Lack of wind necessitated motoring to Orkney from Cape Wrath, but meant
we could round spectacularly close in under the cliffs and lighthouse,
and pass well inside the Duislic Rock. A long, uneventful 13 hour
passage took us in through Hoy Sound and up to the marina behind
Stromness Pier. There a local marine electronics man helped us fix the
autopilot – its like having an extra crewman back again. Once more we
took advantage of free buses to do some sightseeing and climb another
hill. The Stromness Hotel is hosting most of Orkney’s Jazz Festival (a
rather grandiose description of two trad bands from Edinburgh playing
over a long weekend) so last night we enjoyed some good old traditional
jazz from Bill Salmond’s Louisiana Ragtime Band and the Diplomats of
Jazz. An interesting character was the bass player who played in both
bands, dressed in tuxedo playing euphonium in one band and casually
dressed on double bass in the other. Fortunately he was a also
quick-change artist between band sets. We went across to Hoy this
morning but the exposed anchorage, cold wind, and cloud nudging the
hilltops dissuaded us from a hill trip – so we will return on another
occasion and in better conditions.
Hi Maggie and Brian, Your blog makes good reading, good weather, good sailing and good walking. Lovely memories of the Western Isles last May!
We +2 have just done a fun 4 days motoring a hullaballoo round the Ant ,Bure and Thurne on the Norfolk Broads to take bird pics. Brother Hugh and Jenny his friend, hired a Yare and Bure One Design so we had a sail as well.
Good sailing! Fan
Good reading and you are obviously making good progress.Tried posting a comment last night but technolgy beat me! Chala now back in ormidale following a short cruise to Arran and Millport.Looking out for Seol na Mara west of Toward shortly.
Good sailing,Duncan
Hi folks! We are back home again and preparing for Sunday. That is to say, I am preparing for Sunday while Iain is tied up with the boat. He and Peter brought her down from Rothesay Dock to Bowling on Monday and the idea was to have the mast stepped today. Iain stayed aboard last night to be ready to go early this am but the crane was having problems and they didn’t get the job done til late today. Also, he dropped his mobile in the cockpit in a puddle of water. Ah, the joys of sailing.
****Maggie, are you still OK about the cake for Sunday?****
BTW wedding photos are now up on my blog.
Regards …. Barb