a day pal, and I’ll get to you when I can- I’m a working man pal an’ have other work to do-I’ve all this grass to cut.) So as the crane was hand operated, we “borrowed” the handle, and operated the crane ourselves, masting all three boats in two and a half hours .It must be the lowest geared crane in Scotland, because it took about twenty revolutions of the handle to raise the mast by a couple of inches. “Pal” came over just as we finished, grunted, and went away. We took the handle back to the office- again nothing was said; so much for the “free craning service at Bowling, operated by trained staff.” Day 31, June 1st. At Bowling. It rained off and on all day, and we continued sorting out the boats, especially Mike’s rigging that had got a bit tangled- halyards the wrong side of the spreaders, but it was all sorted, and we were ready to go “islanding” on the morrow. The experience of using the canal is not one I would ever want to repeat, mainly because of the hassle of de-rigging and re-rigging the mast at either end, and the damage that inevitably occurs to the boat when going through 39 locks. The B.W. staff were great, (except for “pal”, but then he did have a lot a grass to cut- and he was a working man.), and the whole operation pretty smooth; but the reception at Kirkintilloch and Linnvale rather soured the experience for us. No, I won’t be going that way again!. Day 32, June 2nd. Wind W-SW 3-4 warm and sunny. Bowling-Rothesay. At 1145 we locked out into the Clyde, and mighty thankful we were to be in salt water again! And the wind faded away to nothing, so that for the first hour or so, we gently beat with an increasing tide under us. Slowly the wind picked up, until we had a good 4 from the SW, which gave some lively sailing past Greenock, having to watch the chart, the depth, and the channel marks, as there were rocks and obstructions, on all sides. But no one hit anything, and as I was some way ahead, I hove-to off the Holy Loch, and waited for the others, so that we sailed in company down past Gourock, and Dunoon, until we turned into Rothesay Bay on the Isle of Bute. We berthed at the outer pontoon, as there was more water here than in the marina, and we had the advantage of being able to get away at any state of the tide, but the disadvantage of being next to the Ro-Ro ferry terminal. It was a good place, with many shops, pubs, and restaurants, but it had one establishment that put it in a class of its own- the public loo. This was ordinary on the outside, but magnificent inside, with marble and porcelain, beautiful mosaics and highly polished brass, and all spotlessly clean, with an attendant in a uniform. It would have made Mr. Crapper’s heart swell with pride if he could have seen the heights to which his thrones were elevated. We ate well in Rothesay, and slept well too, as the Ro-Ro stopped early in the evening. Day 33, June3rd. During the night it rained heavily, and we awoke to mist and drizzle. With a strong wind warning in the forecast, we decided to stay, did our laundry, explored the town, and when the sun came out, we set off for the Burnt Isles at the northern tip of Bute. The wind was a gusty NW, and we soon had to reef, but we then realized that there was a strong current against us, and we were making no progress beating over it, so we turned back to anchor in the shelter of Rothesay Bay. Although the wind eased during the evening, fierce squalls from the NW at midnight had me veering more chain, while Ian dragged a mile or so down wind, and could be seen motoring back in the early light. Day 34- June4th. By mid day the wind eased, and with reefed mains, we set off again for the Kyles of Bute. The sides of the Kyle were steep and covered with flowering rhododendrons and here and there, small white painted houses with grey slate roofs, all looking beautiful in the bright sun. Half way up, Mike grounded on some rocks, but managed to get off after a bit, with little damage except to his pride, and his logline which got tangled round the prop. The day got better after that scare, the wind eased, and as we got to the top of the Kyle, we saw that the channel through the Burnt Isles was very narrow, with large, almost sea sized buoys marking the way through. I like to try to beat through narrow places, but this was too narrow, so I went through under engine. Then down the West Kyle with squally winds from all directions, equally breathtaking, until we picked up visitors moorings off an hotel. Mike and I went aboard Patience for drinks, and Ian allowed us to set the record for emptying a bottle of malt whisky-eight and a half minuets. When we went back to our boats, we were rather merry, and slept well! Day35, June 5th. West Kyle -Ardrishaig, and the Crinan Canal We awoke to find thick mist and a flat calm, but during the morning the mist cleared, and a gentle breeze enabled is to sail down the West Kyle, and into Lower Loch Fyne.The breeze came and went, and we sailed slowly past East Loch Tarbert, Drum Pt. with it’s great stone cross, and so, in by now, very misty and wet conditions, we found our way into Loch Gilp, and the sea-lock entrance to the Crinan Canal at Ardrishaig. Once in, the boats were checked for gas, the fees paid, and “did we need a pilot?” “A pilot? In a canal? Are we in danger of getting lost? We are navigators you know.” “To help with the locks- you’re on your own- no team to see you through this canal” So we took a pilot, Bruce, who we would meet the next day, moved up three locks, and onto a pontoon for the night, as we were too late for the last opening of the road bridge. And wouldn’t you know it? There was a fine pub just by the pontoon-------. Day 36, June 6th.