Head in the clouds

We've had a busy time in Stromness over the past week, there really is so much to see and do, and we didn't see everything. While we could have stayed longer, we also wanted to explore the other islands that make up Orkney. Originally our plan was to leave on Thursday, but the wind was North west 5, so we took the opportunity to catch the ferry to Hoy. It's only 30 mins away but it means going through the Sound of Hoy and Burra Sound at spring tides. The seals enjoyed jumping through the standing waves that form as the tide squeezes through these narrow gaps between islands. I was thankful we weren't on poor little Pixie, she would have been overwhelmed by the waves that were forming.

Once ashore we set off on the 6.5 mile walk between the hills of Hoy to Rackwick then on to see the Old Man of Hoy. The walk through the valley was pretty, and although the track was very rocky in places, it was a good walk. Then it was a tiring walk up the cliffs to this magnificent stone stack. There was a bus we could have taken to Rackwick at the base of the cliffs, which we could still have taken back. The path to the Old Man has recently been re surfaced and winds it's way through the heather moorland at the top of the cliffs.


On our way up we walked up into the clouds, losing the spectacular views as we did, but following the red stone path took us to the cliff edge overlooking the Old Man. The wind was blowing mist and drizzle over us as we watched a couple of climbers working their way up this 280 metre pillar.



We found a spot of shelter to eat our packed lunch, before walking the 6.5 miles back to the ferry, arriving 30 mins before it left, we thought we'd stop at the Beneth-hill Cafe, which was a mistake to be honest. They have a captive audience waiting for the ferry, if they didn't, they might not survive. They had run out of fresh coffee, vanilla ice cream, banana ice cream, and their hot chocolate was instant just add water and all the were asking for a cup of Cadbury's hot chocolate was £2.50. I had a bit of tiffin to go with my £1.50 can of Irn Bru, crushed digestive biscuits, butter, and sugar mixed together to form a crumbly layer of cheese cake base covered in a 1/4 inch of white chocolate is not what I consider to be worthy of being called Tiffin.

The ferry back was more dramatic as the tide was in full ebb and in Burra Sound 1-2 metre high standing waves had formed. The Hoy ferry is substantial so took them and the 6+ knot tide in her stride.

The forecast for Friday was for east or south east becoming variable, 3 or 4. We had a force 3 from the west then northwest on the trip around to Westray. So we got up at 0600 to leave at 0640 to catch the last of the ebb to take us west out of the Sound of Hoy then catch the flood all the way up to Westray. With little or no wind we had to motor the whole way, not very exciting, but more fun than if it had been blowing like the previous day.

We arrived at 1345 and we were met by the harbour master. Like many of the north Scotland harbour masters Pierowall's can usually be found in overalls, rather than the dark blue jumpers and white shirts of their south coast counterparts. A chatty man with a soft Orcadian accent which flows like poetry. He was expecting 20 yachts in for Westray's annual regatta. Sadly only 6 yachts turned up from Kirkwall to race, but a ferry load of dinghies arrived and were craned off one by one.

We watched the start of the racing from Pixie's cockpit before heading off to pick up a couple of hire bikes. I have three bicycles at home in London, so although I wasn't expecting anything like my own bikes, I have seen better bikes at the recycling centre. It wasn't quite what I'm used to, but they got us to Noltland castle, on to Noup Head and back via the archeological site where the Westray Wifie was found.



Standing a couple of inches high the Westray Venus, to give it its official name, is the oldest portrayal of a human figure ever found. Dating back almost 5000 years it's on display in the Westray heritage centre which we visited yesterday.

An island full of surprises

Graham here on Kirsty's account.

Orkney has been fantastic so far, anyone with a passing interest or more in history can't help but be in awe at all the historic sites around this beautiful island.

Some sites date back further than the Great wall of China, the Pyramids and Stonehenge, and 3000 years before the nativity. Then there are Norse inscriptions, Viking villages, iron age settlements, standing stones and archeology in action.

Skara Brae is a Neolithic village, and is in an amazing good state. Little imagination is required to put yourself in the houses, mainly because they have built a replica that you can walk around. The village was exposed in a storm in the 1800s which exposed it from the sand dunes where it lay undiscovered.


Looking around the village overlooking the sea, makes you think about the people who inhabited the village 5000 years ago, and the people who laid the stones so carefully on top of each other. Then there was Skail House, built in the 17th century where you can see a dinner service from the Resolution used by Captain Cook. Incredable to think that Captain Cook had eaten off those plates.

Then we had the first of many informative and entertaining guided tours. This one was on the Brough of Birsay a Pictish settlement that also had a number of Norse longhouse remains. Before the tour we walked around the island and got close to some puffins on the cliffs and enjoyed the views from the cliffs.



Yesterday we booked a 6pm tour around Maes Howe, an impressive burial mound, with Viking graffiti inside. But before that we spent the afternoon in Kirkwall, visiting the cathedral of St Magnus, before heading off to see Andrew Appleby the Harray Potter at Fursbreck Pottery.

This morning we headed to the Ness of Brodgar, an archeological excavation in progress. Where we had the best guided tour so far, it lasted almost 2 hours and was excellent. There was no admission fee, but donations are welcome, and it seemed rude not to leave a donation. The site has hit the headlines a number of times for finds and the size of the buildings they have discovered.

This afternoon we went for yet another guided tour, this time at the Broch of Gurness, an ironage settlement over looking Eynhallow Sound, with walls over 5 metres thick it was a substantial structure.

When we first arrived in Stromness, I recognised the name and make of one of the yachts here, having photographed her when Yachting Monthly did a test on her a few years ago. Unlike most of our new boat tests Roy, the owner was on board at the time. So on Friday last week I knocked on the hull, and Roy popped his head out of the hatch. Roy set off from Plymouth on June 16th and is half way around sailing around the UK singlehanded in just 12 weeks, having made it here in 6 going outside Ireland and up through the Outer Hebrides he's on track for doing his trip within his time limit. Unlike us.

