A Timely Escape
Our visit to Westray was cut short by forecasts of strong SE winds rising to gale force in two days time.
We were already experiencing uncomfortable swells inside the harbour and had rigged two long lines to the windward quayside to keep us from pounding against the pontoon. SE F8 was not a good prospect!
Having ruled out anchorage options on the other islands, we decided to make our escape to the sheltered marina in Kirkwall before things got worse.
Our marina berth had us moored into one corner with a perpendicular harbour wall just ahead of us and the wind blowing us sideways onto the pontoon - not the easiest spot to break away from!
In 24 knot winds (F6), Doug reversed us away from the pontoon while our neighbour tended a slipping line from our windward mid cleat to a strong ring on the quayside. This prevented us from being blown onto the rest of the yachts and allowed us to pivot our stern into the wind. The quayside line was slipped and Doug gunned us astern round the boats and then out of the harbour while I recovered the line that was by now floating on the water ahead of us.
So we were safely out and battling into the wind and rain beyond the harbour. We hoisted our main with 2 reefs and our new staysail - a small flat sail that we had specially purchased before the trip for beating to windward in just these conditions. As Doug was tightening the staysail halyard, the rope clutch suddenly gave way and exploded into pieces as the well-worn plastic cheeks gave way. We had to jury rig the halyard to a winch across the cockpit.
Then we heard a loud sound, rather like cannon fire and saw a bright flash very close by. This was the lightning that had been forecast! And, at the same time our wind instrument stopped working - showing a strange error code. It must have been blasted by the electrical field from the lightning. We switched it off and then on again and it partially worked but showed a false wind direction. I don't think the sender at the top of the mast liked either the strong winds or the lightning!
It was a cold and wet experience as we beat our way south towards Eday Sound, where we could at last free off and head south for Kirkwall.
Unaccountably, Doug said he had some important navigation tasks to do below whilst leaving me on the helm to hold us on course!
As we headed across the "Wide Firth" north of Kirkwall, the visibility closed in and we found ourselves in thick fog. Once more we were very glad to have the chart plotter to show us our position and the AIS to highlight any large ships near us.
As if all this wasn't enough, we were pooped on by a large seabird who deposited a smelly pile into our cockpit!
What a journey!
We were very glad when we were at last safely tied up in Kirkwall Marina after 6 hours sailing!
We were already experiencing uncomfortable swells inside the harbour and had rigged two long lines to the windward quayside to keep us from pounding against the pontoon. SE F8 was not a good prospect!
Having ruled out anchorage options on the other islands, we decided to make our escape to the sheltered marina in Kirkwall before things got worse.
Our marina berth had us moored into one corner with a perpendicular harbour wall just ahead of us and the wind blowing us sideways onto the pontoon - not the easiest spot to break away from!
In 24 knot winds (F6), Doug reversed us away from the pontoon while our neighbour tended a slipping line from our windward mid cleat to a strong ring on the quayside. This prevented us from being blown onto the rest of the yachts and allowed us to pivot our stern into the wind. The quayside line was slipped and Doug gunned us astern round the boats and then out of the harbour while I recovered the line that was by now floating on the water ahead of us.
So we were safely out and battling into the wind and rain beyond the harbour. We hoisted our main with 2 reefs and our new staysail - a small flat sail that we had specially purchased before the trip for beating to windward in just these conditions. As Doug was tightening the staysail halyard, the rope clutch suddenly gave way and exploded into pieces as the well-worn plastic cheeks gave way. We had to jury rig the halyard to a winch across the cockpit.
 |
| Our Exploded Rope Clutch |
It was a cold and wet experience as we beat our way south towards Eday Sound, where we could at last free off and head south for Kirkwall.
Unaccountably, Doug said he had some important navigation tasks to do below whilst leaving me on the helm to hold us on course!
 |
| Rosie Cowering on the Helm in Wet and Windy Conditions |
As we headed across the "Wide Firth" north of Kirkwall, the visibility closed in and we found ourselves in thick fog. Once more we were very glad to have the chart plotter to show us our position and the AIS to highlight any large ships near us.
As if all this wasn't enough, we were pooped on by a large seabird who deposited a smelly pile into our cockpit!
What a journey!
We were very glad when we were at last safely tied up in Kirkwall Marina after 6 hours sailing!
 |
| In Kirkwall Marina At Last |
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