- raining We were to meet Bruce at 1045, at the first flight of locks, some four miles up the canal. We tied Tesa and Owendo to-gether, so that I could handle lines, and Mike control the two boats. Bruce helped Ian, and Bruce and I worked the locks. Everything went well, and we were through the “up” locks, eight of them, by midday, then a short stretch to the “down” flight. All went well, until the last- there had been so much rain, that the canal was very full, so much so that we were unable to close the lower gates against the press of water. Five of us, there were always passer’s by willing to give a push, couldn’t move them, so the upper paddles were opened to release some of the water pressure, and we were able to proceed. We said “goodbye” to Bruce here, and were soon in the upper basin at Crinan, and very crowded it was, but we managed to find berths, and then reported to the lockmistress, who looked just like Celia Johnson, the star of “Brief Encounter.” Crinan was nice, but very expensive- a pint of Guinness cost just over £3 in the local hotel, and as for the tea rooms------. We made the decision not to go over the top of Scotland, but back via the Caledonian canal, as the weather showed no sign of getting any better, and even the locals said that this summer was exceptionally wet and stormy. Day 37 June 7th. Sun and showers. At Crinan. Mike and I took a taxi back to Lochgilphead, the nearest super market, and got much needed stores, as there is very little in Crinan. We did a lot of planning and tidal work as it was now springs, and the tides run very fast through the channels between the islands. One such is the Dorus Mor ,that runs between Craignish Pt. and Garbh Reisa, with currents up to eight and a half knots at half tide. The Doris Mor then links up with the notorious Corryvreckan, so this whole area has to be treated with the utmost respect, hence all the careful planning. We went the next day. Day38, June 8th. Crinan - Loch Melfort. Sun and S 2-3. We locked out at 1300, and were in and through the Dorus Mor, and although it was during slack water, there were great whirls and eddies which made the boats jump about, and when through, we headed up Loch Shuna on our way to Loch Melfort. Mike had been there some twelve years ago, and remembered a fine hotel that welcomed yachtsmen at the head of the Loch. We passed the sound between Jura and Scarba through which the Corryvrecken runs, as a dark misty place- rather sinister. I tried to take a photograph, and it was the only one out of many that I took that didn’t come out. It must have been the Boggart, that mischievous little spirit that flicks halyards just out of reach, and turns buoys round so that you can’t see their numbers or names,- all proper boats should welcome the Boggart, but never get cross with him, or he could turn very spiteful- be warned! In Loch Melfort, we found that Mike’s hotel had been turned into holiday flats, so we anchored off, but in the rising wind found that the holding wasn’t too secure, and moved to some moorings nearby, in Kilmeford Bay. Day 39, June 9th. Kilmeford Oban, wind S 4-5 rain. We reefed before leaving, and having just got the main up, I was hailed by a young lad in a launch, and asked to go ashore and settle the over night mooring fee. I was taken to the office, where I got rather a frosty reception, and told, ”three boats at £12.50 each- £40 please.” “ er, three times £12.50 is £37.50” “ You came ashore in our launch, didn’t you?” I almost asked if there was a charge for standing on the carpet, but thought that might make matters worse, as I still had to get back to Tesa, but I did mention that I thought their charges could be favourably compared to the South Coast, but this went down like a lead balloon, and I left the office in cold silence. We got away at 1300, bound for Oban, and beat out and down Shuna Sound, as with springs, we didn’t feel like taking the shorter route through Seil Sound and Cunan Sound. Mike had done that before in a much larger boat, with a powerful engine, that was needed to combat the stronge eddies and whirlpools that form there. So we stood away in a falling wind, down to Ardluing Pt the southern tip of Luing, and then up the Sound of Luing. A beat south should mean a run north, but not this day. As soon as we turned north, so did the wind, well north west, and we had a close reach, past Easedale and the Sound of Inish, and then into the Sound of Kerrea, at the top of which was Oban. We arrived in Oban Bay in the late evening, and then like three old geese, we went round and round the various moorings, looking for somewhere to land. We finally settled on the yellow visitor moorings off the Borro Boats yard, and had a peaceful night, and no nasty launches in the morning. Day 40, June 10th. Wind SW 3-4 overcast and cold. Oban -Tobermory. A free wind!! And one that would last