SUMMER 2013 . 1. Leaving Orkney

I joined Sean at Stromness, in July and we decided to cruise Shetland this summer.

View of Orkney from Plane

We first sailed to Long Hope, then to Stronsay, Fair Isle and Grutness in Shetland.

Orkney Yole Association was competing in Long Hope regatta that weekend, so we towed one of the Yoles from Stromness to Long Hope.

We picked up the visitor mooring and ended up being a race mark for the Regatta :-)

From Long hope we sailed to Stronsay, actually there was not much wind so we had to motor nearly all the way. The wind picked up just south of Stronsay and we had a good hour sailing up to Whitehall harbour.We stayed in Stronsay for a few days. It was interesting to see the Island of Papa Stronsay where a group of Monks build a Monastry. Monks had a small boat to travel betwenn Whitehall and Papa Stronsay. On Sunday, they brought the Priest across for the Mass at the Chapel in Stronsay. I was able to catch them while going back to their Monastry.

Papa Stronsay and the Monastry

We enjoyed walking around the island

Inquisitive locals

Summer 2011. Sailing back home 8.Arrived, Back in Stromness,Orkney !

We arrived back in Stromness today , after sailing 1.717 miles this summer. 

We had a lovely day sail from Long Hope to Stromness today with strong winds , 25-30 knots from southeast, and just celebrated our arrival with my boat made fruit cake and our ginger beer !

Long Hope, Orkney

  

We first sailed from Kirkwall out to the east and around South Ronaldsay and into Scapa Flow and decided to spend a night at Long Hope.

Copinsay lighthouse and Horse of Copinsay

Pentland Skerries

We had a nice sunny afternoon in Long Hope and spent the night moored alongside the lifeboat.

Summer 2011. Sailing back home 7. From Peterhead to Kirkwall, Orkney

When we had a break from Gale force winds, we decided to sail up to Orkney. So we left Peterhead with the tide in Saturday afternoon and arrived in Kirkwall after 24 hours of sailing.

It was very nice to see beautiful lands of Orkney again, despite low visibility due to misty weather.

Summer 2011 1. Starting from Stromness, Orkney

Sailing from Orkney to Norway and Denmark, this is the plan ....

And we have to be in Ærøskøbing before August 1st !

First week :  8^th-15^th June 2011 
We left our marina berth in Stromness  at  9am. on June 8^th  and arrived at Kirkwall marina after 40 miles of pleasant sailing along the west coast of Orkney mainland with short tacking in Eynehallow Sound and down to Kirkwall.

Stromness to Kirkwall sailing route ( also some previous day sails within Scapa Flow before leaving )

Two old Scandinavian fishing boats at Kirkwall marina

Next evening ( 9^th June ) , after some shopping in Kirkwall, we were at sea again heading north to Westray , and arrived to Pierowall pier by midnight. The sky did not get dark with long days in north and sun setting over Papa Westray around 11 pm and later the full moon rising was very nice.

Sean making a new friend in Westray 

 

ORKNEY A Land of Wild and Wonderful

ORKNEY , a land of wild and wonderful …..

  

It is a wonderful experience to be here and feel the island life, either walking with history or sailing with nature. 

I think the writer from Stromness described it so well : 

“ The essence of Orkney’s magic is silence, loneliness, and the deep marvelleous rhythms of sea and land, darkness and light. ”

                                                                                                             George Mackay Brown

Hope you enjoy some views from Orkney.