Kirkwall - Loch a'Chadh-fi
12:30 at high tide, we cast our shore lines and motored out of the wave break. After it we hoisted the main in 1st reef and the staysail. We were heading south towards Cape Wrath! For this passage to be on our list there were few requirements. Get both leaving Orkneys and arriving at Cape Wrath with tide with us wind accompanying. So when the easterlies came, we jumped at the chance ditching our plan to take the easy route via Caledonian Canal. Rounding Scotland from the north it was.
Exiting Eynhallow Sound we were greeted with few standing waves. Lille Ø lurched over them with a couple of big splashes, pushed by the 6kn current, and we were off to the Atlantic swell once more. Getting our windvane to stay on course required a bit of tuning as the wind kept switching between 20 and 30 knots. We were flying towards our time slot from 1am to 7am of passing Cape Wrath with good speed.
As we came closer the wind reduced first from 30kn to 24kn, then to 20kn and 15kn. Finally at 4am together with the rising sun we passed the Cape nearly in flat calm. The tide pushed us along until the wind died completely. Then started the game of cat and mouse with the wind. No wind, motor on. Wind comes back some 20 minutes later. Motor off, sails up. A bit of sailing until again no wind. So a standard Havel Experience. One might have had the patience with a well rested night behind, but neither of us got much sleep on our off watches as we were barreling through waves and it gets a bit of getting used to every time.
We are now tucked in to our anchorage in a picture perfect Loch. What a great start for this chapter in our sailing adventure.
- Distance today: 101NM
- Total distance: 1358.5NM
- Lunch: cheese and vegetable wraps with potato salad
- Engine hours: 2.1
| Time |
Position |
Course |
Speed |
Log |
Weather |
Remarks |
| 25.05. 10:38 Z |
58°59'15"N
2°57'25"W
|
67°
|
0kt
|
4496.8NM
|
wind
9.4kt
137°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Filled water, 210ppm
|
| 25.05. 11:21 Z |
58°59'15"N
2°57'25"W
|
312°
|
0kt
|
4496.8NM
|
wind
7.2kt
144°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Started main engine
|
| 25.05. 11:30 Z |
58°59'16"N
2°57'32"W
|
318°
|
3.6kt
|
4496.8NM
|
wind
13kt
146°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Motoring
|
| 25.05. 11:36 Z |
58°59'32"N
2°57'25"W
|
10°
|
3.3kt
|
4497.1NM
|
wind
15.1kt
140°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Motor stopped, sailing with Main (1st reef), Staysail
|
| 25.05. 12:00 Z |
59°1'52"N
2°56'15"W
|
1°
|
5.7kt
|
4499.6NM
|
wind
17kt
127°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 12:01 Z |
59°1'58"N
2°56'13"W
|
8°
|
5.5kt
|
4499.7NM
|
wind
17.3kt
122°
sea state 2/10
clouds 8/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1020 hPa
|
Autopilot activated
|
| 25.05. 12:49 Z |
59°6'1"N
2°56'9"W
|
283°
|
6kt
|
4504NM
|
wind
18.9kt
141°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Gybed to course, set preventer. Sunglasses on, for the moment
|
| 25.05. 13:00 Z |
59°6'13"N
2°58'24"W
|
280°
|
6.6kt
|
4505.1NM
|
wind
20.3kt
137°
baro 1020 hPa
|
We're being pushed along by a >1kt current
|
| 25.05. 13:25 Z |
59°7'5"N
3°2'59"W
|
306°
|
5.4kt
|
4507.7NM
|
wind
12.2kt
107°
baro 1020 hPa
|
