Basic weather help, or Lerwick or not.

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galileo

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I've now got my new to me boat, an elderly Coaster 33 in need of mostly cosmetic work. Picked up from Bute and heading North to Lerwick with a friend. We got a bit delayed by the "venerable" Thornycroft/BMC 1.8 needing to be bled, then storm Floris (plus side is that Tarbert is an excellent marina) but I've finally arrived in Wick. Only gremlins are electrical with some "entertaining" wiring, good enough for government work 240v systems and a Prestolite alternator that has just packed up.

That's the preamble, the dilemma is that I'm yet to examine the sails and rigging, that was supposed to be for another day, however under power the boat seems quite happy going 6kn all day long. My slightly more experienced friend has had to go home (kidney stone drama) and I'm looking at the forecast for the next couple of days and it looks bumpy, and I'm a calm to slight sort of person. It was a bit bouncy coming up from Inverness to Helmsdale and that was supposed to be slight. I had thought about maybe leaving the boat here or in Orkney but long term winter berthing seems to be a bit of a unicorn thing for some reason. So, noob in a boat in Wick wondering what the hell to do and asking the internet for salvation!
 
According to Windy, next Saturday and Sunday are looking right for you to move your boat.

In the meantime you might like to read the reports from 2022 of this section from my Round Britain trip.
Round Britain day 23 Wick
Round Britain day 26 Kirkwall
Round Britain Day 29 Fair Isle
Round Britain day 30 Lerwick

Alternatively you could watch a few YouTube videos of this section.
Round Britain part 3 Eyemouth to Wick
Round Britain part 4 Kirkwall, Fair Isle and Lerwick

I feel sure you will use your time wisely checking your boat over and doing some maintenance. The small chandlery in Wick are very friendly if you need anything.
 
galileo said:
I've now got my new to me boat, an elderly Coaster 33 in need of mostly cosmetic work. Picked up from Bute and heading North to Lerwick with a friend. We got a bit delayed by the "venerable" Thornycroft/BMC 1.8 needing to be bled, then storm Floris (plus side is that Tarbert is an excellent marina) but I've finally arrived in Wick. Only gremlins are electrical with some "entertaining" wiring, good enough for government work 240v systems and a Prestolite alternator that has just packed up.

That's the preamble, the dilemma is that I'm yet to examine the sails and rigging, that was supposed to be for another day, however under power the boat seems quite happy going 6kn all day long. My slightly more experienced friend has had to go home (kidney stone drama) and I'm looking at the forecast for the next couple of days and it looks bumpy, and I'm a calm to slight sort of person. It was a bit bouncy coming up from Inverness to Helmsdale and that was supposed to be slight. I had thought about maybe leaving the boat here or in Orkney but long term winter berthing seems to be a bit of a unicorn thing for some reason. So, noob in a boat in Wick wondering what the hell to do and asking the internet for salvation!
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We are on passage from Fair Isle to Stronsay right now, and it's smooth to slight. Would have been a good day to motor up to Orkney. Next two days are stronger Northerlies, so best staying in Wick if you don't go today.

You need three things - the Orkney and Shetland pilot, the Orkney and Shetland tidal atlas and charts.

Lerwick is very possible in day sailing hops,

Wick - Kirkwall
Kirkwall - Stronsay or Westray
Stronsay to Fair Isle
Fair Isle to Sumburgh (Grutness)
Grutness to Lerwick

Not many places to overwinter a boat in Shetland though.

Good luck,

W
 
You're asking for 'weather help', but your post suggests that the least of the issues.

I'd say no to Lerwick or Orkneys.

Untried boat that has already suffered teething problems not yet sorted (and there'll quite likely be a few more to emerge), and sailing rig untried and uninspected (there's usually something on a 'new' boat's rig that needs sorting or understanding); self-described 'noob', heavy weather averse, skipper who will be single-handed (fine when everything is going according to plan, but a second person can be crucial to handle the ship while issues are sorted, or vice versa, or if as is quite possible the crossing time gets significantly longer).

A simple successful crossing is a possibility, but the odds are stacked against, and the potential consequences too serious. Those are not waters to be trifled with.

