Praia de Vitoria

I slowed down so as to arrive off the harbour after dawn. Even in the outer harbour there was a lot of surge. By the time I got lines and fenders ready on both sides of the boat it 8 AM local time and there were yatchies around who take my lines. The docks are full and visitors are rafted two out. It was great to be in. It had not been an easy trip. An average run of 106 mile per day, compared to the usual 135 miles/day. Far too much time spent hard on the wind tacking north and south into the SW wind on the top side of all those lows. That's how it can be. Just think I could find those same SW winds next year to go back to England.

Day 12 Careful what you ask fo

Shades of the Southern Ocean. Running before 35 knots of wind with just a quarter of the number 2 genoa. Big seas. Albert doing a superb job of holding course of 20 to 10 degrees off dead down wind, making 6.5 - 7 knots. Noon position 40 15N 26 05 W. Noon-to-noon run was 161 miles.

It was all going well until around 20:00 when the north wind at the back of the low started to increase. I dropped to three reefs in the main and four rolls in the genoa. Then the barometer began a more rapid ascent. By 22:00 it was getting out of hand so I took the main down, lashed it up onto the boom gallows. took the genoa down to about a quarter size, shut everything up went to bed. Not a lot of sleep. But not to worry. Great boat just kept tracking. A high is coming in behind the low so the wind will continue to veer, but not lighten. Only 101 miles to Terceira and it looks like I'll get here early in the morning. The entrance through the outer breakwater is 1/3 mile wide and well lit, so I'll go in, round up into the north quarter, anchor, and wait til dawn. Though I suspect that it may be too windy to go to the inner harbour.

Day 11 The Last Low....I hope

The forecast low started making its presence felt, Barometer dropping, wind shifting to the west. By 0200 I had to tack and head west with the plan of sailing into the low and across to the favourable NW winds on its west side. It was a long bouncy, slammy night and for much of it Taonui was bent off to steer 300, 70 degrees away from the required course. However by 09:00 it all worked out. Into the centre of the low, sloppy huge seas, no wind. I motored, sailed, anything to keep some motion on. At 11:00 a squall went over, lovely cleaning rain, on the other side was NW wind and sunshine. So back on course, up down screwing around in the junked up seas, but driving forward. This should settle down in an hour or so and the wind will keep veering and eventually, tomorrow be an east wind south of an approaching cell of high pressure.

I count seven lows that I have had to deal with on this trip. There has been some lovely sailing in the NW wind at the back of the low, but for the most part it has been 1,400 miles hard on the wind. And that is what a pilot chart would have forecast. Which explains the low daily runs.

Noon position 42 01N 23 23W Noon-to-noon 80 miles. 260 miles to go. Wednesday afternoon, if Huey allows.

Day 10 Easy Sailing

Yesterday's low is gone. Sailed across the front at 8 PM last night. Seas were very confused and lumpy. Initially very light wind, but gradually the expected NW wind strengthened and we off! On course and after an hour so the speed was up to six knots. And so it stayed all last night. Today, lighter winds and from W of SW but still able to make 210 - 215. So Easy sailing for now, full main and #1 genoa, dry decks (though very salty) and smooth seas. Perfect. The GRIB files show one last low to get past and the signs are showing in the upper clouds. It is forecast to take a different track, going SE, instead of NE so I'll go straight to it as so as There is a sign of the wind shift. After that it looks good, with a high forming to the north and east winds for the final leg. Noon position 43N 22W, noon-to-noon 110 miles (lost an hour), 340 miles to go.
Coryn has been keeping track of two Hurricanes, Leslie and Michael, and both seem to be staying safely to the west, so no worries there.

Day 9 Hard on the wind yet again

For the past three days a low has been hanging around to the NE of the Azores and it now has decided to move east. He could have waited! So last nigh around 02:00 the wind veered and built, the barometer dropped and before too long Taonui was hard on the wind struggling to make south and actually being bent off to a course of 165. Required course 230. I stuck it out until noon hoping to get south of the low. At noon I tacked over to head west with the plan of going through the bottom of the tightest part and out into the NW winds that are hopefully on the other side.

Just spoke a ship, the first that I've seen in days, the "Star Best" carrying containers filled with bananas from Columbia heading for Antwerp. He was this far north because of bad weather in the Mona Passage.

Noon to noon run was 113 miles, but only made good 101. 468 miles to go . Three days If the wind freed off.

Day 8 Broad Reaching

The motor was grinding along at 5 knots until around midnight when a light east wind appeared. The barometer had dropped a miniscule. We were on the other side of the High. Slowly the wind filled in and, with all sails up, Taonui's speed increased. By dawn it was up to four knots. By 10:00 we were charging along at 6 - 7 knots, one reef in the main and the #1 genoa bellowed out and pulling like a train. Only 14 or so knots of wind, but on a beam reach Taonui just loves it. 130 miles noon-to-noon, with 569 miles to go.

The forecast is for Hurricane Michael to turn north in a few days so no problem there, though I hope some poor sailor making an end of season Atlantic crossing doesn't get an unwanted surprise.

Day 7 Motoring across the High

Boring. Noisey. But nothing for it and the forecasts show no major movement in this semi-stationary blob over the next few days. Brings to mind the Rhyme the Ancient Mariner. Flat sea. No wind. But I suppose some might build in as I get over the top and find east - NE on the other side, but they will be light. Had a sad visit from a lost little bird this afternoon. A female Redstart with a lovely red rump. An insect eater. She didn't stay. The book shows migration from Europe to Spain and Africa each winter. GPS failure.

I'm keeping a watch on Hurricane Michael now at 29N 43W, 1,600 miles to the SW. It is said to be heading NE ( 45 +/-) As such it would clip the the western end of the Azores group of islands. Earlier this season Hurricane Gordon went over the top of the the eastern end of the Islands. Who ever heard of hurricanes in the Azores!!

