MV Dirona travel digest for Outer Hebrides, Scotland 2017


Show Outer Hebrides, Scotland 2017 travel log map Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise.

On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at //mvdirona.com/maps/LocationCurrent.html.


   

8/23/2017: Hyskeir
The lighthouse on Hyskeir Island was completed in 1904. The island is only 11m above sea level—before the light was automated, the keepers grew vegetables in a walled garden.
8/23/2017: Alfa Baltica
The 751-ft tanker Alfa Baltica underway from Port Leixoes, Portugal to the Port of Flotta oil terminal in the Orkney Islands.
8/23/2017: Traffic
We're seeing a fair bit of traffic as we cross the Sea of Hebrides. We've just passed the tanker Alfa Baltica; the ferry Isle of Lewis is underway route from Barra Island to Oban, north of the Crinan Canal on the mainland; and the bulker Aasnes is approaching from the south.
8/23/2017: Berneray Island
We ordered a copy of the The Scottish Islands back in February while we were in Daytona, Florida. When it arrived, we immediately flipped to the Outer Hebrides section and the first island we read about was Berneray at the southern tip, with it's road to the light perched on a 192m cliff. We've been wanting to land there and visit that lighthouse ever since. And now we're finally here.

Anchoring and landing here requires reasonably calm conditions. The lighthouse board reclassified the station as a "Rock Station" in the early 19th century after two small boats had swamped and been lost trying to land in huge swell. This change meant that landing by tender was no longer allowed, nor could the keepers have a dinghy ashore.
8/23/2017: Ruins
Berneray Island is uninhabited now, but in the late 1800s had 29 houses and a population of 142. From 1910 until the light was automated in 1970, the only residents were the three keepers and their families.
8/23/2017: Service Landing
A small helicopter pad at left and a small vehicle garage at right for servicing the lighthouse. Likely it's just too windy to land at the lighthouse itself, so they drive at ATV up from here. We tied the tender off at the original vessel landing, no longer maintained, and walked up the old service road to the lighthouse.
8/23/2017: Water Pump
The old pump that provided water to the lighthouse from a spring about halfway up the old service road.
8/23/2017: Entrance
At the walled the entrance to the lighthouse property.
8/23/2017: Viewpoint
Jennifer looking down from a lookout just off the main lighthouse road. The lighthouse tower behind is only 58ft (18 m) high, but the light itself is the highest in the UK at 682ft (208m) above sea level and has a range of 18 miles.
8/23/2017: Bird Rock
The view to Bird Rock at the base of the Sotan cliffs, from the lookout just below the lighthouse road.
8/23/2017: Lighthouse Building
The lighthouse was built in 1833 from granite quarried on the island. The buildings themselves are no longer maintained, just the lighthouse.
8/23/2017: Courtyard
Looking to the lighthouse from the courtyard between the buildings and the tower.
8/23/2017: Lunch
A great lunch spot perched on the cliffs west of the lighthouse. With no shallow water to impeded the seas, these cliffs take the full force of Atlantic storms and small fish are sometimes thrown into the grass here after a major storm.
8/23/2017: Mingulay
View north across the Sound of Berneray to Geirum Mor (center) and Geirum Beag (right) off the southern tip of Mingulay island.
8/23/2017: Full View
A view to the full light station property as we walk east along the southern shore of Berneray.
8/23/2017: Cemetery
The walled Keeper's Cemetery along the south shore of Berneray. One of those buried here was two-year-old Alexander McIntosh, the son of the principal lighthouse keeper, who died in 1840 of the croup.
8/23/2017: Sotan
We stopped for a break to enjoy the view from Sotan, 633ft (193m) above sea level. Seabirds filled the cliffs beside us and were constantly swooping around us.
8/23/2017: Barra Head
Looking south across Barra Head, the most southern top of the Outer Hebrides.
8/23/2017: Seals
Dozens of curious seals were watching the tender when we arrived and followed us as we toured by water. In the background are Geirum Mor (left) and Geirum Beag (right) off the southern tip of Mingulay island.
8/23/2017: Waterfalls
We worked the tender into a small cleft in the cliffs where two waterfalls tumbled down.
8/23/2017: North-west Peak
Looking back to the North-west Peak of Berneray. We wanted to go all the way around to check out a ravine we could see from the lighthouse, but the swell felt too big to safely take the tender there.
8/23/2017: Near Disaster
Conditions were calm, but a constant swell did reach the anchorage, so we had the flopper-stopper out to reduce boat roll. We happened to notice the pin holding the flopper-stopper pole to the boat had nearly worked out. Had the pin fallen out, the pole likely would have crashed through the salon window visible below.

