After overnight rain, gale 8 eased and we woke to …well..peace and quiet…no wind at all..so the waters of Stornoway harbour were glassy with the odd spot of spilt diesel fuel!
After good showers ashore and a visit to the Co-Op to buy bananas we left Stornoway at 9.10am. Thanked the Harbour Master for the welcome, assistance in mooring up and friendly hospitality during our short stay…and for permission to leave the harbour.
Final view of Poli Poli in Stornoway Harbour on the Isle of Lewis …the outer Hebrides.
Three miles out off Chicken Head ( yes ! ) … what do we see all around us…the greyness, the gloom, the glassy sea….and no wind. So for 46.7 n.miles we chugged back across the North Minch to the Scottish mainland and the most north western site of human habitation.
Below the wind speed indicator showing 2.4 knots of wind halfway across the North Minch Channel.
Flat flat and very grey. Apart from 4 fishing boats, a huge trawler out of Fraserburgh on the north east coast and an empty oil tanker …we saw…..
A large pod of dolphins that crossed our bow… and then raced off…probably chasing something for lunch. Followed by a double sighting of two large black whales. One seen by Mike astern and another seen by T out of the port side saloon window whilst doing the washing up in the galley.
Kinlochbervie…afternoon. Poli Poli safely moored up.
Later on a walkabout through the village of Kinlochbervie, we encountered three happy cows, the same number of black spotted pigs raking their snouts in the mud…followed by two sheep…seemingly allowed to roam free on the village streets.
How dare you take pics of us….
So a grey day…but an excellent wildlife day …except for any animals mentioned who are domesticated. The sheep weren’t as they were allowed to poo all over the pavements.
We arrived at the very small pontoon in Kinlochbervie at 3.30pm …a six hour motor across a very strange grey, glassy Sea surface. Tomorrow we tackle Cape Wrath!!
Below…twilight at Kinlochbervie.
Poli Poli moored in the tiny pontoons At Kinlochbervie in north west Scotland…now the furthest north in terms of latitude that Poli Poli has travelled.
Distance sailed today : 46.7 n.miles.
Distance from Eastbourne: 1,801.4 n.miles.
Toby's sailing boat Poli Poli 