Day 7 Motoring across the High

Boring. Noisey. But nothing for it and the forecasts show no major movement in this semi-stationary blob over the next few days. Brings to mind the Rhyme the Ancient Mariner. Flat sea. No wind. But I suppose some might build in as I get over the top and find east - NE on the other side, but they will be light. Had a sad visit from a lost little bird this afternoon. A female Redstart with a lovely red rump. An insect eater. She didn't stay. The book shows migration from Europe to Spain and Africa each winter. GPS failure.

I'm keeping a watch on Hurricane Michael now at 29N 43W, 1,600 miles to the SW. It is said to be heading NE ( 45 +/-) As such it would clip the the western end of the Azores group of islands. Earlier this season Hurricane Gordon went over the top of the the eastern end of the Islands. Who ever heard of hurricanes in the Azores!!

Day 6 Huey can be wonderous kind

The high southwest of the UK has seen fit to become elongated and the centre of pressure has moved to the NE of Taonui. The wind followed suit and progressively veered from yesterday's north to the east and now southeast giving a lovely broad reach in 12-14 knots of wind over seas that are becoming smoother. Noon-to-noon run was 137 miles which is her normal run in these conditions. All is peaceful. Albert quietly does his job and I get to spend plenty of reading, sleeping and eating. Haven't seen a ship in past thirty-six hours, but was woken this morning by the radar squawking about a "underwater work platform" that was 12 miles away. The search for oil goes expensively on!

The barometer is stable and the weather fax shows the sausage of high extending all the way to the Azores. If I can just stay in the SW quadrant (can a sausage have a quadrant) these winds could last for days. 812 miles to go.

Day 5 Perfect sailing

At last I'm south of the seemingly perpetual band of lows flowing across the Atlantic to the UK. Ah, the joy of high pressure. Warm sunshine. A broad reach with a northerly wind. Full main and big genoa. Albert can easily handle it, so all is quiet. Taonui slides and chuckles along making an easy 6.5 - 7 knots. Clothes drying in the cockpit. Hatches open. The pleasure of a wide ocean. And, at night a full moon and bright stars playing amongst the clouds.

Noon-to-noon was 115 miles, not bad seeing that I didn't turn south and get sailing until 16:00. Slowly I could add more sail as the SW wind shifted to the north and slowly subsided as I made southing. Glad to be out of all of that. 949 miles to go to Terceira.

Day 4 Still on the slant

Only 84 miles made good noon-to-noon as the strong South wind just wont let go. A 979 low has moved north to the west of the UK and is hammering northern Scotland. Storm Force 11 between Iceland and Scotland. It is a big area of low that extends all the way south to 50 N. At noon I was at 52 50 N and 11 32 W. All day I've been just jogging along under very little sail heading west (the best I can make in the SSW wind) waiting for the low to move a bit to the NE and for a front to pass indicating the start of the back side of the low and the beginning of a wind shift to the west. Now, 17:00, I think it has started. The barometer has flattened out. So I just tacked to head south. Only making 160. The required course to Terceira is 230, but I think things are about to improve. Immediately to the south (47 N - 49N ) is a high and if I can get to it there should be lighter winds and south of it will be east winds. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. By now I would have expected to be well south of here but, Huey rules.

Day 3 Coast of Ireland

The little bomb of a low that gave me strife yesterday moved quickly NE and by 16:00 I was under way again over very lumpy, confused seas, but with a SW wind. By noon today I was at 54 08N 10 25W having made good 85 miles in the past 24 days. Not too bad having lost all those miles drifting backward while lying hove-to. Now Taonui is off the coast of Ireland. Too close for comfort. Black Island Light, the most westerly point of northern Ireland was only 4 miles away. A slight wind shift to the west gave a bit of relief and the land falls away around Galloway Bay so I have a better margin of safety now. The west coast of Ireland is a bad lee shore, but the lighter weather is to the south and the sooner I can get there the better. There is high in the Western Approaches while lows are tracking NE to the north. Malin, the sea area I just left has gales tonight. I'm hard on the wind, trying to go due south, but being pushed east. Nothing that a wind shift or a tack wouldn't fix. The next sticking out bit of land is Great Foze Rocks, off the Dingle Penisular, the SW point of southern Ireland about 85 miles to the south. I should be past that tomorrow. one way or the other.

Meantime, its a good chance to catch up on some sleep lost yesterday. Very little traffic on this coast. Have only seen two ships in past 24 hours. Not much bird life either, fulmars, the odd gannet and Manx shearwater. Its a pity that its overcast. Last night was clear for a while. Lovely full moon and bright stars.

Noon Day 2 Hove-to

Have been hove-to since 10:00. Three reefs in main + staysail. Wind 30 - 35 from SW, gusts to 40. Seas not so high as to be unsafe. Quite comfortable. Initially was drifting towards Northern Ireland, so tacked to drift NW back where I came from last night. For the past 24 hours only made good 35 miles towards Terceira. Barometer dropping like a stone so this should pass before the evening, hopefully with a wind shift into the west.

Day 1 Life on the Slant

Noon August 31 56 02N 9 05W 1,263 miles to go.

As forecast, now in a major stream of SW winds between a high (1035) High to the south and a low (985) Low tracking NE to the north. And its not going to let up any time soon. I want to get SW so it is slow progress tacking through 125 degrees against 23 - 25 knot winds and accompanying seas. Three reefs in the main and half the # 2. Taonui doesn't mind too much, but I'm not loving the force of gravity. No worries, it is bound to get better. The weather fax forecast shows the High moving north. Great. I still have about 100 miles of westing to make to be clear off the coast of Ireland. Thank goodness for the big pot of stew that I made before I left.

19:00 latest forecast is for high to stay south and a new low 988 to the NE and gale 8 my area so am changing down to the staysail for the night. When this low goes by should have west winds, maybe even some NW. That would be good

Off to the Azores

Coryn left this morning...bus to Craigmuir, ferry to Oban, local train to Glasgow, overnight train to London. Plans to visit brother in Cambridge and various nephews on Saturday and fly back to Victoria on Monday.

