There were several boats in Peterhead planning to head for Wick in one go. I looked at that but felt after the long Arbroath to Peterhead passage I'd rather do two shorter passages if possible. Round the coast to Lossiemouth and then up to Wick is two sides of a triangle instead of one, but the two passages would be shorter, and thus easier...

The forecast for Sunday was S veering SW 12-18kts. That would mean finishing the passage close hauled, maybe even with a short tack or two, but not too bad.

I left Peterhead just after 6am. Initially I had the promised southerly, and with the tide was making almost 8kts over the ground in glorious sunshine as I headed up past Ratray Head. Happy text message to my brother on his birthday.

Then the wind began to play up. Direction changed wildly, anywhere from S to NW, and strength from 6 to 35kts. As I came round onto the westerly course along the coast, I encountered vicious short steep waves that stopped Eowyn dead. I was continually reefing and letting out the head sail. Having reefed the mainsail once, I was unwilling to shake out that reef, but at times wished I had all three reefs in, only to wish for none 5 minutes later. Eventually I'd had enough, dropped all sail and motored - but the seas were stopping her so badly, I ended up motoring on the same course I'd have sailed. Eventually, I finally made a good tactical decision and headed due south into Spey Bay, hoping for some shelter and at least a smoother sea. Eureka!

By this time I was so far behind schedule that I was worrying about whether I'd have enough water to get into Lossiemouth, and if not whether I'd be able to anchor outside to wait for the tide. Then if I could get inside, how hard would it be to tie up with this gusty unpredictable wind? For about two hours, miserably motoring against the wind, I imagined worse and worse scenarios.

When I arrived at Lossiemouth, the entrance was very well sheltered from the W and S, so no swell in the entrance - one fear crossed off. (If there are waves in a shallow bit, you need much more height of tide to ensure you don't go aground at the bottom of a wave). I was still an hour before low water, and the tidal app said I should have enough depth. Slowly, cautiously, I started the entrance. I then remembered the pin was still securing the anchor, so I couldn't anchor in a hurry if I needed to - oops! Too late now. On I went, depth dropping from 2.4m to 2.2m, to 2.1m ... Eowyn needs 1.8m ... then it started to rise again! Phew! Too close for comfort. The visitors' moorings turned out to be very sheltered, and mooring was a piece of cake - indeed, probably the easiest this whole trip.

There's one other visitor here. A lady came on deck, and we enjoyed griping about the weather. So much for Force 4-5, we agreed, more like Force 2-7 (10-35kts). They didn't have a roller headsail, so had made 5 headsail changes in one day coming south.

To cap it off, while mooring up, I got strafed by an incontinent flock of seabirds. All over the deck, lines, and mainsail. Yuck. Rinsed most off with the hose, but will now have to hope for a rainstorm when I next put the mainsail up as I'm sure I didn't get it all off.

Exhausted I tidied up below, got some supper, and so to bed.

Today, looking back, it was arduous but memorable: nothing broke (even me!) and I ended up where I meant to be, safely tied up to wait out yet more strong winds.

All's well that ends well.

Log of this passage

PS Not sure what those seeming military boats are doing in a pleasure craft marina in the photo! Eowyn in the background.