Zipee Too

Vessel Name: Zipee Too
Vessel Make/Model: Westerly Typhoon
Hailing Port: Hull
Recent Blog Posts
30 August 2023

Summer 2023

This summer has been a more relaxing affair after much indecision about what to do and where to go. We had many options Holland, Norway, Shetland but in the end the weather decided for us and we headed into the Caledonia Canal.

11 August 2022

Where has summer gone?

The last few weeks have been sailing, anchoring, fixing stuff and a little exploring. We've had a few longer passages, a few days in Peterhead to enjoy Scottish Week, a week in Kirkwall in the Orkney's to fix our broken anchor windlass and then the last 11 days we have been in Shetland, hiding from windy [...]

21 July 2022

2022 Back to Sea

So we finally set sail on Saturday 9th July a week later than hoped due to a broken tooth and an intermittent working gas cooking system, both needed fixing before we departed. On setting off we made our way down the Humber into a head wind that wasn't forecast with brown water spraying up over the decks. [...]

21 July 2022

2019 Apology

I would like to apologise for not writing about our fantastic trip north of the Arctic Circle to the Lofoten Islands. It was an amazing adventure and we were on the go most days, managing to avoid the summer storms. We were so busy enjoying ourselves we didn't get chance to write but I hope you enjoyed [...]

23 September 2018

2018 Final Leg

Our next adventure was to a remote anchorage on the north side of Fetlar. It was wonderfully tranquil, people free, bird haven with its sandy beaches, rocky outcrops and sheep grazed grassland. On our second night we were joined by a local Shetland boat and met the family aboard Lila Mai who we would [...]

17 July 2018

Unst Fest

Our arrival back to Shetland was into Balta Sound on the island of Unst, the most Northerly island in the British Isles. It was a very grey day when we anchored in the bay and looking ashore the landscape appeared very flat which was a stark contrast to the Norwegian landscape we had just left behind. [...]

Summer 2023

30 August 2023
Trev and Sarah Rutt
This summer has been a more relaxing affair after much indecision about what to do and where to go. We had many options Holland, Norway, Shetland but in the end the weather decided for us and we headed into the Caledonia Canal.

It has been very relaxing and a lot warmer than last year. Still had the Scottish rain (on and off) but with temperatures in the high teens it was comfortable. We've been able to really chill out only moving a few miles each day at times, just enjoying the scenery and wildlife.

We're now back in the North Sea heading home, weather watching and making longer passages, no more 2 mile trips.

Where has summer gone?

11 August 2022
Trev and Sarah Rutt
The last few weeks have been sailing, anchoring, fixing stuff and a little exploring. We've had a few longer passages, a few days in Peterhead to enjoy Scottish Week, a week in Kirkwall in the Orkney's to fix our broken anchor windlass and then the last 11 days we have been in Shetland, hiding from windy weather and getting wet a lot.

Peterhead was our last days of summer, we had chance to get a few jobs done and enjoy the festivities, the Red Arrows gave an amazing performance.

Kirkwall was windy but a lot of our time was spent hanging around the Royal Mail delivery office waiting for our new anchor windless to arrive (the poor old motor gave up with too much use) we also got to enjoy some windswept walks.

Shetland is cold, wet and windy, they are having one of their worst summers and it is the conversation that all the locals bring up. But it is still an amazing place and we have got to meet new friends and catch up with old ones.

We have seen more dolphins from a distance. A Minke Whale that surfaced close to the boat (sorry no photos as it happened too unexpectedly) it was majestic, nearly as big as the boat and glided through the water so slowly, surfacing a few times as it headed away before diving deep. Also otters in two different locations (again no photos as it was pouring with rain on both occasions), one on a walk when we were sheltering from the wind and rain on a rocky shore line, it was fishing and came ashore through the rocky pools and then headed at a fast gait over grassland, spooking the sheep on its way. The second was today as we came into our anchorage, we were both surprised to see each other, the otter was swimming about fishing as we came up to anchor, it had to take a second glance before disappearing.

We have found another favourite anchorage which we got to explore a few days ago when it wasn't quite as wet, it is a nearly enclosed cove with a beach, rock pools, a stream winding down from the hills, stone house ruins and only sheep and sea birds for company (photos to follow). We love our secluded spots.

Our plan is now to explore the west coast, fingers crossed that the wind will give us a few days to do this. The west coast is open to the predominant westerly winds and the North Atlantic swell with little protection but it is supposed to be spectacular.

