Friday 13th May 2011 - Day 11
Purchased 16 ltrs of fuel from local garage at £1/litre, the cheapest price so far.
Harbour Master (Ian White) office to pay marina fees and use the wi-fi connection as very poor on the yacht and received weather forcasts. Walked to Co-op supermarket and around town. Washed and scrubbed yacht topsides and coachroof. Meal on board pasty and beans.
In evening along to Beach Bar and watched Rugby League match then onto Royal Naval Association (all visiting yachtsmen are guests of the Harbour Master). Upstairs they were holding the local area Ladies Darts Championship and was packed went to the bar to meet the locals.
Saturday 14th May 2011 - Day 12
Tidal calculations for the Inverness were all worked out and a distance from Lossiemouth of 30 miles.
The weather forcast was very poor and all of it coming from the direction I wanted to go and after checking the sea state over the harbour wall, sailing was aborted, so off to the Harbout Lights cafe for a full Scottish breakfast.
In afternoon went to the Royal Naval Association and watch the English Cup Final then onto the Beach Bar for a scampi meal before returning to the yacht. The evening weather forcast showed no improvement and stayed aboard and for the first time out came the banjo for a practice.
Sunday 15th May 2011 - Day 13
Called Aberdeen Coast Guard for the up to date weather forcast still no improvement. Chat with local fisherman from boat 'Storma' informed of having to punch the seas all the way South by 12.00 the wind was easing down but it was too late,as the tides would be missed in the Inverness Firth so sailing was oncemore aborted.
A motor cruiser 'Bloody Mary' arrived from Peterhead with John the skipper (from Jarrow on Tyneside) an ex-Royal Navy aircraft engineer who had brought his boat to Lossiemouth for a lift out and a weeks work to be done in the dockside shed. He gave me a print out of the next week's weather which was not very encouraging.
My portable battery charger had packed its hand in, so had to run the engine to charge up my batteries. Spent the night on board with more banjo practice.
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