After Fi got back from the Fastnet, we went straight to a sauna, to break the news to her that we could be doing the north sea crossing the next day.

“No…” Fi said, even after this relaxing sauna, and that was settled.

Instead, we compromised and did a passage from Trondheim to Kristiansand where we could check out from Norway and cross the North Sea to Scotland. Finally. We were supposed to do this crossing last year but we left it too late because we fell in love with Norway.

We sent Fi up the mast for a pre North Sea crossing rig inspection
All rigging checked and we are ready to go once we get Fi down

We also had our lovely friends visiting from America! Yay visitors! We love sharing this adventure with our loved ones and we hadn’t seen Phil or Cheryl since our canal boat adventures together.

We had chosen what we thought was the best weather window, catching the good winds at the edge of a storm that had developed over south western Norway before it engulfed the coast in strong winds and rain for a week. And indeed, it was PERFECT!!

The local fish restaurant has been recommended and didn’t disappoint.
After checking out we left the dock early the next morning.
Kristiansund harbour. Our last port in Norway.
Whales pop up to say goodbye.
This boat was parked exactly on the waypoint we had plotted. We decided to go around it.
Another cruising boat passes at sunset.

We avoided the oil rigs, and played the usual games with the fishing people. They like doing fun things at night. This night they stop right in front of our track and spawn some new AIS targets. We gybe away and they turn around and go parallel with our new course leaving their spawned AIS targets behind. We call them to ask them what in the world they are doing and is it safe for us to gybe again to pass between them and the other AIS targets. All settled we gybe again and head for the Shetlands.

We turned left to avoid two fishing boats. They spawned 4 other fishing boats and then headed off in the opposite direction. We turn and go between the newly spawned and old fishing boats.
There is actual night time now.

After about 42 hours we arrive in Lerwick and clear into the UK. It had been a fast a relatively uneventful passage matching closely with the weather predictions. Rather than go to town, we decided to stop in a quiet anchorage and enjoy our first Scottish gale. Phil and Cheryl go into Lerwick for provisions while Adrian and I stay on the boat watching the gusts.

We pass our first Broch… An iron age dry stone castle.
Our first anchorage in the Shetland Islands.
Away sits out a blow in a somewhat sheltered bay.

After a few days of this, the wind decided to abate, and we sailed south to the Orkneys and another anchorage. We are just so amazed at how different the landscape is here from what we have been seeing the past year. North Orkney was flat!

Wondering where all the mountains are.
Its not all hard work on passage.

Next its on to Kirkwall. We see castles and tidal currents – ah yes, we are back in the land of thinking about tides. Phil and Cheryl say goodbye to us here after their (and our) first North Sea crossing!

They do wee country cottages proper here.

Adrian and I chose to stay in Kirkwall for a few days to do some shopping. We even ended up at the local agricultural fair and wondered if we needed a tractor.

It was all Romans and donuts at the local show.
Some rather clever dogs tried to teach Bernie how to herd geese, but it didn’t really rub off on him.

Next up, we have some fun getting to Ullapool.

Before leaving Kirkwall, we walk to the beach where the wreck of the Royal Oak lies, and tried to get into the distillery but the coos said no.

Coos say no.
The south side of the Orkney Islands get more dramatic.

Another beautiful day arrives so we leave to motor/sail around the island and through the tidal gates to Stromness. We were met by friendly locals who caught our lines and told us all the ins and outs of town. We were keen to see some old stuff, so we got our bikes out and took the 40 minute bike ride out to Scara Brae, a neolithic site that was uncovered by a storm in the late 1800s. Its amazingly intact, and old.

Neolithic buildings were primitive but very solid.
4000 years later things have changed a bit in Stromness.
We passed the home of a legendary figure in Australian history!

We had been in Scotland a week without visiting any stone circle so we set out to visit the local upright stones. Very Scottish. No time travel today though.

Standing stones, tick.

BUT – we have more guests arriving and we need to get to mainland Scotland! The rather scary sounding Cape Wrath needed to be rounded with a wide berth according to the charts. We find some perfect sailing weather and sail south west to the mainland. Cape Wrath was conserving its wrath, and we slid down the coast to a gorgeous little anchorage.

Leaving Stromness at dawn.
Not much wrath today.

‘One of the most protected anchorages in the area’ the guide book said. Add storm Betty and it was soon gusting over 40 knots casting doubt on the shelter of other anchorages in the area. The anchor snubber even decided it was reaching the end of its life and started to unravel. So we couldn’t stay in this lovely place as the wind was forecast to get even stronger, so we had to brave the gale and get out into the sea to head further south to find better protection.

Sheltered they said… from what we wonder?
No ocean swell but plenty of wind chop. Sailing up wind is all fun!

After a lively upwind sail in over 30 knots we arrived at Lochinver marina where cruising guides promised more ‘protection’. Happily, when we docked, the wind had abated temporarily, and we stayed in the marina whilst yet another gale passed overhead, clocking wind speeds of 50 knots. Ahhh Scotland! We heard it was lovely sailing, then waiting out a gale.

Away snuggled into the harbour.

From Lockinver it was just one more hop down to Ullapool, and a sufficiently rated mooring ball for us, where we could pick up our friends from Sydney!

We had imagined Ullapool to be quite commercial, but the loch was picturesque

Next time, we pick up our new guests and manage to see the Outer Hebrides and Skye!