Rona (not the store)!

Thurs. July 30/15

                0500 Wide eyed and bushy tailed (Not) Actually had to use the head. But now that I’m up did the usual made tea, checked the weather, watered the boat ( Heard somewhere that if you added water it would grow up to a 38 footer. It hasn’t happened yet ) and then I woke Sally.

                We were underway by 0600 headed to the island of Rona so motoring in a South Easterly direction at 6 knots more or less with the help of the sails. We passed a few of the anchorages that we would have liked to visit but the weather window rules all. We arrived at 1400 after sailing through a Gazzilion Jelly Fish. Dropped the hook in 8 feet of water at low tide. I wasn’t satisfied as another gale was forecast  so as soon as another boat dropped the mooring and left we tried to grab it!

                Tried being the operating word! Sally could get hold of it but not pull it on board! So I being the stronger not necessarily the brighter of the two of us. Changed places and I got it. I managed to get the 2 ½” line up to the choke but it wouldn’t fit! Also it was too short to reach anywhere else! And to heavy to hold onto to loop another line to. We played with this for about a half hour while listening to” why didn’t we stay on the anchor” “It’s not going to work” “Oh look there is a #20 charge as soon as you pick it up” I dropped it like a hot potatoe and we went back and anchored again behind a small Island.

                I was in need of a libation after all the above exercise so had one to lower the heart rate then I cooked Lemon Sole for dinner. As I was doing this Sally learned where the outer and inner Hebrides were. The wind started to blow as forecast. We went to bed.

Fri. July 31/15.

                Slept in until 0900. Well not really sleeping but no reason to get up as we wer’nt going anywhere as it was blowing a hooley and raining. You’ve all heard the term raining cats and dogs? Well, There was so much water falling from the sky that when I looked up through the hatch I could see dolphins, Seals and fishes swimming by! I checked we weren’t sunk and the anchor was still holding. Eventually I got up made tea couldn’t check the weather as no internet or cell or vhf! We’re alone in the whole world! Caught up on my reading while Sally did some sewing and we both played some cribbage. Crib is a game you play with cards and a board that you move pegs around on. No one was the winner we tied! Had roast pork for dinner and when the wind lulled in the evening we put the dinghy together and went ashore and had a muddy wet walk and terrorized some sheep for entertainment. When we returned to the boat the Sun came out and we saw five deer on shore.

Sat. Aug.1/15 Another wet blustery day so we didn’t leave the anchorage! Sally sewed, I did some of the blog and in the afternoon we said to heck with it and dinghied ashore and went for a long walk and explore. During our walk we came to a cross path with a signpost pointing to “The Cave Chapel” or to another bay. We chose the Chapel trail.

                After a whole lot of uphill, down dale, stream crossing bog walking Neolithic site finding(have we told you?How good we are at that now?) we eventually came to the top of a cliff with a path leading a way down towards the sea. “Hmm we’ve come this far, What do you think?” Sally gave me the look and said”” I won’t repeat what she said suffice to say I slithered and and hopped and climbed down until it got steeper! But there was a rope! So I continued all the time thinking I have to climb all the way back up here! Eventually I came to a cave.

                Wasn’t much and no sign of a church. Was this someone’s idea of a joke I thought to myself.  I then went a little further around a rock,,,,,,,Drum roll sound of cymbal’s Angels singing  OK no Angels but There was the Cave Chapel! I made it! As caves go it wasn’t small and it wasn’t really huge either just the right size.

Inside there were 4 or five rows of flat stones (pews) further in  there was what one could loosly call living space and off to one side was what was probably the Altar. And a wooden box with a guest book and bible inside. I did some looking around and I heard a spooky sound behind me. “Oh MY what is it” I thought. I slowly turned around and there was.

                This Cave/Chapel was founded by St. Ronan back in the 8^th? Century when all them monk fellas were going forth and living in the wild to get closer to god.

 That’s the official story.

 Now I think it was probably because they were all @#$%$^&*$%#@ nuts and no right or left minded person of either sex or persuasion would have anything to do with them!  So they all became Saint this or that because they were the only ones dumb or crazy enough to live the way/where they did!