You can follow his progress at http://www.roygoodman.com over the evenings we've been to each others yachts for drink, and tonight we're off to the pub as Roy is setting off for Westray tomorrow. So I'd best be off.

The Orcadian experience

We have kept ourselves very busy since we arrived in Stromness. On Friday morning we met up with Celina Rupp, a jewellery designer who will be making my engagement ring. Celina was kind enough to collect us from the marina and take us to her house which is where she works from. It was very exciting to talk through the designs with her. Fingers crossed she'll be able to have the ring finished before we leave Orkney.

After lunch we went for a short walk along the coast line, ate ice cream and explored the sights of Stromness. We then caught up on boat chores like laundry, ate sausage and mash and went to the pub. This week is 'Stromness Shopping Week' - a week of festivities and family fun, accompanied by a large number of teenagers consuming large quantities of alcohol. We were kept entertained by a guy playing the bagpipes on the boat opposite. Somehow the evening disappeared and before we knew it it was almost 1am. After all that we thought we deserved a lie in this morning. This is supposed to be a holiday after all!

The main activity for today was a tasting tour at Highland Park - Scotland's most northerly distillery. We were able to sample 5 different whiskies, from 12 to 25 years old, ably advised by senior guide James. And the great thing was that they provided transport so no need for one of us to drive, take a taxi or negotiate public transport. After all that we were feeling a little worse for wear and had to resort to a fish supper for dinner. We'll pop out in a bit and will go and see how the festivities are going.




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Orkney at last

It's been a long time coming but we finally made it to Orkney this afternoon. It has given us a fantastic sense of achievement to get this far after everything we've had to endure on the way. Getting around Cape Wrath was a turning point and a relief to get past that infamous headlands. Then just two days later we have another feather in our cap. Reaching Orkney. 1221 miles, a day short of two months and we have reached our goal. There were a few times when I didn't think we would make it. Not the rough weather when we were sailing, I knew we would always get through that no matter how unpleasant it was at the time, but with the engine problems and what seemed like and endless string of low pressure systems trying to flatten us, our chances of getting here seemed slim at times.






We set off at 0430 from Loch Eriboll, motoring into the wind, but as soon as we could we hoisted the mainsail and unfurlled the genoa and pointed Pixie towards Orkney. As we cleared the Loch the sun rose above the headlands to the east. Although the sun was out, the NW breeze was still cold. We allowed ourselves 10 hours to cover the 50 miles, as we had to be at the entrance to the sound of Hoy for 1435 to catch the tide in. As it was, we had a cracking sail and arrived an hour early. A small pod of dolphins joining us as we approached the isles.





We could have sailed around waiting for the tide to turn in our favour, but we were making good speed, so went in against the tide with no ill effects.

Stromness looks and feels like St Peter Port in the channel islands, or Fowey with lots of buildings backing onto the harbour. But unlike their southern counterparts there are no fancy facades or vast selection of restaurants. Stromness seems to be shy in comparison, the long main street is laid in flagstones, and houses and shops appear similar, only by looking in the window or above the door do you find out which is which.

A turning point

Yesterday was another bright, sunny day. We had planned to head for Loch Laxford, just south of Kinlochbervie, but following a short anchor stop at the Badcall Islands, we decided that conditions were right for making for Cape Wrath. Despite what people may think, the name of Britain's most northwesterly headland has nothing to do with the angry, rageful seas that are common here, but is in fact derived from the Norse word 'hvarf' meaning 'a turning point'. And it really is a turning point for us. For the last 6 weeks our sole objective has been to head north, now we have turned the corner and are heading for a completely different part of Scotland, both culturally and geographically. Once safely anchored in Loch Eriboll we heated up our pre-prepared chilli (which was much needed as a cold northerly breeze was picking up) and cracked open the bottle of champagne which our friends Sam and Mags had given to us to celebrate this milestone. This voyage has been so much more challenging than we had anticipated and there have been times when it felt like we'd never get here, but we persevered and here we are, further north than either of us have sailed before.

Today we woke to a different picture. Grey, stormy sky, rain and a force 6 from the north. We weren't going anywhere so we stayed in bed until midday! We had an extremely lazy day - reading, preparing food for tomorrow, showering (more complex than on land believe me) and reading up on the next part of our journey. We were kept entertained by Isles Radio which is broadcast from Stornoway. It's not quite like Naked Video's 'OHBC News' sketch but not far off either! We are currently listening to the Indy music programme which sounds like it is being broadcast from a teenage girl's bedroom. Actually it probably is...

We're all set for heading for Orkney tomorrow. Weather permitting we'll be off at 0400 in order to arrive at the Sound of Hoy before the 6 knot tide sets in. If conditions are poor when we get out there then we'll make for Scrabster instead.


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Two Lochs Radio Interview

While we were in Gairloch we were on Two Lochs Radio. Thanks to Alex, here is the full interview

The interview with Kirsty and Graham

Beautiful Scotland

The sail from Lochinver to Loch Nedd was memorable for so many reasons, good sailing, sunshine, rounding the last major headlands before Cape Wrath and nothing going wrong.

It's disheartening spending months preparing Pixie for this trip only for things to break, go over the side enroute or be storm bound through what has seemed like an endless stream of low pressure systems slamming their way into the west highlands of Scotland. So to have two days like we've just had really means a lot to us.

We woke up looking skywards out of the fore hatch, the way we do in the morning. But rather than the grey fluffy clouds we've sadly come to expect, the sky was blue! The cups on the anomometer at the top of the mast were turning slowly and the sunlight was flooding into the cabin. It was a beautiful day. Loch Nedd was green with trees, small cottages poking through the foliage. We ate breakfast on deck in the warm sunshine, before tidying up Pixie to go up Loch A' Chairn Bhain for the day. It had clouded over by the time we left, and the light breeze was on the nose so we put the engine on.

