DAY 16 - PORTREE TO KINLOCHBERVIE

Portree

I have to admit to hitting a bit of a low this morning.  I woke incredibly early to the ominous sound of  the wind howling, and with the memory of yesterday's bleak and disappointing day and the thought of our Cape Wrath passage looming ever nearer, it was with a stomach churning with rather large butterflies that I reluctantly donned my now many-layered boat gear - (damart vest, shirt, two layers of wool-power, silk long johns, two neck scarves, woolly hat, gloves and oilskins - and you thought I was just putting on weight!).

Morning light over Portree Harbour

Once we were on the boats, the routine of getting the boat ready for departure took over, and I started to feel more in my stride.  The sun was trying to come through, the wind was lessening slightly, and by the time we left Portree Harbour, we had the sun on our faces.

Si had plotted a fantastic course weaving in amongst the many islands which scatter this part of the north coast of Scotland.  We powered our way over to Raasay with a short sea running at our backs, which made for an exhilerating ride, with the occasional unintended shower!

ConTTentment making her way out of Portree Harbour

Rainbows appeared all along the coast of Rona

We cut through the narrow passage between Raasay and Rona, and played "catch me if you can" with a series of elusive rainbows which danced their way ahead of us up the coast of Rona.  By now, my spirits had lifted with the promise of a great day ahead.
The seas continued to be at our backs all the way up the coast, providing exciting driving conditions which needed total concentration as the boat skidded her way down the waves and needed to be picked up with the throttle to prevent burying her nose into the wave in front and shipping a bow full of water!  Again, Anthony and I used the two-man helm technique, which provides full power and maximum steerage, and we managed to skip along at a good 25 knots.  There was no time to feel jaded with a white knuckle ride to focus the mind!  The sky was now predominantly blue, and the sun was out, providing a fantastic backdrop to an aerial display by the gannets which were keeping us amused with their fabulous plummets into the sea.

Our idyllic tea break

Once across the Sound of Raasay we called in to a very protected bay for a break.  Straight away two seals appeared to check us out, which seems to be a fairly common theme these days, and we enjoyed a cup of tea on a flat calm sea, floating on aquamarine water over a white sand bottom, with spectacular rock formations and cliffs rising above us.  It was hard to believe that just moments before we had been tearing along on a marine roller coaster!    With a good 60 miles still ahead of us, we needed to keep moving and made our way back out into the Minch, with the seas again on our stern and a Force 5-6 wind behind us.

The Summer Isles

Our next point of interest was the Summer Isles, which lived up to their name and were bathed in sunshine, their bright coloured flora in stark contrast to the muted greys of the mainland behind them.  Si and Guy made landfall with "Teal", and we enjoyed half an hour meandering in and out of this little oasis of tiny islands in sheltered waters.  Then it was back to work with a good stretch of water still between us and our final destination of Kinlochbervie.  The seas seemed to be increasing as the day progressed, but fortunately remained mainly on our stern, with the occasional section on our beam.  Once we had passed the extraordinary pillar of rock off Stoerhead, we knew we were in striking distance and powered on towards our goal.  This section of north Scottish coast is incredibly rugged and spectacular, and quite unlike what we have seen so far.

The final run in to Kinlochbervie was like a mystery unravelling, with our Garmin charts being the only clue to which way we should be navigating between a maze of rocks, islands and headlands, none of which were giving away any clues as to what lay around the corner.   Kinlochbervie is tucked away up Loch Inchard and it wasn't until we rounded the very last corner that our destination became clear.  Rather eerily we arrived at the deserted harbour, with a huge and very new looking fish warehouse on the quay.  The only welcoming committee was yet another pair of seals bobbing optimistically in the harbour, one enormous one who was clearly hoping that we were a fishing boat returning with a full hold!  We taxied up to our B&B accommodation and on the way picked up the phone number of the local fuel station (not open until Monday), who subsequently very kindly agreed to open up so we could refuel.

Kinlochbervie Harbour

Tomorrow is the day we have all been waiting for in some ways.   Rounding Cape Wrath will be a real turning point in our journey.  Psychologically, it represents a huge challenge, but also in practical terms, it marks the half way turn, after which we will all feel we are very much heading for home.  We have a small weather window to make the passage, and I must admit I am slightly holding my breath now until we arrive safely in Scrabster tomorrow.  We recently met some sailors at Tobermory from Falmouth who had turned back from the Cape and retreated to the Caledonian Canal.  I am hoping we will be more fortunate.  

Distance travelled:  85.1 nautical miles

Time travelling:   5 hours 11 minutes

Average speed:  16.4 knots

Total trip: 1,134 nautical miles