Wednesday 8th July, 0600 start today with a view to being close to the entrance of the Sound of Harris when the tidal stream starts NW. However low cloud and mist made visibility very poor as I threaded my way out of East Loch Tarbert, through a multitude of rocks and skerries. Thank goodness for chart plotters and radar ! I tacked south, much like yesterday there were just glimpses of the coast through the mist, all around is grey, all 50 shades of it. I decided it was not the day to traverse the Sound, especially as tomorrow is expected to be better, so I tucked in behind Lingarabay island to drop anchor. It’s a desolate place with an abandoned old quay, which was at least useful for getting ashore. It’s a couple of miles down the road to Rodel at the SW tip of Harris, where there is a tiny drying harbour and the church of St Clements. St Clement was a 1st century saint of mariners, popular in Norway which once ruled here.
Thursday, the day dawned looking much like yesterday, grey, wet and poor visibility. Despite this I set off at midday to catch the tide through the Sound. First I had to negotiate 3nm further down the coast beating into a heavy sea and 20kts. With two reefs in the main and the genoa rolled to the second spot SO bounced along, taking steep waves in her stride. Then we bore away onto a broad reach and followed the Stanton channel which is well buoyed. Visibility was less than half a mile. When we exited the NW end of the Sound I turned north toward With the strong S wind and Atlantic swell now rolling in from west I anchored tucked into a bay behind Aird Nisabost, facing Taransay (the island that featured in the early reality TV show Castaway, with Ben Fogal).
Friday. The sky is bright and there are even patches of blue sky here and there. After a visit to the fine beach I head off up the sound of Taransay beating into a light W wind. I paid a short visit to Loch Leosavay to see Amhuinnsuidhe Castle (how is that pronounced I wonder !) built by the Earl of Dunmore when he bought Harris in the 1860s. Then I beat further up the coast to the narrow channel between the Scarp island and Harris. There are a couple of anchoring possibilities here, I choose the northern one where there is less tidal current but still enough for the boat to lie tide bound. The island is famous for being where in 1934 a German rocket scientist fired an experimental mail rocket, the first attempt failed scattering the mail.
Saturday, set off beating into a NE F4 making fair progress as far as Mealasta Island. I then felt the brunt of the sea, a combination of a 2 to 3m swell from west and steep chop from N. Progress soon declined and following a tack back inshore it became apparent that Loch Roag, only 10 miles upwind, was not going to be achievable. So for only the second time in memory (the first being when I left La Rochelle last year) I turned back and went into Loch Tamanavay.
Sunday, with a forecast the same as yesterday my ambition to reach Roag would have to wait till another time. Instead I sailed back south, passing very gingerly back through the narrow sound at Scarp at low water, just 60cms under the keel at one point ! Then down the west side of Taransay and across the Sound of Harris to the island of Berneray. Now in a shadow and with full sun it felt positively balmy. I saw one other boat, the first in 5 days. The final approach takes a short cut through a reef, the channel is just 20m wide and I had 1m under me. I anchored in the NE corner of Bays Loch, which has many houses around the shore, but you can hear a pin drop.
the bleak landscape of Southeast Harris
the contrasting landscape of Southwest Harris, just 10 miles apart.
The Adventures of Sea Orchid 