I left Tobermory at 11 and am now (17:00) clearing the south end of Tiree with open ocean ahead for the next 1,330 miles to Terceira. Easy sailing today in 15 knots of NW wind that is slowly veering into the west and is forecast to go to SW tomorrow and increase to 25 + knots as a ridge of high pressure moves east across the UK and a low fills in behind it This is the first high that I can remember this summer. Mostly it has been one low after another. I suppose that its going to hard sailing until I can south of 50N and out of the steady stream of lows. But for now all is good. Light wind just ahead of the beam. Smooth seas and sunshine. Taonui and Albert are loving it. Great boat.

20:00 Just past Skerryvore lighthouse. It must be one of the more remote UK lights. ten miles SW of Tiree. A small pile of rocks out there in the on there own waiting to ensnare ships sailing to and from Ireland and the west coast of Scotland. The island is called Stevenson Island and I presume he built. Stevenson (brother of R.L.) built most of the early lighthouses around the UK. Given the usual horrific weather and strong tides you have to marvel at the ingenuity of the workers building this 75 foot high,lender pinnacle.

It's going to be a spectacular sunset...and a bright, cold, clear night.

Western Isles

We spent ten days transiting the Caledonian Canal from Inverness to Oban. It can be done in three days, but the outer sea lock at Corpach, Fort William, had to be closed for repair for five days while we were in the canal. We didn't mind at all. The trip was a pleasure. Slowly motoring down the man-made sections past fields and hills with the banks covered in a profusion of wild flowers. The Canal is sixty miles long, 22 miles dug by hand and the other 38 miles made up of natural bodies of water (Lochs) created by a split in tectonic plates and later carving and scouring during the ice ages. The longest loch is Loch Ness famed for the often-sighted, never-captured Loch Ness Monster. The Canal, with 29 locks and 10 swing bridges,took 40 years to build. Initially it's purpose was to speed movement of Navy Ships during the Napoleonic Wars. That didn't happen. But later it was much used by fishing fleets chasing the herring and also for the shipment of coal and general cargo from southern ports to NE Scotland. Today it is for tourists and for small boats and yachts seeking to avoid the long passage around northern Scotland.

We arrived back in Oban four days ago in lovely warm late summer weather. After three days of the usual shopping, laundry etc. and some end of season boat maintenance we have set off for some leisurely, not too ambitious cruising in the nearby Western Isles. Tonight we are anchored (in dripping Rain) in the land-locked Loch Aline, ten miles from Oban and tomorrow we'll likely head NW heading for the islands of Coll or Tiree.

Inverness, Caledonian Canal

The 400 mile passage from Kristiansand to Inverness has to be one of the most comfortable and easy trips that we have made. The North Sea has a well earned reputation of nasty seas and strong, usually SW or West winds and no fun. Not so this time. The five day forecast called for a deep low to jog around north then south to west of Ireland giving gales to the western UK while the east coast over to Norway was to have light (Force 3 - 4, occasionally 5) winds from the South or SE. And so it came to pass. Huey can sometimes be kind. After topping up with diesel at Kristiansand, we motored east through the inside passages to the west of Kristiansand and came out into the ocean twenty miles from Lindesnes, the southernmost point of Norway. The wind had obligingly veered into the SE and we started making good miles on a broad reach with one reef in the main and the big genoa. The north going Norskrenna current, combined with the building seas made it a bit bouncy, but nothing that Stugeron couldn't handle. That evening the wind veered further into the south and dropped to Force 3 - 4. Under a full moon Taonui creamed along making 5 - 7 knots. An easy night, great for the off watch to have a comfortable sleep.

The next evening we had to be on our toes as we sailed through the Forties oil field. We lost count of the rigs. I think that there were ten, brightly lit, multi storey monsters with attendant supply ships and stand-by rescue ships, plus the odd tanker and fishing boats just to confuse the AIS screen that shows all ships within twelve miles with their course, speed and computed point of closed approach. A great safety device.

The last day was a pleasure. Smooth seas, light winds and quiet sailing at 5 - 6 knots. We arrived off Fraserburgh on the SE corner of the Moray Firth at 21:00 with another 75 miles to go along the coast to the end of the Firth, and Inverness at the northern end of the Caledonian Canal. The tide range in this area is 15 feet and there is quite a tidal current especially at the narrow entrance into the bay that leads into The Ness River. Here the tide can run up to 4 - 5 knots. Luckily we were able to arrive at half tide rising and swept in and then followed the narrow eight mile channel that leads past the sand bars to the mouth of the Canal and to a small well appointed marina just past the first lock. A great trip. So after a shower and a short kip we walked into Inverness (only 15 minutes) and had a very good dinner and a bottle of wine. Its good to be back in Scotland and the Games are on big screen TV's in all the pubs.

Kristiansand

We have turned around and are heading back west along the south coast of Norway. We went as far east as Arendal where our mission was to fill our North American propane bottles. This is a problem in much of Europe. Calor Gas have a monopoly in the distribution of propane in the UK and will only sell it in one of their exchangeable tanks. A similar situation exists in most of the EU. On the west coast of Norway this was the case, but a company on the east coast offers a filling service and also propane gas for commercial use in trucks, cabs etc. This company, LPNorge, is expanding its distribution service and has recently opened in Arendal. So we left there with three full tanks, enough for this and next summer.

