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.

It's so bloody cold!

12 June 2024 | Loch Dunvegan near the castle

Ann and Steve Crome | Sunny but cold

I was right, we did have to hide in Lochboisdale. Arrived on Monday 3rd, first chance to escape without getting blown to bits was Sunday 9th. So we hired a car for 3 days and toured South Uist, Benbecula, Eriskay and Barra by car.

Then things cheered up and we got a fantastic 5 hour sail across to Canna; engine only on to leave and arrive the harbours. Two nights there to allow us to do the walk to see the puffins. About 2 hours each way so there had better have been some, and there were. I have a photo which shows some in the distance and they look like black dots. I'm going to have to do a lot of cropping and expanding get them up to visible size. Next day off from Canna to Rum, only 12 miles but we sailed all the way there, so an enjoyable trip. We saw two eagles! Not sure if they were white-tailed or golden, and moving too fast for my camera skills, but we can say we saw them, one of the reasons we went to Rum.

Today from Rum to Dunvegan on Skye, our first no-wind motor-all-day trip of the year. 44 miles, but at least we have hot water for showers.

The consistent thing about the whole trip so far is that it has been so bloody cold. It's June for God's sake and we are sailing in thermals and full waterproofs. This is not funny; forecast shows little improvement in the next week either.

We're here in Dunvegan for two nights, off to see the castle and posh restaurant tomorrow (Thursday) then hoping to cross back to the Outer Hebrides - Lochmaddy on North Uist of Friday, But the weathers looking dodgy....

Photo shows A view across S Uist towards Barra, nice white fluffy clouds but sooo cold!!

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