all day. We were through the very narrow entrance to Oban Bay, accompanied by a fast moving ferry, at 0700, bound for the Sound of Mull, and Tobermory. We rampled across the Lynne of Lorne, and soon picked up the white tower on the Lady Rock and the light on Lismore Island, between which we were to pass. There were over falls in the passage between the islands, and to make matters more interesting, the ferry came through at the same time, but in the other direction. There was plenty of space, but his wake certainly stirred up the over falls. By mid morning the cloud had broken, and we had warm sun and showers. I was very glad of the sun, because it activated my solar panel, putting much needed amps into the batteries. I was still having trouble with one of the two batteries, only a year old and showing signs of constant discharge, so I switched every thing off, so that there would be enough power to start the engine when we got to Tobermory. With the wind playing all sorts of tricks, we slowly sailed up the Sound, when the wind went completely, and as we were getting sail down it came up to f 5/6, and we tore along under main only at 7/8 knots g.s. It was grand sailing, but all too soon we were in the wide bay behind Calve island, and picked up moorings opposite the town quay. Some of the moorings were for visitors, but these are expensive at £12 a night, but I was lucky, and used a fisherman’s whose boat was out of the water. “I’ll no be using it laddie- stay as long as yer like.” Nice people. Tobermory’s waterfront is very colourful, with the houses and shops painted in bright reds, blues, yellows greens and pinks. In the afternoon sun it was magnificent, and we went ashore for a pub late lunch, then I sought out a garage to enquire about getting my batteries charged up, and the possibility of buying a spare. Ian however, sought out the Tobermory distillery, a much more sensible thing to do. Day 41, June 11th. Heavy rain and strong winds-cold. As yesterday had been great, so this day was horrible. I took the batteries ashore to be charged up, when the suspect one blew up-an internal short. Luckily there was a similar one in store, so I bought it and installed both later. I stayed on the boat all day, lighting the charcoal stove, which dried Tesa out, and made life onboard a little more tolerable. During this cruise, I used three large bags of charcoal, and on occasions kept the stove going for 48 hours- it’s amazing how popular a warm dry boat becomes in foul weather. I made a “Tesa stew” for all of us, which, with wine and “sipping” whisky, made the clouds roll away, and sent us all to our bunks in a happier frame of mind. Day42, June 12th. Wind NW-W 4, broken cloud, dry. Loch Sunart. We stood away across the Sound of Mull, to the entrance of Loch Sunart. We had no difficulty in identifying the many off lying rocks and mini-islands in the channel, and were soon passing Oransay, and the little anchorage of Drumbuie. We were on a fine run, and the scenery was certainly up to the descriptions in the Pilots-large ranges of mountains, secret places behind islands, clear dark water, and occasional castles perched on crags.( well, there was one). The loch was some 16 miles of challenging and interesting pilot age- perhaps the most spectacular was at the Laudale Narrows, a twisting channel with rocks just under the surface, and opposite a very grand house set in vast grounds, fronted by a deer park, which on this day had a large herd feeding right by the fence- magic!! At the head of the loch we anchored above the stone jetty in 6 metres at high tide. The sun came out, and all was peaceful and calm- just as it is supposed to be. Day 43, June 13th. Head of loch - Salen. Nothing lasts, as at daybreak, there was a thick mist and rain. We left at 1030 , the engine spluttered and spat until it cleared itself, and then through the Narrows, but this time on a falling tide. It became very unpleasant, with a cold head wind and rain, so we decided to go into a little “side” loch, Salen. The book said “ showers ,stores and a pub”, but the book lied. What it did have however, was David McGree a Harbourmaster par-excellence. He had obviously seen us in the entrance, and buzzed out to us, to escort us, individually, to our moorings. He then offered to take our rubbish ashore, said he could arrange showers and laundry at a local B&B, and if we gave him a list of stores, he would get them for us, and all for £7 a night! Ian asked about sea food; “I can pick mussels for you to-day, but lobsters take a little longer. Mussels are £2 for your biggest bucket” We had mussels a-la-Patience, and laundry and showers a-la- Louise(£10 plus six free-range eggs as a gift.), but no pub, as this had closed two years previously. Ian took Patience along side the little stone jetty for fuel and water,£7 for the use of the jetty, and Mike dried out alongside, using his beaching legs, to clear the prop of his log line.