We could have made a dash for Cape Wrath, but we're not likely to sail in these parts again so we thought we'd take the time to absorb the scenery. We motored up to Loch Beag, before dropping the anchor and having lunch. Shortly after lunch the sun came out again, so we relaxed on deck for the afternoon, something we haven't been able to do enough of on this trip. So it was a great way to spend the day. Sitting in the cockpit, reading Harry Potter, surrounded by mountains valleys and waterfalls, all in bright warm sunshine.



At about 1700 we left the anchorage sailing at a very relaxing 1.7 knots. What little wind there was soon died, so we resorted to the engine to take us to the anchorage off the Kylesku Hotel where we had dinner.

While ashore the wind died, leaving Pixie floating on a mirror, with the mountains around the Loch reflected in the water. We came back, poured a whisky and watched the sunset, and took in the stunning scenery that this part of Scotland has to offer.



Two days with nothing going wrong, and the sun shining...I could get used to this sailing lark!

I don't believe it!

The weather yesterday was wet, grey and horrible. Today started off grey, and the forecast was indicating it might go up to a 7 for a time, so we thought we'd go for the long walk we were going to do yesterday. No sooner we were leaving Pixie than it strted to drizzle, but we set off on the 3 mile walk to Inverkirkaig, then a 2.25 mile walk up to the Kirkaig Falls.



We left around 9:30 and got back at 14:30, in time to watch the RNLI and Coastguard helicopter display. On the way back we checked the forecast which said 4 or 5, for the rest of the afternoon. We thought about making a run for it to get around The Point of Stoer, but it was blowing a 6, which wasn't forecast. So I didn't want to chance it.

We sat below out of the wind listening to Johnny Walker's sounds of the 70s during which the strength of the wind decreased. A quick look at the tide tables told me that we were too late to get the tide all the way around The Point of Stoer, but we could catch it most of the way and with the wind backing from SW to SWS it would give us a easier angle to sail, so we went for it. After I had decided, the wind, which had been a sociable 16 knots, built to 22, gusting at 26 when the time came to get Pixie out of her berth. Once into Lochinver we were seeing 26-30 knots over the deck, but by the time we'd got the sails up it was a steady 24 knots on the beam. With two reefs in the main and a handful of genoa we set off up the coast. The wind faded to 16 knots so we shook out the reefs and had a good sail with16-18 knots on the beam and a few big waves to make things interesting.

The wind slowly increased to around 20 knots so we reefed the mainsail and kept the speed in the 6 knot range. In no time we were closing on the Point of Stoer, and we got around before the tide turned. The SW had built a fair sized swell, a few breaking waves got past Pixie's sprayhood, but one managed to hit Pixie, sending a wall of water over the whole deck and us. It was like being hit full in the face with pillow while being rugby tackled, water went everywhere, down our necks and fronts leaving 6 inches of water in the bottom of the cockpit. There was no damage, but we were both soaked.

We carried the foul tide past the old man of Stoer, a stone stack off the cliffs, and once past the head of Stoer there was no waves, and no tide. Creaming along at 6-7 knots with the wind on the beam and the sun shining. Ok it was 8pm, but it was one of the best sails of the trip. We entered Loch Ned at just gone 21:00. And for the first time since Cornwall, nothing went wrong or broke. Sunshine, a fair wind and Pixie still in the same condition as when we left? It's a miracle!

Rain rain go away

We arrived in Lochinver yesterday lunchtime. We motored the whole way as the wind was pretty light. It didn't stay like that for long. Before long the wind was howling and the rain was horizontal. We had to take down the cockpit tent for fear of it blowing away!

Our main job for today was to tighten the bolts on the cylinder head and check the valve clearance. Unfortunately we didn't have the necessary tools. We managed to buy some of them from the well stocked chandlery (which interestingly also sells make up), and borrowed a torque wrench from the coxswain of the RNLI station. Graham worked on the engine while I stocked up on provisions from the butcher.

Lochinver is a funny place. In the past it would have been major hub for fishing boats, but now with the exception of a few large Atlantic going boats it seems pretty dead. The Fisherman's Mission has closed and the streets are empty. Although we're probably not seeing it at its best in this wet, windy weather. We were going to go for a long walk this afternoon but we both can't really face going outside. It feels like November!


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An emotional farewell

Photo: Jackson Elder

I felt very emotional when the time came to finally leave Gairloch this morning. We'd had so much help and met so many nice people while we were there, by the end of our time I knew more people in Gairloch than I do in our street in London. I was walking to the petrol station yesterday to get some oil for our gearbox and someone stopped to offer me a lift, it's a great place

Last night we went out for a meal at Na Mara in Strath. It was everything the Smugglers in Newlyn had promised to be, but Na Mara had succeeded in using top quality local produce to make a memorable meal for all the right reasons. It was excellent, just a pity we hadn't eaten an evening meal there before, otherwise we might have become regulars!
The people who work in Flowerdale harbour, would say hello, and Jackson the harbour master was always around to help out or have a chat in the morning. Gairloch felt more like a home should be, rather than how London feels to me. Very much like Mac at the end of the film Local Hero.

We'd been on some fantastic walks, through stunning countryside, been interviewed on the local radio, seen our engine in pieces and had so much help it's impossible not to feel sad to leave. Everyone helped to get us back on our way, and in a situation where we could have been taken advantage of, no one did, in fact people went out of their way to help us. No matter how bad the weather has been or how rotten our luck, it's the people who have made this trip for me.

So thank you Jackson, Willem, Rick and Alex, along with everyone else in Gairloch we met, for all your help and support. Kirsty and I really do appreciate it.