The pin unfortunately is inserted from the bottom up, and only a spring detent pin holds it in place. When the flopper-stopper is working in heavier swells, the detent pin is slowly worked back and forth and apparently it can back out. We made a quick repair with cable ties and we later secured the detent pin more permanently with seizing wire.
8/24/2017: Lighthouse
View to the lighthouse on Berneray Island from our anchorage.
8/24/2017: Barra Head
We took an indirect route north to Vatersay Bay to take in the seascape on the exposed sides of Berneray and Mingulay, among the most dramatic in the British Isles. In the foreground is Barra Head, the most southern point in the Outer Hebrides, with the lighthouse visible high on the cliff beyond.
8/24/2017: Skate Point
Looking east across the 623ft (190m) sheer cliffs at Skate Point on the western end of Berneray Island. The lighthouse is just barely visible between the two foreground cliffs.
8/24/2017: Dun Mingulay
Looking north from the southwest corner of Mingulay, with the promontory of Dun Mingulay in the foreground and Arnamul behind.
8/24/2017: Berneray
Berneray Island to our south, viewed across Geirum Mor and Geirum Beag off Mingulay.
8/24/2017: Lianamul
Looking south along Mingulay with Guarsa Mor in the foreground, wedge-shaped Lianamul Island at center, and the 705ft (215m) cliffs of Biulacraig beyond. Islanders once scaled those treacherous cliffs to collect seabird eggs.
8/24/2017: Bay Sletta
Vibrant green hillsides fed by frequent rains and cut deeply by the run-off east of Bay Sletta on the northwest coast of Mingulay.
8/24/2017: Ram Head
Spires and small off-lying rocks at Ram Head on the northern tip of Mingulay. The exposed coast definitely lived up to its reputation as one of the most dramatic in the British Isles. From here, we ran east through the Sound of Mingulay to reach Vatersay Bay.
8/24/2017: Ramp
Our tender tied off at the boat ramp at Vatersay Bay near low tide.
8/24/2017: Traps
Large traps stacked on the shore near the Vatersay Bay boat ramp.
8/24/2017: Bagh Siar
Jennifer walking the beautiful sand beach at Bagh Siar on the outer coast of Vatersay Island.
8/24/2017: Rock Wall
The force of storms has worn these rocks smooth and thrown them up into an ten-foot rock wall. This must be an impressive place to watch a westerly blow.
8/24/2017: Net Debris
Net debris among the rock wall at Bagh Siar. We hope never to catch something like that in our propeller while at sea.
8/24/2017: Sandcastle
An impressive sandcastle, complete with moat and drawbridge, on the outer beach at Vatersay Island.
8/24/2017: Heishival Mor
Looking north from partway up 625ft (190m) Heishival Mor across the isthmus between Vatersay Bay (left) and Bagh Siar (right) with Sandray Island visible in the distance across the Sound of Sandray. Dirona is anchored in Vatersay Bay, out of the picture to the left.
8/24/2017: Hot Chocolate
On reaching the top of Heishival Mor, we turned around and saw a dark raincloud rapidly approaching. We hoofed it down the hill to the small cafe visible at the bottom left of the previous photo, getting a bit soaked in the process. Jennifer is enjoying a hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream while we wait out the rain.
8/25/2017: Castle Bay
Anchored off 15-century Kisimul Castle, the ancestral home of the MacNeils clan. in aptly-named Castle Bay on Barra Island.
8/25/2017: Ashore
We ran the bikes ashore to tour Barra Island and moored the tender off the RNLI lifeboat Edna Windsor.
8/25/2017: Ferry Dock
Looking down to the ferry dock from the village of Castlebay.
8/25/2017: Pier Road
Jennifer riding down Pier Road with Dirona and Kisimul Castle in the background. We noticed a convenient fuel station on the left, and planned to return later to buy some gasoline for the tender.
8/25/2017: Haliman Bay
Looking to Haliman Bay from the Isle Of Barra Beach Hotel. The Shah of Iran's children, whose nurse was from Barra Island, hid at the hotel when the Iranian Revolution began.
8/25/2017: Bench
Jennifer taking in the view from a bench perched above the sand. The slope of 1,092ft (333m) Ben Tangaval is visible in the distance on the left.
8/25/2017: Greian Head
Cows grazing with sand dunes in the foreground and Greian Head in the distance. Somehow cows and sand dunes seem like an odd combination.
8/25/2017: Graveyard
This large graveyard off the single-lane road was right below a corner that was blind in both directions, yet marked with a "passing section" sign. We wondered if the two were related.
8/25/2017: Barra Airport
At the Barra Airport at the northeast corner of the island, reported to be the only airport in the world with scheduled beach landings. The sign on the left shows the various runways and the sign on the right prohibits beach access when wind socks have been installed. We'd arrived 30 minutes before the first landing, and the wind sock were already out and flying.
8/25/2017: Tractor
Two flights were scheduled for today, just before and after low tide. About ten minutes before the plane landed, a worker drove a tractor out across the airstrip and got out several times to remove any potentially damaging debris from the landing area.
8/25/2017: Beach Landing
The beach landing was exciting to watch. The plane slowly dropped toward the sand with the wheels disappearing in the spray as it landed.
8/25/2017: At the Terminal
The arriving flight at the terminal. There actually is a proper terminal to the left, but passengers have to walk across the beach between the plane and the building.
8/25/2017: Baggage Handling Facility
The baggage handling facility at Barra Airport is a simple one: bags come off the plane and are placed at the right end of the 12-in "baggage conveyer" and passagers wait in the bus shelter at the left end of the conveyer.
8/25/2017: Fish Boats
Fish boats in the drying harbor off North Bay at low tide.
8/25/2017: Heathbank
We had an excellent lunch overlooking the water with pints of McEwans Scottish Ale at the Heathbank Hotel.
8/25/2017: Telephone Booth
Red telephone booths out in the middle of nowhere are a common sight as we cycle around the countryside.
8/25/2017: Ocean Spray
The fishing vessel Ocean Spray perched on drying sands off Earsary.
8/25/2017: Crane
We were impressed with the reach of the crane on this truck. The cab was pretty nice too.
8/25/2017: Castle Bay from North
The view to Castle Bay from the road above town, with Dirona visible to the left of Kisimul Castle, .
8/25/2017: Castle Bay from West
We climbed the rocks west of town and got some great views back across Castle Bay.
8/25/2017: Low Tide
It will be a while yet before we can get back to Dirona. :)
8/25/2017: Craigard Hotel
We stopped in for a pint and the view at the Craigard Hotel. Dirona is just visible through the window beyond the table.
8/25/2017: Isle of Lewis
We stopped off to watch the ferry Isle of Lewis arrive. There isn't much room to turn, so the captain brings the ferry towards the far end of the dock near the castle, then swings the stern to port to bring it onto the dock and even with the loading ramp.
8/25/2017: Refueling
We ran one of our 29-gallon boat deck gasoline tanks over to the local fueling station to top off our gasoline. We've not been using the dinghy much recently—our last gasoline purchase was in Daytona Beach in February.
8/25/2017: Kisimul Castle
One final view to Kisimul Castle before we return to Dirona.
8/26/2017: Isle of Lewis
Smoke pouring from the stacks as the ferry Isle of Lewis prepares to get underway from Castle Bay with Kisimul Castle in the foreground.
8/26/2017: Water Leak
We noticed a water leak at the generator muffler where water had been running down the exhaust hose and and traced it back to the exhaust mixing elbow. This is looking down at the elbow between the generator and the starboard fuel tank.
8/26/2017: Exhaust Elbow
The exhaust mixing elbow has numerous leaks due to apparent porosity in the stainless steel. We replaced it with a spare and cleaned up the mess.
8/26/2017: Ground
The generator ground is below the elbow and was showing sings of corrosion. We've been seeing some unreliable temperature readings recently and this was the source of the problem. We removed the ground, wire brushed it shiny, and reinstalled it. The temperature now is reading correctly.
8/27/2017: Edna Windsor
The RNLI lifeboat Edna Windsor heading out of Castle Bay on a training exercise.
8/28/2017: Wind
A low-pressure system is passing through and the winds have steadily picked up over the past 24 hours to steady 25 knots with gusts to near 40.
8/28/2017: Isle of Lewis
The ferry Isle of Lewis departing Castle Bay in high winds with the starboard-side anchor lowered and ready to deploy in an emergency. It has to maneuver awfully close to Kisimul Castle.
8/29/2017: Ru Melvick
Looking northwest across the bold head of Ru Melvick on the southeast tip of South Uist.
8/29/2017: Beinn Mhor
2,035ft (620m) Beinn Mhor (left) and 1,988ft (606m) Hecla just south of Loch Skipport on South Uist.
8/29/2017: Usinish Lighthouse
The Usinish Lighthouse was built in 1857 and designed by brothers David and Thomas Stevenson whose family designed most of Scotland's lighthouses over a period of 150 years. Thomas was disappointed that his son, Robert, didn't follow the family career path. But he found his own success as an author, the famed Robert Louis Stevenson whose works included Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
8/29/2017: SSCA Burgee
Our SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Association) burgee was getting a little tattered, so we replaced it today.
8/29/2017: Aquaculture
Major aquaculture just outside Lock Skipport.
8/29/2017: Exhaust Nipple
We replaced the stainless exhaust elbow on the generator a couple of days ago for the 3rd time in 5,000 hours. We normally don't replace the water injection nipple show in the picture above, but this one is showing enough corrosion that it's time to replace it as well.
8/29/2017: Squall
The weather here is incredibly changeable. Several squalls, punctuated by sunshine, passed through while we were anchored in Loch Skipport.
8/29/2017: Spitfire
Our 120V inverter failed today, so we dug out the spare to replace it. We keep the spare in a 64L Really Useful Boxes in the bottom of the bilge under the guest stateroom floor. As usual, as soon as we open up a locker or storage space, Spitfire is in there immediately to check it out. He's standing on the box containing the inverter.
8/29/2017: Inverter Swap
We swapped the top of the case on the old and backup inverter to transfer our inverter cooling customizations to the backup.
8/29/2017: Installing Inverter
James placing the backup inverter in the starboard corner of the lazarette. Accessing this area to replace the inverter requires unmounting the lazarette freezer.
8/29/2017: Inverter Wiring
The inverter sitting on its back near the bulkhead where it is mounted. We have a service loop with long enough wires that we can install all the wiring in an accessible location, close up the inverter, and then take on the challenging part of the job: lift the inverter up and slide it onto the four mounts bolts that attach it to the bulkhead. The inverter is heavy enough that it's hard to wrestle around in that tight spot.
8/30/2017: Inverter Testing
Our 4kW 120V Mastervolt inverter is actually formed of two independent 2kW inverters that are linked together and packaged in a single box. We separately tested each 2kW inverter from the unit we replaced. They both produce power, so the fault must be in the inverter control logic that controls and pairs them. Because they really are two independent inverters, they both have the complete control logic where one is set to slave and the other to master via DIP switches. Both units can produce a steady and reliable 120V, either independently or together. It's impossible to know if the combined unit will support a full 4kW load without testing it, but it seems likely it can.

