Fair Isle - Fersness Bay
Fair Isle proved to be worthy of its reputation. Amazing landscapes, tons of birds, beautiful lighthouses, cozy little museum, and even remains of a crashed WWII bomber just lying on a field.
While we were there, the harbour was quite busy. The season seems to have started! We ended up sandwiched in a raft between two big aluminium boats.
So to extricate ourselves this morning, we waited until crews of both boats were up and caffeineted. Then we released our boat, backed out of the raft, and let the two boats retie their lines. Then out to the open sea!
The Atlantic was today on a gentle mood. We had a picture perfect crossing to the Orkneys in full sunshine an a broad reach, with almost no swell.
The waters here are quite empty, we only saw one freighter heading the other way.
As the Orkney Islands have a new flag of their own, Suski made one while we were under way. A happy merging between a Q flag and a spare Norwegian courtesy flag!
Now we are anchored in the wide Fersness Bay off the island of Eday. From here we can start exploring the Orkney Islands. In this area, the tidal currents are the king, so our schedules will be heavily dictated by those. And a full moon is coming.
- Distance today: 47.2NM
- Total distance: 1240.1NM
- Lunch: spaghetti bolognese
- Engine hours: 1.3
| Time |
Position |
Course |
Speed |
Log |
Weather |
Remarks |
| 20.05. 8:40 Z |
59°32'17"N
1°36'12"W
|
312°
|
0kt
|
4432.2NM
|
wind
0.5kt
120°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Started main engine
|
| 20.05. 8:47 Z |
59°32'23"N
1°36'13"W
|
27°
|
5kt
|
4432.2NM
|
wind
2kt
41°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Motoring, out of the päkchen sandwich
|
| 20.05. 9:00 Z |
59°33'20"N
1°35'44"W
|
8°
|
5.3kt
|
4433.3NM
|
wind
4.3kt
61°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 9:31 Z |
59°33'24"N
1°39'23"W
|
241°
|
4.1kt
|
4435.5NM
|
wind
11.8kt
116°
sea state 2/10
clouds 1/8
visibility 8/10
baro 1021 hPa
|
Motor stopped, sailing with Main, Genoa 1
|
| 20.05. 9:37 Z |
59°33'21"N
1°40'4"W
|
261°
|
3.1kt
|
4435.8NM
|
wind
9.2kt
105°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Autopilot activated
|
| 20.05. 10:00 Z |
59°32'57"N
1°41'38"W
|
245°
|
2.3kt
|
4436.7NM
|
wind
6.3kt
124°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 10:01 Z |
59°32'56"N
1°41'42"W
|
246°
|
2.9kt
|
4436.8NM
|
wind
6.5kt
128°
baro 1021 hPa
|
We can still hear Norwegian Coastal Radio! Barely but still
|
| 20.05. 10:02 Z |
59°32'55"N
1°41'46"W
|
242°
|
2.5kt
|
4436.8NM
|
wind
6.4kt
119°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Started watermaker, 194ppm
|
| 20.05. 11:00 Z |
59°31'47"N
1°47'45"W
|
245°
|
3.7kt
|
4440.1NM
|
wind
8.6kt
135°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 12:00 Z |
59°30'27"N
1°54'37"W
|
255°
|
3.5kt
|
4443.8NM
|
wind
9.8kt
111°
baro 1021 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 12:57 Z |
59°28'55"N
2°2'58"W
|
256°
|
5.2kt
|
4448.3NM
|
wind
10.9kt
136°
sea state 3/10
clouds 0/8
visibility 8/10
baro 1020 hPa
|
Changed for Orkney courtesy flag.
|
| 20.05. 13:00 Z |
59°28'50"N
2°3'28"W
|
250°
|
5.2kt
|
4448.6NM
|
wind
12.1kt
120°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 13:26 Z |
59°27'57"N
2°8'4"W
|
242°
|
5.6kt
|
4451.1NM
|
wind
12.9kt
126°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Deployed hydrogenerator
|
| 20.05. 13:43 Z |
59°27'28"N
2°11'0"W
|
254°
|
4.9kt
|
4452.7NM
|
wind
11.7kt
122°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Stopped watermaker, 154ppm. Two full jugs
|
| 20.05. 13:58 Z |
59°27'19"N
2°13'24"W
|
264°
|
5.7kt
|
4453.9NM
|
wind
10.8kt
114°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Some play has developed in boomvang lower bracket, causing noise. Immobilised with a rope
|
| 20.05. 14:00 Z |
59°27'18"N
2°13'44"W
|
265°
|
5.4kt
|
4454.1NM
|
wind
12.1kt
114°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 14:35 Z |
59°26'37"N
2°19'11"W
|
259°
|
5kt
|
4456.9NM
|
wind
9.8kt
123°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Stowed hydrogenerator
|
| 20.05. 15:00 Z |
59°26'9"N
2°22'48"W
|
234°
|
4.2kt
|
4458.8NM
|
wind
9.4kt
123°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 15:39 Z |
59°24'19"N
2°26'58"W
|
226°
|
3.5kt
|
4461.7NM
|
wind
14.3kt
113°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Passing North Ronaldsay. Now tidal stream 1.6kt against us. Fair Isle almost below the horizon
|
| 20.05. 16:00 Z |
59°23'38"N
2°29'13"W
|
250°
|
4.2kt
|
4463NM
|
wind
13.8kt
115°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 16:05 Z |
59°23'28"N
2°29'51"W
|
245°
|
4.5kt
|
4463.4NM
|
wind
14.2kt
105°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Received DSC all ships call from Norwegian Coastal Radio, asking all vessels to check their radio equipment (and same in Norwegian)
|
| 20.05. 16:24 Z |
59°22'52"N
2°32'9"W
|
238°
|
4.2kt
|
4464.7NM
|
wind
11.9kt
136°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Deployed hydrogenerator
|
| 20.05. 17:00 Z |
59°20'39"N
2°35'49"W
|
219°
|
4.4kt
|
4467.6NM
|
wind
13.8kt
92°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 17:55 Z |
59°17'45"N
2°41'24"W
|
219°
|
5.7kt
|
4471.7NM
|
wind
15kt
129°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Favourable tidal current now
|
| 20.05. 18:00 Z |
59°17'22"N
2°42'1"W
|
209°
|
5.8kt
|
4472.2NM
|
wind
16.5kt
125°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 18:49 Z |
59°13'40"N
2°47'57"W
|
186°
|
6.7kt
|
4477.1NM
|
wind
16.7kt
121°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Autopilot deactivated
|
| 20.05. 19:00 Z |
59°12'57"N
2°47'50"W
|
170°
|
3.2kt
|
4477.8NM
|
wind
13.2kt
111°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 20.05. 19:01 Z |
59°12'51"N
2°47'49"W
|
173°
|
2.9kt
|
4477.9NM
|
wind
11.8kt
126°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Sails down, motoring
|
| 20.05. 19:26 Z |
59°11'32"N
2°46'56"W
|
355°
|
0.3kt
|
4479.4NM
|
wind
12.4kt
108°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Anchored
|
| 20.05. 19:30 Z |
59°11'33"N
2°46'58"W
|
226°
|
0kt
|
4479.4NM
|
wind
10kt
102°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Stopped main engine
|