It was with great delight that the engine started better than it had ever done before since we've owed Pixie, and although we have to take it easy for the first few hours it took us out of the harbour and past the track of our two previous aborted attempts to leave Gairloch. The wind was light from NNW when we left, rain and drizzle filled the cold air and the clouds were thick and low. It wasn't the nicest day for a sail. Once out of the shelter of Gairloch we were exposed to a tall long swell that was to be our unwanted companion for today's trip to the Summer Isles, some what misnamed given the current weather. At times the swell would reach around 4 metres with these gentle giants dwarfing Pixie as they rolled onwards. We beat out as the wind increased to around 15-18 knots of true wind, before the wind slowly backed so we tacked to clear Rubha Reidh. Once past the headland, the wind was still backing as we eased sheets on course for Tanera Beg. Because of the swell and the wind direction going from NNW-NW-WNW-W it left behind an uncomfortable and confused sea. A pot noodle for lunch didn't help the way my stomach was feeling. I wasn't sick, but then again I wasn't feeling 100% either. So it was with some relief when we dropped the sails and motored to a very sheltered anchorage in the heart of the Summer Isles.

Now where has my signal gone?

Gairloch Day 10

We had a pretty busy day today. When we woke up Charisma had already left, along with all the other boats from Stornoway. After a much needed shower we headed up to the campsite to do our laundry. Lucky for us, we managed to get a lift half way there. We had our customary coffee and over-sized scone while we waited for the washing to finish, then stocked up on meat and vegetables at Morrisons the butchers. On the way back it started to rain pretty hard and we were soaked by the time we got back to the boat. We had wanted to go for a walk but it didn't seem appealing in the rain, so Graham blogged while I attempted to tidy up the boat (which is difficult when there is half an engine dismantled in the cabin). At about 3.30pm the rain started to ease so we decided to go for that walk after all.

The walk we wanted to do started in Shieldaig which is about 3 miles around the loch, so we set off and 4pm and got to the start of the walk at about 5pm. From the start the path was really very wet and boggy and I soon had soggy feet. We climbed high above the loch and then down into a little hollow with a beautiful hill loch - it looked like a mini Scotland, with islands, rivers and the sea.



But the most fascinating aspect of this walk is that these hills were the site of a terrible air crash and most of the debris remains as a memorial to the 15 people that died. It was in 1945 when a US bomber, on its way back to the USA via Iceland, lost its way and crashed in the hills with no survivors. It was very strange to see the remains of the fusilage scattered around the hillside, engines lying on rocks and the propellor blades poking out of the water. If it weren't for the small plaque marking the area as a war grave it would be quite a frightening sight for anyone coming over the hill.



After leaving the crash site we popped over another little hill and were treated to a fabulous view of the Torridon mountains - absolutely stunning. The walk back was a little easier and less wet and as we headed back along the path to Gairloch it was turning into a very nice evening. On the way back Willem the mechanic happened to pass us in his car. He stopped to give us an update on the engine situation. Finally some promising news - he managed to get the cylinder head skimmed in Inverness and plans to re-assemble it and come down to fit it tomorrow. We have everything crossed for a successful outcome.

A night with Charisma

We haven't been able to go anywhere since Willem dismantled our engine, so Pixie has stayed alongside the pontoon. On Saturday, while Willem was working on our engine, Gairloch was hosting its Big Boat Day, which was a race around Gairloch. The fleet which was almost twice the size as last year enjoyed light winds and bright sunshine for the race. Many of the yachts had come across from Stornoway. In the evening the crews went to a local pub for a prize giving and ceilidh. During the day a smart Nicholson 35 moored alongside. Charisma and her crew had come from Stornoway that morning and had drifted most of the 40 miles, enjoying the weather on the way. Charisma is owned by Ray, who usually sails singlehanded, but had gained his crew, John and Mandy in Stornaway. John had recently returned from sailing his 26 foot wooden SCOD (South Coast One Design) up to Trondheim, in Norway, for a conference on renewable energy, climbing the fjordside mountains on the way. Mandy writes for a local paper in Stornoway and is also the secretary of the An Sulaire Trust who built a full size sgoth niseach (Ness Boat) with dipping lug sail, which sails out of Stornoway.

We met Charisma's crew again at the prize giving, where Mandy impressed us with her talents on the penny whistle. Others around the pub played guitars and fiddles, song sheets were handed around, and after all the songs had been sung the room when quiet, then from the back of the room a beautiful voice started to sing, powerful and soft and clear her gaelic song hushed the room while everyone stopped to listen in awe. It was a amazing sound, her first song was a love song, her second was a piping song, both were beautiful.

Eventually we left into the rain and walked back to Pixie, for a night cap, the crew of Charisma joining us until the early hours.

Rick bought down a replacement cylinder head for us on Sunday morning, Willem arrived shortly afterwards to take both cylinder heads away to clean them up and swap the valves and their mechanisms over. The spare still needs skimming in Inverness to ensure it's flat, but our head has the appearance of being skimmed already. So there is nothing we could do until it comes back from its trip to Inverness. The cylinder head seems to be seeing more of Scotland than we are at the moment.

We spent Sunday relaxing until another boat came in and asked us to move as they had transmission problems. I explained our engine was in pieces, and they asked Charisma if they could motor round and go on the outside of them. Unfortunately Charisma had had a afternoon session on their friends boat and weren't happy to move after they had been drinking. Kirsty and I joined Mandy on Charisma as she set about cooking dinner for three boats. It was a great atmosphere at dinner, the 7 of us all sitting in Charsima's saloon. After dinner the instruments came out again, before we are retired for the evening.

