We have been sailing

Sorry and all that. Yes we have been sailing a bit - especially after we'd scraped and painted Freyja's bot when she sailed much much better. Hard to believe how a few barnacles and what have you ruin the boats ability to go through water properly.

The weather has been nice of late - after a few Autumn gales had passed through. There's lots of action outside in the bay with loads of boats and a bent oil rig that went aground on the island. Fair wearing out our water with all their rushing about.

This is Stormoway's marina. See, our dinghy on the pontoon as we empty out all the rainwater! Freyja is tucked away in the distance halfway between here and the outer harbour on a swinging mooring. Only, we met sailing supremo / author Ian Stephen on the ferry the other day and he suggested I look at the mooring which he laid for us three years ago. Wasn't sure what I was looking for but the mussels seem to be covering it up anyway. I took the mussels off and found a slight freying of the rope. Maybe this needs changing soon.

Just to celebrate we still had a working mooring we tootled out for a sail in the sunshine and the outer harbour. Just lovely again. Hopefully, it's going to be a nice winter and we can sail on Christmas Day again!

Morning bobbing about.

Misty

With Ammonite

Severe force 0

They day we painted her bottom then sailed.

Phew, what a scorcher!

Yes we are talking Stormoway here. And 7.30am as we motor over to Goat Island for a spot of grounding. I mean, look at it.

For a fish factory place with dead boats Goat Island is quite nice on a day like this. Although showing Freyja's bottom to world in this state is a little embarrassing. Better than when it was barnacled though.

So we were hard at work, me handing Eve the requite brushes and filling the paint thing. Quite easy stuff really.

Yes, we went for rust red. Why not? At least we can see where we had painted.

And then out for a wee sail in the evening sun. 

We were exhausted actually, had chish and fisps in town and came home to bed - not even bothering to see Jason Kenny win yet another gold medals in Rio.

The day we sailed to the land of tob

Just outside Stormoway harbour, round from Arnish nestled below a monument is a lovely little inlet. I'd known about for sometime, seen others sailing in but always was a bit wary we'd end up on the the rocks.

Sailing out was lovely. We avoided the ferry coming in and went past the sleeping fish carrier before looking for the way into Tob.

What a lovely spot - once you'd realised the rocks weren't going to get you and the water was flat. And the mooring held.

 Time for a picnic lunch before venturing out and back - avoiding the ferry going out again!

Well, this weekend we tootled over in a fair wind,, Freyja aided by the lack of barnacles on her bottom. What a  lovely spot it is in there. Used Ken the dentists' mooring there to make lunch and enjoy the pleasant quietude that is that place.

Shall be going there again.

Bottom

We finally got round to getting Freyja out of the water a bit to have a look at her bottom. It wasn't a pretty sight I can tell you. A layer of barnacles had attached themselves to her undersides - no doubt slowing her more than a bit through the water.

See? This was after we'd been attacking her bot for a while with brushes and a scraper. Oh, it was awful. 

We were up on the hard at Goat Island in Stornoway harbour - and still are as I write - waiting for the water to arrive again. High tide at 10pm today so looks like it may be a late one.

Of course we can't leave her like that so IF we get a sunny day again soon, I'll get her our out again and slosh some of that foul paint on her. That'll teach her!

Windless in the Western Isles

I know, I know, it's not normal - whatever that is. When we took Freyja out for a wee trundle on the water there was a wee breeze. That was keeping the heat of the day bearable on this day that obviously was 'summer' up here. Then wind went. Ooof. No wind at all. Left bobbing about in the outer harbour without so much as a gin and tonic to while away the time. So we motored back in and Eve cycled back home. I sulked. I am allowed to do that at this time of year, trust me.

Bobbing about a bit

Well, we took the old girl that is Freyja out for a bob around the outer harbour  on Friday evening - till the wind died completely. Then we came back.

Saturday it rained. A lot.

Hopefully it will have cleared up a bit by next week and Sail Stornoway.