Due to adverse weather, we lay over in Kirkwall for three days after seeing Fin And J (photo) off on their return journey to London. Strong westerlies prevailed – with white horses even inside the inner harbour! At the first opportunity we moved round to Stromness, then made the long crossing south-west round Cape Wrath. It was a good passage in fine weather – rough only for a mile or so as the tide turned against us short of the Cape Wrath Light. Once round, the wind died and we motored through a still evening to the anchorage in Loch a’Chad-Fi, off Loch Laxford. This is where John Ridgway has his adventure school, and his ocean-going yacht was hauled out on the slipway, and well tethered down. At present we are southbound on the West Coast, having just passed the bird reserve isle of Handa.