57’35.9N 006’56.3W course 195′ speed 6,1kn
After spending 6 extra days in the harbour of Ullapool, due to strong Southerly winds, we have found our weather window and have made a run for it! A little sad to see Ullapool disappear, our small merry band of sailors is happy to get going. Nights of being on watch to see if the mooring lines are holding, nights of getting out of bed to find see if the wind had shifted, or our wind blocker the ferry had left, were getting on our nerves a little. Happy that we did not need to sit out the 64 knots of wind on anchor though!
And so in the afternoon of the 24th at 14:30 we cast our lines with help from our linesmen and just outside the harbour we set a reefed mizzen and a staysail for support. The first hour, there was hardly any wind and I was wondering wether we were already a little late with our departure.. But then came the showers. A force 6 on the beam gusting a little more, made us smile in content at our reefed mizzen sail! Just before that we had shot some drone footage (you can find it on Instagram) and it seemed like a mirror, but the showers were real and intense.
Making our way out of Loch Broom, passing Priest Island with 7 knots and heading for the Shiants, I started to wonder if we had possibly left too early, the wind shift from the South to the North had not happened yet, and we needed to change course to a Southerly direction… But as Joel took over the watch at 18:00h and I started preparing supper, all of a sudden rain set in, big winds, then no wind and then…… OUR NORTHERLY! Right on time! And off we shot again, South West heading for the Little Minch!
Right now we are still under engine, we are in a hurry and the wind is not consistent enough just yet. Its not holding us back, but its also not helping us out. By the morning or when we reach the South of the Outer Hebrides, we should pick up a more favorable wind and start sailing.
Our merry bunch has its small hick ups, I got a little cold/flue a few days ago, and now Joel has caught it, so we are hoping it stays with that, and that it does not spread any further, because its a nasty one. The rest of the bunch felt the waves a little too much as we were eating our ginger curry last night.. but as the seastate settled down, so did the stomachs.
The night is extremely dark, the working lights of the fishermen at 3 miles distance can light up the face of our watch mates as there is no other light to be seen. Dark shapes of the Outer Hebrides can be seen, but nothing more. Its sad to pass these beautiful surroundings in such darkness, but there is no more time to waste. In the morning we will see a last glance of the spectacular autumn light on the island Barra and then hopefully just ocean for a few days.. But if the weather report changes again, as it has done in the past few days.. a glance of Ireland could also be in our cards.
All is well on board, except for a small cough,
Jet
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