Blown it big time

It's not good news. In fact as Willem said "This is really shit for you". The cylinder head itself is also damaged and a 1 day job has just got a lot more complicated. We have two options: take the damaged cylinder head to Inverness to be skimmed (earliest that could be done is Monday) and re-installed, or buy a second hand cylinder head from Rick who runs the glass bottom boat and happens to have a few spare engines kicking around. That will take a lot more time and will cost more, but there is no guarantee that the old one can actually be skimmed if the damage is too deep. At £1000, a new one is simply not an option and would be a waste on an old engine like ours. Rick is going to bring his spares down tomorrow and we'll go from there.

The sun has been shining all day today which has made somewhat of a difference to our morale, but we just can't forget the fact that we have now been here for over a week, and we're dying to get on our way. We have come to the conclusion that it might make sense to leave Pixie in Scotland at the end of our 3 months rather than race to get home and miss out all the places we really wanted to see.

That's blown it

Rocker cover off, exhaust manifold off, injector pipes off, cylinder head off, head gasket removed.

Head gasget blown...

Down but not out

This time yesterday we were getting ready to go, after being in Gairloch for 7 days it was time to move on. Hearing Alex on Two Lochs wish us bon voyage, we felt like we were leaving friends, more so when we were waved off our berth by the other yachts who we'd come to know during our stay.

It was raining with no wind when we motored out onto the loch, everything was fine. The engine had seemed a bit reluctant to start, but it hadn't been used for a few days. It also seemed a little smokier than usual, but there was no wind and the smoke just hung on the water. After about 20 mins there was still a bit too much white smoke for my liking so I increased the revs. The engine was slow and didn't seem to be reaching full revs. Thinking there was something around the prop, I put the engine in neutral and the engine cut out. My heart sunk.

It took a lot of cranking to get the engine started again, and there was more white smoke. It wasn't looking good. The engine was running, we might have been able to get to Ullapool or Lochinver, but I wasn't happy with carrying on for 25 miles with an unreliable engine. I did a few maneuveres, and it was reassuring to see a couple of boats turn around and come towards us. So with a heavy heart I turned around back to Gairloch, waving to the yachts who'd diverted towards us. I was gutted, it was one of the low points of the trip for me. Just when we were on our way again, the opportunity to go north was cruely taken away.

We got into the harbour in time to see the two other yachts we met leaving on their way. We rafted against a new yacht Zebek, skippered by David. Zebek was a happy boat, and a beam of sunlight in what had otherwise been a very grey and dark day. "A boat of angels" was how Kirsty described them. They picked us up, fed us tea and cake, and offered to tow us down to Portree to get assistance. David was chatting to one of the local boat operators about our problem, and it turns out he has all the spares for a Bukh DV20, having just re built a couple of them. That would save us shipping time. Somone else had the number of a mechanic, who could make it to us within an hour and a half. We thanked David and his happy crew for their help, before they left for Skye.

At 13:30 Wilem the mechanic arrived, a tall, broad Dutchman, he made Pixie's engine look miniature. Pixie's engine wasn't even starting now, and it wasn't firing from the rear cylinder (which I found out after speaking to Nick at Sea Start, he told me to remove the fuel pipe from each injector before replacing it and disconnecting the other one). Wilem spent a few hours bleeding the fuel system, finding out in the process that our primary fuel filter was leaking air which could have been causing the problem of the fuel in the cylinder not combusting. After thoroughly bleeding the fuel Pixie's engine started and ran, no white smoke, it started quickly, we were on our way again.

We tidied up Pixie, although it was too late to get to the Summer Isles we could at least get aroud Rubha Reidh into Loch Ewe. We started the engine, which took a little too much effort and there was a puff of white smoke, but it soon dissappeared. We cast off and motored out of the harbour. No sooner had we left then the engine didn't seem to be cruising at her normal speed, so I increased the revs, then the temp alarm went off and Kirsty stopped the engine. I checked the raw water strainer, and impeller as we drifted around. We were towed back to the harbour, and Jackson the harbourmaster saw we were safe alongside. There was nothing for it but to cook dinner, have cheese and biscuits, then pour a whisky or two. Wilem is now back on board Pixie, in the process of removing the head gasket

Famous! For just under 10 minutes

It's been an interesting time here in Gairloch. What first seemed like a pier in the middle of nowhere has turned out to be a great stop over, although we would have rather been on our way we've seen a lot of the area around Gairloch, and met some interesting people along the way.

Monday we spent exploring Gairloch on foot, making it along the coast to Strath, past a small single level building with two windows and a door and a sign outside, saying Two Lochs Radio. We carried on past and went in search of laundry facilities and lunch. One of the chores of sailing for an extended period of time is having to do the laundry. Some laundrettes are good, and have large capacity washers and tumble dryers, others are small, and the smell of the clothes on exiting the appliance is a bit like Russian Roulette. We learnt the hard way and since then bought some Bounce to make our washing smell fresh at least. Now, if we can, we check out the facilities first before carting a ruck sack to the laundrette and finding grungy washing machines. We lunched at Na Mara, which looked a bit more reasonable than the Mountain Cafe for a lunch time sandwich.  We wandered up the road and found a butcher, buying a couple of steaks and some veg before going to check out the laundry facilities in the campsite. However we needn't have worried about the washers and dryers at the Gairloch Caravan and Camp site, although a wee bit on the pricy side they looked just the job, their industrial size meant that washing and drying could be done in less than two hours.

The next day we set off to do the washing. While the laundry was spinning around the washing machine we headed back to the Mountain Cafe and had two of their sizable and tasty mountain scones, before transfering the washing to the dryer. Once back on Pixie we started getting bounced onto the Sadler next to us, and as the wind picked up the angle of the wind meant a swell was coming into the harbour, causing uncomfortable waves. We put the fenders out, crossed our fingers and poured a whisky. The bouncing was like being stuck on a runaway train down below and we needed the non slip place mats to stop the whisky glasses flying off the table. We couldn't move Pixie that night as we were being blown onto the boat next door with more force than we could motor off backwards. The owner of Beez Neez, the Sadler 34 we were bouncing against was happy for us to lie alongside over night, and while we were chatting we had a gust of 43 knots.