Given the system is now working, it appears that the problem was intermittent, a problem with the cabling between the two control boards, or that a prolonged battery disconnect cleared it. Before deciding to go to the work on replacing the inverter, we tried power-cycling and completely removing power from the unit. It may be the case that the combination of removing battery power with a much longer wait may have cleared the fault but it's difficult to tell with the thin information on fault states that Mastervolt gives customers, installers, or even the customer support team.
8/30/2017: Wizard Pool
The view east into the achorage at Wizard Pool from our anchorage at Caolas Mor in beautiful Loch Skipport.
8/31/2017: Rainbow
Double rainbow looking northeast from the anchorage at Loch Skipport.
8/31/2017: Wizard Pool
This is our third day at Loch Skipport and the first pleasure craft we've seen since arriving. We were expecting the area to be a little busier.
8/31/2017: Garbage Day
Today we removed the bag from the galley trash compactor and stowed it inside a plastic bin in one of the bow lockers. We mainly put plastics and anything else not recyclable or biodegradable in the trash compactor, and don't put anything in there that can smell. We stow smelly foodstuff garbage in a small plastic container that we keep sealed under the galley sink. When we transfer the trash compactor bag forward, we also empty the smelly garbage into it. We can go at least three weeks without emptying the compactor, and can stow two of its cubes forward, allowing us to go at least two months without getting rid of any garbage.
8/31/2017: Aquaculture
Out on a tour in the tender, we stopped at the aquaculture pens we'd seen on the way into the anchorage at Lock Skipport. Here workers are raplacing the lower net, in a process called a "swim-through". When the fish are very small, the lower net has to be correspindginly fine mesh and consequentially it will foul up fairly quickly and need to be changed.
8/31/2017: Pier
Ruins of a late 19th-century steamship pier near the western end of Loch Skipport.
8/31/2017: Fish Cages
Fish cages in Linne Arm off Loch Skipport. They looked new, so perhaps they are being stored there for installation elsewhere.
8/31/2017: Aground
This large fishing vessel was aground near the north end of Linne Arm. A big hole is visible in the bow just above and forward of the tires hanging off the side, so perhaps the boat had been intentially grounded here after sustaining that damage, or repair is being attempted.
8/31/2017: Ruins
Building ruins near shore and atop the hill at Poll na Cairidh at the southwest corner of Loch Skipport.
8/31/2017: Stream
Tumbling stream at the end of a small drying inlet off the anchorage at Caolas Mor in Loch Skipport.
8/31/2017: Caolas Mor
Looking north to Dirona anchored at Caolas Mor in Loch Skipport.
8/31/2017: Lunch
We scrambled up a grassy hill to have lunch with a view west across the anchorage.
8/31/2017: Lake
After lunch we hiked farther into the hills above Loch Skipport and worked around this large and tranquil lake.
8/31/2017: Deer
We've been seeing plenty of deer droppings as we've been walking ashore in the Hebrides, but no deer. We finally spotted some today. The animals are incredibly skitterish and bolt even if we're several hundred yards away.
8/31/2017: Loch Skipport
Jennifer taking in the spectacular view north from the hills above Loch Skipport. At the bottom left is the freshwater lake we passed earlier, Dirona is just visible near shore beyond the freshwater lake (click image to enlarge), and Wizard Pool is on the right. The hill in the distance near center is the 406ft (126m) Rueval on the Isle of Benbecula.
8/31/2017: Morven
When we returned from our hike, Morven was tucked into the corner of the anchorage. Morven's owner, Richard, came to chat with us later that evening. He was single-handing and said he was bound for the Isle of Skye in a few days.
8/31/2017: Basin
From our hike we could see a large basin off the north shore that looked interesting to explore by tender. The entrance was too shallow to pass through, so we landed outside and walked up for a look instead.
8/31/2017: Swans
Swan and cygnets swimming in the basin we'd tried to reach in the tender.
8/31/2017: Foundation
Drystone building foundation along the north shore of Loch Skipport.
8/31/2017: Sunset
The hills north of the anchorage aglow in the evening sun. Loch Skipport is a lovely anchorage—we've really enjoyed our stay here.
9/1/2017: Dawn
A gorgeous pink sky at sunrise in Loch Skipport.
9/1/2017: Entering Flodday Sound
Entering Flodday Sound with Eaval at 1,140ft (347m) in the distance.
9/1/2017: Antares Charts
The entrance to Flodday Sound is a little tricky, with several hidden hazards and is another anchorage where we've found the Antares Charts helpful.
9/1/2017: Poll nan Gall
At anchor in Poll nan Gall in Flodday Sound below 475ft (145m) Beinn na h-Aire.
9/1/2017: Glendinning
While at Loch Swilly, our Glendinning power cord retractor spontaneously started to reel in the cord and actually pulled the boat afterward up toward the dock, only releasing when the circuit breaker tripped (read more). Today we replaced the intermittently-closed switch with one we brought back from Seattle.
9/1/2017: Beinn na h-Aire
The view west toward the Sea of Hebrides across the southern tip of North Uist from partway up Beinn na h-Aire.
9/1/2017: Flodday Sound
Flodday Sound viewed from the top of 475ft (145m) Beinn na h-Aire. Dirona is visible slightly left of center and Bagh Moraig, a saltwater inlet that we later explored in the tender, is the next waterway to the left.
9/1/2017: Eaval
Looking northwest to 1,140ft (347m) Eaval from Beinn na h-Aire.
9/1/2017: Bagh Moraig
Beinn na h-Aire (left) and Eaval, viewed from the head of Bagh Moraig, a saltwater inlet northwest of the anchorage.
9/1/2017: Dirona
The sun had come out while we were hiking, making for a great shot of Dirona beneath Beinn na h-Aire.
9/1/2017: Eabhal
A waterfall and a building with several generations of construction at Eabhal west of our anchorage in Flodday Sound. The area is full of complex drying waterways dotted with islets—ideal small boat territory. We took advantage of the high tide to explore as far as we could.
9/1/2017: Tree
As we passed this tree, we realized we'd not actually seen a tree since arriving in the Outer Hebrides. It's pretty windswept out here.
9/1/2017: Causeway
With a high tide, we were able to run all the way to the causeway that connects North and South Uist via Grimsay and Rueval islands. We barely had three feet of water though.
9/1/2017: Eaval from Southwest
Looking east across the southern tip of North Uist from the causeway to 1,140ft (347m) Eaval. 475ft (145m) Beinn na h-Aire, that we climbed earlier, is at the right edge of the picture.
9/1/2017: Oitir Mhor
The view to to Eaval from Oitir Mhor (North Ford), west of the causeway, whose sandy straits extend out to the Atlantic Ocean.
9/1/2017: Black Sheep
We spotted the black sheep of the family.
9/1/2017: Kallin Harbour
Before returning to Dirona, we ran south to explore and arrived at the small community in Kallin Harbour.
9/1/2017: Pipes
Lobster fishing is the main industry here, along with other shellfish. Ashore are several buildings to keep the live catch, since demand goes up and down and the catch is far more valuable near the holiday season. An extensive piping system circulates saltwater.
9/2/2017: Sunrise
Sunrise at Flodday Sound.
9/2/2017: Madadh Gruamach
Madadh Gruamach, with it's calved-away southern shore, just south of Loch Maddy.
9/2/2017: Madadh Mor
Looking south back to Madadh Mor, with it's twin Madadh Gruamach in the background as we near Loch Maddy.
9/2/2017: Glas Eilean Mor
Grass-covered Glas Eilean Mor (Glas means green or grey in Gaelic) containing a navigation marker at the entrance to Loch Maddy.
9/2/2017: North Lee
862ft (263m) North Lee rising above the southern shore of Loch Maddy.
9/2/2017: Bilge Pump Alert
As part of the modifications following the water ingress issue we had crossing the Atlantic, we added a circuit to turn the bilge pump on directly in the engine room so that it could be safely operated by a single person. As part of that implementation, we also put an indicator on the dash showing when it was on. This is what it looks like when the bilge pump is on: the red light at bottom right indicates the bilge pump is on, and we've also tied it into our general red check light at bottom left.
9/2/2017: Head Maintenance
The master head wasn't flushing well, so James investigated.
9/2/2017: Pipe
The large black pipe connects to toilet bowl to the motor and was full of calcification. The small light green vent hose at left also was calcified and plugged and the lower check valve at bottom right was peeling away.
9/2/2017: Debris
We replaced the vent hose and lower check valve and the toilet is back to 100% functional. This is some of the debris left from the job.
9/2/2017: Hebrides
The CalMac ferry Hebrides arriving into Loch Maddy pushing a load of water in front. The course into Loch Maddy takes the big ship directly toward us within a few hundred meters, until it turns off to the ferry dock.
9/2/2017: Crinan Canal Video
We've been using our KVH V7-IP satellite data system through most of our time in the Hebrides and finally got some affordable connectivity at Loch Maddy. Surprisingly, neither of our local cellular data plans work here, but we can get metered WiFi at £5 for 3 hours. So we've finally uploaded the video of our three-day trip through the Crinan Canal: Dirona through Scotland's Crinan Canal.