(£7 for the use of the jetty.) I stayed on my mooring! It blew hard , and was very wet, so we stayed in the shelter of Salen, lit our stoves, and waited for the weather to improve, which it did on- Day 45, June15th. Salen -Tobermory What a change! warm sun, and a drying wind, still fresh and from ahead, but dry! We left Salen in time to take the tide down the loch, and with a reef in the main, beat out to Tobermory. On the way, I decided to take a short cut between a small island and the mainland, the gap was no more than thirty yards wide, and about a hundred yards long, very much like tacking on the Norfolk Broards, only instead of reeds, there were rocks;- a bit silly maybe, but enjoyable. Once out of the loch and clear, we stood away across the Sound of Mull, to meet up with four German minesweepers , about to take part in a NATO exercise off the Cape Wrath area. The first passed ahead, the second altered course to pass astern of me, and the other two were too far away to effect me. One of them however, certainly upset someone, because there were some very strong language on the radio on the lines of “I didn’t fight the war to be carved up by---------- etc. etc.” Once back in Tobermory, we picked up our old moorings, and decided that we would now concentrate on getting home, some 700 miles of sailing. We stored up, and planned to move as soon as the weather relented. Day 47, June 17th, Day 46 was spent on board as it rained and rained for 24 hours. At the lower end of the Sound of Mull, is small, pretty Loch Aline, a must according to the pilot, so we went. It was as described, and we had a peaceful night there, completely surrounded by trees. Day 48, June 18th. bright sun and a cold north wind. Loch Aline - Dunstaffnage The current through the narrow entrance to Loch Aline was two and a half kts. and there are rocks all over the place, and a ferry, and great care has to taken, but with a following wind all was well. As we passed Lismore Island, we saw cloud building up to the north, and heavy rain squalls on the mountains which slowly came our way, and with them a cold NE-E wind right on the nose! This soon dropped to a flat calm, so we all engined the two or three miles into Dunstaffnage. There is a note in the pilot concerning the strong currents in Dunstafferon marina, and the care needed when berthing, but I mis-read the note, and made a right mess of coming into the pontoon, luckily with only damage to my pride. Dunstaffnage is the home of a large charter fleet, and it was most interesting to listen to the comments of the servicing teams concerning the seamanship or otherwise of some of the charterers “this lot never took their oillies off from day one, and all the bunk cushions are soaked - what sort of homes do they come from?”( these charterers had an average age of about sixty!) Like every place we visited, the staff were kind and attentive, and because of the near gale conditions, we stayed an extra day, and heard the forecast giving warning of snow on the mountains! Soon be mid-summer’s day! Day 50, June 20th. wind NW-W 2-3 sunny with building cloud. Dunstaffnage - Corpach, and the Caledonian Canal. We left as planned at 1300- low water, and with the light wind, set big sails. however, out side the bay, it was blowing a good 5, so after a struggle, set the stay sail. But the wind hadn’t finished with us yet, as it fell calm, and we tried to sail over a lumpy sea to the smoother water under the lee of Lismore Island. I think it was a case of Tesa’s boggart conspiring with Lismore’s, because when they had had their fun, they gave us a good NNW, a close reach up the Lynn of Lorne, through the narrows off Port Appin, and into Loch Linnhe by way of the Isle of Shuna. Here the wind dropped, and we motored in company towards the Corran Narrows, hard by loch Leven. My boggart hadn’t finished with me yet, because as we came to the Narrows, it started to rain, the engine oiled up one cylinder, and the wind picked up from dead ahead. There is no way that you can beat through the Narrows, as there are rocks and shoals, a car ferry, and a three kn. tidal stream with over falls! As they say in Norfolk-cor bust!! The day was saved by Mike, who gave me a tow through the worsed bit, and the ferry hovered until we were clear, but it was not a pleasant experience. With the wind still ahead, it was tack and tack again all the way to Corpach. Both Mike and Ian motored on ahead, but for the last mile or so, Ian came back, and took me alongside,- a rather unwell Ian, who had been suffering with a bad toothache over the past few days, and had taken rather a lot of pain-killers. As we went along, he told me that this was where he trained as a deep-sea diver many years ago. “and I don’t recognise the place-it’s all gone.” We berthed at the pontoon out side the lock at 2200, tired and wet- a big supper, and we turned in although it was still full day light. Day 51, June 21st. mid-summer day, sunny and warm! Having locked through into the sea basin, we went to pay our dues to pass through the canal, a mere £120 - this trip was becoming very expensive in canal fees. But there was nothing we could, or indeed wanted to do about it- one of the high lights of the cruise was to be the Caledonian, and here we were about to make passage through some of the best scenery in Scotland. Ian was still laid up, so Mike and I left him to sleep, while we , after lunch, took the bus into Creggan to get three sets plugs for the engine. I knew all along what the problem with the engine was, but had been unable to get the correct plugs in any of the places we had visited. Back