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.

Making our way home

24 August 2022 | Portavadie Marina

Ann and Steve Crome | Showers, warm or cold, everything!

Back on wifi again after several days of no or poor 4G. Since the last post we moved first to Tobermory. Very pretty place but very bumpy and uncomfortable in the north easterly wind blowing so we gave up after on of our planned two days there and moved on to Loch Aline (4 h great sail), a very pretty and much more sheltered anchorage. From there to Oban, what passes for a metropolis in this part of the world for serious laundry, shopping and a meet up with Steve's niece and great niece. We had hoped to take them out for a sail but it was too windy/choppy for beginners including a five year old so we retired gracefully to lunch on board. It was great to see them. Four nights in Oban by the time the wind had subsided enough for us to venture out. Sunday 21st,Oban to Crinan (5 h,25 miles, a lot of motoring unfortunately due to head winds) to enter the canal. More of that in the next blog.

In Oban, we came across a street concert by the Oban High School pipe and drum band, a wonderful hours entertainment by some very talented young people who clearly put a lot of practice time in

Comments