2022 Back to Sea

21 July 2022
Sarah Rutt
So we finally set sail on Saturday 9th July a week later than hoped due to a broken tooth and an intermittent working gas cooking system, both needed fixing before we departed. On setting off we made our way down the Humber into a head wind that wasn't forecast with brown water spraying up over the decks. Arriving at Spurn Point as the tide was turning we decided to drop anchor for a few hours and set off with the next north going tide.

Dragging ourselves out of bed at 3.30am we headed for the stove only to find that the gas was still playing up, NO TEA OR COFFEE. We had a back up regulator which Trev proceeded to fit and with some relief we had hot drinks by 4am. Our sail up the East Yorkshire coast was sunny with a nice breeze from the right direction. We both got some much needed sleep as we slipped along fairly peacefully. The peace was only broken by the engine being turned on as the wind died just when we needed it most, to get us round Flamborough Head before the tide turned against us. The wind didn't return but once past the headland we tried to sail, getting no where fast we heading into Filey Brigg to anchor. The sea conditions at anchor ranged from flatness for a few hours to rolling madly from side to side, repeated numerous times, it was not the best nights sleep.

Setting off again our next stop was Runswick Bay, an anchorage that we have aspired to visiting for many years. This was a much better night although a few rolls were felt from time to time. After a night in Hartlepool for supplies, we headed out to sea for a hat trick of dolphins. We had a run of three days of Dolphins. The first visit was from Whitebeaks close to the Tyne, at this point we were battling a ever increasing headwind and conditions were too bad to get photos or venture to the bow, so the dolphins just popped up next to us at the back of the boat, they were quite happy to hang around and entertain us for a while. After a night in Blythe, we got our second visit off the coast near Amble. The conditions were settled so we could sit on the bow while the Whitebeaks played in our bow wave. They played for some time went off to do something else and then came back for another show before disappearing out to sea. It was a magical experience and we were able to get a few photos of these friendly creatures. Once anchored up for the night in a bay just south of Seahouses we had a sky spectacular with sun, stormy clouds and rainbows, with an acoustic accompaniment of breeding birds. On the rolling anchor scale this was a 6/7 it started out all calm but then in the middle of the night we were having to try very hard just to lie still. Our dolphin hat trick concluded with a group of Bottlenose playing near the shore as we left our anchorage, they were too busy to visit but they put on an awesome display of jumping and splashing.

Our last English destination was anchored south of Holy Island with views of Lindesfarne Castle while seal heads popped up all around us, splashing their tails and making a lot of noise while sunbathing on the sandbanks at low water. Holy Island was wonderfully calm and earned itself a magnificent 1 on the rolling anchor scale. We got a great nights sleep before heading into Scottish waters.

(Just for reference Sarah's Rolling Anchor Scale 1 is Calm, Good Sleep and 10 is non stop rolling, Bad Sleep.)

2019 Apology

21 July 2022
Sarah Rutt
I would like to apologise for not writing about our fantastic trip north of the Arctic Circle to the Lofoten Islands. It was an amazing adventure and we were on the go most days, managing to avoid the summer storms. We were so busy enjoying ourselves we didn't get chance to write but I hope you enjoyed the wondeful photos and followed us on the map.

2018 Final Leg

23 September 2018
Trev and Sarah Rutt
Our next adventure was to a remote anchorage on the north side of Fetlar. It was wonderfully tranquil, people free, bird haven with its sandy beaches, rocky outcrops and sheep grazed grassland. On our second night we were joined by a local Shetland boat and met the family aboard Lila Mai who we would cross paths with many times in the coming weeks.

After enjoying the sandy beaches, many varieties of birds and inquisitive seals we left Fetlar behind and headed back to Burravoe on the Isle of Yell. We had enjoyed the little village and surrounding countryside so much a few weeks earlier that we decided to return. We hiked back up the high cliffs and got to see a Minke whale fishing close to the shore, headed back to the Old Haa Cafe for more tea and cake and joined in with a fish and chip supper in the village hall. At this point we were running very short of cash as these northern islands were lacking in cash points, so after dusting off our cheque book we headed for our fish and chips with our figures crossed, our luck was in as the village hall bar cashed us a cheque and we were able to stay for a very tasty fish and chips and a long drinking session with the friendly locals.