If it were me I'd be looking to stay on the mainland, perhaps somewhere else than Wick, to stay until you have the existing boat issues sorted and have tried out the rig.
 
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@webcraft I live in Shetland, so this is a homeward bound passage, and those hops are pretty much what I was thinking as well. The weather has been perfect these last few days, and was the window I was originally aiming for, but plans as they often do, change. Thanks for the info, it adds weight to my thoughts.

@Concerto Thanks for the videos, and you are right, looking further ahead to Saturday/Sunday they look like ideal conditions over the head on strong winds warning from the Met Office I was seeing. And indeed, I've already made a wiring diagram and I'm busily checking things out with a trusty multimeter so that I know what does what. Already found the bilge pump wire in a corroded 3amp terminal block doing nothing at all...

Understand others thoughts, and there is the possibility of turning back around and heading south of course, Whitehills etc but that's a day away and further from home. Probably should have mentioned that Shetland is home rather that a fun day out on the water, but, cannot lie, I'm no sailor, I've only owned motorboats before, partly why I bought a motor sailer. Should say that mechanically the boat has been very well looked after, and in the past 2 weeks has been very well behaved, I sense that the previous owners just liked to motor around the Scottish West Coast.
 
galileo said:
@webcraft I live in Shetland, so this is a homeward bound passage, and those hops are pretty much what I was thinking as well. The weather has been perfect these last few days, and was the window I was originally aiming for, but plans as they often do, change. Thanks for the info, it adds weight to my thoughts.

@Concerto Thanks for the videos, and you are right, looking further ahead to Saturday/Sunday they look like ideal conditions over the head on strong winds warning from the Met Office I was seeing. And indeed, I've already made a wiring diagram and I'm busily checking things out with a trusty multimeter so that I know what does what. Already found the bilge pump wire in a corroded 3amp terminal block doing nothing at all...

Understand others thoughts, and there is the possibility of turning back around and heading south of course, Whitehills etc but that's a day away and further from home. Probably should have mentioned that Shetland is home rather that a fun day out on the water, but, cannot lie, I'm no sailor, I've only owned motorboats before, partly why I bought a motor sailer. Should say that mechanically the boat has been very well looked after, and in the past 2 weeks has been very well behaved, I sense that the previous owners just liked to motor around the Scottish West Coast.
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If Shetland is home then that obviously makes a difference, and at the moment Saturday Sunday Monday looks like a good calm motoring window.

This gives you plenty of time to plan times and tides, read up on stops and alternates and finish any outstanding boat jobs. (And maybe check those sails out . . .)

Good luck!

— W
 
I meant to post an update and only just remembered!

Knowing of its reputation I'd done some planning and reading up on the Pentland Firth and took heed of the go east of the Sandy Riddle advice, looked at a couple of other boats tracks on AIS heading north from the previous couple of days, and did the same route and time to match the tide. Made good progress, calm sea when suddenly everything went everywhere with incoming waves from every direction, and there followed a good 15 minutes of where is the stop button on this ride. Not quite what I was expecting, and clearly by go east people mean like a good 3+ miles at least.

I've been looking at others following a similar track since, and zoomed in they all have a "wiggle" at the same place so I'm clearly not the only one to make this mistake. Not going to pretend that it wasn't a brown trouser moment, as the boat was more solid than I was, the rolling was quite something, but I'm a bit better prepared by the experience and learned a good lesson.

Once past, it was a nice cruise up to Kirkwall. That's where things ended, as just as I was heading off for the next stage to Fair Isle, I noticed that the wet exhaust had sprung a leak where it had been rubbing on the propshaft. It was clearly far too long and so this was always going to occur at some point. Made me think that old boats are no different to old cars, until you have time to examine everything, you'll always be uncovering past bodges,
 
galileo said:
I meant to post an update and only just remembered!

Knowing of its reputation I'd done some planning and reading up on the Pentland Firth and took heed of the go east of the Sandy Riddle advice, looked at a couple of other boats tracks on AIS heading north from the previous couple of days, and did the same route and time to match the tide. Made good progress, calm sea when suddenly everything went everywhere with incoming waves from every direction, and there followed a good 15 minutes of where is the stop button on this ride. Not quite what I was expecting, and clearly by go east people mean like a good 3+ miles at least.

