Episode Six, Scotland to Iceland...Yes, Iceland!

 Episode Six, Scotland to Iceland...Yes, Iceland!  

We are early in the season, so we did not figure there would be an issue getting a dock at Oban....Oh how close we were to not succeeding! As always the wind picks up from the direction least favorable but we managed to tuck into a space on the inside of the long pontoon facing into or out of the tide instead of on a finger crosswise..

Laundry and fuel and we hoped to be off. 

Mingin is a word we learn't in Scotland and Oban's got some very mingin things about it. The showers with only set temperature hot water that is not too hot + its two pounds per shower over and above the dockage. The laundry with its dysfunctional dryers. The office staff that feel complaints do not need to get passed up the chain....just keep accepting the mingin way things are! We did a big shop for groceries as it was the last place with big shops. also bought another jerry jug and a couple of bottles of whiskey and rum.

 Filling the boat from the deck jugs.We did not get fuel here as last year it wasn't good.

Departing. We left Oban with the tide and had a nice sail all the way to Tobermory. and tied up on the hammerhead while I went up to the office to find out about a slip. While I was doing that the harbout master was telling Sally she had to move as the hammerhead was reserved. Their were signs posted when we tied up but everyone who helped us knew nothing about them. Anyhow after words with the assistant master wantabee We cast off and got another pontoon closer in. All was well. We made arrangements to get fuel the next morning and tried to get laundry done. haa the washer worked but like most marina's the dryers are next to worthless so  we hung stuff up around the boat had dinner and bedy by bys. When we arrived their was a BIG ugly cruise ship anchored out in the sound and when we awoke their was the Hurty Gurty anchored in the harbour. I also found out where the Spanish ship from the Armada was wrecked here. Right where the CalMack Ferry slip is now.

 The HurtyGerty cruise ship within the harbour at Tobermory. 

 Dinner in a bowl. Yes, it's Kraft Dinner, 

 West out the Sound of Barra. We left Toby around 0930 in the morning to head further North. We talked on the phone to our friends John and Carol then checked the weather and it was favourable to head strait to Iceland. So we changed our plans and laid off a new course for Reykjavik. 

 The open sea Sailing Sailing over the bouncy main Sunset full sail 6.5 knots. Life is good.

St Kilda's Island Early the next morning. Seas are now lumpy and it's getting colder.

St. Kilda's  was bigger then we expected. 

 Hard to see the water from the clouds.

Fueling at sea

Working the syphon to fill. 

 Sun rise

Not too much about.

 Had enough Really really had enough! 

I had been up all night and the light head wind with a lop in the sea that would spray over and into the cockpit. So we motored and motored and motored...  

There is land up there ahead of us...some with snow on it. 

We had lowered the radar reflector as it was wearing on the main sail. 

 If you enlarge the photo on the cliff face is a green reflector as an aid for navigation! Entering Heimay on Vestermannan Island. Called this because of Irish slaves who were left here and then murdered because a couple of them killed the Earl's brother in law!

 Whale watching boats with Kalinka 1 rafted in the back ground. 

What a busy harbour. All water and power for the whole island is piped over from the main land. The cars about the place were big and expensive and fairly new. Noel got off the boat to square up with the harbour master and get a short walk about. I needed to re hydrate and get some sleep. Customs came by then the police took our passports. These they returned at midnight, stamped. We were both fast asleep but they proved effective at waking us and the boat that we were rafted too. 

 This apparently this is leaning how to collect bird egg training, its all about the spin so you land well.  

We did a bus tour out to see the puffins and two volcanos. It was two hours well spent. 

 Natural Viking ship boat harbour with a dead piolet whale. They blamed the Orka's that were about. 

Replicas  using the excavated ruins on the golf course. This was the only farm that had drinking water well on the island. 

 Inside.

 Puffins galore at the bird sanctuary.

What is interesting is when the fresh puffins leave the nest they try to fly towards the light of  the moon.  They get confused and head to artificial lights. The moon is not so bright this far North. What they have learned is its important to rescue and then release them back at the nesting grounds. The area residence go about collecting them in boxes and drive them out to the sanctuary, giving them another chance.   If they released them in the harbour they would return next year to nest. The harbour is too oily and not a good place for nesting birds. 

Main land, Myrdals Jokull, Glacier

 High up, windy place this. 

 Lava field.

 Lava and Islands

The next day we walked to the volcano museum all interesting, we walked and walked that day and foolishly did not drink much. It was cool and wet and we managed to get dehydrated. 

 Lupins, lava and the town of Heimaey.

 We found one! 

 Lots of cruise ships

 New slip post getting fuel. 