The next morning I was woken up by a squeal from Kirsty. Not usually one for squealing for no apparent reason I asked what was up? She'd just read a comment left on this blog, inviting us to come down to Two Lochs Radio and have a chat about our trip. Kirsty emailed the station accepting their invitation, but before we could head off for the day, the weather started to blow up again. Jackson the Harbour Master came around to all the boats to find out how everyone was doing. He said we could move down the pontoon, but with our lack of power astern I didn't think we could get off the berth. Jackson said not to worry he could pull our bow off, saving Beez Neez from Pixie's solid pulpit. The wind was 30 knots when we went for it, and thankfully Jackson was able to pull or bow into the wind, so I could gain control.

With Pixie on the most sheltered part of the pontoon usually reserved for the tour boats (the wind was too strong for them as well) we took the Scotbus through the mountains to Poolewe, overtaking RAF Tornados on the way, maybe not quite as fast, but when the fastest we've been for 3 weeks is 10 knots, being driven on a minibus seemed supersonic to me.

We were going to go to Inverewe gardens, but as we arrived it started raining, so we went to the shop, before deciding to do the (free) Pine Trail walk, we diverted off to Poolewe walking to a nice little cafe, and getting the bus back to Gairloch.

This morning we thought we take advantage of the laundry again and change the bedding while we can. Then Kirsty and I stocked up on meat and veg from Kenneth Morrison's the fantastic butcher for the local area. We got all our meat vacuum packed so it will last longer on Pixie, before heading back to see Alex at Two Lochs Radio (http://www.2lr.co.uk/). We had a quick chat, then recorded an interview to go out later that day. It was interesting talking to Alex and finding out how the local community works, with respect to the things we take for granted in London, things like GPs, ambulances etc. Hopefully we'll be able to put an mp3 of the interview up, Kirsty sounded quite Scottish (which she was pleased about after 14 years in England), and I sounded intelligent. It's seems it's not just photos that lie!

We came back via the Gairloch Museum, an interesting small museum, with lots of local history, and information about past lives. The £4.00 entry fee was worth it, to keep small museums like this going, as well as getting close to the giant lens of the old Rubha Reide light house, with its tardis like distortion of the lamp inside.

This evening we listened to our interview on the radio before heading off for a walk up to the Flowerdale Waterfall and back then cooking another dish out of the Camper Van Cookbook, which is turning out to be a great find. Good wholesome food cooked on two rings, great for a boat as well.

News flash

We were interviewed for Two Lochs Radio today. You can listen live at www.2lr.co.uk from 5pm onwards. We're not sure exactly what time we'll be on but it will be either at about 5.20 or 6.20.


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Blowin' in the wind

As Graham said, after 2 days on board unable to go ashore we hadn't killed each other - that bodes well for our marriage I think. But I was going slightly stir crazy. Those who know me will agree that I am not one for sitting still doing nothing.

On Monday morning we listened to the Coastguard broadcast of the forecast and couldn't believe our ears. Having just ridden out the Force 10 storm the Met Office was now forecasting yet another gale - the third in a week. The forecast for Monday wasn't actually looking all that bad so we were faced with some choices. We could head over to Gairloch and try again to get a space on the pontoon, or just stop temporarily to get water and provisions before attempting to get further north. When we arrived at the pontoon we managed to raft against a Sadler 34 "Beez Neez". The skipper told us that they had found out that all the ports north of Gairloch were full - Ullapool, Lochinver and Kinlochbervie. There we were, on a pontoon and able to get off the boat and stretch our legs, buy fresh food and talk to other people! So should we give all that up and head north, potentially getting stuck at anchor in another port? It was a tough decision to make, but we decided to stay put.

After securing the boat we went up to the Harbourmaster's office and paid our dues. He is a very cheery, helpful chap and is working hard to develop the pontoon facilities for visiting yachts. He even told us that they just had electricity installed last Friday. We couldn't believe our luck! Shore power means we can use the fridge as much as we want, turn on the de-humidifier and charge up our laptops. All things we take for granted at home.

Gairloch is a reasonably-sized village. I wouldn't call it a town. That afternoon we went exploring. We found a great butcher with lots of local produce and fresh fruit and veg and sussed out where we could do some much needed laundry. There are also quite a few cafes, restaurants and pubs to choose from, including the Mountain Cafe which does fantastic (and huge) homemade scones and great coffee (don't have the soup though).

So what happens next? Well we are in the hands of the weather gods, and something tells me they don't like us much. Another deep low pressure is making its way towards us and the Met Office keeps changing the time to impact. It currently looks like we'll have gale force winds for most of Wednesday and Thursday - perhaps even severe gale 9. We are resigned to being here until at least Friday. But worse than that, judging from the surface pressure charts there is more to come. This is incredibly frustrating as if this goes on for much longer then we'll have to abort our plan to get to Orkney and the Caledonian Canal. Everyone we have spoken to has said they haven't known anything like this weather pattern before. We are both feeling quite despondent. So many times on this trip we have had to sacrifice the things we want to do and places we want to see because of the weather or technical problems. We are just trying to stay positive and make the most of our time ashore, but it's hard sometimes when we are both so disappointed.

So if anyone lives in the Gairloch area and fancies lending us a car for a day please get in touch! Failing that, any suggestions of places to visit that don't require a car would be much appreciated!

