To Skye and onto (a disappointing) Dunstaffnage

Thursday 23/5/19 - European Election Day!

We set off at 0900 for Dunstaffnage immersed in low cloud and drizzle. As we passed under the Skye bridge we could barely see the shoreline.  Nonetheless, Bruce managed to play the Skye Boat Song on his pipes as we approached the bridge. 

By lunchtime the weather had picked up but so had the wind. We spent several hours with 15- 18kts on the beam - the worst direction if you’re looking for a comfortable ride. Between the Isle of Mull and Lismore Island heading into the Firth of Lorn the tide was running at 2.6kts. This really affected the handing of the boat through the narrows where eddies can be severe. We pushed the speed up which helped with directional control - particularly helpful since we were being overtaken by a fast moving ferry just as the eddies did their worst.

After 11 hours we arrived a Dunstaffnage. A large marina but isolated from shops, restaurants, drinking establishments or other signs of civilisation.  At £47.85 it was the most expensive we’d experienced to date which, considering we were moored alongside working ships with their generators running all night, did not seem like a bargain.

We ate on board - a ready meal of haggis, neaps and tattles which we picked up for £2.00 in Stornaway.  Not the most appetising or tasty fare but it filled a gap.

Problem solved - on the move again.

Wednesday 22/5/19

I awoke with the idea of swapping over the solenoids.  At least that should prove one way or another whether the clutch pack had seized. If we were able to get neutral then the problem was purely with the faulty solenoid. We swapped over the solenoids and left the electrical connections off the faulty one in an attempt to fool the engine computer that all was well. We started the engine, holding our breath.  SUCCESS. The gearbox had gone to neutral.  We tried forward gear.  SUCCESS.  We had the ability to move above idle rpm. We had no reverse gear but could use the wing engine for close-quarter manoeuvring.

The results of an incontinent, none-potty trained bird

I quickly paid the marina fees and set off for Kyleakin, on Skye. Despite the low cloud and grey day, our spirits were high and mood sunny. We even passed the milestone of 500 hours on the engine. On leaving the marina we spied an Artic Tern (?) that had made a home in the tender. Unfortunately the space was too restrictive for it to be able to fly out and it was therefore along for the ride.This bird clearly wasn't potty trained so Bruce did the decent thing and gave it back it's freedom.

Our plan to overnight in Kyleakin was thwarted when we called to reserve a berth. No spaces. Furthermore the new pontoons at Kyle of Lochalsh which were advertised in the almanac and various publications, were yet to be installed.  We couldn’t press on further south since the tides, which run strongly in these parts, were against us so we opted for Plocton.  A small bay where we could anchor and/or pick up a buoy.  What a delightful place.  A very small village with a vibrant hotel/pub and a lovely restaurant. We tried to get a table at the restaurant - the food looked great - but it was, and often is, fully booked. Book ahead. We reverted to the pub. The villagers clearly take great pride in this pristine place with some beautiful, vibrant gardens stretching down to the waterline. Plocton Harbour Community Interest Company provides and maintains the 15 visitor moorings and we left our fees in the honesty box.  Throughout our stay the cloud blanketed the hills and visibility was restricted.  I suspect with blue skies, this little jewel  would shine brightly.

The delights of Stornaway and more engineering problems.

Monday 20/5/19 

This sign displayed in a shop window says it all - there is no place like Stornaway!  You can read that a number of ways!

Furthermore, the look on this sailor’s face says it all.

Stornaway/Lewis is a popular place with cruise ships and tourist interested in wildlife and hiking. However, the town is somewhat run down and on this dank day the mood of the locals greatly outshone the weather.  Everyone was helpful and friendly.  On the down side beers are expensive - £10.70 for 2, that’s London prices, and we found little that endeared us to the place. 

We were eager to depart and set off at 1055 en-route to Loch Maddy where we would meet up with an old friend who lives on Uist.  Having just settled into the trip, at 1135 an engine warning popped up: “Check shift actuator”. To prevent damage, the engine cuts rpm to idle and effectively you are put into a get you home mode.  We started the wing engine and turned back to Stornaway. I went below to take a look but saw nothing obvious. We ran through the manual on the way back to the marina but we’re none the wiser as to the cause of the problem. 

By 1255 we were tied up in the marina. Time to investigate. 

