Sailing to the Isle of May, Anstruther and Dunbar

Over the last eighteen months or so, El seems to have only met up with her sister at funerals. This weekend however they had different plans. A couple of bottles of wine, three series of Game of Thrones to watch and a lot of gossip to catch up on. Understandably, I wasn't required. So on Saturday morning I fired up the little motor on the Heron and put-putted my way out of the harbour into the bright sunshine rising over the North Sea.

 

There was a light, variable, westerly which had just enough puff to catch the sail and get me moving along. I wasn't making much more than three knots but it was a lovely morning and there was no hurry.

In the distance Stuart and Gipper were on the Seline and near to them I could see Davey and his father on the Wee Beastie.

As the sun rose, the day grew warmer and the light wind began to fade. I had a coffee from my flask and the radio was murmering away below deck. Gannets skimmed low over the water, heading east out to sea and the Heron just silently drifted along heading north to the Isle of May.

There eventually comes a point when even the keenest of sailors has to admit defeat and turn on the engine. I had managed for two hours to eek out little breezes but the others had turned on their motors much earlier and by now were just specks in the distance. There was nothing else for it but to fire up the Mariner.

The Stevenson Lighthouse on the May eventually apeared out of the morning haze, and as I got close, I headed to the east to approach the little landing at Kirkhaven. Unfortunately the tide still hadn't flooded enough to get ashore. Instead, Stuart had dropped his anchor and Davey was rafted alongside.

I rafted up to port and we all sat back in the sun having a picnic and watching the birds fly by. There were loads of puffins, who as usual always dive as I try to get a picture. I still love seeing their little orange feet paddling frantically like clockwork toys. The guillemots, on the other hand, were much more elegant, just sitting watching me as I watched them.

It was after lunch time and the tide was beginning to pick up so the anchor was weighed and we slowly motored, or tried to sail in my case, along the east of the island to catch the incoming tide between the island and the Fife coast.

With a helpful push under our keels we soon covered the last four miles to the approach into Anstruther, and of course it's minefield of creel markers.

I

I was first onto the potoon. I think that this may be the only time that the Heron has been first to do anything. There are advantages to havin little bilge keels. Davey lifted the keel on the Wee Beastie and was soon tied up. Stuart however hit the mud and took a little longer.

The fisheries museum in the town was having an open day and the lifeboat shed had joined in. A convivial afternoon was spent around the harbour, enjoying the occasional burger at the barbecue and perhaps a cold beer or two.

As the afternoon turned to evening the gulls settled down for the night and we went off to look around the town. When I eventually wandered back down to the pontoon, the tide had dropped again and the Heron was sitting at an angle in a little hole. There was nothing to be done so I put the kettle on for a coffee and settled into my sleeping bag. At some point during the night the Heron floated back upright, but I was long asleep by then.

Morning dawned bright again and boded well for another hot day. Various local boat owners appeard for a chat, including George, who had just returned from a night in Dunbar and had wondered where we were.

It was after 2 pm when we finally had enough water to sneak out of the harbour, and unfortunately by then, the sky had clouded over.

The forecasted south westerly came to nothing and it was back on with the engines for a rather boring 14.6 nautical miles .

But the wee boats all made it safely to Dunbar and we were soon tied up at our moorings 36 hours after leaving, with around 35 sea miles covered.

Anstruther and a distinct lack of cycling.

On Saturday I made the long journey around the Firth of Forth to deliver Stuart's outboard motor to the Yacht Seline in Anstruther. Stuart was already there, having travelled over by train on Friday. The Seline won't be moving for a few weeks yet, but it was a good excuse for a night away

 I took the On One Fatty in the hope of a cycle along the East Neuk; Fly came too. I was able to park on the pier and went down to the boat to catch up with a few other friends who were also visiting.

This was Fly's first experience of being on floating pontoons and she was absolutely terrified. I tried carrying her aboard but she was shaking with fear.

I put her back in the car and as I headed back down the pontoons the rest of them were coming up. It seemed that a few others weren't too keen on being aboard in the blustery winds. There was no other option but to retire to The Ship, honest.

Now visiting the Ship is always a pleasant experience with Dave, mein host, laying on free pies, but pies, pints and good company are not the best motivation for cycling.