Storm Bound

The sunset at Poll Domhain was magnificent. The motor up to Loch Torridon on Wednesday was less so. As Kirsty rightly pointed out, the wind in Scotland is like a light bulb, it's either on or off, blowing 5-7 or not blowing at all, there seems little in between. Well it wouldn't do the power in the batteries any harm. We motored up through the BUTEC Range (British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre) where all sorts of underwater weapons are tested, before entering Loch Torridon. The wind still hadn't turned on by the time we reached Loch Shieldaig, finding a nice spot to anchor and relax in the sunshine. We knew a blow was forecast so I let out 40 metres of chain in 4 metres of water at low tide. There was a mooring for the use of patrons of the hotel, but seeing we weren't dining there, we used our own anchor. As the tide dropped, a pick up buoy became visible under the water behind Pixie, we were clear, just.


We went ashore that evening and tried the village's only pub, we had a look at the menu and the food looked good, so we stayed for dinner as well. It was only after looking at the menu that we noticed the hotel and the pub/restaurant are owned by the same people. On our way back to the boat we popped into the hotel to see if we could use their mooring. They said yes, so we went back to Pixie and moved her.

The next morning (Thursday) the forecast force 7 arrived by the time we got ashore, it was a bit of a grey day, but we thought we'd go for a walk. We went to the shop and bought a small book of walks around the coast of Wester Ross.
One of the walks was a short one up to the narrows of Upper Loch Torridon.

The variety of scenery in the short walk was surprising, from rugged cliffs, to heather covered moorland to grazing pasture to forest, all in the space of a few miles. We ate our packed lunch in the light rain looking down Loch Torridon towards The Minch. We stopped off at the pub again for a hot chocolate before heading back to Pixie for my boat made cauliflower cheese.
The forecast for the next day was looking worse. 5-7 occassionally gale force 8, so Friday found us ashore for another walk. This one was much longer as we had to walk for 3.5 miles to get to the start. Well it would have been 3.5 mikes if I hadn't led us along the wrong path for 1/2 a mile before realising my mistake and retracing our foot steps. The OS map of the area was old, and the footpaths hadn't been used for a while. It was great to be walking without seeing other boot prints and where it seems only sheep had stepped before us. The short cuts weren't as clear as we had hoped, and by the end of the tracks I was left wondering whether they had saved us any time. The views were stunning though.

We walked for most of the day, totalling around 13 miles of breathtaking scenery. All but the last mile were dry, which was in heavy rain with a force 7 to help it soak us through to the skin. We headed to the pub for a hot chocolate, and waited for the rain to stop before heading back to Pixie to get changed for dinner.

The trip to Pixie was a bit rough, the trip back was worse. It was blowing anything between 20 and 30 knots, so we picked a lull to head back. I was glad I opted to bring the bailer as the waves hit Sprite, our dinghy, the spray covered the bottom of the dinghy, by halfway Kirsty was pumping and there was a good 4 inches of water in the bottom of the boat.

We arrived wetter than we had been after the walk. We had dinner at the pub, their wood fired pizza oven in operation up stairs in the restaurant, and a Ceilidh band setting up down stairs.

After dinner we caught the last of the Ghana v Uruguay game before the band started. The band were really good (http://www.doublescotch.net/) and the astmosphere in the pub was warm and social, we had to leave before the end as it was getting dark and the wind was still building. We asked a couple of locals to keep an eye out for Pixie and if there wasn't a light on her by 0030 to try our mobile, and if they couldn't reach either of us to phone the coastguard. It's not the sort of thing I'd do after a night in the pub but the wind was still blowing 20-30 knots and no one would gave been any the wiser if anything had happened to us on the way back.

Saturday morning found us still swinging on our mooring in 30 odd knots of wind. Our plan had been to make some brown bread and while it was proving, go ashore and buy some locally smoked salmon to go with it. With the wind still blowing I thought better of going ashore, so we had a lie in and had a late breakfast.

The noon forecast showed a glimmer of hope for moving on, otherwise we would have had to remain in Shieldaig for another few days as the next gale came in. The forecast was south or south east 5-6, increasing force 7 to gale force 8 later, so we had at least 12 hours before it was due to worsen. It was going to be rough, but we were off the wind and it was only around 16 miles to Gairloch and pontoons ashore. We got into our wet weather gear, waited for the rain to stop, put two reefs in the main sail as it was still blowing in the early 20 knots, and cast off the mooring.

No sooner had we turned downwind than the wind died to 4.5 knots, the lowest we'd seen for the last 2 days. We motor sailed out on Shieldaig as the wind started to build. Soon Pixie was tearing along in 25 knots of wind, through the turquoise waters of the loch. Bright sunshine, turquoise water, wind aft of the beam, stunning scenery. If we weren't still wet from the last rain shower and in full oilskins, this could have been the BVIs in a blow.

Clearing the shelter of Loch Torridon the wind went up to 37 knots and stayed well above 30 knots for quite a time, with Kirsty on the helm Pixie was going well. When the wind went up to 38 knots I took over from Kirsty, thinking it might get worse, but it stayed in the high 30s for 5-10 mintutes before easing to around 30 knots. Pixie was surfing down waves at 8-9 knots with two reefs in the mainsail and a small headsail, but was in full control, and even in the gusts she was well behaved. She really is a great yacht to have under us for the sailing weather we've been having recently.

It was a cracking sail, but I still have a feeling of waiting for the next problem to happen. Sure enough, we dropped the mainsail outside Gairloch Harbour, and the engine temperature alarm came on. I looked at the depth and we were in 38 metres of water, too deep to anchor. The engine was in tick over at the time, so I took the engine out of gear, and gave it some revs, hoping whatever was casusing the blockage in the sea water cooling system would be sucked through. It worked, the alarm stopped and we motored into the small harbour of Gairloch. The harbour advertises 60 metres of pontoons for visiting yachtsmen. However when we arrived there were only 30 metres available for yachts, one raft of two yachts, another raft of three. We went out of the harbour and prepared to come alongside the raft of two. However as we closed on the yacht on the outside a gentleman came out and told us the harbourmaster had told him not to allow any other yachts alongside because of the storms forecast and the strength of their pontoon. So we had a choice, raft alongside a fishing boat, and incur the wrath of a fisherman or harbourmaster, or go somewhere else. We opted for the latter, Gairloch has a number of small harbours, some with moorings. So we went to Shieldaig, a different Shieldaig than we set off from, honest.

