Orkadia and beyond to the Norse.

It was coming up for springs again, exciting times in the islands where the tidal streams rip between the islands and one can easily be doing double figures.  Leaving Balfour Castle behind Samantha took us around the west side of Shapinsay.


 

And north for the crossing of the Westray Firth.  This is open to the North Atlantic and its swell.  The opposing brisk tide makes for, and I quote, "Violent turbulance on the flood..."  There were poppley bits here and there round the corners of the islands and where the currents meet but in the distance great heaps of darkness topped with shimmering white prompted me to have another check at exactly where I was going.  All plain sail was up and we were having a lovely sail.  The swell was 3 metres but longish so not a problem, it was the big standing waves I was a bit concerned with as we were getting closer.  In theory our destination should have avoided the worst of the rost but I was not so sure. We were cracking along heading east but travelling north and I couldn't see the gap between the islands but then it opened up and I had to take over from Samantha as the eddies were a bit strong and Tutak wanted to dance.  Then it was all over and we were in the quiet and sheltered waters of the Sound of Farray, still force 5 but no waves, wicked.

At the other end of the sound we found ourselves as hard on the wind as Tutak goes without resorting to help from the propeller.  After a few tacks we had had enough and, with the wind over the deck now 26 knots, the engine was fired up and we headed straight into it.  Tutak likes this and the bluff bow smashes each wave into foaming spray, chucking it all over the poor fellow trying to tame the flailing sails into some order.  The heater worked hard too, drying me and the wet gear, my umbrella was useless in that sort of wind.  I think Dyson ought to invent a proper umbrella!

Shelter came from the island of Westray directly ahead and soon the harbour of Peirowall greeted us.  A Dutch boat was leaving in the dusk to take their fair wind somewhere.  I fetched up on another of the buoys kindly put their for visiting yachts.  Perfect shelter even with the wind trying its best to upset things.  I left the mizzen up to keep us into the wind as there is no tidal stream to affect things here.

Keen to take the wind east to Fairisle I was off again the next morning for the forty odd miles.  I went straight past last time as the sailing was good, I don't get that many good sails on Tutak and I like to make the most of it.  This time I was tempted as the wind was failing, the south harbour was going to be my destination.  There is an anchorage there but it is littered with rocks on the entrance so you do need to be careful.  However the swell was from the south, how that happened, as the strong winds had been from the west, I don't know.  The north haven was therefore the obvious choice.


 

The entrance is ok and lit although I wouldn't want to try it for the first time in the dark.  There was space for us to lie against the quay.  The island provides big fenders for you to loan as, although sheltered, surge makes its presence felt.


 

The boat behind was the one I saw leaving Periowall as I was arriving.  Paula and Jan, Jan has sailed twice round the world, three hundred days at sea once.  Made of stern stuff the Dutch.


 


Did a bit of exploring on the new folding bike, went to the shop, bought card, wrote card, missed the mail boat so my daughter's card will be late, bugger.


 

Not so sure about bikes with small wheels, felt as though I had to hold onto the handlebars all the time.  Ah well, time for a paddle and out came the kayak and off I went to explore the stacks, arches and caves.  Got bombed by some birds that seems bothered at my nearness.  Went into one cave backwards as it was a bit narrow.  All of a sudden I am eating sand as a bigger wave than normal chucks me right into the beach at the back of the cave.  It was a bit awkward to extricate myself and the water coming in was more powerful than me but I am here so I managed it in the end.

The mail boat arrived back with stores, a car, the waste skips, gas bottles, drums, passengers and loaded wool.  I never realised they had lorries and cars on Fairisle, somehow I imagined a basic living, not so perhaps.



 Peace returns to the harbour after a mad half hour which happens twice a week weather dependant of course.

 

After a fine sunny time in Fairisle we headed north one evening for the twenty mile sail through the "Hole", a stretch of water between Fairisle and Sunburgh Head known for its particular nastiness.  It wasn't too bad that evening and we dropped anchor to the setting sun in Grutness Voe, south Shetlands. 

 


The morning brought us a flat calm.

 

 So we had a slow motor past the cliffs and rocks, through the Mousa sound and its particularly well preserved broch.

 

And on into Lerwick, with the best Chinese in Christendom.

Jan and Paula turned up the next day too.