The 42 mile leg from Mandal to Arendal was a bit of a blast. We went offshore and roared along, wing-and-wing, triple reefed main and half a genoa, with a Force 5-7 westerly making hull speed for hours on end under bright high pressure sunshine. This was all very well, but served to emphasis that the prevailing wind at this time of the year is either southwest or northwest and we have to get back east to Scotland. So, for the past week we have been wending our way eastward through the inner passages of the offshore islands. These intricate waterways are the summer playground for many Norwegians. There are big and small summer cottages everywhere and everyone, adults and children, has a boat, a power boat ranging from 30-35 foot sleek machines (think, James Bond) to high speed dinghies and ribs with what is often an outsized outboard. And they love to roar around, sometimes just for the hell of it. For us slow pokes, often struggling to figure out which route to take amongst the skerries, it can be a bit unnerving. That said we found some perfect sheltered anchorages in the outer islands often in island clusters that had been set aside as public parks. One, with the typically unpronounceable Norwegian name of Aalesolya, stands out. The entrance to the inner pool was via a circular passage that wound around the inner ring of islands, over several only seven foot deep bars (we draw 6.5 feet), and finally into a two hundred yard wide pool with a sand bottom. Bliss! We spent three days there and had some lovely hikes over the low, lightly wooded, often smooth rocked islands, or rowing quietly through the narrow passages out to the Lighthouse on the eastern edge.

Kristiansand is a bustling city, the fifth largest in Norway, and a lovely place to wander around admiring the old wooden houses and churches. It is the tourist centre of the South and every day there are one or more gigantic cruise ships in the harbour. Kristiansand is a natural stopping place for foreign yachts and the city has built a marina in the centre of the town just for visitors. Like everything in Norway, the marina and facilities are of a high standard but expensive.

Korshavn

In the two weeks since we last posted a report we have had a lovely time wandering down the coast from Bergen to the southern tip of Norway and are now anchored in a pool amongst the islands at the southern entrance to Korshavn, an old fishing village in a narrow cut between two islands. We had thought to tie to the village visitor's dock, but one look said that the cut was just too narrow. Far safer to anchor outside and go in by dinghy. It was like driving down the main street of a little town except that the street was a water-way with brightly painted houses, docks and boathouse on either side and at the head, the post office, mini-super market, gas dock and bank. The old fishermen have long gone and their neat wooden houses have been renovated up for summer visitors, mostly it seemed from Germany, who come here for sports fishing. At the head of the "street" is a little marina with twenty-odd identical outboard driven boats for rent. On the dock are stainless-steel benches and trays for cleaning the daily catch.

Coming south from Bergen we had a choice of numerous possible routes amongst the myriad of islands and skerries. It would be easy to get lost without a computer mapping program linked to the GPS. Each night we found a perfect anchorage usually in a pool created by a group of islands. Several were in public parks that included tie off points on the rocks, or docks, along with park benches and hiking trails. Norwegian's don't seem to like anchoring. They prefer to drop a stern anchor, run the a line ashore and haul the bow to the rocks and jump ashore. It is a learned art and not for Taonui with her high bow and 'senior' crew! In one anchorage we watched a total of 12 men spend almost an hour trying to secure two power boats in this manner. There were already six other boats tied to the shore so there was plenty of advice given as anchors were dropped and retrieved, boats bounced on rocks, and then repositioned by inflatable's acting as pushing tug boats. Anchors were reset but too far from shore or mis-aligned with the on-shore tie points. There was much not-so-quiet Norwegian shouting. Finally the bigger of the two boats was sort of in place but his buddy could only get his bow against his friends stern. He had run out of anchor chain! He raised his hands above his head and signaled to his wife, now on shore in the dinghy, that he had given up. This was as good as it was going to get.

At the end of all these waterways is Stavanger after which all south-bound traffic must go offshore to reach the southern tip of Norway. This stretch of the coast can be treacherous and has a reputation for strong winds and currents. But there are several places where a yacht can run in and shelter behind islands. Korshavn is one such shelter. The entrance from the south or west, as we came, is a twisting and turning channel amongst smooth weather-beaten islands and underwater rocks marked by stakes with top markers of arrows pointing to the right side on which to pass.

Stavanger is the third largest city in Norway. It was once a major fishing port and Hanseatic trading centre with strong links to the Shetland's and Orkney's which were once part of Norway. Today Stavanger is the service centre for Norway's offshore oil and gas extraction industry. The coastline leading into Stavanger is lined with warehouses and factories fabricating strange looking steel shapes for the drilling rigs and huge docks for the fleet of 250 foot long strange looking service vessels that shuttle parts and equipment to the rigs and act as safety patrol around the rigs. It was these vessels that "escorted" us through the rigs as we crossed the Norwegian Sea. This is BIG business. Norway has only .6% of the world's known oil reserves and 1.6% of the world's gas reserves. But for tiny Norway (4.8 million people) this is an enormous asset. Norway is the world's fifth largest exporter of oil. The industry employs 200,000 people, accounts for 50% of Norway's exports, 36% of the Government's income and 25% of GDP. Oil was discovered in 1969 and production started in 1971. The Norwegian's have been smart. They know it will not last forever. In 1972 the Government decreed that the industry had to be managed to serve the long term interests of all Norwegian's. Oil and gas earnings beyond current needs are set aside in a transparent Government fund that now stands at around 350 billion dollars. By law, only the income of this fund can be spent each year. To date most income is re-invested. This "sovereign" fund owns around 1% of the value of the world's stock markets. Norway is cognizant of the moral conflict between it's oil based wealth and threat posed by carbon emissions. Norway is the world's largest contributor to campaigns to prompt re-afforestation throughout the world.

Stavanger is also a great tourist attraction, especially for cruise ships. On each of the three days that we were there were two HUGE 2,500 - 3,000 passenger monsters on the docks at each side of the narrow harbour. They only stay one night, but each day around five thousand tourists hit the town to wonder through the narrow winding hilly streets where the old wooden buildings have been converted to swanky shops and eateries. The Cathedral is well worth visiting. The old part of the Cathedral is similar in style to the one in Lerwick, Shetland with massive stone Gothic columns. It sits on a hill looking over a wide public square that runs down into the harbour. For us the best part of the square was the fish market and each night we went back to the boat with lovely fresh shrimp, salmon or cod. As an aside note the cod fishery in the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway is recording record catches. Seems that the warming of the oceans is having some beneficial effects somewhere.