Sunday was spent onboard. A storm force 10 was forecast, so I didn't want us to go ashore, just in case we couldn't get back to Pixie. We watched the barometer rise, waiting for the wind.

I checked the sea water cooling on the engine, which was fine. The day was mostly spent reading and listening to the radio or iPod on the stereo. I baked bread and read most of the first Harry Potter, Kirsty read and tidied up Pixie. Not the greatest day of our trip, we haven't gone stir crazy and we're still talking to each other, so it can't have been that bad.

Why are we here?

What with the wind, and the lack of sun, we've been asking ourselves the same question. Until we went for a walk....




Not a bad view is it?

We're currently weathering a gale in Shieldaig, we're attached to a mooring, so we should be safe.

Entering a new world

After our rum drinking session with Alf we got up fairly early on Tuesday morning to catch the tide down Loch Duich. We anchored just across the loch from Eilean Donan castle. We relaxed (yes relaxed) and took in the view over a spot of lunch. We then headed north once again past Kyle of Lochalsh (again) and under the Skye bridge. As we passed underneath the huge concrete structure the sun decided to shine on us. We had left the grey clouds behind. It felt like a milestone on our trip - like we were entering a new world with new challenges and even greater remoteness.








Our destination was Poll Domhain, a small sheltered bay just south of Applecross. From the boat we could see two little cottages in which I had spent a couple of summer holidays - the first when I was just a year old. The sunset that evening was stunning and we even caught a rare glimpse of an otter cruising the bay.

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A trip to the dentist

The first version of this days blog went missing in the ether, so this is version two....

It's been an emotional couple of days for me. Getting the new alternator, finding out it didn't work with Pixie's wiring. Fixing the wiring only to find out the alternator belt was too long. Replacing the old pulley, then finding out the spare we carry was shorter. Seeing my Mum and dad, and then having to say goodbye again. Thinking everything was alright, then breaking a tooth. It really has been an emotional roller coaster.

Sailing, and boat ownership can be heaven and hell. On a sunny sail with the breeze on the beam there is nothing better. A force 7 on the nose in heavy rain, and even the office starts to look appealing.

One man that knows how frustrating boat can be was our neighbour in Kyle of Lochalsh, Alf. We first met the stocky Scot when he took our lines, and suggested we turn around so we could get out at low tide if we needed to, a nicer chap one could not hope for as a neighbour. However retired Alf didn't want to be in Lochalsh, not that there is any thing wrong with this town. It fact it's worth visiting it to have a look around the public toilet. When I first entered I thought I'd walked into the tourist information, until I saw the urinal. There are even poems about this public privy on its walls, not written on the walls, but typed, and printed out. Obviously when pepole were waiting 5 hours to get the ferry, before the Skye bridge was built, this place had many visitors.



No Alf had problems with his engine, serious problems. His exhaust manifold had snapped, leaving a short stump coming out of his engine. He had two options get it rewelded, or replace it. He'd phoned around on Saturday after it happened and on Sunday he was working out just how to get to Mallaig. To drive would be a 120 mile trip, the easiest way would be two buses across Skye and a ferry to Mallaig. Unless he could bag a lift with a fishing boat heading that way. Sadly he couldn't.

So he set off early on Monday to see if he could get it fixed. While he was gone my mum and dad turned up. They are on holiday in Scotland at the moment, and knew we might be in Kyle of Lochalsh on Monday. With the work on the alternator the previous day dragging on we'd decided to stay another night. Our plan for Monday was to refuel and water and then go up to Loch Duich to Eilean Donan, the Scottish castle that has appeared in films like Highlander, Entrapment and The World is Not Enough. But the wind blew up from the south so we decided to stay where we were.

With the help of their car getting 30 litres of diesel back to the boat was easy. They left in the afternoon and Kirsty and I went to the Co op to buy some lunch. We came back with some crusty sour dough bread to go with the gooey cheese we had on board. Biting into the last piece on the plate, I felt a crack in my mouth. A tooth that I had had root canal work on had cracked. I couldn't believe our luck, just when everything had been fixed and it looked like our problems were over, I now had a cracked tooth. Luckily we had mobile reception, so I googled "kyle of lochalsh dentist" and to my surprise there was one 200 yards from where Pixie was moored. I gave them a call and got an appointment to see the dentist at 16:20 that day.

While I was waiting to go up to the dentist, a very much happier Alf returned, with a bin grin across his face. Not only had his exhaust manifold been repaired, it had also been strengthend to stop the same thing happening again. The next time I saw Alf, his engine was puttering away and he invited Kirsty and I over for a beer to celebrate. I still had to visit the dentist, so we rearranged for the evening.

I wish the dentist in Kyle of Lochalsh was my dentist back in London, instead of gloss white and slightly tatty. Jan Overmeer's practice is a colourful cheery place with large Quentin Blake style cartoons everywhere. As I lay in the chair a large blue cartoon parrot with big eyes looked down on me with a smile. After a local anesthetic injection, the cracked half of the tooth was removed and filled with some fast setting cement which could be put to great effect filling the chips and gouges in Pixie's topsides. It was all sorted quickly, but it should last until I can get to my dentist in London.

That evening we took Alf on his kind offer of a beer. Conversation and beer flowed before we had to return to Pixie to cook dinner. With the fajitas finished, I popped back to see if Alf would like to join us for a whisky "never touch the stuff" he replied. Some what surprised I replied "We have rum", "I'll be right over" he smiled. We had a good night talking to Alf as the level of rum dropped, luckily Alf bought a bottle of OVD with him.