Our lack of supplies and a pending storm meant we would have to head south back to Lerwick. This turned into a week of chatting and drinking with the other yachties, a bit of walking, visiting the free Shetland museum and watching a little of the BBC Shetland series being filmed. One evening whilst enjoying a drink in the yacht club we were invaded by a lot of noisy fancy dress detectives, much to the bemusement of a German crew that were enjoying a quiet drink, the invasion was the crew and cast of the Shetland BBC drama and we just hoped no murders were scheduled.

Once a couple of storms had passed we headed back out to find a quiet anchorage on the Isle of Bressay. The part of the island we were close to was deserted and we explored the remains of an old herring station, an old slate quarry which had a number of deep pools of clear water and checked out the World War 1 gun that was up on the top of a hill with a great view of the north sea and northern isles. We had a few peaceful days enjoying the history and nature of this small piece of land.

Heading back to Lerwick again we went into Grimister harbour as we hoped to lift the boat out for a quick scrub off and change of anodes at the end of the week. Our lift was planned for the biggest high tide but when the time came we decided that our boat was probably just a bit too close to the limit for the hoist, add into the equation a strong beam breeze and the limited time over high water we decided to abort the lift.

During this time in Lerwick we got to meet up with some cruising friends we had previously met in Denmark. We had spent all summer chatting via email as they were in Norway but due to our short stay we didn't get to meet up as there as they were a lot further north during our time there. We finally got together in Lerwick and had a great couple of days catching up. They had hired a car and invited us out to explore the southern half of the island, starting off with Sumburgh Head with its impressive lighthouse sat high up on the cliffs with lots of Puffins still in residence on the cliff tops. The archaeological site of Jarlshof where stone age huts sit next to an Iron Age broch, a viking village and a medieval farmstead. Heading back north we visited St Ninian's Isle with its sandy beach causeway connecting it to the mainland, stopped to view Isle of Mousa and headed over the moorland tops with Shetland ponies to visit Scalloway. It was a action packed day which we finished off on Altarama with a wonderful dinner and wine. It is great to meet up with cruising friends and catch up on sailing stories.

Leaving Lerwick we were heading south again and back to Fair Isle, the weather looked great for a couple of days so it would be a perfect time to enjoy the island. We arrived and found Lila Mai already tied up to the quay so we invited them on board for drinks, then there friends arrived and our party grew in size. The next morning our cockpit was covered in cans and food signaling a good night! The puffins had left the cliff tops so we decided to head to the south of the island, this is where all the crofts are located, the churches, small shop and the south lighthouse. It is a such an amazing island and the sunny weather made exploring it even more enjoyable. Our last night was spent BBQ on the small sandy beach close to the harbour, by the end of the evening most of the crews, including Lila Mai's hamster, had joined us at the picnic tables to enjoy a few beers.

With great winds we flew the spinnaker most of the way to Westray in the Orkney Isles and Lila Mai followed us across. After a night at anchor we tied up in Pierowall harbour, had a walk to the remains of Notland Castle which was free to explore and visited the Pierowall Hotel with Lila Mai for the highly recommend fish and chips. The following day Lila Mai headed back to Shetland while we headed into Kirkwall to wait for good winds to head south. As we had to spend another few days waiting for a storm to pass we planned a day out on the bus to Deerness to walk along the spectacular cliffs and visit the Deerness Gin Distillery. So after a brisk morning walk and a few gin and tonics we ate our lunch on a bench while waiting for the bus to return us to Kirkwall.

We finally got some weather to head south and headed out of Kirkwall to anchor for the night near the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel. Our journey south was via Wick where we headed straight for Wetherspoons, Lossimouth where we lifted the boat out for a few days to clean the bottom and change anodes. Whitehills, Peterhead, Arbroath, Edinburgh where we had a couple of rolly nights at anchor and an afternoon visit to the city. Eyemouth, Amble, Hartlepool where we left the boat in a big storm and headed home for a few days, it was wonderful to see my family and get hugs from the ponies, dog and cats. And finally Scarborough before heading back up the Humber.

We'd had another great year which wasn't as planned but we enjoyed the places we visited and the people we met. Shetland is high on our list of the most friendly places to visit, locals and visitors are all chatty which makes it an amazing place to travel. Places are amazing but its the people you meet that make a trip special.