The Crinan Canal is a 9-mile, 15-lock passage between Ardrishaig and Crinan in Scotland. The canal came online in 1801 largely serving commercial traffic and allowing them to avoid the longer run around Kintyre Peninsula and the exposed and current-swept Mull of Kintyre. Today the lock system is used by recreational boaters either avoiding that same long run around the Mull of Kintyre or just wanting to experience the beauty of the canal.

On Dirona, we have in the past transited large lock systems including the Columbia and Snake river locks but what makes the Crinan Canal special is the intimacy of the trip. It’s barely bigger than the boat, the Scottish countryside is beautiful, and the locks are all operated by hand. Boaters have to run the locks themselves including providing the "horsepower" to open and close the large wooden gates and actuate the sluice gates. It makes for a really fun trip and, with only two people on the boat, it’s surprisingly busy. As is often the case in Scotland, we had driving rain, bright sun, still conditions, and wind gusts to 30 kts. The rain and wind made things more challenging with Jennifer on shore operating the locks and James on the boat moving in and out of the locks and tending the lines.
9/3/2017: 60 knots
We're tucked away at Loch Maddy on North Uist while the first of several deep low pressure systems pass through over the next few days. Since arriving yesterday, the winds have steadily been blowing 20-30 kts, with frequent gusts over 40 kts, some over 50 kts and one last night to 60 kts. Dirona is dancing around quite a bit at anchor, when normally we don't move much at all. And when those big gusts go through, the boat leans over more than five degrees.