at Corpach, with Ian a little better, we watched as the Lord of the Glens, a large cruise ship, came into the lock. She only just fitted, but with bow and stern thrusters, she was manoeuvred very gently, until she lay in the middle. She was on a regular run, through the canal, but on this day her American passengers were going to “do” Skye by coach, and rejoin in the evening. We were concerned that we would be chased by her through the narrow bits further on, but no, the captain assured us that such was his time-table, we would be well on our way before he passed us. infact we didn’t see him again until we got to the other end. Day 52, June 22nd. bright sun - calm. We were taken through the Corpach lock, at 0930 by Peter Kennedy and his crew. Peter, who is the lock keeper, is a fount of all knowledge, and can judge the length of a boat to the last inch, so there is no point in trying to pretend your boat is shorter than she is to try to pay less - Peter will suss you out, and will look most unhappy if you try. So we said “ goodbye” to this nice man, and made our way to Neptune’s Stairs, an inter-connected flight of eight locks, where we were helped through by the tourists, who happily pulled on ropes, fended us off, and filmed it all on their cam-corders. We were grateful because it was hot, and it’s nice to be able to give so many such pleasure. Then on , passed bridges that swung, through the very deep lock at Gairlochy, where we had to throw our lines up to the keeper, and some of us missed several times, and so into Loch Lochy, where we were able to sail very slowly, until the dreaded NE wind came in from ahead. Half way up the loch was an hotel, and a very convenient pontoon at Letterfinlay, so it seemed sensible to tie up for the night, and have a good meal ashore. All was calm when we turned in after supper, but in the night, the NE wind came in at f.5-6, making the windward side of the pontoon, Ian’s side, untenable. With much effort we got him round to the lee side, tamed his dinghy that was attacking his transom, but were unable to save a dory with outboard from destroying itself. Nobody seemed to know who the owner was, so we pulled it as far up the beach as we could, and left it there. Day 53, June 23rd. wind NE 5-6 heavy rain squalls-not nice. After the early morning’s activity, we were not in a hurry to get away, but the weather was so bad, and the pontoon was doing it’s best to damage the boats, that we were eager to get away. We prepared very carefully as we were on a slight lee shore, and each being single-handed, the slightest mistake, a line snagging, too much engine or not enough, could spell disaster. However ,we all got away cleanly, Ian under engine with no sails set, Mike with just a head sail, and me with a reefed main and staysail. The squalls came thick and fast, over a very rough loch, and spray was flying over the whole boat as I beat up to-wards the Laggen locks. It appeared marginally more sheltered on the north side, but the closer in the greater the katabolic effect, and so there was not a lot in it, except that it seemed easier. After a couple of hours, we were close to Kilfinnan Pt., so dropped sail, and motored into an almost deserted marina at the Laggen locks. There is quite a large charter fleet based here, and as most of the boats were away, we had the place to ourselves, and of course, nothing to pay, as all moorings are included in the transit fee. Although it was still only early afternoon, we didn’t feel like going on, so we each retired to the boats, lit stoves, and dozed, while outside the rain hammered down. We met up again in the evening on Tesa for coffee and whisky, and finally settled down at mid-night. Day 54, - June24th. Calm. but steady rain. Laggen - Fort Augustus. This next stretch took us through stunning scenery which we could appreciate despite the rain. This whole area is steeped in clan history- the bloody Battle of the Shirts, so called because the day was so hot, that the clans that took part were half naked; the Well of the Seven Heads, a tale of murder and revenge, and then into Loch Oich, shallow, narrow, and small, but with many small islets, each heavily wooded. As we passed Invergarry, we could see the ruins of Invergarry Castle, once the stronghold of the McDonnell, burned by Government troops after the battle of Culloden in 1746, in retribution for the help given by McDonnell of Glengarry to Bonnie Prince Charlie. History indeed!!! We were now at the highest part of the Great Glen, having been lifted up some 106 feet above sea-level, and at Fort Augustus, we dropped down a flight of five locks, helped by the tourists-in fact so eager were some of them that , like Huck Finn, we could have charged them! There was a brand new shower block, just opened, and we all enjoyed the sensation of gallons of hot water in spacious surroundings. We ate ashore- there were many places from which to choose, and we chose the one that wasn’t showing a football match! Day 55, June 25th. Fort Augustus - Loch Ness - Loch Dochfour - Tomnhurich A late start-clearing skies - and no wind! We had heard an horrendous forecast-S 6-7, but there were no signs of it, so we set out into Loch Ness with a very light head wind. The water was still and black, and for a long time ,we were the only things moving- a steady 4 knots under engine, when the sky was shattered by two RAF Hawk jets, one either side of the loch, playing “I can go lower than you can”. One can only hope that their ground-hugging radar is always properly calibrated. Several sorties were made during our passage, and we never got used to them! And the monster? Ah well, I have it on very good authority,- my Boggart- that the “monster” is in fact the Bogart’s cousin, and his favourite party trick is to wait until all the cameras have been put away, and the watchers are just getting into their cars, when he “appears” as a great swirl in the water, that is just seen out of the corner of the eye.