The night at Stonehaven wasn’t altogether successful. We had arrived late, our berth had been taken and once that had been rectified we had another boat raft outside us. So this was a “berth” next to a ladder in a stone harbour wall. There is a method for tying up to harbour walls and it involves using long slack lines with (sometimes) weights attached. This is to account for the rise and fall in tide, you don’t want to find your boat hanging off the side of a wall when the tide go’s out. I cannot remember the last time I did this and the process of trying to remember how to do it was being hampered by a over friendly fisherman come sailor telling me his life story from the top of the wall.
When I’d final got the ropes how I wanted them we were invited aboard the rafting boat, for a drink and a chat. Later, after dinner we headed for bed, sleep came quickly for me but Louise was less fortunate. We awoke around 2am, the boat was bobbing about a little and the noises from fenders squeaking and ropes creaking did little to help us sleep, at 4 am there were two large bumps and the whole boat shuddered. I was out and on deck in a flash. The wind had whipped up and the back of the boat had swung out it was bashing the front of the boat against the wall.
A quick rethink and adjustment of the mooring ropes, and all was well. I even managed to go back to sleep until morning, well later that morning.
It was cold, overcast and windy, all the thing the forecast didn’t say, We set off at just gone 8am straight into the cold north wind. Forecast said F3 we had F5 and lumpy seas with it. The wind kept up it’s opposition to our progress to way past Aberdeen Offshore Wind farm when as it gradually relented the tide took over. The result was an extended passage time but the day had become progressively warmer and brighter so we didn’t mind too much.
The Harbourmaster was very welcoming and friendly, the showers good, and the marina very pretty despite being tucked into a large commercial port.
4 Kidneys and a Wonky Leg 