We've only seen winds this high once before at anchor, and never in the current boat. The anchor is well-set on a 5:1 scope with an all-chain rode, so we're not concerned about dragging. Hopefully we'll have a bit of a lull tomorrow morning to reach Loch Tarbert on South Harris.
9/3/2017: Sunrise
Beautiful sunrise over Glas Eilean Mor from our anchorage in Loch Maddy.
9/3/2017: Dingy Cover
Our tender has a slow leak and loses air over time. The tubes had deflated slightly overnight, enough to loosen the coverwhich was blown off to the side in the big winds. Fortunately we have a bungee that reaches underneath the tender from one side to the other (the black line visible underneath to the left), or we might have lost the cover.
9/3/2017: Spaghetti
While trying to address high engine-room temperatures during the commisioning of Dirona in early 2010, extra flow-assist fans were added to the forward engine room vents. Much later, after careful study in controlled conditions when operating for days at a time, we determined that these fans didn't have a measurable impact. Since they consume power without helping to cool, we long ago disabled them. Today we decided to remove the fans entirely since they take some space that could otherwise be used for storage. This is the first time we have seen the duct work and, seeing the back and forth weave, it's not entirely surprising that these fans didn't improve airflow in the engine room.
9/3/2017: Hebrides
We watched with interest as the crew docked the ferry Hebrides with steady 30-40-kt winds blowing the vessel onto the pier. In lighter winds, they just brought the ferry parallel with the dock and slid it in sideways using thrusters. But these big winds would push the ferry potentially uncontrollably-quickly toward the dock, even against the powerful thrusters. The crew instead brought the ferry up against the pier with the bow directly into the wind, 90 degrees to where it will eventually dock. They inched forward so the air pressure on the bow side is slightly higher than the pressure on the rear and the boat slowly rotated around at a controlled speed into the docking position. This was remarkably effective—the vessel appeared in control the entire time.
9/3/2017: Hebrides Aground
Just beyond the ferry dock are the pontoons for the Loch Maddy marina. We've read that when the ferry arrives with its big bow lifted to expose the boarding ramp, those watching from a moored boat feel as if the ferry is about to swallow them up. That almost happened a year ago, in similar gale-force wind conditions. While approaching the dock "control of the ferry's port controllable pitch propeller was lost. The master attempted to control the ferry's movements but he was unable to prevent it from running over several mooring pontoons and briefly grounding. There were no injuries but the ferry was damaged and had to be taken out of service and repaired in dry dock" (MAIB report). Another reason to select your marina carefully.
9/4/2017: Moored
The tender tied off at the Loch Maddy Marina for a walk ashore.
9/4/2017: Loch Maddy Marina
Looking down at the Loch Maddy Marina from ashore. Adjacent to the light blue vessel is Morven, whose owner Richard we'd met at Loch Skipport. The ferry dock is outside the photo, directly to the left. When the Hebrides grounded, it would have ran right through the marina.
9/4/2017: Sheep
Sheep in a truck, ready for transport, with a chorus of "baahing".
9/4/2017: Auction
Several people were buying and selling sheep near the ferry dock.
9/4/2017: Pastoral
Pastoral scene on North Uist on a walk to the outskirts of Lochmaddy.
9/4/2017: Lochmaddy Hotel
We had an excellent meal at the Lochmaddy Hotel overlooking the harbor.
9/4/2017: Taigh Chearsbhagh
The small but information-packed Taigh Chearsbhagh museum had great displays on the Hebrides, including St. Kilda, an isolated archipelago about fifty miles to the west in the open Atlantic. We're hoping to visit if we can get a weather window.
9/4/2017: Nut Boats
Children in the 1950s made these miniature toy boats from nut shells, some complete with benches and tillers. They sailed these "Nut Boats" in puddles after big rains.
9/4/2017: Mosaic Mackerel
15-foot "Mosaic Mackerel" on the Uist Sculpture Trail near Taigh Chearsbhagh. Rosalind Waites made the sculpture in 1996 from locally found materials as part of a year long celebration of the work of famous naturalist William MacGillivray, who grew up on the Isle of Harris.
9/4/2017: Anchorage
The view from shore to the anchorage at Loch Maddy, with 862ft (263m) North Lee rising behind.
9/4/2017: High Tide, Low Tide
The "High Tide, Low Tide" sculpture on the Uist Sculpture Trail is so-named because of its intertidal location. The structure is covered with glass that reflect sunlight and resemble salt crystals.
9/4/2017: Tickets
On our way home, we stopped in at the CalMac ferry terminal to pickup our tickets for a day trip to the Isle of Skye tomorrow.
9/4/2017: Boarding Card
In addition to having tickets, passengers must also hand in a completed boarding card prior to boarding the ferry, presumably to account for all the passengers in the event of an accident. We've never had to do this before.
9/5/2017: Boarding
Boarding the Hebrides for our day trip to the Isle of Skye. Jennifer has been wanting to take one of the CalMac ferries since first seeing them in Malaig on our West Highland Line trip.
9/5/2017: Straps
All the trucks on the Hebrides were strapped down. Conditions must get pretty rough out there.
9/5/2017: Loch Maddy
View to our anchorage in Loch Maddy from the Hebrides.
9/5/2017: Wake
Leaving Loch Maddy on the Hebrides.
9/5/2017: Uig
Arriving into Uig on the Isle of Skye.
9/5/2017: Lines
The crew running lines ashore as the Hebrides comes onto the pier.
9/5/2017: Unloading
The pedestrian exit was closed due to construction, so passengers had to wait for the vehicle deck to empty before we could exit through the ramp. So we got to watch the drivers maneuver their big trucks through the narrow ramp.
9/5/2017: Last One Off
Jennifer was the last passenger off the ferry. We had an excellent trip over, including a delicious breakfast.
9/5/2017: Uig Bay
Looking back down to the Hebrides on the dock in Uig Bay shortly after leaving Uig for our tour around Skye.
9/5/2017: Dunvegan Castle
Our first stop on Skye was Dunvegan Castle. It has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the Clan McLeod for 800 years and is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. Currently it is the part-time residence of Hugh Magnus McLeod of MacLeod, the 30th Chief of Clan MacLeaod.
9/5/2017: Loch Dunvegan
Looking out the window to Loch Dunvegan from Dunvegan Castle. The castle is full of historic paintings and artifacts relating to Clan MacLeaod and the fact that the castle still is a Clan MacLeaod residence made everything seem more real and personal. Unfortunately, photography of the living areas inside the castle isn't allowed.
9/5/2017: Dungeon
The castle comes complete with a dungeon. Jennifer is looking down into the cell where prisoners once were kept.
9/5/2017: Castle View
The view to Castle Dunvegan from a peninsula behind.
9/5/2017: Walled Garden
After touring the castle, we walked through the impressive grounds. This is the fountain in the center of the "Walled Garden".
9/5/2017: Round Garden
Jennifer enjoying the flowers in the "Round Garden".
9/5/2017: Water Garden
The "Water Garden" was the most striking garden. At the back on the left is a large waterfall that flows to sea through the stream visible on the rights.
9/5/2017: Old Man of Storr
The pinnacle rock "Old Man of Storr" on the right below the Storr Cliffs on the east shore of Skye. The day had mostly been overcast and the clouds were just starting to lift as we approached.
9/5/2017: Gus's Taxis, Skye
Kenny Gillies of Gus's Taxis was an excellent tour guide for our time on Skye. He was waiting for us when the ferry arrived and made excellent use of our few hours on the island.
9/5/2017: Sound of Raasay
Looking south across the Sound of Raasay from an excellent viewpoint just off the main road. We had a list of attractions we wanted to see and this was one we didn't know about but Kenny thought we'd like. He was right.
9/5/2017: Mealt Waterfall
Mealt Waterfall with the Kilt Rock sea cliffs in the distance. The cliffs resemble a kilt from face-on.
9/5/2017: Quiraing
Our biggest time allocation on Skye was a visit to the fabulous Quiraing on Trotternish Ridge. The ridge was formed by a huge continuous landslide that created high cliffs, pinnacles and plateaus. The Quiraing portion is actually still moving—the road at its base needs repairing every year. We drove up the curving road you see in the picture and hiked out to the base of the cliffs visible in the distance on the left.
9/5/2017: Cliffs
We knew the scenery was going to be impressive, but this was even better than we were expecting. And we'd been lucky with the weather so far—the morning's clouds were clearing.
9/5/2017: The Prison
The formation on the right looks like a prison cell when viewed from certain angles.
9/5/2017: Pinnacles
Jennifer climbing up to the pinnacles above The Prison. The wind was blowing so hard here that we had to work to stand against it.
9/5/2017: The Needle
"The Needle" pinnacle slightly left of center.
9/5/2017: View to Sea
The view to the Sound of Raasay from the pinnacles.
9/5/2017: Spires
More spectacular formations around the corner from the pinnacles.
9/5/2017: Sron Vourlinn
We turned back after taking in the 1,250ft (380m) soaring sea cliffs of Sron Vourlinn. If we had more time, we would have continued back along the loop trail that runs atop the cliffs.
9/5/2017: Hebrides Arriving
We returned back to Uig Bay just as the Hebrides was arriving. We better get hurry up and down the hill.
9/5/2017: Late Arrivals
The ferry departed about 15 minutes behind schedule to wait for a few late-returning passengers.
9/5/2017: Pulling Away
Pulling away from the pier at Uig.
9/5/2017: Rainbow
A beautiful rainbow to cap off a very successful day.
9/5/2017: Dirona
Dirona at anchor viewed from the Hebrides as we return to Loch Maddy.
9/5/2017: Hjalmar Bjorge
We noticed the Hjalmar Bjorge in the Loch Maddy marina when we returned and went over to take a look. It is one of 13 Norwegian Rescue Ships. We know another one well—the Paul Johansen that we visited most recently in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and frequently saw in Port Madison near Seattle.
9/6/2017: Hours
We've just crossed 5,000 hours on our Northern Lights 12kW generator. It continues to operate reliably, starts with 100% reliability and the only thing that has ever taken it down is a failed raw-water pump impeller, which is a maintenance item.
9/6/2017: Galtachan Rocks
The Galtachan Rocks, a string of ominous looking rock islets off the Shiant Islands.
9/6/2017: Shiant Islands
Dramatic steep cliffs on the east coast of Eilean an Tighe in the Shiant Islands. The cliffs are composed of vertical, hexagonal basalt columns similar to the Isle of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides and Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
9/6/2017: Arch
Vessel under sail viewed through a sea arch on Garbh Eilean in the Shiant Islands. We considered anchoring here for the night, but the anchorage is quite exposed and the winds were expected to increase.
9/6/2017: Garbh Eilean
Looking back south to spectacular Garbh Eilean as we round the north end of the Shiant Islands.
9/6/2017: Arch from North
The sea arch on Garbh Eilean viewed from the north en route to Loch Mariveg.
9/6/2017: Tender Seat
Our tender has a bow seat bow with a fiberglass hinged cover and storage underneath. The fiberglass at the edges where the hinge mounts is pure resin without reinforcing fabric, which holds up poorly to vibration. One hinge broke away years ago and the last one just failed and the lid slid off.
9/6/2017: Seat Repaired
James cut away the fiberglass near the front of the seat, replaced it with marine board and attached the hinges to the marine board. We now have a fully operational hinged storage cover again.
9/7/2017: Water Temperature
Our water temperature sensor was reading incorrectly, so we replaced it today. This is the third time that sensor has failed and James doesn't look very happy about it. A one-inch hole four feet down really shows how fast a boat would sink when its open.