Unst Fest

17 July 2018
Trev and Sarah Rutt
Our arrival back to Shetland was into Balta Sound on the island of Unst, the most Northerly island in the British Isles. It was a very grey day when we anchored in the bay and looking ashore the landscape appeared very flat which was a stark contrast to the Norwegian landscape we had just left behind. We arrived in the late afternoon and debated over having enough energy to pump up the dingy to row ashore in search of a shower and a beer and we were so glad we did as we had an very random and fun evening. The harbour area was very busy and we found out that we'd arrived for the start of Unst week, the locals had just arrived to put up marquees for the shore-side activities of the rowing regatta that was to take place a couple of days later. Once showered we asked where we could get a beer and were told there was no local bar but if we helped with the marquees there would be a free beer afterwards. So after 31 hour North Sea crossing, on a drizzly Thursday evening in July we were putting up a huge marquee. A couple of hours later we were rewarded with beer, great company and some out of date teacakes (that were actually heading for chickens but the chickens lost out to some hungry humans that need to soak up a beer or two).

Unst week involves a programme of activities that take place in different locations all over the island, the locals volunteer to put on events for a small charge. We decided to stay in Balta Sound to see the rowing races so we moved over to the pier which would be sheltered from the winds that were forecast. Shortly after mooring up we were joined by a little boat Zico from the Firth of Forth. and made good friends with her owner Murdoch. The weather was typically Scottish, wet and windy but the rowing went ahead and competition between the Shetland teams was fierce. A Viking long boat was also braving the choppy waters taking visitors out for a ride. The atmosphere shore side was lively with beer, burgers and local live music. I'm guessing the harbour does not see this this much action the rest of the year as the next day it was very quiet so we headed to the village hall to see the stalls of local produce and partake in a buffet lunch. This sustained us for the long walk to the leisure centre to get internet for weather and emails. Faced with the return journey I did something I had always considered to be very unwise, I stuck up my thumb and got us a lift. The locals had told us that hitching was accepted in Shetland and we got a lift with a very nice lady.

The next day the wind had dropped but fog had arrived, this seemed to be a fairly common occurrence in Shetland. The fog wasn't too thick so we decided to head out towards the stunning northern coastline of Unst and the Muckle Flugga lighthouse. Our plan was to head to Burra Firth, a inlet on the north coast with a sandy anchorage at its head. The trip ended up entirely in fog so after leaving Balta Sound we didn't get to see land until we entered into Burra Firth. Although this remote tip of the British Isles was shrouded in fog we could just make out the impressive cliffs which was teeming with bird life but the Muckle Flugga lighthouse remain illusive.

We anchored up and eventually the fog lifted and we were rewarded with a stunning sunset. The next day the fog returned and we headed out to find Muckle Flugga. It was an atmospheric rounding of the most northerly point as we could just make out the lighthouse but could hear the waves crashing against the rocks as the North Atlantic swell made landfall. We carried on throughout the rest of the day in varying degrees of visibility, through the fast running Bluemull Sound as we left Unst behind and headed back to Mid Yell.




Zipee Too's Photos - Main
61 Photos
Created 30 August 2023
15 Photos
Created 30 August 2023
8 Photos
Created 30 August 2023
33 Photos
Created 19 August 2022
26 Photos
Created 19 August 2022
8 Photos
Created 19 August 2022
16 Photos
Created 11 August 2022
20 Photos
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26 Photos
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31 Photos
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32 Photos
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19 Photos
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41 Photos
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44 Photos
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47 Photos
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43 Photos
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47 Photos
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The ordering of this album got mixed up when sailblogs updated their system - sorry!
24 Photos
Created 10 April 2015
25 Photos
Created 5 April 2015
5 Photos
Created 15 October 2014
16 Photos
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25 Photos
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38 Photos
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20 Photos
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17 Photos
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9 Photos
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10 Photos
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30 Photos
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12 Photos
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25 Photos
Created 10 August 2011
12 Photos
Created 6 August 2011
16 Photos
Created 27 July 2011
18 Photos
Created 21 July 2011
15 Photos
Created 13 July 2011
19 Photos
Created 11 July 2011
5 Photos
Created 6 July 2011
12 Photos
Created 3 July 2011
10 Photos
Created 28 June 2011
7 Photos
Created 23 June 2011
Snaps of the trip so far.
9 Photos
Created 13 June 2011

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30 August 2023
61 Photos
30 August 2023
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