Bergen, Norway

Our last report was from Burra Voe at the south end of the island of Yell in the Shetlands. It was a tough slog north from there to Baltasound at the north end of Unst, the northernmost of the Shetland Islands. We miss-timed the tide and left too early in the morning so the first 5 hours were a bash against the tide making only 3 knots over the ground into steep short seas. Once around the eastern corner of Yell we could lay off, the tide turned, the seas smoothed out and we had a fast sail the last 15 miles to Baltasound. In the late 1800's the summer population of Balta would increase by 8,000 people who came to catch and process herring. There is still a thriving farming community and until 2006 a large number of personnel employed at the RAF station at nearby Haroldswick guarding the Northern Approaches to the U.K.

A change of weather and E - SE winds brought thick fog and we looked liked being stuck in Baltasound for a week or more. From here we were heading due east to Norway. The early July 5 forecast called for very light east winds, backing NE, then north. Too good to pass up, so we left in thick fog which stayed with us for 80 miles while we motored across smooth seas. Early that night, around 11 PM, we passed through a part of the UK's offshore oil and gas field. Eight huge, brightly lit, multi storied platforms. Some belching flame and smoke, and in the water off each was a 200ft. patrol, safety ship that pointedly came up to our course and, without a word, firmly indicated that we were not to get any closer to their platform. Early morning brought the promised NE wind and we had a great beautiful beam reach for the last fifty miles to Holmengraa Light marking an easy entry through the outer islands. It took a bit of hunting to find an anchorage with enough swinging room and a reasonable depth. Finally, at 6 Pm we dropped anchor in 80 feet in what felt like good mud and after a good G&T and a quick supper, fell into our bunks.

The next day brought warm sun and a light following NE wind to give a lovely easy sail twenty miles down to Bergen where we are rafted three out in the inner harbour right in the middle of beautiful Bergen. On the road opposite us is a row of three storey brightly painted wooden houses built in the 1700's. Tourists are thick on the ground. When we arrived there were four cruise ships in the outer harbour.
The main street is about 50 yards wide, no cars allowed, musicians and art displays encouraged. Lots of fancy shops to look at, but no expectation of buying. Norway is expensive, even for Europeans. A beer and a glass of cider costs $20 CDN. At the head of the harbour is the local market selling fruit, vegetables and souvenirs as well as a huge variety of fish and shellfish. Yes, we bought a generous piece of gravlaks (at huge expense) for our first night's supper, along with reindeer salami and fresh local strawberries....that blew our weekly food budget but what a treat.

Bergen, Norway

Our last report was from Burra Voe at the south end of the island of Yell in the Shetlands. It was a tough slog north from there to Baltasound at the north end of Unst, the northernmost of the Shetland Islands. We miss-timed the tide and left too early in the morning so the first 5 hours were a bash against the tide making only 3 knots over the ground into steep short seas. Once around the eastern corner of Yell we could lay off, the tide turned, the seas smoothed out and we had a fast sail the last 15 miles to Baltasound. In the late 1800's the summer population of Balta would increase by 8,000 people who came to catch and process herring. There is still a thriving farming community and until 2006 a large number of personnel employed at the RAF station at nearby Haroldswick guarding the Northern Approaches to the U.K.

A change of weather and E - SE winds brought thick fog and we looked liked being stuck in Baltasound for a week or more. From here we were heading due east to Norway. The early July 5 forecast called for very light east winds, backing NE, then north. Too good to pass up, so we left in thick fog which stayed with us for 80 miles while we motored across smooth seas. Early that night, around 11 PM, we passed through a part of the UK's offshore oil and gas field. Eight huge, brightly lit, multi storied platforms. Some belching flame and smoke, and in the water off each was a 200ft. patrol, safety ship that pointedly came up to our course and, without a word, firmly indicated that we were not to get any closer to their platform. Early morning brought the promised NE wind and we had a great beautiful beam reach for the last fifty miles to Holmengraa Light marking an easy entry through the outer islands. It took a bit of hunting to find an anchorage with enough swinging room and a reasonable depth. Finally, at 6 Pm we dropped anchor in 80 feet in what felt like good mud and after a good G&T and a quick supper, fell into our bunks.

The next day brought warm sun and a light following NE wind to give a lovely easy sail twenty miles down to Bergen where we are rafted three out in the inner harbour right in the middle of beautiful Bergen. On the road opposite us is a row of three storey brightly painted wooden houses built in the 1700's. Tourists are thick on the ground. When we arrived there were four cruise ships in the outer harbour.

The main street is about 50 yards wide, no cars allowed, musicians and art displays encouraged. Lots of fancy shops to look at, but no expectation of buying. Norway is expensive, even for Europeans. A beer and a glass of cider costs $20 CDN. At the head of the harbour is the local market selling fruit, vegetables and souvenirs as well as a huge variety of fish and shellfish. Yes, we bought a generous piece of gravlaks (at huge expense) for our first night's supper, along with reindeer salami and fresh local strawberries....that blew our weekly food budget but what a treat.

Burra Voe, South end of Yell

Last Thursday we had to get out of Scalloway to find shelter from a forecast gale from the east. We shot over to Skeld, only 5 miles away, and rode it out. Ashore we found the UK's northernmost cheese factory a one man operation processing local cow and goat milk. Very tasty too. On Saturday we sailed north and west to the remote Island of Papa Stour (Island of the Priests). Viking history recounts that there were Celtic monks there in the 6th Century. If so, they must have been a hardy lot. Even the sheep had to lean sideways to stay upright in the wind on the western side. The next day we sailed around the wild western side of the island where the constant pounding of the North Atlantic waves on the 200ft+ high cliffs has created an amazing display of arches, caves and stacks. The wind was 15 knots from the NW and the swells had been building for several days, so the whole scene was one of unrelenting force - crashing waves, white spray against black cliffs, deeply troubled waters, and above wheeling birds, pure whites and blacks against the blue sky. The flood tide was against us, but soon it changed and we carried the ebb up the coast and around the north end of Mainland Shetland Island. Great sailing. Close reach, small genoa, and two reefs, but it was a long tiring, though memorable, day and a relief to get onto the leeside of the Island and into a quiet anchorage.

