Well we're home. Left the canal Thursday afternoon but couldn't get out as early as hoped, took 3 hours instead of 2 to get to Buckie so seriously out of time for rounding Ratray Head. Up at 3am to be away by 4 to catch the low tide at Ratray Head. Lollopy sea, wildfire and low level lightening near by. Swung into a bay to drive around the lightening cloud - a bit freaky, orange lightening strikes down to the sea surface just 1/2 a mile away. Made ok time to Ratray but big waves and holes everywhere, down to displacement at 8knots for part of the time. Not a place to be taking photos! Arrived Peterhead, time for breakfast and get fueled up. Decision time, do we park up for a few days while the forecast wild weather passes or fight with the North Sea with its south east wind been blowing for days. Decided to go for it. Feck, these waves are big! Fortunately the visibility was just 100meters so we couldn't see em coming! When sitting, our eye level is about 2mtrs above the water, the waves were beam on as soon as we turned south westish and they were above eye level when we were in the troughs. Luckily they weren't breaking, just wee crests. It's surprising how quickly we accepted them as normal and after an hour or so they settled down some with occasional patches of the big ones so we rocked and rolled for 5 hours instead of the usual 4 arriving home for the last 2 miles at cruising speed on sheltered water. Job done. Wobbly as feck standing on land!
The boat performed flawlessly and she got a good stroking when we got home.
The notion of a breakdown in those seas doesn't bear thinking about!
So that's it, gotta get that Delta on the water and I've a clutch on a VW to sort and clutch on my JCB to sort...Shoulda stayed away!
BLACK PIG
Piglet
