Lossiemouth - Thursday 19th May 2011 - Day 17
I had spent the past week every evening working out the tides for the Inverness Firth and now it was going to be put into practice. The weather forcast was not very favourable but the decision was made to go and left the pontoon at 12.00
At sea hoisted the main only with 2 reefs and motor sailed. The tide changed against us at 15.00 and the wind began to increase contary to the forcast. Little progress was being made against the wind and
tide as we tacked across the Firth by 17.00 I called Findhorn for possible shelter without the boat alongside drying out which was possible. Lizz being made of stronger stuff said no to finding shelter and wanted to carry on regardless, so we did.
From here it starts to become worse and spent an hour stemming the tide with ever increasing gusts and spray coming over the boat. To see past the sprayhood I had to sit on the cockpit coaming being more exposed the waves were hitting me as they came on board. It was remarked it was like the making of the old time movies as they throw buckets of water at the actors to simulate getting wet, I was getting very wet.
By 18.30 we were passing the South Cardinal Mark off the Riff Bank, the wind was still increasing and the passage through Fort George and Chanonry Point was horrendous. When into the Inveness Firth, the fuel tank was topped up as Lizz took over the helm and was better at steering than the skipper or popeye (auto-helm) as she took her under the Kessock bridge as the light was fading. At the entrance to the marina were were escorted by two harbour porpoises and by 22.30 were safe on the pontoon. I finished off the whiskey at the end of one hell of a day.
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