North Sea Crossing
As noted earlier, Torrey and Sara Lawrence joined us in Norway to help us cross the North Sea (as well as to see the sights of Norway, Orkney Islands, and Scotland). The North Sea is a relatively shallow body of water with a reputation for rough, choppy seas and large obstructions, such as cargo ships, fishing vessels, oil platforms, and wind farms. The prevailing winds across the North Sea are westerlies, and of course, our route from Stavanger to Kirkwall, Orkney Islands was due west (sailboats cannot sail directly into the wind). We watched the weather forecasts and waited for a 48-hour “weather window” of light to moderate winds with a small-to-moderate swells/waves. We also had to study the currents and tides for going between the Orkney Islands into Kirkwall Harbor to ensure that our approach was safe. We found our weather window and departed the morning of July 14, 2024. We motored and motor-sailed much of the way because of wind direction and light winds. We did manage to sail without the engine for several hours also. Torrey suggested a watch-schedule that we adhered to so that we could get some sleep when we were off watch. The crossing was actually easy. We saw very few ships and oil platforms, and it was not difficult to avoid them. Our auto-pilot handled the steering, and we simply monitored our course and kept watch. The crossing was almost exactly 48 hours.
Oil rigs lit up on the North Sea.
All suited up for our North Sea crossing.
Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Kirkwall and the island where it is located, “Mainland,” was scenic with lots to see and do. We fell in love with Kirkwall and didn’t want to leave! The town itself was quaint with great stores, including a “larder” that was like a boutique grocery store. The four of us visited it several times in the few days that we were in Kirkwall. We also did Whiskey tasting in two locations and a distillery tour. We took bus rides to explore different parts of Mainland, including a visit to the Ring of Brogdar circle of stones (dating back to the 3rd millenium BC), 5000-year-old Skara Brae (a stone-age village that was preserved in sand), St. Magnus Cathedral (originally a Viking cathedral; building began in 1137), and the Italian Church (lovely, detailed church constructed and decorated by Italian POWs during WW II). There’s a fair chance Adam and I will visit Kirkwall again in 2025!
In St. Margaret’s Hope, a village we visited on the SE corner of Mainland, Orkney Islands.
Wick (We saw puffins!)
Kirkwall to Wick was about an 8-hour passage. Wick is a small town and harbor on the NE corner of Scotland. We motor-sailed a bit, but the winds were light so we weren’t able to just sail. Again, we had to time the passage with consideration for the currents. There is an area of sometimes very strong currents above the north coast of Scotland (the Pentland Firth). We timed and planned our route a bit to the east of the firth to minimize our chances of going through strong currents. We did motor through some currents with a great deal of whitecaps. We noted that the whitecaps extended very far to the east, so there really was no way to avoid the current. It was a rocky bumpy ride through the current, but it only lasted about 15-20 minutes…. and Adam slept through it, so it couldn’t have been too bad!
The highlight of this passage was seeing puffins. We actually saw a lot of them, and we even began to recognize them by the way they flew! We didn’t get any pictures, however, because we were never quite close enough. We also saw a few dolphins, including two that appeared to be albino.
The entrance channel to Wick was very narrow and a bit scary due to some shallows, but we navigated it o.k. Torrey saw that a bagpipe band was going to be playing a short walk from the harbor, so we got to see the local Wick pipe band and a few young dancers. The next day we took a long walk around the headland outside of the harbor and then back through part of the town. There’s one distillery in Wick, Old Puteney, but unfortunately they were closed that day.
Inverness
Wick to Inverness was a 12-hour passage with the potential for some significant tidal currents close to Inverness Marina, our destination. We studied the tide and current information and it seemed that if we departed Wick at about 0730, we would arrive Inverness near slack water (little to no current). Torrey and Sara have a lot of experience with tides and currents in the Pacific Northwest where they cruise, so it was valuable having them aboard to plan out this passage. It turned out that our planning was correct, and we had very little current going into Inverness.
We stayed 5 nights in Inverness Marina. It was a 20-minute walk to Inverness town from the marina, but we really enjoyed the town. The very old stone buildings and the River Ness make for a very attractive old Scottish city. Torrey and Sara flew back home after a few days. While they were with us we explored the town, its pubs and music, and some did some whiskey tasting. Torrey learned to play bagpipes a few years ago, so one day in Inverness he took a private bagpipe lesson.
Every Tuesday evening a pipeband plays in Inverness.
I’m guessing that chimney sweeps can make a good living in Inverness.
Torrey took the following photo of Hokukea sitting in Inverness Marina. Notice the walls of the marina relative to the boats: We are clearly at/approaching low tide. Also, the comparison with the boat next to us is striking. Please don’t say anything mean about our Hokukea, we try to be body-positive.
