The Moray Firth

Day 77
18th July
A windy morning. As the car did not have to be back until 09.00 we were able to transport Birgit and Mogens to the station before taking it back. They were taking the train to Edinburgh before flying back to Denmark on Monday. When we got back to the marina Paul and I had a restful morning. The tide times meant we could not exit the canal until about 14.00. The lock gates are so heavy they have to have flotation chambers to take some of the weight. This necessitates a certain rise of tide, and the gates remain closed for two hours either side of low water. So after an early lunch we left the marina and moved down the lagoon to the sea lock and rail bridge. As soon as the water outside was high enough, and after a train had gone through, we left the canal and were back in the salt water. The weather was still windy. A force 5 southwester with occasional gusts was whipping up the sea horses, but the wave height was low. We motorsailed on genoa until we had passed the narrows under the suspension bridge at Kessock, and then sailed on genoa down the shallow Beauly Firth. Conditions made steering difficult, so we reefed the genoa down and used the motor. Once through the narrows by Fortrose the sea calmed as we entered deeper water. The wind dropped as forecast, giving a smooth ride. Passing inside the Riff Bank we were soon past Fort George and began the long haul past Nairn, the Culbain Forest, Findhorn and Kinloss to Burghead. Spectacular lenticular clouds filled the sky, and I could imagine the excitement at the gliding clubs. The sun came out, and as the wind gradually dropped it became warmer. The sea was by now quite flat, and we rolled away the genoa and motored to Lossiemouth in the calm, arriving at 21.15. As we passed Burghead Paul went below and got busy in the galley, creating a very tasty and filling Chilli con Carne containing red peppers, mushrooms, celery, onions. By 22.30 we were asleep in the very sheltered little east basin at Lossiemouth.





Day 78
19th July
In the morning, after a shower and breakfast we walked round to the harbour office to be greeted by the man himself. We asked about gas, and were directed to the filling station round the corner, where we obtained a new bottle. We left at 10.30 and were able to motorsail through the rain (after an hour) to Whitehills. The harbourmaster, Bertie Milne, was listening on Channel 14 and met us at the entrance, directing us to an empty berth. When he heard that I was raising money for the R.N.L.I., he was extremely generous. This marina is tight, with only 32 berths in the tiny harbour, but it can be entered at any state of the tide, and affords perfect shelter. The facilities are first class, and we especially liked the crew room with its exchange library and comfy sofa: an ideal place to wait for the washing machine and dryer to complete their cycles. This would have been an ideal marina for a longer stopover, but time is not on our side now. The village is compact, but has a hotel, a bar, post office, general store , chippie and wet fish shop. Here we bought smoked haddock and two portions of Cullen Skink, a kind of fish soup. After a meal of stuffed lap of mutton we walked down to the “Cutty” for a pint of McEwans'. Then to bed.


Day 79
20th July
An early start, necessitated by the tide. The currents here are not strong, but it still helps. We were able to motorsail to Fraserburgh with a groundspeed of over 6kt in very calm conditions and bright sunshine. Then, once we had rounded the north-eastern tip of Aberdeenshire the tide turned and held us to 4kt groundspeed. Even so, we completed the trip to Peterhead in 7hrs. On the way we saw porpoises twice and one dolphin. Very close to Peterhead Harbour is the little harbour of Boddam. Here we tied up at the quayside at low water. The entrance to Boddam could be awkward in strong weather as it is narrow and surrounded by skerries and reefs, but there is plenty of water, and the harbour is very sheltered. On the way in we saw two seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Boddam seems to be a dormitory suburb of Peterhead. A few small fishing boats use the harbour. At the south end of the village is a lighthouse on an island with a fine modern bridge linking it to the land. Tonight Paul prepared a smoked haddock crumble. It did not linger on the plate.








http://www.rnli.org.uk/