2.5kt current now. Wind died for a bit. Poled out. Puffins, cormorants, fish traps
|
| 25.05. 13:46 Z |
59°8'4"N
3°7'24"W
|
290°
|
9.4kt
|
4510.2NM
|
wind
21.2kt
139°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Autopilot deactivated, entering tidal race with standing waves
|
| 25.05. 13:50 Z |
59°8'27"N
3°8'15"W
|
324°
|
6.2kt
|
4510.8NM
|
wind
15.2kt
128°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Autopilot activated, we're through. Current was >6kt at worst. Big waves an poor steering through low apparent wind
|
| 25.05. 14:00 Z |
59°9'5"N
3°9'45"W
|
300°
|
5.9kt
|
4511.8NM
|
wind
13kt
121°
baro 1020 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 14:11 Z |
59°9'29"N
3°11'46"W
|
288°
|
6.8kt
|
4512.9NM
|
wind
21.6kt
135°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Autopilot deactivated, windvane steering
|
| 25.05. 14:20 Z |
59°9'30"N
3°13'40"W
|
266°
|
6.6kt
|
4513.9NM
|
wind
24.4kt
121°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Stowed the whiskerpole, it should be broad reach from here on. This side of Orkney is pretty cool
|
| 25.05. 14:55 Z |
59°8'42"N
3°21'11"W
|
266°
|
7.1kt
|
4517.9NM
|
wind
18kt
163°
sea state 3/10
clouds 8/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1019 hPa
|
Past Brough Head light. Somewhat confused lumpy sea
|
| 25.05. 15:00 Z |
59°8'31"N
3°22'18"W
|
254°
|
6.2kt
|
4518.5NM
|
wind
15.9kt
136°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 15:03 Z |
59°8'22"N
3°22'53"W
|
246°
|
7kt
|
4518.8NM
|
wind
17.9kt
151°
baro 1019 hPa
|
The new windvane adjustment line is too thin, can get stuck inside the roller
|
| 25.05. 15:28 Z |
59°6'39"N
3°26'25"W
|
238°
|
7.4kt
|
4521.4NM
|
wind
23.1kt
132°
sea state 3/10
clouds 7/8
visibility 6/10
baro 1019 hPa
|
Slightly more comfortable going as we're further from the shore
|
| 25.05. 16:00 Z |
59°5'17"N
3°32'9"W
|
264°
|
5.4kt
|
4524.7NM
|
wind
15.9kt
119°
baro 1019 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 17:00 Z |
59°1'24"N
3°41'47"W
|
263°
|
5.1kt
|
4531.1NM
|
wind
20.4kt
125°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 17:04 Z |
59°1'19"N
3°42'32"W
|
255°
|
6.7kt
|
4531.5NM
|
wind
21.2kt
130°
sea state 3/10
clouds 7/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1018 hPa
|
Bergie to off watch and Suski to sea watch slightly sea sick.
|
| 25.05. 17:54 Z |
58°59'48"N
3°51'17"W
|
228°
|
6.2kt
|
4536.4NM
|
wind
25.3kt
128°
sea state 4/10
clouds 8/8
visibility 6/10
baro 1018 hPa
|
Going into thr fog bank way more wind. Went from 15 to 30 kn.
|
| 25.05. 18:00 Z |
58°59'30"N
3°52'22"W
|
226°
|
6.2kt
|
4537NM
|
wind
27.5kt
128°
baro 1018 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 19:00 Z |
58°56'31"N
4°2'49"W
|
231°
|
6.2kt
|
4543.3NM
|
wind
25.5kt
120°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 20:00 Z |
58°53'17"N
4°12'19"W
|
230°
|
6.1kt
|
4549.3NM
|
wind
26kt
101°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 21:00 Z |
58°50'18"N
4°20'27"W
|
233°
|
4.8kt
|
4554.6NM
|
wind
21.2kt
116°
baro 1017 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 22:00 Z |
58°49'17"N
4°28'53"W
|
279°
|
4.4kt
|
4559.1NM
|
wind
16.6kt
124°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 22:55 Z |
58°47'59"N
4°35'27"W
|
253°
|
3.4kt
|
4562.9NM
|
wind
17.1kt
109°
sea state 3/10