Today were took advantage of the morning flood tide to run down the Sound of Yell where the tide can run up to 7 knots between the scattering of islands and reefs. Around the Shetlands you have to go with the tide. Sometimes it can run at 7 knots at "springs" and the overfalls at headlands etc. can be awful. The Sound is well marked and charted as it is the route for tanker traffic taking oil out of Sullom Voe Oil Terminal which is the landing point of a pipeline from the North Sea Piper Oil field. At times we were making over 10 knots over the ground even though all we had up was the small genoa with the wind behind us.

From here we plan to sail north up to the north end of the Island of Unst where we have heard there are some interesting museums displaying the boats and times of the booming herring fishery in the late 1800's. At the north end of Unst is Muckle Flugga, the northernmost point of the UK.

Scalloway, Shetland Islands

Two days ago we made the 65 mile passage from Sanday in the northern Orkney's to St. Ninians Bay on the southwestern end of the Sumburgh Peninsular. A cold and rough trip, hard on the wind the whole way, in a Force 4 - 5 northerly wind. But what a spectacular place to anchor. A mile wide bay, steep cliffs dotted with nesting birds, grass covered slopes to the east and west and a bright yellow scimitar sand beach at the head. Yesterday we motor sailed against the north wind 15 miles up the Peninsular to the old town of Scalloway set at the end of a winding passage between islands. Scalloway was once the capital of the Shetlands as evidenced by the massive fortified 16 century castle at the head of the harbour.

Our last report was from Shapinsay where we spent three days before moving north to Sanday one of the richest agricultural islands in the Orkney's. It is also the richest in terms of archaeology with many sites from 6000 years ago through to Viking times. One that we visited was the burial site of a Viking longship discovered in 1991 complete with three skeletons and a trove of jewelry and an iron sword.

We had to make a carefully timed passage north through the 3/4 mile wide Sound between Sanday and Eday and on to Pierowall Harbour on Westray. The tide races through the Orkney's and although we thought that we would be in the narrows at relative slack water we ended up shooting through at 10 knots. An energy company is in the process of testing various sites around the Orkney's for the installation of tide driven power generation. Several years ago we saw such an installation by the same company in the Strangford Loch in Northern Ireland. Very impressive. Wind farms are a common site around the Orkney's and no wonder.... rolling hills to create uplift and it's always windy. They are more common in the Shetlands where there is even more wind and steeper hills.

Westray is probably the most dynamic of the Orkney Islands. Population about six hundred. Productive cattle and sheep farms, an offshore crab fishing fleet with a processing factory at Pierowall, several excellent craft shops selling their fine wool/silk/cotton clothing over the internet, a major salmon farming operation based in Pierowall that provides well paying work for young men, an offshore trawler that lands it's catch for processing in the town and distribution throughout the Orkney's and, finally, a bakery that supplies bread, biscuits throughout the Orkney's and often to Lerwick and mainland Scotland. The UK suffers from being a welfare state, but in these Islands and the Shetlands, the work ethic and sense of enterprise is alive and kicking.

We had some great walks on Westray while we waited for a change from the northeast wind. On one hike to the north shore we came across rows and rows of low (3 foot) stone walls. Later we found out that they were used in the late 1880's to dry seaweed which was exported to the UK for the manufacture of a variety of products including explosives, perfume, soaps and more. This was a major source of revenue for the governing Lairds of the Islands.

There is a recently refurbished museum in Scalloway telling the history of the fishing booms in herring, then cod followed by haddock. All that is now history and there is now only one trawler working out of the port. Much of the museum is devoted to the dramatic WWII exploits of The Shetland Bus. When Germany invaded Norway in 1942 many Norwegians escaped in fishing boats and most headed for the Shetlands. Over the next three years Norwegian sailors took fishing boats to Norway from Scalloway loaded with small arms, sabotage experts and radios. On the return trip they brought out refugees fleeing the Gestapo. The Norwegian Resistance tied up twelve battalions of Germans as Hitler become more convinced that England intended to launch an offensive in Norway. The Resistance blew up the German heavy water plant and put an end to German's development of an atomic bomb. To avoid German surveillance most of the to and fro traffic was in the winter months and many lives were lost to the fierce winter storms of the Norwegian Sea.

We have been to the Shetlands on other trips, but never to the west coast. We have only stopped at Lerwick en route to somewhere. So this time we are looking forward to one or two weeks of exploring the islands and bays of the northern Shetlands, visiting some of the old fishing villages and seeing some of the spectacular bird nesting cliffs.

Shapinsay, Orkney Isalnds

There was a forecast short period of light NE winds on June 9/10 so we made an overnight 110 mile passage from Loch Laxford, around Cape Wrath and then NE to the Orkney Islands arriving at the western end of Eynhallow Sound at 11:45 just as the tide turned favourable to carry us the final 15 miles through the rather tortuous channel down to Kirkwall, the principle town in the Orkney's. The following day the wind piped up again...15-20 knots from the NE. Southern U.K. has been lashed by rain and strong winds for the past month as one low pressure system after another comes up the Channel or the Irish Sea. Meanwhile, the north of Scotland has had reasonably fine weather and NE winds.

