Concerto
Well-Known Member
The alarm rang at 5, groan. As Mighty Mouse had massive fenders out, I removed and stowed mine, saves doing it later. Getting everything shipshape for sailing takes an hour. How do I know? As I slipped the last warp off Mighty Mouse, the local clock struck 6. After turning the boat I advised by VHF I was leaving the harbour, only to have the harbourmaster instantly reply no other vessels were moving. I was not expecting that.
As I quietly passed through the harbour I was greeted by some hungry seals waiting for visitors to feed them. As I left the entrance the sun was shining through the clouds (a photo is here post #767 on Just pictures) and them rocks are very nasty. In 1881 there was a disaster on these rocks with 20 boats wrecked and 189 fishermen drowned. If visiting go and find the memorial sculpture, it is very moving. If you look carefully the names of the boats are shown under the remaining family groups. I took a video and it will included in a future part of the Round Britain video.
There was another yacht sailing that I presume had left Berwick on Tweed, but he was heading into the Firth of Forth. Later I saw a small survey vessel come out of Eyemouth and charged passed me on a similar course. During the rest of the day I saw a couple of ships to do with wind farm work but no other sails.
The wind was about west and I estimate about 12 to 15 knots (wind strut still not refitted). The course to Stonehaven is almost due north and 66 miles. Full sail was set and I was doing about 6 knots with the wind just forward of the beam. Great, as I was hoping to average 6 knots. The forecast was W backing SW 3 to 5. It was mighty cold out on the water and despite full oil skins, it took a while to get warm. It was not until after 10 did the sun break through the grey clouds and provide some welcome radiant heat.
An hour after setting the sails and clearing away from the coast, the wind increased and the boat speed was close to 7 knots. When it increased further and I started hitting 7.6 and 7.8 knots, I decided a reef would be prudent. This only slowed the boat down to 6¾ knots. This set up remained for about an hour and a half, then the wind eased so I shook out the reef. The warm sunshine gave me a chance to take a quick nap for 20 minutes, only to be woken by the ping of a text message not the alarm. I thought I was too far offshore by then to receive anything as the mobile showed no service.
I passed about a mile away from a jacked up ship starting yet another windfarm.
The wind started increasing again, but I decided to keep full rig. There were some white caps and some reasonable rollers coming from the Edinburgh direction. Gradually the wind eased and backed. First on to the beam and then behind the beam, finishing up as a broad reach. I telephoned the harbourmaster to check he had room, yes and told me to moor against the concrete pier by the middle ladder, but he would not be there to assist me.
As I closed the coast and was about 6 miles from Stonehaven, the wind dropped and my speed was 3½ knots. So I turned the engine on, but did not engage whilst I prepared to roll the genoa away. In went the winch handle and hey presto the wind rose and in less than 2 minutes I was sailing at over 7 knots. So I did not need the engine after all. About a mile from the harbour I rolled the genoa away, started the engine but left it out of gear. I then rigged plenty of fenders and my fender board and prepared some long lines. As I approached the harbour entrance it started to rain. Oh, I do hate sailing in the rain. Luckily it was very short and as I turned to approach the pier wall, the rain magically stopped. I cannot remember the last time I tied up to a tidal harbour wall and I had never done it singlehanded. The breeze was blocked in the harbour and was not a problem as I carefully went towards the ladder. Quickly I lashed to the ladder and took the long bow and stern lines up. A bowline on a ring secured each one so I could adjust them onboard. They were so long the other ends were used as springs. The final rope was from the top of the ladder and loosely round the shroud to stop moving up and down the wall and to far off to step aboard. All tied up by 16.50. So a few minutes under 11 hours to do 66 miles. My estimate of 6 knots was almost spot on.
Oh, for those wondering about the spinnaker. No I did not set it today as the wind was mainly too far forward or strong enough to sail fast anyway. It will be getting an airing shortly with photographic proof.
As I quietly passed through the harbour I was greeted by some hungry seals waiting for visitors to feed them. As I left the entrance the sun was shining through the clouds (a photo is here post #767 on Just pictures) and them rocks are very nasty. In 1881 there was a disaster on these rocks with 20 boats wrecked and 189 fishermen drowned. If visiting go and find the memorial sculpture, it is very moving. If you look carefully the names of the boats are shown under the remaining family groups. I took a video and it will included in a future part of the Round Britain video.
There was another yacht sailing that I presume had left Berwick on Tweed, but he was heading into the Firth of Forth. Later I saw a small survey vessel come out of Eyemouth and charged passed me on a similar course. During the rest of the day I saw a couple of ships to do with wind farm work but no other sails.
The wind was about west and I estimate about 12 to 15 knots (wind strut still not refitted). The course to Stonehaven is almost due north and 66 miles. Full sail was set and I was doing about 6 knots with the wind just forward of the beam. Great, as I was hoping to average 6 knots. The forecast was W backing SW 3 to 5. It was mighty cold out on the water and despite full oil skins, it took a while to get warm. It was not until after 10 did the sun break through the grey clouds and provide some welcome radiant heat.
An hour after setting the sails and clearing away from the coast, the wind increased and the boat speed was close to 7 knots. When it increased further and I started hitting 7.6 and 7.8 knots, I decided a reef would be prudent. This only slowed the boat down to 6¾ knots. This set up remained for about an hour and a half, then the wind eased so I shook out the reef. The warm sunshine gave me a chance to take a quick nap for 20 minutes, only to be woken by the ping of a text message not the alarm. I thought I was too far offshore by then to receive anything as the mobile showed no service.
I passed about a mile away from a jacked up ship starting yet another windfarm.
The wind started increasing again, but I decided to keep full rig. There were some white caps and some reasonable rollers coming from the Edinburgh direction. Gradually the wind eased and backed. First on to the beam and then behind the beam, finishing up as a broad reach. I telephoned the harbourmaster to check he had room, yes and told me to moor against the concrete pier by the middle ladder, but he would not be there to assist me.
As I closed the coast and was about 6 miles from Stonehaven, the wind dropped and my speed was 3½ knots. So I turned the engine on, but did not engage whilst I prepared to roll the genoa away. In went the winch handle and hey presto the wind rose and in less than 2 minutes I was sailing at over 7 knots. So I did not need the engine after all. About a mile from the harbour I rolled the genoa away, started the engine but left it out of gear. I then rigged plenty of fenders and my fender board and prepared some long lines. As I approached the harbour entrance it started to rain. Oh, I do hate sailing in the rain. Luckily it was very short and as I turned to approach the pier wall, the rain magically stopped. I cannot remember the last time I tied up to a tidal harbour wall and I had never done it singlehanded. The breeze was blocked in the harbour and was not a problem as I carefully went towards the ladder. Quickly I lashed to the ladder and took the long bow and stern lines up. A bowline on a ring secured each one so I could adjust them onboard. They were so long the other ends were used as springs. The final rope was from the top of the ladder and loosely round the shroud to stop moving up and down the wall and to far off to step aboard. All tied up by 16.50. So a few minutes under 11 hours to do 66 miles. My estimate of 6 knots was almost spot on.
Oh, for those wondering about the spinnaker. No I did not set it today as the wind was mainly too far forward or strong enough to sail fast anyway. It will be getting an airing shortly with photographic proof.
. Though if you invested time in the myriad of interesting places you would need to allocate years not months to the adventure.
