057:29.631 N
004:14.068 W

Inverness

We’re very happy to have made it to Inverness!

We left Wick in bright sunshine and a flat calm sea with sea birds all around. Dolphins came and went, a huge wind farm stretched for much of the journey (they looked very curious on the radar) and a few oil rigs could be spotted between their rows, the past and the future in one frame.

The anticipated wind never arrived so the wind speedo remained between 1-5 knots; our Bukh 20 engine did a sterling job and motored the entire way, 12hrs 45 minutes, pontoon to pontoon. Not sure why we’re all so exhausted but it was tiring sitting in the cockpit watching the world go by!

The weather closed in by the afternoon and many hours of rain fell; despite no wind, a swell grew out of somewhere and Inverness eventually grew out of the gloom.

As we entered Inverness, Bol pointed out places he worked on oil rigs back in the 1980s when he was strain-gauging the vast constructions (on land). Some were still ashore and could be seen stretching up into the cloud line, they really are enormous up close.

We bade farewell to Shetland Coastguard and are now listening on VHF to Aberdeen Coastguard, their lunchtime weather forecast gave a new gale warning for the shipping Cromarty which we have now sailed into. This news made us extra happy to be tucked up in Inverness Marina tonight, the other side of an enormous bridge which TC fitted under no problem.

The scent of pine, resin and cut wood fills the air; all is good on Thursday’s Child and the Caledonian Canal adventure begins tomorrow (gale permitting).