The manual was of little help. What we did find was that the gearbox was stuck in forward, even when neutral was demanded on the throttle. When we moved to reverse the engine stalled. The gearbox and engine clearly didn’t like the conflict in commands. Ŵe swapped over the electrical control leads to the solenoids but could still not select neutral. Time for some more help.

I called French Marine, a marine engineering specialist based in my home marina. They put me onto Simon French who couldn’t have been more helpful. He gave willingly of his time and expertise to help figure out what was wrong. He called Volvo to get their advice and even called me back in the evening once he’d done more research.  Having explored a number of different options he concluded that the clutch pack had welded together.  Although I understood his logic I found it difficult to accept this was the cause.  We had checked the oil filter and looked at the oil and both seemed in perfect condition. Had the plates welded together there would surely have been some discolouration and debris in the oil.  Furthermore, we were merely cruising along when the fault occurred. No undue strain was being placed on the gearbox. I felt it was more likely to be connected to the solenoids in some way.  Being a totally hydraulic/electronic throttle system meant there was no manual back up and no easy way to determine whether gremlins were to blame. The nearest diagnostic computer was at Inverness on the mainland - a long and difficult trip to Stornaway.

On the positive side, we had a great meal at the Digby Chick restaurant and enjoyed some of the best seafood I have ever tasted and at a very reasonably price.

Despite the thought of having to do a gearbox change, we retired to bed feeling more buoyant for having had an awesome feast.

Tuesday 21/5/19

I called Elling to find out how to remove the gearbox, should this become necessary.  They also considered the most likely cause was the clutch plates having welded themselves together. This would not be a simple, or cheap, job but it could be done.  I put it out of my mind for the time being whilst we concentrated on exploring other avenues.  

I contacted the nearest Volvo Penta specialist at Caley Marine, Inverness. They put me onto Jamie, one of their directors.  Although, initially he agreed with the diagnosis of a clutch problem when I aired my concerns and suggested it could be something to do with the solenoids he told us how to check them. Very helpfully he emailed us the workshop manual for the gearbox thereby enhancing our understanding of how the gearbox and the shifting mechanism works. We had already tested the voltage across the terminal and this seemed normal; however, Jamie suggested testing the resistance.  This was the first real breakthrough.  The manual gave us the limits: one solenoid passed the test the other did not.  Jamie then ran through the precautions needed when removing the solenoids and we went about taking them out. The manual showed that when putting a voltage across the terminal a click should be heard.  More progress: no click on one solenoid.  This confirmed out suspicions that the fault lay with the solenoid rather than the gearbox. One of the solenoids was locked in a position which intern kept the gearbox in forward gear.  RELIEF! Caley Marine ordered the replacement solenoid and agreed to get it shipped to us ASAP. Throughout this whole process Jamie from Caley Marine could not have been more helpful and it was his willingness to listen and work through alternative options that helped us to find the answer. By the time we had got this far it was late in the day and we needed a beer and a meal.  The rest of the work could wait until morning.

Having go to know Stornaway a bit more we warmed to the place.

A nice view from the master cabin porthole.

If you ever pass this way a "must try" is the Stornaway black pudding. It's different from the stuff you buy in a supermarket and, if you can get over the thought of what it's made of, it tastes delicious.

Off to the western isles and sailing into mechanical problems.

Saturday 18/5/19

The Old Man of Hoy

A dank and wet day. Until now we had been spoilt with clear skies. We passed the Old Man of Hoy shrouded by low cloud.

The trip across the top of the UK was uneventful, if a little dull, until we reach Cape Wrath. Despite relatively light wind and the tide in our favour, the seas were confused and steep, and coming from astern. Destiny took this in her stride.

As we cleared the Cape the seas settled and we had a smooth ride to Kinlochbervie - a small and isolated harbour on the northwest coast of Scotland.

We took the opportunity to clean the boat and I tried to worked out how to use the washer/dryer. This should have been a simple matter but for some reason the water would not drain away. Having followed the troubleshooting instructions and cleaned out the filter I'll try again later. If all else fails I'll get Jane to work it for me when we return!