The late afternoon and early evening was spent between the Seline and wandering around the waterfront.

The Katie L is still sitting quietly awaiting a summer of different adventures during her hiatus from turning left.

Fly found lots to inspect, then, inevitably the sun set and we did what sailors do when in a "foreign" port and stopped looking at the views and started looking at the pubs.

Sunday dawned bright and clear, unlike my head.  I didn't manage a cycle but did have some nice coffee in the morning sun.

A fine wee break and I may have to make up for the lack of cycling this week as the car has just failed its MOT test this morning. Time to dig out the panniers for the commute.

Last Sail of the Season.

It's the end of the sailing season in Dunbar and the Heron came out of the water on Thursday. Stuart has decided to keep the Seline at Anstruther for the winter, where the better shelter and a mud ground, make it a safe proposition. So on Saturday morning me, Stuart and Davie loaded the yacht with supplies and headed back out into the Firth of Forth.

The crowds of well wishers on the pier waved us off!

Here is a rare picture of the Shearwater working as it tries to deepen Dunbar Harbour. Hopefully the all-weather lifeboat will be able to return to Dunbar but there will still be a problem with winter swell.

A couple of miles out and the Seline was racing along at over six knots and we were having a great time.

The wind was generally steady on the port quarter. I tried to get a few pictures but there was quite a bit of water coming over the bows. The cockpit stayed dry although I got a bit wet hiked out on the windward rail. Good sailing and a really quick crossing of two and a half hours. 

The Seline was tied up and we had a beer before going for a wander in the unseasonably warm October weather.

The little yacht (above) is the Katie L owned by Dylan Winter who has made many wonderful films of his odyssey around the British Isles. Take some winter evenings to look at his site at Keep Turning Left. Dylan is a professional film maker and this shows in the way his work is beautifully filmed and edited; yet he still captures his essentially amateurish, and very British, record of a circumnavigation of our little island by the simple plan...keep turning left. 

Sunday morning dawned reasonably bright, the tide was out, and the mud was exposed. You wouldn't want to fall in there, although it was just as noxious in the cabin as the fumes of pizza, kebab, and last night's beer threatened to overwhelm us.

Coffee and bacon rolls at the cafe and then the long journey home by road. A great trip in good company.

 I don't think it will be too long before Stuart is back across to "check the boat is safe".

Accidental trip to Anstruther

The weather has been beautiful this weekend.  Overnight on Friday was cold but Saturday dawned crisp, clear and the rising sun soon started to warm the day. Unfortunately I had business to attend to in Fife so I was destined to spend the day in a van or builders merchants. We arrived in Dunfermline around 11.00 and got ladders sorted and things measured up, then headed off to Screwfix to collect the material, but they didn't have the ogee guttering required so we were stuck. No-one local stocked what we needed so the job ground to a halt. What to do?

A few of the Dunbar boats were due to arrive in Anstruther for an overnight stay so the decision was made and off we trundled in the van along the East Neuk, the thirty pleasantly slow miles through little fishing villages and fantastic coastline.

The skies were clear and the sun shone all day. Phil had never been to Anstruther and has little interest in sailing but was keen for a day out so we wandered about town and down to the lighthouse on the pier to look across to the smudge on the horizon that is home.

I know this wee lighthouse well as it is a leading mark that I use to enter Anstruther harbour when I sail in. It is easy to pick out against the town and is always reassuring after four hours at sea.

The Seline soon arrived with Stuart, Scott and Caitlin enjoying the crossing in unusually pleasant weather. 

They tied up at the pontoon and we were soon aboard. Despite Phil's mistrust of boats, he managed to adapt quite quickly and was soon enjoying the sun and a cold beer. I was driving back, so missed out on the beer but enjoyed the afternoon.

Fly wasn't with me but Phil's collie Jill came along. She was remarkably settled on the boat despite the bobbing around.

This lovely old boat had an unusual BB registration. I had to look this one up and the answer seems to be Bremen (Germany).
We didn't leave until 6pm and it took 2 hours to travel back to Dunbar, it's only 14.6 nautical miles! A lot longer by road.
It was a mixed up sort of day. I didn't get the work done that I need to reduce a lot of grief I'm having to put up with; but I did have a great day out, which puts all the stress in perspective.