( any thing else comes out of a whisky bottle.) Half way, and we were passing Drumnadrochit and the ruins of Urquhart Castle, an area steeped in Scottish history as far back as Robert the Bruce and Edward the 1st. John Cobb died here attempting a water speed record in 1952, and Sir Peter Scott based his expedition here when searching for Nessie-he hadn’t got in touch with the Boggart either, so found nothing! We finally left Loch Ness in the early afternoon, and entered the most lovely of all the places we had seen, Loch Dochfours. Where as Loch Ness seemed devoid of life, Dochfour was full of it- birds singing in every bush and tree, duck on the water and flowers among the trees. There were also weirs on the starboard side, with what looked like very flimsy guardrails, and in some places, no guard rails at all. Unfortunately, we got behind a very slow motor boat, and not wanting to appear rude and overtake him in this narrow section, arrived at the last down flight of locks too late to go down that evening. We were advised to go back a mile or so, to Tomnahurich, as the area around these locks was not a very pleasant place to stay- shades of Kirkintilloch, and this we did ,and had a very good evening at a splendid pub. It was warm, with clear skies, but the shipping forecast was for strong S-SE winds for our area, but that was for the morrow.! Day 56, June 26th. damp! We moved down the Muirhead flight in the morning, through the swing bridge, and into Sea Port marina by 10.00, and to make it more interesting, a strong gusty NW wind with rain got up to help us into our berths! Oh wot fun! It was damp and cold all day, and so I lit the stove, and in the evening cooked a large spag bog for all of us. Day 57, June 27th. warm and sunny-calm. A day for airing the boats, ourselves, doing the laundry, and general make do and mend. A restful day, in which Mike and I walked the mile and a half to Clachna Harry lock, where we had a grand lunch of roast Scottish beef Yorkshire pudding and veg, with a pint of the best, all for £4.95! Ian was most miffed to have missed this treat. With the morrow in mind, the open sea , and all that navigating, I got my charts up to date, and the boat ready, as we were to leave early. Day 58, June 28th. wind S-SW 3-4 warm and dry. Sea Lock - Lossimouth. We locked through at 0900. While waiting we noticed some swallows had nested on a ledge on one of the gates- if they were bringing food to their young when the gate was moving, would they wait or alter their angle of flight to synchronize with the gate? We were through before we could find out. The total fees paid for our three canals was £298.70, which included taking the mast down at Pt. Edgar, and in total, we went through 84 locks, and under 51 bridges of all sorts, and travelled 104 miles. Once out, we hoisted sail to the SW wind, and sailed up and through the Inverness Firth, glad to be back in salt water. On our way to Chanonry Pt., the narrows at the head of the Firth, we saw a Viking longship, not under sail or oars, but a thundering great engine. The crew looked as if they had been at sea for days, all in full oilskins and woolly hats, and when I waved a greeting, nothing- I expect they were thinking “what a loon for going out to sea”. Anyway, I thought they looked grand! With a 3 knot tide under us, and then running with full sail, we sped past long beaches of golden sand, revelling in the warm sun; but nothing lasts for ever. The wind began to drop, and before long we were motoring, and looking for the entrance to Lossimouth. You can’t really miss the place because of the noise of the RAF base, and during our approach, one plane was so low over the sea, that when he started to climb, he left a wide “wake” in the sea!( ground-hugging radar on the blink?) We berthed in the inner harbour,£15 a night. It was very sheltered, and the staff helpful, but left it to us to “honour pay “ before we departed in the morning, which, of course, we did. Day 59, June 29th. forecast SW-W 3-4, warm and sunny. Lossimouth-Whitehalls. We were fooled about the wind. It was from the west, but only f 1-2., still it was very pleasant in the warm sun, passing this low coastline, with the occasional headlands as contrast. By mid morning the wind faded away, and so we motored towards a large fishing fleet that was catching squid for the Italian market, in a two week season. We had hoped to get to Fraserburgh, but the tide now turned , as did the wind, to the SE, so Mike and I had a slow beat to the little harbour of Whitehills, where a new marina had just been developed. Ian