Still Motoring - but South this time

It's Tuesday, 17th June. Four days short of the longest daylight hours for the year. It seems as if haven't seen the sun since Sunday. 

Vagabond and I are now at Gairloch (not the one on the Clyde, but the one north of Kyle of Lochalsh), in a busy cafe (for a change) where yachtsmen consult Ipads for a weather forecast, climbers do the same and the coach parties carry on their converstions

I left my readership* on a buoy in Rispond Bay, wondering if the batteries would survive poor light and no shore power and still be able to charge the ipad, the number navigation system? 

When I woke the following morning, the ipad was fully charged and the main batteries still had volts. 

On buoy in Rispond Bay

We left Rispond Bay in damp fog, and cautiously felt our way out to sea, where the mist cleared and I could see Cape Wrath. 

The various books caution the navigator about approaching this cape. There is a small passage, between the Cape and an outlying rock that "should only be taken in calm conditions at slack water". Well, the conditions couldn't get much calmer. 4kn of wind (from the West) and no apparent swell. But it is the time of the spring tide, so the currents are very strong and the water is very disturbed. "Look out for white water in the passage, and if you see it, keep 3 miles off shore" We approached the Cape just as the tide was turning. "let's take the inshore passage", I thought. 

The sea was clearly confused and lolopped about. Waves 3 - 4 feet high coming from (it seemed) every direction at quite short intervals. Big holes would appear in the sea where opposing troughs coincided and the tiller worked hard to steer us between the worst.

Approaching Cape Wrath

All calm again

Vagabond staggered through it all for about 30 minutes and then we were round, into calmer seas. There was still no wind, so Freddy drone on to KinLochBervie, where we went alongisde a pontoon. The fishing harbour was quiet - it was the weekend. 

The following day (after filling up with petrol) we motored south the Loch Inver, and the day after we did the same to come to Gairloch. I've established (again) that Freddie burns a litre of petrol an hour......

At least on the trip from KLB to Loch Inver we could see the magnifcent mountain scenery, stretching away to the South.

The Old Man of Stour

Flat calm off Gairloch 

Nature notes

None of real interest.

Not a fin in sight for the whole three days. 

The odd Auk or two and a few puffin.

We motored past Handa Island - this used to be the home of a large Gannet colony. Two thirds of the ledges were empty and there were few birds to see.

There was a Skua that kept up with us, in the hope we'd throw out some discards. It would fly past us, low down, a few boat lengths away and land in the water ahead of us. 

As we approached, it would take off, and fly close alongside, almost at my eye leve, looking at me meaningfully. It would then wheel away and land astern of us and wait until almost out of site. Then the whole sequence would be repeated. This went on for a couple of hours!

As we motored into Gairloch, a white tailed eagle flapped overhead.

Kyle of Lochalsh tomorrow.

* I know I have a least two, now, as they have been leaving comments! All comments are welcome and will get a reply (depending on internet connectivity)!