Oh the Spooky sound. Wasn’t a ghost/spirit/angel or a Bear or wolf It was Sally! She (who I love dearly)was worried about me and clambered all the way down to see if I was all right. We both then climbed, clammered back up the cliff and made our way back to the boat.

The anchorage filled up with four other boat! Whooppee a party. Whiskey tasting with Angus Barry and Peter.

  

Stromness to Kinlochverie and Stornoway.

Stromness to Kinlochverie and Stornoway.

As you can tell by the title we made it to Stromness  Orkney. The West entrance to Scapa Flow. We tied up in the Marina walked to the office paid our tyth did two loads of laundry and walked about and there was a fair on so we had to go and see that then returned to the boat and made everything redy for the departure tomorrow to the mainland of Scotland around Cape Wrath or further on to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

Sat July 25/15.We departed Sromness around 9ish to catch the full tide to take us West along the North shore of Scotland. It turned out to be a Motor boat ride the whole way with Sunshine clear blue skies no waves and Dolphins playing around the boat.  We tied up on the pontoon in Kinlochverie around 2100 after a long 12 hour day.

Sun. July 26/15.

                1130 Sally off to the Prepiterian Service with Tony, Ann and Sheila. I did some boat stuff! At 1500 we got underway for the crossing to Stornoway and we said goodby to the crew of Sea Pilgrim as they were going in a different direction as they had to get their crew to a bus or train station.

                We had a fair current for the whole trip across the Sea of the Hebride’s but did have some weird seas when we got closer to the Isle of Lewis. We entered the harbour around 930 and attempted to take a mooring. But after getting the boat hook caught up in the chain and fighting against the current to free it for about an hour we decided to retreat into the Marina. Apparently we had been watched as when we got to the marina there were two staff there to guide us in and catch our lines! We got settled and secured and then flopped into bed. Another Sea crossed off the list!

Mon. July 27/15

                After a very good nights sleep with the pitter patter of rain drops about 12 inches above our heads we awoke to another not sunny day! Oh well used to it. So we had breakfast.

                Our breakfasts are usually one of two things with a third on special occasions. Either oatmeal with Brown sugar or in my case home made Raisin Bran (more than two scoops) and Sally would have muesli or my Raisin Bran! So Sally actually had a choice of 4 things. The third is Bacon and eggs!! This usually when we’re anchored or tied up, Sometimes though when it’s been a long night and the seas are calm.

                After breakfast we mozzied up to the marina Office paid for a couple of days and then off to the Tourist Office to see about a hire car or buses. We chose to use the bus service. We caught a bus that went up to a light house on the North  East coast of the Island. Nice ride up. We got Off in a small village and started to walk. As we shortly found out the bus didn’t go to the Light House! We had a 3 kilometer walk ahead of us. “I’m not a happy camper” Sally stuck out her thumb (couldn’t use her leg as too many layers still on) 2nd car stopped and drove us out. “I’m a little happier”. We wandered around oohhed and awed over the scenery and then started back. Sally did the thumb thing again and we got dropped off at the bus stop. Seem’s someone read the schedule wrong and we have a 2 hour wait! So looking around and reading the guide we discovered that there was an 8^th century church right around the corner! “Whoopie said I” “lets go” So off we went and sure enough there was a small 8^th century Church right where it was supposed to be. It was even unlocked! So we went inside. Then we came out and went inside again but this time it was into the attached chapel. No access to the chapel from inside the church only through a small door on the ouside. Did that walked back to the Bus Stop and it started to rain again. The bus came along and we rode back to Stornoway.

Tues. July 28/15

                Wah Hoo!!! “They want me back at work” said Sally. Great news so I in celebration changed the oil! Had to send Sally off to the chandlery to find a couple of filters as we had run out. The oil change went smoothly so we hired a car and drove up to the Black Village.

                The Black village is where people lived in stone cottages with thatched roofs and worked looms making Harris tweed. That not being enough we went to see some more standing stones and a Broche. Now we’re tired so stopped off at a small harbour and bought a mess of BIG Scallops on the honour system and drove back to town.