motored ahead and secured the last three berths, and when we got there, we had difficulty in finding the entrance, as there were several doglegs to negotiate before we got in. We were met by a very efficient assistant harbour master, who gave us non-stop information, showed us where every thing was, and charged us £15 for the first night, £ 10 for the second, and £5 there after. Ian was not very well, so we decided to stay until he had fully recovered, which he did after a day’s rest. Day 60, June 30th. at Whitehills. Rain on and off all day, culminating in a mammoth thunder storm in the after noon. A Danish couple sailing a large boat came in, and told us that they had been three days on passage, and had been knocked down by a massive wave that had bent their bow platform, and caused other damage. The platform was made of thick stainless pipe, that was now a twisted mess. They retired , and slept for 24 hours. Whitehills has some interesting features, - low houses built of cut granite blocks-rock gardens in which nothing appeared to grow but rocks, and best of all a warm room with comfortable chairs, right beside the harbour office where we could sit and read. Day 61, July 1st. Whitehills - Peterhead. slack weather-W- NW -E -SE. We left at 07.30, and outside the harbour we found a W 3, which gave us a sloppy run over a very lumpy sea, and it was necessary to rig the preventer. Within a couple of hours the wind veered to the NW and died, so we motored for an hour, then W2 to help us round Kinnaids Head, past Fraserburgh, and when off Rattray Head, we lost the tide, the wind went easterly, and we beat very slowly in heavy rain all the way to Peterhead. It seemed to take ages to get past Rattray Head, as the tide of 2-3 knots was against us, but by 18.00 we were off the harbour asking for permission to enter. Peterhead harbour is big- full of oilrig support ships and fishing vessels, so you have to obey the port control to the letter- if they say “wait” you do, whatever the tide might be doing to you. We waited some half an hour outside, while a ship re-positioned itself, and then we were let in, and found our way to the marina,- a long way from any where, but there were good showers, and protected berths, so we all slept well. Day 62, July 2nd. Peterhead - Stonehaven. wind S-SW-SE. The forecast was right! And our course was SW! Oh joy! To carry the full flood tide, we set off at 07.50 over the last of the ebb, and I sailed close hauled out to sea ,to make what I hoped would be a good offing for Stonehaven. But as I tacked so the wind seemed to turn as well, and I think this must have been some of the most frustrating sailing I have done for a long time! Off Aberdeen there were heavy overfalls, with much spray and breaking seas, and both Mike and I got very wet. Ian stayed close inshore, motoring for much of the way, and also told of unpleasant conditions for most of the trip. However, all good things come to pass, and we entered Stonehaven in the evening, tying up to the high harbour wall, and being greeted by the Harbour Master with, “ Ah, wooden boats- that’s nice, very nice, and where have you lads come from?” So we told all, and as he owned a wooden Hillyard, he charged us one night for the two we stayed. Day 63, July 3rd. At Stonehaven.- rained on and off all day. I found fuel, shopped, and in the evening we found a good pub, and had a slap up meal with a bevy or two to chase away the blues. Although Stonehaven is a pleasant town, I don’t think the harbour where we were would be very secure in strong NE-E-SE winds, as the swell that would result would be very heavy- we had just one foot below the keels at low water; but then that’s true of all the smaller harbours along this coast. Day 64, July 4th forecast NW 3-4 (ha ha.) Stone haven - Arbroath On leaving the harbour, I set main and yankee to a S-SW 1-2, with continuous heavy rain, which lasted for three hours. Then even this feeble wind dropped, so I motored close inshore to take advantage of the stronger tide. The others were further offshore, and saw dolphins- I saw seals, one of which was fast asleep until I got within a few feet of it, when it woke up and silently disappeared. The rest of the trip was unremarkable until, when I was dropping the yankee, the halyard flew up to the top of the mast (the Boggart had been asleep for some time, and had decided it was time to tweak the day.) Arriving in the harbour, we found that there was a marina, but it was only open for an hour either side of high water. Apparently the gate had failed the day before, and the marina had drained, causing all sorts of problems, so they were being very careful, and closed it right on high water! We tied up alongside in a very dirty dilapidated corner of the harbour, and at low water, managed to retrieve the halyard- it actually stopped raining during this operation, which was nice. We planned to get to Anstruther the next day, even if it meant motoring the whole way, as there was no way that we wanted to stay here another 24 hours. When in Anstruther, we would have completed the circle. Day 65, July 5th. wind SW1 sunny. Arbroath- Anstruther. We have sailed some 1038 miles so far, or rather, we have travelled 1038 miles- we’ve motored an awful lot of the time. Out of Arbroath at