All was going well until I turned on the generator. Normally, it runs through its bite and starts instantly. This time, it fired up and then stopped. I attributed this to the microwave being on and a “spike” having caused it to shut down.  I tried again. This time I could smell burning. I shut everything down and had a look inside the engine room. Sure enough a dark grey smoke was coming from within the generator case.  Having established that nothing was on fire, I turned on the engine room blower to fumigate the engine room.  Once the smoke had cleared, an inspection inside the generator sound shield showed smoke stains on the DDC (digital diesel control) box.  We suspect there is a problem with the microprocessor.  Since there is nothing we can do to fix it in Kinlochbervie we decided to leave the detailed inspection for a more appropriate time.  I pulled all the breakers and isolated the generator completely from the rest of the boat and tested various systems to check none had been affected.  All seemed good.

I went to bed thinking about how best to fix this problem but bizarrely had a great nights’ sleep.

Sunday 19/5/19

Leaving Kinlochbervie

Sunday dawned bright and calm and I arose with a clear way ahead. We can manage without the generator and trying to get a Mastervolt engineer with the appropriate spares to come to this remote part of Scotland would be both a lengthy and costly process. We would therefore continue as planned. In the meantime, I would investigate the cause of the fault and organise an engineer to be on hand shortly after we return home.

At 0930 we set off for Stornaway in the Outer Hebrides. No wind and flat calm. After about an hour I almost had a mutiny on my hands. There is no gas on Destiny so boiling a kettle is the only means of making the obligatory cup of tea. We have a small kettle that can run off the inverter but this had decided to stop working.  The large kettle needs the generator to run. No kettle = no tea.  Brits have gone to war over less. A quick bit of diagnosis and some re-wiring to circumvent the switch saw the mutiny averted. Tea was back on the menu.

We saw a couple of dolphins about half a mile away but not close enough for reasonable pictures or proper identification. These were our first sighting on the whole trip which was disappointing and a little surprising. Normally one would expect far more activity. 

We arrived in Stornaway at 1545 and tied up next to the RNLI Lifeboat. A beer and a meal in the local pub on the harbour set us up for a good nights' sleep.

Negotiating the tides en-route to the Orkney Isles

Friday  17/5/19

We departed at 0830 and had an uneventful trip north. We had been warned on channel 10 about extensive activity southwest of Wick around a huge wind farm that was under construction, the largest in the Scotland - Beatrice Wind Farm. A service ship was dIgging a trench and laying cables as we approached.  Two guard vessels called us to warn of the activity ahead which was backed up by a message on channel 12.  Very polite but the message was clear: keep well away. We did. This is a real feat of engineering and is being carried out in the often hostile environment of the North Sea. Take a look at https://www.beatricewind.com for more info.

The range rings on the radar are set at 3 nms. The expanse of the wind farm can be clearly seen. 

The leisurely departure allowed plenty of time to contemplate the trip ahead. Reading the almanac sets the scene nicely regarding the perils of navigating these waters. “Tide flows strongly around and through the Orkney Islands. The Pentland Firth is a dangerous area for all craft, tidal flows reach 12kts....Tide races or dangerous seas occur at the entrance to most of the firths or sounds....” (Reeds Nautical Almanac 2019). On top of this, tales abound of boats lost, wild seas and the generally unforgiving nature of the place. A few years ago I visited John O’Groat where they have an informative sculpture consisting of huge boulders that have been rolled along the sea bed and, over time, beautifully smoothed by the abrasive action - a salutary reminder to take this place seriously. (For more info see https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/nomadic-boulders-sculpture-unveiled-at-john-ogroats-155101/). Getting your arrival timed correctly and choosing an appropriate weather window are essential for a smooth and safe passage. Unfortunately, the right time in one area is not necessarily the right time in an area you may then wish to travel to. We planned to be at Pentland Skerries as near to slack water as possible.  This worked well and we negotiated this area, where the tides have been known to run up to 16kts, without incident. The only testing time was prior to the entrance into Stromness when the tide that had been running at about half a knot suddenly increased to 5.3kts on the beam and then just as quickly subsided after a few minutes of my trying to sort out the correct course to steer.

The route we took to Stromness passed through Scapa Flow which served a a naval bases during WWI and WW2. A brief resumé of the history surrounding Scapa Flow can be found here and is well worth a read.  http://www.scapaflowwrecks.com/resources/scapa-flow-history-timeline.pd

The buildings reflect the harsh environment in which they sit.

The town of Stromness has a brutal feel about it which is in stark contrast to the gentle, treeless rolling hills in which it nestles. 