clouds 1/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1016 hPa
|
Bergie on watch, Suski to bed
|
| 25.05. 23:00 Z |
58°47'54"N
4°36'5"W
|
246°
|
3.8kt
|
4563.2NM
|
wind
15.8kt
113°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 25.05. 23:16 Z |
58°47'25"N
4°37'36"W
|
219°
|
2.7kt
|
4564.2NM
|
wind
11.7kt
96°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Countercurrent varies between 1-2kt
|
| 26.05. 0:00 Z |
58°45'43"N
4°42'10"W
|
243°
|
4.9kt
|
4567.1NM
|
wind
18.7kt
101°
baro 1016 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 26.05. 1:00 Z |
58°43'37"N
4°49'21"W
|
265°
|
3.6kt
|
4571.4NM
|
wind
9kt
117°
sea state 3/10
clouds 4/8
visibility 7/10
baro 1016 hPa
|
Current turned favourable. Very short slack
|
| 26.05. 2:00 Z |
58°40'54"N
4°57'49"W
|
237°
|
5kt
|
4576.6NM
|
wind
20.3kt
112°
baro 1015 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 26.05. 2:36 Z |
58°38'14"N
5°2'42"W
|
210°
|
7.6kt
|
4580.4NM
|
wind
19.5kt
92°
baro 1015 hPa
|
Passing Cape Wrath light. 3.2kt current
|
| 26.05. 3:00 Z |
58°36'7"N
5°5'23"W
|
202°
|
2.6kt
|
4583NM
|
wind
6.6kt
50°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 26.05. 3:11 Z |
58°35'42"N
5°5'39"W
|
177°
|
1.8kt
|
4583.4NM
|
wind
1.7kt
156°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Sails down, motoring
|
| 26.05. 3:11 Z |
58°35'41"N
5°5'39"W
|
172°
|
2.9kt
|
4583.4NM
|
wind
0.6kt
140°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Autopilot activated
|
| 26.05. 3:43 Z |
58°32'53"N
5°7'45"W
|
209°
|
4kt
|
4586.6NM
|
wind
4.4kt
145°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Motor stopped, sailing with Main (1st reef), Staysail
|
| 26.05. 3:59 Z |
58°31'57"N
5°8'48"W
|
216°
|
2.8kt
|
4587.7NM
|
wind
2.7kt
149°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Sails set: Main, Staysail
|
| 26.05. 4:00 Z |
58°31'55"N
5°8'51"W
|
217°
|
2.8kt
|
4587.7NM
|
wind
2.1kt
188°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 26.05. 4:05 Z |
58°31'47"N
5°8'58"W
|
173°
|
2.8kt
|
4587.9NM
|
wind
4.1kt
173°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Sails down, motoring
|
| 26.05. 4:26 Z |
58°29'50"N
5°9'27"W
|
179°
|
3.4kt
|
4589.8NM
|
wind
10.1kt
106°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Motor stopped, sailing with Main, Staysail
|
| 26.05. 5:00 Z |
58°27'57"N
5°9'44"W
|
188°
|
0.7kt
|
4591.7NM
|
wind
2.4kt
65°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Suski on watch
|
| 26.05. 5:01 Z |
58°27'56"N
5°9'45"W
|
210°
|
1.1kt
|
4591.8NM
|
wind
4.7kt
94°
baro 1014 hPa
|
Started watermaker, 175ppm
|
| 26.05. 5:27 Z |
58°26'14"N
5°9'15"W
|
154°
|
2kt
|
4593.5NM
|
wind
5.7kt
90°
baro 1013 hPa
|
Stopped watermaker
|
| 26.05. 5:36 Z |
58°25'44"N
5°8'47"W
|
145°
|
4.1kt
|
4594.1NM
|
wind
9.6kt
108°
baro 1013 hPa
|
Autopilot deactivated
|
| 26.05. 5:59 Z |
58°24'53"N
5°7'25"W
|
147°
|
2.7kt
|
4595.2NM
|
wind
11.6kt
104°
baro 1013 hPa
|
Sails down, motoring
|
| 26.05. 6:00 Z |
58°24'51"N
5°7'21"W
|
132°
|
3.6kt
|
4595.2NM
|
wind
12.8kt
110°
baro 1013 hPa
|
Hourly position log
|
| 26.05. 6:48 Z |
58°24'39"N
5°3'20"W
|
25°
|
0kt
|
4598.1NM
|
wind
1.6kt
98°
baro 1013 hPa
|
Anchored
|
| 26.05. 6:53 Z |
58°24'39"N
5°3'19"W
|
317°
|
0.5kt
|
4598.1NM
|
wind
6.9kt
197°
baro 1013 hPa
|
Stopped main engine
|