It has been thirty years since we were last in the Orkney's and much has changed....for the better. The rich soil of these low windswept islands have always yielded a good farm living. Much better than in nearby stony, rather barren, Scotland and Norway. The Pict's from Scotland took over the Islands from 500AD to 800AD only to be conquered by the Vikings from Norway and Denmark who settled here and used the islands as a base for annual raids down the west coast of Scotland and around Ireland. The islands are rich in archeological sites. The most famous is Skara Brae, a collection of interconnected low stone houses dating back to early Neolithic times (3100BC). It was partially uncovered by a big storm in 1850 that swept away the sand dunes covering the village and surrounding middens. Subsequent excavation revealed a treasure-trove of stone and bone implements. We took a bus trip out to Skara Brae on the western side of the Main Island and on the way back we took a tour of Maes Howe (2900BC), a burial mound, 24 feet high and 110 feet across. The large central chamber is capped by stone slabs, some weighing up to 30 tons. The whole structure was covered in water-proofing clay and then grass sod. The entrance is positioned so that sunset on the winter solstice shines a beam of light up the narrow low entrance tunnel and into the main chamber. A 40 minute walk away is the Ring of Brodgar, 60 standing stones (only 36 now standing)in a 310 foot diameter circle created around 2500BC, five hundred years before Stonehenge!

Kirkwall is dominated by the huge, red stone St. Magnus Cathedral built in 1137 and still very much in use. Nearby, an excellent museum traces the occupation of the Islands through Neolithic to Bronze and Iron Ages and on to the history of the feudal control by a succession of Scottish Lairds after the gift of the Orkney's to Scotland when James V of Scotland married a Danish Princess.

There is a strong connection between the Orkney's and Canada. In the 18th century the Hudson Bay Company ships stopped here to take on crew and employees who signed on to work five year stints in the Company's trading posts across the Canadian north. John Rae, the famous explorer and the man who found the fate of John Franklin came from here.

Yesterday we moved 3 miles to a lovely sandy bay on the south side of the island of Shapinsay to sit out a nasty low that is tracking up the North Sea and will give us Force 6 NE winds tomorrow. In southern England several famous outdoor annual mid-June festivals have had to be cancelled. The land is too sodden!!

The Orkney's are rich in birds, both nesting and migratory, so today we took a long walk to one of the many RSPB R.e.serves to do a little birding. Along the way we got talking to the locals about farming. Shapinsay is famous for its Aberdeen Angus cattle. They fetch good prices in the UK as attested to by the substantial farm houses and new cars on the island. We plan to visit other Islands many of which we have been told also have well-to-do farming communities. All the islands are now connected by ferries and all have good community facilities, schools etc.

Summer Isles

This weekend, Whit, is usually taken as the beginning of summer in the UK. It is certainly so here in northern Scotland. The high pressure continues, the wind stays from the NE, no rain. Not so in southern England. It rained on the magnificent Thames River pageant which we watched on a big screen TV in a warm sunny pub in Ullapool along with a happy crowd there to drink it all in and especially to cheer on their own Ullapool four man gig that had gone down (by road) to row in the 1,000 boat flotilla. All good fun with lots of home cooked cakes, scones etc., kids running wild in dress-up "royal" costumes, rowing machines etc. Ullapool is a friendly place full of interesting welcoming people. Many are not from here but are attracted by the lifestyle....lots of community activities, two excellent book shops, great access to wilderness, including the nearby Summer Isles which must be one of the best kayaking locations in the UK. Winding waterways, big tide range (12 feet), many sandy beaches.

We spent three days in Ullapool, some of which was taken up with repairing the windlass. When we were retrieving the anchor in Inverewe the windlass gave out a horrible grinding, grating groan and stopped. The motor had fallen off, the spindle had fallen out and oil was running out. Three 6 mm bolts that hold the heavy motor in place had pulled out. We went to Ullapool and rushed to telephone the windlass manufacturer in Norway for their suggestions. It was Friday afternoon before a long weekend. Thankfully we got the boss who emailed instructions for disassembling the windlass, refilling it with oil and the suggestion that the three 6 mm be replaced with 8 mm bolts. Fifteen years ago it would have been easy to find a machine shop in Ullapool that was servicing the then thriving fishing fleet. Today all that is no more. The nearest help would be a 2 hour bus ride to Inverness. Well it so happened that in Oban I had spent a day showing a young man (and his wife and two littl'uns) how to sail their recently purchased 45 foot yacht. Their previous boat was 24 feet. They were most grateful. His father is a fisherman (langostines and crab) out of Ullapool so we called for advice. Two hours later we were having drinks in a pub with the father, his wife and a friend who had the required tapping tools and a drill press. Eight AM the next morning he picked me and the windlass up at the dock and off we went to an old stone barn that was now used by him and a friend building wooden boats. There, amidst the lovely smells of wood chips, oils and varnish we did "the necessary" and the windlass is again fully functional. Later that morning everyone came out to the boat for coffee. The fisherman and wife told how grateful they were for the help given their son, the boat builder was delighted to explore Taonui as he is in the process of restoring a 45 foot steel yacht, and we were more that happy to have the machining work done and that afternoon we all gathered at the pub to watch the Pageant on the Thames. There is an accepted truth amongst yachties "what goes around comes around".

Earlier last week we visited the world famous gardens at Inverewe. Masses of rhododendrons of all colours, tall mature trees from around the world and a carefully tended walled garden of flowers and vegetables...and with the warm weather, midge's!!. These are even smaller than no-see-ums and can they bite!

