Sunday 31st August. Crossing our outbound track

Awelina of Sweden
James Collier
Sun 31 Aug 2014 17:10
57:27.27 N, 05:58.43 W

We crossed our outbound track at 12:30 just to the east of the passage between Rona and Raasay after an uneventful night and morning travelling south. At 5pm or so yesterday evening we saw Sula Sgeir about 2 miles to the west and Rona (another one, this one just an uninhabited rock 30 miles north of Cape Wrath) 8 miles east but invisible except to Radar, and passed the Butt of Lewis at around 2am. At almost exactly the same time the coast guard broadcast a gale warning for Hebrides of Southerly gale 8 'soon', which means in ~6hrs. But it was pretty calm and from the north still.

A very dark and overcast night motoring slowly south, enlivened first by a close encounter with a super-tanker during Fiona's watch and then by dolphins - which seem always to be present in the Minch - streaking around the boat, visible only as phosphorescence trails. It dawned to quite a nice day but the wind eventually swung to the south and picked up, so by 10 or so we were tacking straight into it: first with all sail, then 1 reef, then 2/3 of the yankee rolled away. But it never got that strong, probably only a F5, and it was sunny and fairly sheltered water so great sailing. We should get to Plockton by mid afternoon, whereupon there will be a million and one things to sort out, and some catching up with sleep before either of us will be safe to drive south.

Sadly, the little bird died as we'd expected: it would neither eat nor drink and so just ran out of energy.