2025 26th April, Day 28 Stromness, rather to my surprise,

Draft

The plan was to go to Loch Eriboll, if necessary ride out up coming bad weather there before moving on to Stromness, with tides then  a good start eastward to arrive as the tide turned favourable through Hoy Mouth.

A long distance phone pic of me going
inside Am Balg, 6 miles from Cape
Wrath. Pic by Katrina from SV
Windsong.

With the side setting north in the early morning I left at 04:45 which would give me fair tide until close to Loch Eriboll or all the way under engine.

At 06:30 I was 9 miles south of Cape Wrath under main and chute making 4 - 5.5 knots and being overtaken by an 11 yacht under engine and I was all set for a lunch time arrival. The inshore waters forecast was making Stromness the next day very doubtful and I managed to get the UKMO model downloaded ahead of schedule but not the others. Sunday looks bad for some distance east of Cape Wrath whilst Monday now looked to be very light winds rather than v strong, and Tuesday also light.

If I was going to have to motor to Stromness I decided I would rather do that immediately rather than in 2 or 3 days time after what could be another uncomfortable night at anchor. Some quick calculations (on the computer) showed that, even with the tide turning foul, under engine I could easily make the tide through Hoy Mouth / Sound and if the wind kept as it was or set in from the south / south east as forecast I should be able to sail a reasonable proportion of the way. Decision made and I headed for Orkney and a long day at sea.

Approaching Am Balg making about 5 knots.

Heading for Cape Wrath at 07:40 with the wind changing, unusually
sailing goose winged with the cruising chute as I was now on a dead
run (again). 

A couple of miles short of the Cape the wind died and started to veer so I snuffed the chute and carried on under engine.

My fifth rounding of Cape Wrath at 08:09

A few miles east of the cape some wind returned and things then were quite busy for a while and I probably overdid it a bit and was rather achy that night. The cruising chute was still hoisted but snuffed so first I set that. But I really needed more sail and the wind was veering which would need the chute to be flown from the pole so I hoisted the spinnaker.

But the wind kept veering and I needed to gybe back onto the correct course but decided on a rest first (there are times when you wish for a foredeck hand who you can tell to get on with it) but it kept veering and I would be crossing the bows of an approaching ship. So a gybe it was.

After gybing and back on course but the wind was dying.

I persisted for about an hour during which the good ship Windsong extended her lead to over 6 miles but the wind had all but disappeared so on went the engine again. And it was to stay on for the rest of the trip although I did motor sail for a while approaching Hoy when the wind which had set in from the NE - on the nose again and chilly, finally went round the the SE.

The Old Man of Hoy, not a brilliant photo but the best I have
managed in the five times I have past, perhaps on the way hope
I will see it in sun shine.

Approaching Hoy Mouth, just over an hour to go.

As I went through Hoy Sound at about 10 knots over the ground there was an unwanted AIS alert the ferry from Scabster steaming up behind me at 17 knots before entering the fast tide. All was set for her to catch up as I turned into the entrance channel to Stromness. 

Avoiding the ferry.

As it was just about on high water I thought to hide on the near, port side to wait for her to pass but then I saw pot buoys so made a dash east to clear the channel, it was a close pass but they didn't have to take any action to avoid me.

I was alongside, very tired, by half eight.

80 miles in 16 hours.