We left the boat with the V berth drying....we found a leak and figured out why neither of us were sleeping particularly well. Our bunk was soaked! We had just been too tired to figure it out. 

 Drying out and sourcing the leak.

So how did we fix the leak, well calking is useful. We re packed where the wiring went up to the anchor windlass and bow light. Hopefully that fixes it. 

While our bedding and boat dried we went to the volcano museum and walkabout.

 Formally this was a house on the edge of the destruction zone. Sea water sprayed up from boats halted and they were able to direct some of the lava flow. 

TV in the window explaining.  Check out the dates on the info board.

 Former streets location markers.

Noel on the path back to town.

We figured on departing early the next day to head to the capital city, Reykjavik and so this seems like a good place to wrap up this episode. Join us for our adventures in and around Reykjavik with our next post.    

 

  

Episode Five Beyond Bangor.

 Episode Five Beyond Bangor.

So we opted for somewhere we had never been, yet had wanted to get too. Rathlin Island.

And to our delight we saw that our buddy from Stornaway, Angus was here too! he helped us pump out . all the bad fuel last yearAngus's boat ,  Rathlin Island

Rathlin Island is off the Northern Ireland coast and has tricky currents around about. Large high  pressure with little to no wind, conditions were perfect. 

 The Manor house, beyond the harbour.

We passed a boat sailing out on our way in so we were in luck with space on the pontoon. Stuart the harbour master handed us sheets of paper with what's on as it was a week long festival. 

We saw a documentary about the volunteers' of the Ukraine. One of the firemen from the island has been out three times and was leaving again next week. He paid for his own air fair and meals, housing and transport were provided.  

 Knitted art adorned everything

We walked about, and planned the next day to head to the bird sanctuary by bus to the north end of the island. 

 The Inner harbour

 There was a memorial to those who departed for North America on the Jeanie Johnston in the wall on the way to the birds.

 Rock stacks with main land Ireland in the back ground. 

Kittywake's

 Birds galore! 

 Upside down light house. 

Sunning seals

We then figured we could get to Islay on the afternoon tide. 

The bird sanctuary from the sea

We were debating between Islay or Ghia when Angus to the rescue declared "Whisky Week Festival get to Islay" so we did.

What great fun. 

 Entering Port Ellen

We arrived in Port Ellen and were welcomed with a very friendly greeting, Tobias was on the pontoon another fellow from Stornaway last summer. Had read that he got to St. Kilda's in an article that he knew nothing about....it was in Anchorage 2023 which he had a copy. It was fun to catch up. 

 Always something to fix. Water Pump

 Festival time

The festival...last day Ardbeg we were not big fans previously but we were more so by the end of a lovely day. 

 Two, of many1 Red Beasty and one festival special. the special was nicer.

 A feed of smoked fish was included with admission.

 Very tasty. Smoked haddock

 With our combined talents we ended up with eight of the free glasses...now to get them home.

 And then we stopped.

 Waiting for the bus we got a lift back to town.

 Good thing we got a lift... i was just resting my eyes!

Mike and Jean of Mara had tickets to the community center dance that wrapped up the festival. So we went to that too. 

 Rock and roll by bag pipes! Way to loud even with my ears out!

 Full moon over the harbour.

 Quiet about town when we left.

Then we were off the next day having figured the tides to get through the sound of Jura to an anchorage on the west side of Jura, Tarbert. We were told we would see raised stone beaches. We cast off at 10,  missed church but caught the tide Everyone else was hung over!

 Race through the sound

We are trying to keep this a pleasure trip and not a delivery....but at the same time we are keen to get home.  We won!

We got the dingy in the water and managed to mount the outboard from the boat and re-stow everything. This was a concern as we bought the new outboard not considering its weight....we were super concerned that we had made a very expensive mistake and should have gone for the smaller engine. 

All worked well and we are both relieved and confident that we can manage. Especially with Sally doing the hauling

 Celebrating with Carol's cherry almond up cakes and coffee.

 The raised beaches

Oban next up the west side of Jura is a very different trip then up the east side with all its tidal issues. 

We managed to get our list of jobs sorted quickly in Oban. Propane, extra fuel jug, water purification tablets, food, water tank flush and fill.

 Jelly fish galore in harbour at Oban

 Filling the water tank

 Checking weather reports, again.

Departed on the afternoon tide after just the one night. We had a delightful visit with Mike and Jean who gave us a novel and we recommended the tidal books for the area, we were not yet ready to part with our ones...

Off we went up the sound of Mull to Tobermory with the tide.

  And so ends this entry to our blog, there will be more as we have gone further its just time to wrap this for now.