I've been looking at others following a similar track since, and zoomed in they all have a "wiggle" at the same place so I'm clearly not the only one to make this mistake. Not going to pretend that it wasn't a brown trouser moment, as the boat was more solid than I was, the rolling was quite something, but I'm a bit better prepared by the experience and learned a good lesson.

Once past, it was a nice cruise up to Kirkwall. That's where things ended, as just as I was heading off for the next stage to Fair Isle, I noticed that the wet exhaust had sprung a leak where it had been rubbing on the propshaft. It was clearly far too long and so this was always going to occur at some point. Made me think that old boats are no different to old cars, until you have time to examine everything, you'll always be uncovering past bodges,
Click to expand...

We gave the Pentland Skerries an offing of 5 miles on the way South and it was still lively.

Enjoy Kirkwall while you get the exhaust fixed!

- W
 
OP: We kept well east of Pentland Firth and it was only point when our skipper expressed satisfaction that boat had new engine just in case (which we didnt need) I remember Kirkwall to Fair Isle as a pleasant enough hop and once clear of visiting Orkney minor Isles there was not much navigation except keeping trying to spot Fair Isle harbour entrance (and again no issues as we neared it, and no worse than our our regular haunts of Watermouth or New Grimsby Sound)

I hope you enjoy the rest of the trip when you can do it . One day we hope to repeat Wick to Lerwick and back but its the many months for getting to the jumping off point that might defeat us
 
oldmanofthehills said:
OP: We kept well east of Pentland Firth and it was only point when our skipper expressed satisfaction that boat had new engine just in case (which we didnt need) I remember Kirkwall to Fair Isle as a pleasant enough hop and once clear of visiting Orkney minor Isles there was not much navigation except keeping trying to spot Fair Isle harbour entrance (and again no issues as we neared it, and no worse than our our regular haunts of Watermouth or New Grimsby Sound)

I hope you enjoy the rest of the trip when you can do it . One day we hope to repeat Wick to Lerwick and back but its the many months for getting to the jumping off point that might defeat us
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That is good to hear, and it would have been perfect weather, with slight seas for two days that will have seen me home drama free. It was quite annoying to have the leak, I even had a (good) walk up to the industrial estate in the hopes of getting a new hose or something to splice in, but it was not to be.

I may well overwinter in Orkney now, been 30 mph plus winds for days now, which is kind of constant for Shetland going into Autumn. On the plus side, whilst a replacement alternator and wet hose are just an hour to fit, it does give me time to sort out things aboard a bit better, like the sails for a start, I know there's a brand new Genoa but no idea on the state of the others, and whilst the standing rigging was given a tentative thumbs up by the engineer, the lines are all old and hard.
 
Did you go through the Crinan? I have a feeling we chatted at one of the locks as you were heading up.
 
galileo said:
That is good to hear, and it would have been perfect weather, with slight seas for two days that will have seen me home drama free. It was quite annoying to have the leak, I even had a (good) walk up to the industrial estate in the hopes of getting a new hose or something to splice in, but it was not to be.

I may well overwinter in Orkney now, been 30 mph plus winds for days now, which is kind of constant for Shetland going into Autumn. On the plus side, whilst a replacement alternator and wet hose are just an hour to fit, it does give me time to sort out things aboard a bit better, like the sails for a start, I know there's a brand new Genoa but no idea on the state of the others, and whilst the standing rigging was given a tentative thumbs up by the engineer, the lines are all old and hard.
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Worth getting at least one sail serviceable and tested as a backup to keep going in case of engine troubles between Orkney and Shetland. All engines can have issues - even if just fuel issues from an old tank being shaken up in northern waves.

If get a good weather window, a direct hop from Orkney to Shetland may be simpler than seeking to stop off at Fair Isle.
As a local, you will know to keep a decent offing from Sumburgh Head.
 
lustyd said:
Good to see you’re nearly there, we’ve only managed Tobermory (via some islands) since we spoke 🤣
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Well that's not very far, but then maybe far enough! It was a good journey, very enjoyable going through the Crinan and Caledonian, though rather rushed, brought back memories of doing Kings Lynn to Bedford on the Great Ouse quite a few times years ago.
 
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