We walked the town, had a beer in a busy pub but couldn't find anywhere enticing to eat so returned to the boat for food. I say food, but the fare was not to the normally high standards we had enjoyed to date.....

I was awoken at 0540 by a call from the lady who runs the marina to remind me that we needed to move before 0800 because a cruise ship tender required our spot. I’m not sure what she thought of my seamanship skills but 2:20 hrs to move to a different pontoon is generous, even for me! Still, she was friendly and we were happy to oblige.  

We departed at 0920 en-route to Kinlochbervie on the west coast of Scotland. 

Amble to Whitehills

Tuesday 14/5/19

We planned another overnight trip and were blessed with little wind, flat seas and clear skies. Bruce piped us into Scotland as we crossed the border.  He looks better without the hat and wig. The noise-cancelling headphones the family bought me for my birthday really came into their own during “pipe practice”. 

Wednesday 15/5/19

Whitehills is a small village nestled on the coast of the Moray Firth. I called ahead to secure a birth and was greeted by a very enthusiastic and helpful harbourmaster - Bertie Milne (07906 135786).  The harbour entrance is narrow and guarded by rocks on the right and a tall sea wall on the left. You then have to negotiate a ninety degree turn through a narrow gap into the marina.  Not a lot happens in Whitehills and the anticipation of a boat arrival brings out many spectator who line the sea walls awaiting the impending incident! One of those is the harbourmaster who takes picture and video of your vessel. At the time I was not sure whether it was for insurance purposes or that he just loves his job. He was also there to help us tie up. This is not the normal level of service that I’ve come to expect - and this was just the start.

Bertie hands you a pack of useful info, including a chip with the pictures of your arrival.  He spends time telling you about what’s on offer in the town and the surrounding area. He also gives out his mobile and says to call anytime up to 10pm if you need anything. He put me onto someone in Wick who knew about negotiating the Pentland Firth and went well beyond anything I have experienced with other harbourmasters. During our stay he towed in a boat with mechanical problems and found an engineer for the exhausted skipper. Nothing was too much for him.

It turns out that the harbour was no longer viable with the demise of the fishing fleet so a trust  was set up by the locals and the marina built to finance the venture. Everyone we met involved with the project could not have been more friendly of helpful.

McDuff Harbour 

We stayed the next day since the wind had picked up and, having completed a few chores, I walked along the cost path to Banff and McDuff. Here a theme was beginning to emerge. I asked where I could find somewhere for a coffee and the intake of breath through her clenched teeth was an early indication that this was not likely.  I followed her directions and arrived just in time for the closed signed to be raised! I clearly haven’t yet got used to the hours of opening in this part of the UK.

McDuff has a fair bit of heavy industry and an active fishing harbour. Part of the harbour acts as a graveyard for old fishing vessels. Sad to see.

Whitehills is a lovely little place with a great pub and friendly locals. It was well worth a visit and we were sad to leave; however, the following day the weather had picked up and we set off at 0820 for the Orkney’s.

The Adventure Begins.....but not as we expected.

The best laid plans.....

Having updated the boat’s systems and carried out all the necessary maintenance to a point where I was comfortable that she was ‘ready to go’, the question now was: where to? Bruce had a plan to get to Scotland from when he attempted it a few years back, going clockwise about. He updated the plan and added details for a complete circumnavigation of the UK, should we wish to go that route.  The main aim was to get to the west coast of Scotland and explore the beauty of the region. Anything else would be a bonus and, as always, the feasibility of our route choices would be greatly dependant on the weather. So we set a date of departure for on or around 13 May to set off clockwise to all places north.

As the date approached it became apparent that the weather on the south coast of England was looking less than favourable. The east coast looked great so, under the adage that flexibility is the key, a decision was made and anti-clockwise it was!

Sun 12/5/19

We departed the marina at 0430 with the intention of doing a long leg to break the back of the journey north. We’d both sailed this area before and had no wish to go over old ground. The wind was light all the way but there was an uncomfortable swell on the beam. This continued for about 12 hours and proved a good introduction to getting our sea legs!

By 0940 the following morning we pulled into Hartlepool to fill up with fuel.  I hadn’t had the opportunity to check the accuracy of the fuel gauge and didn’t want to press our luck.  Having taken on 1200 litres we set off again to Amble for our first night stop.

