China Girl, UK Circumnavigation - Year 6

From Cromarty to Inverness, CG's winter home was only 17 miles, the wind was very light, we got 10 minutes of sailing in our last trip of the season but essentially it was a motoring day.

05 September 2024

Cromarthy firth

This is the view from CG looking the other way in Cromarty Firth. No so good.

05 September 2024

Wick to Cromarty in our passage plan was 55 miles, mostly on a heading of about 220 (SSW). The wind had been south-westerly for days and we didn't fancy a 55 mile beat so we delayed and watched the weather like hawks. Eventually a day of Westerlies, not too strong was forecast so we went for it. We [...]

05 September 2024 | Castle of May

Castle of May

Dunrobin Castle and Castle May are both well worth the visit if you are ever up that way. The latter has been kept just as HM The Queen Mother left it the last time she visited in 2001. The lady that introduced us to the castle had been working there since she was a child, she was probably in her 70s. [...]

26 August 2024 | Wick Marina

Bye Bye Orkney

It's time to leave Orkney and head south back to mainland Scotland on our way to our winter base in Inverness. Landfall on the mainland will be Wick. Much thought and head scratching has gone in to this trip: timing, distance, tides and mostly the sodding weather. Perm all these. From where we are [...]

26 August 2024 | Wick Marina

Washing the outboard

From Calf sound a 2 hour trip on the motor to Whitehall in Papa Sound on the northern end of Stronsay. It was mostly upwind and we couldn't be bothered to tack all the way. Two nights on a visitors buoy and a look around the village.

Off on our travels again.

03 July 2022 | Stranraer Marina

Ann and Steve Crome | heavy showers

Since the last post we made our way from Tighnabruiche, via Millport on Gt Cumbrae back to Troon where we headed off home for a bevvy of medical and other appointments. Back to the boat on 29 June for a day of maintenance and stocking up for our main cruise of the year to the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and (weather permitting) Skye. Getting to the IoM from Troon means going around the Mull of Galloway which means getting the tides right. Also it's a long way from Troon to Peel and we are not into hard work so we planned it for a 3 day trip.
Plan was Friday (01.07) Troon to Stranraer, target c6h Saturday at leisure in Stranraer (as the tour guides say). Sunday round the mull to East Tarbet Bay (c9h). Monday Tarbet to Peel (c5h). Winds forecast for Friday strong SW, ie right on the nose. No good. Plan B, leave Saturday. But still SW wind. Plan C, go to Lamlash on Arran on Friday, due west so sailable, then Lamlash to Stranraer on Saturday, a southerly course, should be sailable. Plan C has worked and we are now in Stranraer. Great sail to Lamlash. Long day in a lot of rain to Stranraer, had better days but managed to sail a lot of the wat before the wind died. Leave at 0600 tomorrow to get the tides right around the Mull to anchor in E Tarbet Bay. Wind forecast is W or NW, course is mostly SE so should be good sail. Rain forecast iffy.... Rather dull (sorry) photo of the view from Stranraer Harbour down Loch Ryan. I just spent half an hour trying to produce a map from google maps that I could load here to show you the routes. If anybody knows how to do it, please drop me a line.

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