weather in sep & oct, far north scotland and orkneys?

[steve yates]

I have been sailing my wee boat up from cumbria in short spells between work since may, leaving her where I reach before having to head back.

Currently she is in plockton, I have a week in august, a week, and a 10 day slot in sep, and then 2 weeks from mid to end october left.

My original plan was to bumble north and west as far as I got before the autumn gales arrived, then trailer her back from there.

I'm now wondering If I could get a chance to head up and then across to outer isles, and work back down them, then bumble back towards cumbria, even if I only reach the clyde coast; or if I could keep going north and mebbe out to the orkneys.

Nothing is set in stone, the weather and wind direction when I'm off will dictate where I go and how far I guess.

But if I were to go north, and to orkney, does anyone have any idea what my chances are of reasonable weather in sep & oct up there? I know scotland often gets quite a nice indian summer in oct, does it extend that far north?
When do the autumn gales usually tend to arrive?

And then, once north of lochinver, where are there good spots to both leave the boat when i return to work, and to eventually haul her out on a slipway and onto her trailer?

Any places in orkney she can be left? And where would I need to get her back to to a slipway to put her on a trailer and take her home when the weather finally breaks?

No problem if I head back down, cos you have very kindly told me of various places she can be left down there in older posts.

(should add, its an 18 ft lifting keeler if that helps)

thank you.

 

[Kelpie]

Sept/Oct can produce some nice weather but it is a bit of a lottery. One thing we noticed when cruising that late was how much shorter the days are- this affects the mileage you can put in, especially if your destination is unlit. We had an interesting time pootling about Canna harbour in pitch black trying to spot the new mooring buoys.

To play it safe, I would cruise the NW mainland coast, as going further afield may risk getting stuck. E.g. if you cross the Minch to Lewis and then head south, you might struggle to get a good weather window to get back across. At least on the mainland you should be able to reach somewhere with a slipway relatively easily.

I don't know much about Orkney although I recall there was a slipway in Stromness at the dinghy club. It's a very boaty place so I'm sure there are plenty of options.

 

[dunedin]

Weather is always unpredictable in advance. Certainly late September early October last year it was great on the West (we were swimming in the sea at Gigha to cool off in hot weather on last day of September). But equally could get a string of south westerly gales. Who knows.

Having just been round the top recently, I would suggest perhaps leave Orkney for another time. Need a very good weather window and a long haul round Cape Wrath to Orkney for a small boat. And if miss a tide window the seas can get very rough if suddenly find wind against tide.

On the other hand it is a short hop from somewhere like Gairloch to Lewis - perhaps via the Shiant Isles. If get a good weather window, even a short one, this should be eminently doable. Read the CCC guide though re the warnings about some of the apparently shorter routes from North Skye to Harris, which can be trickier if the weather turns (again largely wind against tide issues).

Stornoway is a very safe harbour and would I am sure be able to lift out for a ferry back if necessary. Also lists of other facilities in outer isles.

So worth conspiring if the weather is perfect. Equally discretion better part of valour and loads to enjoy within more sheltered waters of Inner Sound, or inside Mull, if weather less than perfect

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Nothing can be predicted with any certainty weather wise at the top of Scotland. It's an unstable maritime climate. You might get lucky - I spent last September in the far north & it was beut. However, you are more likely to get unlucky. I sat in harbour for 10 days on the trot a few years back while it howled from the SW.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

... and if you head beyond Skye get some rhymes prepared, the Blue Men are active this year. I'm sure Kelpie will agree. Here's one I had to use the other day...

A man o' the Minch
Sat on a fence
Asked me loudly
For a pound in pence
A pound in pennies
I hadn't got
So sneezed at me
Some bright blue snot

?

 

[Kelpie]

I thought the retort had to be in Gaelic! They must be getting soft these days.

 

[Kelpie]

Re Stornoway: decent free slipway at Cuddy Point for recovery onto a trailer. If you want to crane out instead, the harbour have recently bought a very beefy telehandler which I expect could easily lift a wee 18ft boat.

 

[steve yates]

Thank you, what are the blue men?

 

[steve yates]

And yes, Jumbleduck, that's a good point, which occurred to me. So used to light till 10 or 11 on this trip it's difficult to think it could be dark by 4 in October!

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Thank you, what are the blue men?

They bring the pants weather down on small boats in the Minch in September...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_men_of_the_Minch

 

[AngusMcDoon]

And yes, Jumbleduck, that's a good point, which occurred to me. So used to light till 10 or 11 on this trip it's difficult to think it could be dark by 4 in October!

It isn't that bad. Middle of October sunset 18:15, so almost completely dark at 19:00.