Hartlepool Marina from the fuel dock

We arrived at 1500 and anchored outside the harbour waiting for the tide to rise and allow access over the marina sill.  This allowed me to check out the anchor tackle and fit the chain snubber I had made en-route. All worked well except the chain counter didn’t read during deployment but did read on retrieval; however, the numbers increased from zero as the chain was brought in. I’ve yet to get to the bottom of this.

On our first leg we covered 266 nm, including 182 nm in 24 hour. We set 1800 rpm which gave us about 7.6 kts through the water at a very reasonable fuel rate: our fuel flow is showing 1 litre/nm.  We’ve yet to see how accurate this is.

We called ahead and reserved a berth through a very helpful lady. Things were looking good.  Furthermore, Bruce had been to Amble before and vouched for the place. We weighed anchor at1800 and were tied up by 1830. After a quick spruce up we wandered into town to find a restaurant.

Destiny tied up at Amble

We entered a promising looking establishment at ten-to-nine and were told in no uncertain terms that we could have the privilege of dinner with them but only if we got our orders in before 9.  Having been at sea for a day and a half we felt we needed to relax and not be rushed, so left. We next visited the fish and chip shop, it was five to nine.  “All we have left are some haddock fish cakes and a few chips. We left. Amble is not a big town so we felt we’re were running out of options.  The local Chinese came to the rescue and we took it back to the boat.  Not what we had dreamed of! We ate half of it and retired to bed, disgruntled.

Morning dawned bright and sunny. We planned to leave at 1400 to catch the tide and arrive at Whitehills at a sensible time. A trip to town was in order.  What a perspective change a good nights’ sleep delivers. Amble is a quaint village full of friendly people and over the course of the next few hours, grew on me. We left in a buoyant mood with fond memories of the place. 

Part of the seafront attractions

New service batteries required.

During the pre-purchase survey we weren’t able to determine the condition of the batteries but I assumed they would need replacing. On a boat that relies heavily on electricity to function effectively, a good quality set of service/house batteries is essential. Not only do they provide 24volt DC to power the instruments, lighting and autopilot etc, they are also required to power the 240 volt AC equipment when the boat isn’t either connected to ground power or has the generator running. To cope with such a high power demand, house batteries are normally of the “deep cycle” variety with a large capacity. Batteries are a science unto themselves and choosing the correct type and size to meet, among other things, your power consumption profile and expected operating environment (temperature) takes some research.  We opted for gel batteries primarily for their deep cycle ability and longevity. The downside is the initial cost; however, this should be recouped over the longer life.
















The old (original) batteries

Destiny had 4 x 12 volt 210Ah gel batteries. This gave a total capacity of 420Ah at 24 volts. In my option, this is the minimum for a boat such as Destiny since the inverter which converts DC to AC is relatively inefficient and draws a lot of power so we have to manage its use accordingly. Ideally, I would have doubled the battery capacity and changed the current 1500 watt inverter to 3000 watts; however, a lack of space precluded this. Instead I opted for the largest capacity that would fit in the current space. And there’s the catch!  The batteries are situated under the head of the bed in the master cabin towards the swim platform. Compared to many boats, they are relatively accessible and they need to be. At over 60 kgs each they take some moving. It turns out that the old batteries were the originals fitted during manufacture. Twelve years' service on one set of batteries can't be bad!

A tight space under the bed head

                         New Victron Gel 220Ah batteries





                                                                                                         

I opted for the Victron gel 220Ah which gave us slightly more power and were of a similar size to the ones we were replacing. As the terminals were not in the same place a minor bit of retiring would be needed.

With the help of Bruce, a very spritely and enthusiast 75 year old, we spent the best part of a day swapping out the batteries with no real ill effects other than a few aches and the need for a beer and a good sleep. With each battery weighing in at 63kgs we got a good workout. I finished off by reworking the woodwork that secures the batteries in place. We were able to reuse all bar one of the original cables and the local marine electrician made up the shortfall.

Battery management and charging is a more involved issue than I first thought. During my research I realised that the original batteries had not been matched correctly to the charger. Gel batteries need a higher float charge than the 26.50 volts produced by my charger. The manufacturer’s recommendation was for between 27.00 and 27.60. Fortunately my charger has a series of dip switches which allows for  compensation of different battery types. Having set the appropriate dip switch the batteries now float at 27.60 volts.

Job done. We’re now ready for cruising.