Wed. July 29/15

                Sally up early to move the car and she came back with a couple of sticky buns which we devoured up at Munroe castle which was closed! We then had a nice drive down to Tarbert on the Island of Harris.Harris is really not an island but it was declared an island by some Lord way back when who was arguing with another Lord so separated.  A nice drive up and down the mountains and around the lochs Tarbert was not very nice so we only had a coffee and left and drove back to Stornoway returned the car went and fueled the boat did a couple of Geo Caches had Venison for dinner and that was that.

What do you do when you miss the tide?

Tues July 21/15

        Well we got up early, had breakfast did some boat chores read a bit and generally practiced being layabouts. Then around noon decided to go into town and visit the Cathedral and the Bishops Palace and had a late lunch at Olav’s Hotel. Then returned to the boat  and invited ourselves over to Sea Pilgrim for drinks and a visit. Then returned to the Good ship Kalinka1 and had movie night. 50 shades of Grey. Sally liked it I fell a sleep! The high point of the day was that it didn’t rain!

Wed. July 22/15

         Woke up really well rested Sun is shining! Studied the weather (4 sources not including the tarot cards, runes and fish entrails) and then the tide tables. Everything lined up and said depart at 1540. So off to Tesco for more supplies i.e. Château de Cardboard Red. Managed a box of dago Red and some chocolate Ginger cookies! Said our good by’s to the harbour master and assistant and we got under-way for WestRay Island 30 miles N/W had a wonder full sail followed by a 2 hour motorboat ride as the wind dropped out and we could see a front moving in. We had a steak pie for dinner and arrived in PieroWell at about 2030 and rafted to Sea Pilgrim who was rafted to a rather large wooden French cutter. The harbour was full at this point. We settled in had a cape rounding and off to slumber land It’s amazing how 6 hours on the water can still tire us out..

Thurs. July 23/15 

           Woke up early again to the gentle sound of creaking lines, the slap slap of wavelets brushing against the hull and the sound of the wind rustling through the rigging oh and the SLAP CLANK CLUNK BANG RATTLE of Halyards against aluminium masts and this was all before the weather turned nasty and blew a full gale for two days right into the harbour! It was entertaining watching everyone re tie,tie more and add more lines and fenders in a horizontal rain. Then a BIG Swedish boat decided to enter the all ready full small harbour. Figured there were going to be tears but we were ok so got good seats and popcorn to watch the show.

Pierowell Harbour is very small and shallow with an entrance open to the South (Gail was a girl I knew a long time ago not the subject of this story. However Gale was a South Wester veering South East) That had full entrance. There is one long pontoon with fingers on the inside in the shallower water and for and aft mooring on the outside. Most of the boat on the outside were smallish with two 40 footers on the end. We were tucked in along the West side of the harbour behind the West Wall. The entrance to the harbour was about 50 feet wide and about 75 feet from the break wall to the pontoon.

            Soo the 50 footer comes in blind( as you can’t see the layout until your in) at Mach 19 with no lines or fenders rigged! With the crew on deck all ready to do they’re captains bidding. The look on all their faces was priceless!!! Then the brakes went on  ( for you that don’t know, there are no brakes on a boat! Only the engine in reverse) a whole lot of scurrying around some loud undecipherable commands, the rapid deployment of three fenders a bunch of people on other boats running to fend off in case of a major crash landing. (The suspense builds) Some rapid reversing and to and frowing  somewhat in control as they frantically looked for someone to raft onto. No one wanted them on the outside as they were much much bigger. Then the last boat on the pontoon took pity and let them go alongside. (regretted it shortly there after but it was too late.) Then there was the stringing of lines all over the harbour to pull them off the boat they were rafted to as the kept popping their fenders! One crew member actually went around demanding that others give them fenders!

All over so we went for a walk!

Fri. July 24/15.

       Yup up early after listening to an all night party from a boat directly behind us! We had to clear the harbour of the spider web. But first we had to go and wake the skipper of the Swedish boat who had promised that he would be up and clear the lines! So much fo promises. That was done and we got under way. We caught a favourable tide and headed NW out of Papa Sound made our way out into the Atlantic headed South along the West coast of WestRay Island and then caught the favourable tide through Hoy Sound and into Stromness . Just what the harbour Master promised.