One Summer's Day

When I say "One Summer's Day", I mean that is what we had, and it was yesterday.  Today has also been rain free but the wind has swung back to North and carries a renewed nip,  I've put my shorts away again.  But I get ahead of myself.

A short run with a fair breeze and flat water took us from Longhope, through Switha Sound, to Burray.  Here the only visitors mooring was available, so we picked it up for the night and rowed ashore to experience the village, which was pleasant but unexciting.  The highlight here was a chat with the boatyard owner.  The local hotel restaurant looked promising but we already had our fish supper in the cooler.

Burray Seafront, with one of the two tourists that day

Next morning we set off on a voyage around South Ronaldsay to Deerness Sound, steering in a circle, West, SW, SSE, East, NE, NW and then SW.  After about 35 miles of sailing we arrived 5 miles from where we started but on the other side of Mainland.  The wind was fair the whole way, except for the last few miles, which was lovely.  We also had a good 6 knot tide at Lowther Rock (S of S Ronaldsay) which roiled the water and drove us onwards at 12 to 13 knots over the ground.

Coast to East of South Ronaldsway

Deer Sound was not as I had imagined it from the chart.  It was very large and very windswept.  The rigging moaned, the anchor chain tugged and we didn't bother to blow up the dinghy.  We weren't sure that we could row ashore in those conditions, or if we did, that we'd ever get back to the boat again.

Next afternoon, we caught the ebb tide to Kirkwall.  Shapinsay Sound gave us a stiff headwind and short seas.  Feeling lazy, we motored into it and used the genoa elsewhere.  Two hours later we moored in Kirkwall Marina.

Kirkwall is beautiful place and we revisited our old haunts, starting that evening with the Indian Restaurant.  

String Orchestra, Kirkwall Cathedral

Next day, in perfect summer weather, we went back to the cathedral (lovely music rehearsal), bishop's palace, museum, and of course the Real Food Cafe, for lunch.

Sunset Over Kirkwall Marina

Today we plan to move on, moving a little North of here for the night, ready for an early tide tomorrow.  We had time for one more walk in Kirkwall, where there were street performers and we met my near-namesake, Puglas.  Rosie says that he has softer fur than me but, of course, he is much younger.  I like to think that I am at least as handsome as he is.

Puglas





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