9/7/2017: Loch Mariveg
Classic wooden boat sailing out of beautiful Loch Mariveg.
9/7/2017: Water Heater T&P Valve
We had a water leak on the boat where the bilge has freshwater in it and the water pump cycled every 30 to 60 min even when water isn't being used. We chased down the source to be a leaking water heater Temperature and Pressure valve. The valve is old, and either corrosion or a tiny amount of calcification has built up at the T&P valve and it's no longer possible to get it to seal. We can get the leak down to small, but the valve needs to be replaced. We have one on order and will pick it up with some other parts we have waiting for pickup as we pass through the Caledonian Canal.
9/7/2017: Transom Plug
The parts we brought back from Seattle included small-boat self-bailing transom plugs. We installed one in each cockpit locker to day as part of the changes we are making to address the water ingress issue we faced on our Atlantic crossing. The plugs will allow water to drain out of the locker, but prevent water from being forced in through the drain hole when operating in water rough enough to at least partially fill the cockpit.
9/7/2017: Sunset
The hills forming the east side of the anchorage at Loch Mariveg aglow in the evening sun.
9/8/2017: 986 mb
The barometer has fallen from 1015 to 986 mb in the past 24 hours. It's unusual to see that kind of drop without any wind—we're at the center of a low-pressure system so there's not big difference in pressure immediately around to drive the wind. But we know they're coming.
9/8/2017: BiFab
Burntisland Fabrication (BiFab) manufactures equipment for the offshore energy industry and has recently expanded into renewable energy. Their Stornoway yard employs one hundred people in building offshore drilling piles and wave and tidal energy devices.
9/8/2017: Arnish Point Lighthouse
The Arnish Point lighthouse at the entrance to Stornoway Harbour is the first pre-fabricated lighthouse in Scotland and has been an official light since 1852.
9/8/2017: WW II
World War II fortifications at Arnish Point. During the war Stornoway was the site of a Royal Air Force base for anti-submarine planes and was also used as a refuelling base for aircraft ferried across the Atlantic.
9/8/2017: Buoy
The size of the sea buoy at Arnish Point is a good indicator of how bad the weather can get here.
9/8/2017: Stornoway
Looking to downtown Stornoway, with the CalMac ferry pier at center.
9/8/2017: Lews Castle
Lews Castle was built between 1847 and 1857 as a country house for Sir James Matheson who bought the island of Lewis in 1844. The island's name originally was spelt Lews.
9/8/2017: First Smell
Spitfire on the bow getting his first smell of Stornoway as we approach the dock.
9/8/2017: Stornoway Harbour
Moored at Cromwell Quay in Stornoway Harbour for a few days beside the RNLI lifeboat Tom Sanderson. We're been in only two marinas in Scotland and both times we've not been the only Nordhavn there. At James Watt Dock Marina, Nordhavn 55 Odyssey was moored behind us. Here at Stornoway, Nordhavn 68 Vesper is one pontoon away from us.
9/8/2017: Fishboats
Fishboats moored against the wall off downtown Stornoway.
9/8/2017: Net Repair
Nets were spread out across the road for repair as we walked through town.
9/8/2017: Castle Gate
Lews Castle gate about a ten-minute walk from the marina.
9/8/2017: Matheson Road
Stornoway has a large number of beautiful historic homes on Matheson Road.
9/8/2017: Scotland Street
Row-houses on Scotland Street.
9/8/2017: Harbour View
We had an excellent lunch at the Harbour View Restaurant. Dirona is visible through the window to the left of the man sitting along the window at the center of the photo.
9/8/2017: Loch Seaforth
The the CalMac ferry Loch Seaforth leaving the dock with big puffs of black smoke. The ferry went into service in 2014 and has a service speed of 19.2 knots.
9/8/2017: Edge of the World
The Hebredian Brewing Company's Edge of the World Ale House. Well have to stop there while we're in Stornoway.
9/8/2017: Tesco
Buying a few essentials at Tesco in Stornoway. Their mixed nuts are the first we'd had around the world that are competitive with Planter's Nuts. Tesco's might even be better.
9/8/2017: Coast Guard
The Stornoway Coast Guard at Battery Point on the north shore of Stornoway Harbour. We've been hearing them on the radio throughout the Outer Hebrides.
9/8/2017: Inaclete Point
Cannons at Inaclete Point, with a plaque commemorating the site as being the largest Royal Navy Reserve Training site in Great Britain from 1876 through 1919.
9/8/2017: Power Station
Smoke stacks being serviced at the power station at Inaclete Point.
9/8/2017: Traps
Hundreds of lobster traps ready for sale at Gael Force Marine. We stopped in and talked to the plant manager about some of the differences between UK and US traps.
9/8/2017: Boatshed
We had an excellent evening with Bob and Kathy Valleau, first on board Vesper and later over dinner at the Boatshed Restaurant. Bob and Kathy had arrived into Stornoway directly from the Faroe Islands just a week earlier after making a North Atlantic crossing via Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland and Iceland. We very much enjoyed meeting them and hearing about their travels.
9/8/2017: 976 mb
The barometer is down to 976 mb and still no wind. But it's coming.
9/9/2017: Stornoway
Fish boats in scenic Stornoway on a calm morning.
9/9/2017: Salmon River
We hired a car for a day trip around Lewis Island. Salmon fishing is popular on the island and this is one of the top rivers.
9/9/2017: Mangerstra
Jennifer perched above the fabulous seascape at Mangerstra.
9/9/2017: Ardroil Beach
Ardroil Beach, one of the Outer Hebrides many beautiful sand beaches.
9/9/2017: Uig Chessmen
This wood carving is based in the famous Uig Chessman, or Lewis Chessman. The set of exquisitely carved walrus ivory chess pieces were found on Ardroil Beach in 1831. The pieces date from the 12th century and likely were made in Norway during the 450-year period when the Norse ruled the Outer Hebrides.
9/9/2017: Rock Slides
The road out to the coast cuts through some steep slopes with huge boulders on either side from rock slides. The road used to be blocked frequently until catch fences were added.
9/9/2017: Waterfall
We've had some heavy rain the past few days and several waterfalls were flowing down the steep slopes.
9/9/2017: Visitor Center
The Standing Stones of Callanish are one of the most complete stone circles in Britain. This model at the visitor center shows how 13 large stones are arranged in around a 15ft (4.5m) monolith, with some 40 smaller stones radiating from the circle in a cross shape.
9/9/2017: Standing Stones of Callanish
Jennifer in the center of the Standing Stones of Callanish. The stones date from about 5,000 years ago, about the same time as the Pyramids of Egypt, and little is known of their purpose or origin. Standing high up on a hill, they're quite an impressive sight.
9/9/2017: Doune Carloway Broch
A broch is a stone roundhouse dating from about 2,000 years ago and found mainly in north and west Scotland. They were built primarily as homes for the principal family in the area and would have provided some defense against sporadic raiding, but were not purely defensive structures. The windward facing wall on this one has collapsed, but the back and much of the side walls remain. The double-walled drystone construction allowed for a high building with multiple floors—this one had three. Jennifer is walking down the remains of the stairs that ran between the walls to connect the floors. In the back on the left are openings from the stairs onto interior floors that have long-since collapsed.
9/9/2017: Blackhouse Village
Blackhouses are traditional house common in the Hebrides, the Scottish Highlands and Ireland. The double drystone wall, low profile and insulating thatch roof made the houses suitable for the cold and windy Hebridean weather. The windward facing walls were built with a round shape to help deflect the wind, and they were built with a sloping floor to provide natural drainage underneath.
9/9/2017: Peat
We first saw peat harvesters on Arranmore Island along the northwest coast of Ireland. The peat was dug and dried for winter heating. This also was a traditional form of heating in the Hebrides. Jennifer is standing next to a large pile used to heat the houses in Blackhouse Village.
9/9/2017: Hearth
The interior of the blackhouse, showing peat burning in the hearth.
9/9/2017: Loom
The Outer Hebrides are famous for Harris tweed, a high-quality woollen cloth still hand-woven by islanders. This is a loom for weaving the tweed. The material originally was woven for familial use to protect against the cold winters, but became a local currency and eventually a local industry. The material is exported worldwide but can only be made in the Outer Hebrides according to the Harris Tweed Act of 1993.
9/9/2017: Whale Bone Arch
in 1921, the carcass of an 80-foot Blue Whale drifted onto the beach on the west side of Lewis. The villagers shared the blubber and any other useful parts and its reported that the local postmaster raised the jaw bone as a gate to his house.
9/9/2017: Arnol Blackhouse
The Arnol Blackhouse has been preserved in exactly the state it was when the final occupants left in the 1960s. This house does not have a hearth and the peat was burned in a small fire in the center of the room, also used for cooking. You can see the smoke billowing around the room—our clothes had a pleasant burned-peat smell for a few hours after our visit.
9/9/2017: Hebridean Way
Hebridean Way sign at the Butt of Lewis, the first we've seen, similar to the Wild Atlantic Way signs we saw on the West Coast of Ireland.
9/9/2017: Butt of Lewis
The lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis, at the north tip of Harris Island, was established in 1852. The station made the Guinness Book of World Records as the windiest place in the UK. It certainly was windy the day we visited. We've now visited the most northern in the Hebrides, and the most southern light, at Barra Head.
9/9/2017: Seascape
Forbidding seascape off the Butt of Lewis.
9/9/2017: Trussel Stone
The Trussel Stone, at 20ft (6m) high, is the tallest standing stone in Scotland.
9/9/2017: STS Taxi
Back home in Stornoway after our excellent tour of the island with Stornoway Taxi Service.
9/9/2017: Chinese Food
Stornoway has several Chinese Food takeout restaurants, so we decided to try one and had an excellent meal from nearby Golden Ocean. We've not had takeout Chinese Food since we were in Palm Beach in 2016.
9/11/2017: Chain Bag
Scallopers drag a chain bag along the bottom to capture scallops. The bottom of the chain bag is constructed of individual iron rings connected by smaller iron rings. This fisherman is repairing the nets that form the top of the chain bag. In Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, we watched workers hand-crimp the rings together.
9/11/2017: Fisherman's Co-Op
Shopping at the well-stocked Fisherman's Co-Op along the Stornoway waterfront.
9/11/2017: Power Tester
To help isolate power problems when we are in a marina, we built a power tester pigtail (on the right) using a locally-sourced electrical tester. We had already built several pigtails, such as the one on the left, to adapt a local power system to our built-in main power cable. Now if we want to test the power in a marina, we can instead plug our tester into the pigtail and know we have 1) power, 2) ground and 3) correct polarity.
9/12/2017: Stornoway Harbour
A lovely calm morning in Stornoway Harbour. We never did get the big winds we were expecting, likely because the harbour is so well-protected.
9/12/2017: Lunch
It was warm and calm enough today to have lunch outside.
9/12/2017: Power Top-Up
Rather than having a power meter, the power pedestals in Stornoway Harbour operate on a top-up basis. Users purchase a card with a certain amount of power and top-up as necessary. When the top-up is consumed, the power goes out. We've seen this system once before, in Loch Swilly in Ireland. In both cases the marina didn't mention this, so we ran out of power. This is not a big deal for us as the generator will simply auto-start if the batteries get low, but it is a little unusual.