Acairseid Mor

The weather continues to amaze. 30 C, high pressure, clear skies and light winds. It has been like this for the past ten days. Most unusual!! Our last report was from Canna, in the Small Isles. From there we back-tracked to the mainland, to Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsular. This remote area can only be reached by a five mile boat trip from Mallaig or by a 20 mile hike through the mountains. Until 1999 it was owned by a succession of clan chiefs and then by southern "wealthies" who used it as a hunting and fishing retreat. Population peaked at around 2,000 in the 1850's before the "clearances" to make space for sheep. The last owners were Mathesons who made a fortune selling opium to the Chinese in Hong Kong and went on to found Jardine Matheson, a major UK/Hong Kong insurance and banking empire. By 1999 population of Inverie was down to 84 people. They, with help from outsiders led by Chris Brasher (Olympic runner) raised the funds to purchase the land and set it aside as a Wilderness Preserve. Some old buildings have been restored as bunk-houses and a camping area developed. Electricity comes from a community-developed mini-hydro plant. Each year Knoydart attracts a growing number of hikers and climbers. (There are three Munros on the Peninsular). It is a popular stop for cruising yachts. The old smiddy (blacksmith) forge has been converted into a restaurant where we tucked in to local scallops and salmon over a herby salad followed by a walnut, whisky and chocolate tart with ice cream....(bangers and mash the fare onboard tonight!).

Our next stop was Plockton by way of the Kyle of Lochalsh where the tide runs up to 8 knots through the narrows that are now spanned by a high-level bridge joining Skye to the Mainland. Plockton was once a vibrant fishing port but is now a favourite lunch-stop for tour busses doing day trips out of Glasgow. The bay is ringed by brightly painted row houses each with it's own garden running down to the water on the opposite side of the road. Gardening seemed to be something of a competitive sport and garden tours were popular.

Portree is the major town on Skye although the anchorage is a bit exposed and subject to strong southerly and westerly winds rushing down from the mountains. No such problem while we were there. After topping up supplies and water and doing a laundry at the Youth Hostel we moved 10 miles up the Sound of Rassay to Acairseid Mor reputed to be one of the most beautiful anchorages in Scotland. Completely landlocked and surrounded by mixed forests and low hills. We have been here three times on past trips and are looking forward to some hiking tomorrow.

Canna

Summer seems to have arrived in Scotland. Four consecutive days of light winds and warm days. Lovely. We left Oban on May 16 with a favourable tide up the Sound of Mull and an easy downwind 25 mile run to Tobermory. Just as touristy as ever, Tobermory is a must stop for any boats heading north a well sheltered bay with colourful houses along the shore. The next day we carried the tide around the much respected Ardnamurchan Point and then north west to Arisaig. Tradition has it that a yacht that has rounded Ardnamurchan should tie a bunch of heather on its pulpit to show it's good fortune or good luck in making a safe passage.

Arisaig is captivating, and we stayed three nights. Each day we went for a long ramble through the surrounding farm lands and forests. Yes, forests. Once, the non-rocky areas of Scotland were covered in trees, but the old forests are long gone. Around Arisaig there was much replanting over the past 100+ years and today there are stands of tall conifers, mostly spruce and pine, and many species of native deciduous trees. We spent one afternoon exploring an old garden that was established in the 1930's by a Glasgow businessman who subsequently went bust and sold his plants, but war broke out and nobody came to collect them...so over the intervening years they have flourished...as have those cuttings taken by visitors! Now, local horticulturists are having a wonderful time bringing it back to its former glory - rather like the Heligan Gardens in Cornwall. The rhodo's, now tall trees often in impenetrable jungles, were in full bloom.

Arisaig was closed off during WWII and became a centre for training of secret agents and saboteurs who were sent to France and other occupied countries to create havoc for the Germans. The little visitors centre, cum-museum, has an interesting photo record of the training and bio's of many of the agents. On the harbour front is a rather moving memorial to about 50 Czech's who were trained here who subsequently were captured and executed by the Germans.

Today we sailed (and motored) through the Small Isles, going south of Eigg, with it's striking volcanic plug on the southern side, then south of Rhum the largest of the Small Isles, about 8 miles by 7 miles. The whole Island is now a nature reserve and visitors are restricted to a small area at the head of a bay on it's eastern side. The rest of the mountainous island is given over to the preservation of the resident herd of Red Deer and Sea Eagles that were once common in the Western Isles but almost became extinct 20 years ago. The eagles on Rhum were imported from Norway.

A 985 Low is forecast to be off Ireland tomorrow so we can expect some strong NE winds and rain. No problem, the anchorage is well protected and there is good walking on shore with some old churches to visit. Right now, 18:30, we have just finished dinner in the cockpit looking east to the craggy mountains of Rhum bathed in the warm summer light with still two hours to go till sunset.

May 11, Back in Oban and ready for sea

After the winter on the hard, Taonui was launched April 19 and I spent the next two weeks getting her ready to go cruising.  An unexpected major piece of work was repairing two holes in the stern of the fibreglass dinghy. Scotland had some bad storms last winter that caused considerable damage to yachts both on the hard and in the water. Taonui's dinghy was blown off the boat in December and landed stern first on the rocks.

 

Coryn arrived May 3 and several days later we took the bus to Edinburgh. After two days of sightseeing including an afternoon at the excellent National Museum, we rented a car and headed for the Borders. Rolling hills covered in newly sprouted wheat, barley and the distinctly yellow rape, make this one of the scenic must-see areas of Scotland.  The ruins of the  magnificent abbeys built in the area from 1200 to 1500 attracts thousands of tourists every year.  Historically, the Borders were in almost constant turmoil. The Romans had much grief in trying to tame the Scots and ended up retreating behind Hadrian's wall. By 1100 the Scottish kings controlled the area but were in constant battles with the English. To complicate matters, the locals, later known as the Border Reivers, were totally unmanageable by anyone and loved to steal from the Scottish establishment, the English and themselves.  They gave first meaning to the term "clan warfare". Later, religious strife and succession problems of both Scottish and English kings and queens (Mary Queen of Scots, various James and, of course, Bonnie Prince Charlie) made everyone's life miserable. And so it goes on.  A referendum is planned for 2014 for the Scots to vote on Becoming independent from the UK...if only they can agree on the wording of the question to be asked.

We got back to the boat this afternoon. Tomorrow's forecast is for lovely weather, but on Sunday a new low will slide south bringing SW Force 8, maybe 9. A good chance for needed food shopping and laundry. We'll start out early nextweek heading north into the Western Isles.