Wick to Lossiemouth

We left Wick at 1000 under cloudy skies and a gentle F3 wind from the east. Full sail was set and we cruised at 5 knots across the Moray Firth bound for Lossiemouth. It was a good morning and we maintained our speed although at times it seemed the wind might fade. At the half way point we passed several oil/gas platforms and a few commercial ships. Lunch was ham and cheese sandwiches, crisps, and tea. An afternoon mars bar snack also made an appearance. Shortly after the wind picked up and we put a reef in the main and several rolls in the headsail. Still our speed picked up, and wind continued to rise to F5 gusting F6; definitely not the F3/F4 forecast. We were belting along at 7 knots plus. More concerning was the waves that were growing in size, occasionally coming from our side and causing considerable rolling of our boat. The seas continued to grow and by the time Lossiemouth was in sight we were ready for a harbour. The entrance was tricky under the conditions. The boat was getting pushed around by the waves and the entrance to the harbour seemed very narrow! We squeezed through the narrow gap and into calmer water and congratulated ourselves. (Richard said it was 2 m wide, but I think it was a bit wider than that. Wasn’t it?!) Phase two of the operation still required us to tie up at a berth. The harbour was small and there was little room for manoeuvre. We went into the first finger berth we cam across whilst the strong wind tried to blow us elsewhere. Phew! All done at 1800 hours. After calming down we went for a lovely meal at a nearby pub. A great way to end the day - 45 miles today, all under sail!

Joke:

An oil rig Roughneck went to the hardware store. The attendant asked what he needed and he told him he needed a wrench. When asked what type of wrench, the Roughneck replied “It don’t make no difference. I’m going to use it for a hammer anyway!”

The harbour at Lossiemouth seen from the deck of Blue Star