Power is included with the cost of our berth, but the marina only will add about 61 kWhr at a time, and someone has to come down to the dock to do it (pictured). We blow through that in barely a day and have to call them to top it up, so we eventually just purchased 150 kWhr of top-up for £20 to simplify things.
9/12/2017: Bob Valleau
Bob Valleau from Nordhavn 68 Vesper with James in our engine room.
9/12/2017: NFL Game Pass
This weekend is the start of American football season and in the UK we're back to being able to watch live games on NFL Game Pass. Game Pass is priced differently, and offers different features, all over the world. When were were in New Zealand in 2013, we could watch live games for free. In Australia we could watch live games at a remarkably low cost. When we were last in the United States, we couldn't watch live games, but all games more than 24 hours in the past were available. Here in the UK, Game Pass is reasonably priced at £160 ($215 USD) for the season, and it allows watching as many live games as we want and all games for the season are available. We had a great evening watching the New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys.
9/14/2017: Garbage
Making a garbage run using our folding cart. This is the first time we've gotten rid of any garbage since leaving James Watt Dock Marina in Greenock four weeks ago.
9/14/2017: Co-Op Food
With our folding cart at the Co-Op Food store.
9/14/2017: Groceries
Returning with a load of groceries. The tarp protects the groceries from rain, allows us to pack the cart higher, and secures the load with the edges tucked underneath.
9/14/2017: Raspberry Pi Zero
We have 3 Raspberry Pis running on Dirona implementing around 35 channels of digital input, 16 channels of digital output, and 10 channels of temperatures sensors. The digital input tracks device off/on state so we can show control system status on our N2kview display (e.g. furnace boiler on) and set warning indicator lights, sound audible alarms, and send warning emails (e.g. 240V inverter is on but the ship's service selector is not set to inverter).