about half ebb, and sailing close hauled across the Tay under main and Genoa, always being set to the NE by the tide. Ian motored up tide and straight across, while Mike took the long way round by going via the Bell Rock. The wind played it’s usual tricks of backing and veering as the clouds came and went, with one massive rain shower shifting the wind through 90* Once round Fife Ness, I hoped to be on a beam reach as the wind was SE, but no, as I rounded so the wind veered to the SW, and increased, so that I had to hand the Genoa and set the staysail. A couple of miles further on, I was mighty glad that I had, as a massive thunder storm broke overhead, and Tesa was pressed right down. That wind set up as nice a stopping sea as you could wish to experience, and it lasted for the rest of the trip. By 17.30 I was in the inner harbour at Anstruther, alongside the others in a pontoon berth, and after I had tidied up, we all went out for a large fish supper. When the tide went down, Tesa sat at an odd angle, but that didn’t disturb my sleep. Over supper Ian announced that he wanted to stay for a few days, so that he could sort out his engine, his laundry, and try to get over his tooth problems-( I don’t want to be a trouble, but I’ve not been well you know—cough—cough ). Both Mike and I had sort of dead lines to meet- West Mersea regatta, and my building project, so with great reluctance we agreed to split up, and Mike and I would go and Ian would make his own way back. Day 66- Day 77 . Over the next eight days, we retraced our track down the East Coast, calling at Eyemouth ,and then Amble ,where we saw this years crop of eider ducklings all over the harbour, and where we stayed two days because strong NE winds made leaving impossible due to breaking seas in the harbour mouth. Then Hartlepool where we used the Victoria dock instead of the marina, and on to Whitby, where again the NE wind piled breakers into the harbour and kept us trapped until Day 73. On this day, we had good winds, which took us down the coast to Bridlington, and here we saw the life boat crews being put through their training. I was even able to help young Jason who was having trouble with his “port left red, starboard right green” routine. We waited a day, until Mike’s crew, John could join ship for the passage to Lowestoft and home, and at 07.30 on----- Day 77-78 July 17th .and 18th. wind NE 1-2 Bridlington - Lowestoft. We left in misty conditions, at half ebb, with a wind that couldn’t make up it’s mind what to do, except, as we were sailing SSE, it decided to blow from the SSE. This frustration continued until we were off the Humber, when we were hit by a mighty thunderstorm, which gave a lot of rain and a wind shift to the NW. We roared off on a run with a strong tide under us, and kept this up for a couple of hours, when the wind dropped away, and we engined on all through the night. At 22.15 we turned the East Dudgen- half way, and at sunrise we came to the Norfolk coast abeam of the Cromer light. We had worked the tides to the maximum, having it in favour for more that 12 hours due to being in the right place at the various slacks and eddies. At 0700 the new flood picked us up, and swept us down the coast, building from a half to three and a half knots at the Cockle Gat. We passed the wind farm on the Scroby sands, with all the turbines working, and so into Lowestoft at 11.45, 130.5 miles from Brid. Day 79, July 19th. wind S-SE Lowestoft - Harwich. We made a poor decision by leaving at half ebb, with a beat down the coast, and it took a long long time to reach Southwold when the tide turned in our favour. Having cleared Orfordness, we reached down inside the Whiting bank, and so into Harwich at 0100, to tie up to Halfpenny Pier at 0145. It was a very calm night, and we were undisturbed until the ferry came in at0630 on---- Day 80, July 20th. wind E 2. Harwich - West Mersea. The last of the ebb out of the harbour under main and staysail, having a good breakfast, and picking up the young flood off Stonebanks- we seemed to have got it right at last! Down the familiar coast on a reach, past Walton and Clacton, and into Mersea and on my mooring by 1400. It was very good to be back! In all, we sailed 1425 miles, most of which was on the wind. The overall weather had been poor, one of the wettest and coldest summers for a long time, but for all that, this cruise was enjoyable because of the two very fine companions with whom I was privileged to sail. Navigation, and General. I used the Imray “C” charts for passage work, and the various pilots as appropriate. I had a Yeoman plotter linked to the GPS, and used this constantly, but also remembering to “look out of the window”, and not rely on electronics alone. The two self-steering aids were invaluable; without them, long-distance single handed sailing would be very difficult. The engine was given a great deal of work, and demanded clean plugs on a regular basis, and being a petrol two stroke, getting fuel was always a problem. The damage due to going aground at Bridlington was mostly cosmetic, but Tesa does seem to take a little more water than before - a check on keel bolts when she comes out of the water in the winter. As for the Life-boat crew, well, they were just magnificent! Good sailing! |