The digital outputs allow the control system to control device off/on state. For example, it can shut off the hot water heater when the 240V load is close to exceeding the power available (avoids breakers popping or inverters shutting down due to overload) and it controls the generator warm up and cool down. When our generator starts, there is no load until it warms up to 160F and it always gets a 1 min cool down.

The temperature sensors are tracking the temperatures of all three inverters, the engine intake, exhaust, and main engine air intake temperatures. The Raspberry Pi 3 is only $35 from Amazon, is easy to program and is remarkably capable.

Pictured is a Raspberry Pi Zero W. This is much smaller than the standard PI 3 and a bit cheaper. We don't use any of these but we were interested in how capable they are. In the end, it'll do anything that we're currently using Raspberry Pis for, but it's a hassle to use because the 40-pin I/O connection needs to be hand-soldered. So our net conclusion is that it's a fun little part but we'll continue to use standard Raspberry Pi 3s for our uses.
9/15/2017: Castle Grounds
Walking through the woods on the Lews Castle grounds across the water from the Stornoway Marina.
9/15/2017: Vesper
View to Nordhavn 68 Vesper from the Lews Castle grounds.
9/15/2017: Lews Castle
Lews Castle was built between 1847 and 1857 as a country house for Sir James Matheson who bought the island of Lewis in 1844. The island's name originally was spelt Lews.
9/15/2017: Dirona
View to Dirona and the RNLI lifeboat Tom Sanderson in Stornoway Harbour.
9/15/2017: Pier
The commercial pier and the outer harbor where we entered Stornoway.
9/15/2017: Castle Interior
Following many years of neglect, Lews Castle was recently beautifully restored and renovated to include a museum, cafe and luxury accommodations.
9/15/2017: Wedding Reception
A fabulous setting for a wedding in Lews Castle overlooking the harbour.
9/15/2017: Museum nan Eilean
The new Museum nan Eilean celebrates the history and way of life in the Hebrides. This video collage was one of several engaging displays.
9/15/2017: Hebrides Weather
We couldn't agree more with Peter May's quote, although we'd extend it to all of the west coast of Scotland.
9/15/2017: Panorama
Another excellent display at the Museum nan Eilean was this video panorama, wrapping around three walls with seats in the middle, depicting Outer Hebrides scenery and weather.
9/15/2017: Lewis Chessmen
In on our tour of Lewis Island we visited the area where the Lewis chessmen were found and got to see some of the real pieces in person today. The rest are on display in museums in Edinburgh and London.
9/15/2017: Chess Games
A group of school children were playing chess in one of the castle rooms. The chess set second from the front is a replica of the Lewis chessmen.
9/15/2017: Rabbit
After visiting Lews Castle, we walked a small portion of the extensive ground. The rabbit population here is quite healthy.
9/15/2017: Town Hall
The Stornoway Town Hall building, with it's distinctive clock, was completed in 1929. The clock is prominent from our berth at the marina, but less obvious as we are walking around town.
9/15/2017: Star Inn
The Star Inn bills itself as the oldest pub in Stornoway, so we pretty much had to stop in for a pint.
9/16/2017: Unidentified
We spotted what looks like a large antenna on a hilltop on Eye Peninsula just outside Stornoway, but couldn't find out anything about it. Does anyone know what it is? (Click image for higher resolution.)

Update: Paul Wood quickly gave us the answer. "It belongs to the National Air Traffic Services. Which means it's an on-route navigational aid for aircraft—I think there used to be an RAF base up there, too."
9/16/2017: Lighthouse
The Tiumpan Head Lighthouse, another distinctive Stevenson family design, began operation in 1900. In 1956, seven-year-old Queen Elizabeth visited and sounded the first blast on the station's new fog siren. The light was automated in 1985 and the keeper's buildings now are a kennel and cattery.
9/16/2017: Butt of Lewis
Nearing the Butt of Lewis, at the north end of the island, that we visited on our day trip. You don't want to get too close in a boat with all those off-lying rocks and islets.
9/16/2017: Wind
We were happy to finally round the Butt of Lewis to start heading on a more southerly direction. The forecast was for winds less than 20 knots, but we have been seeing steady 25-30 knots from the north and tight seas that have resulted in a significant pitching motion. The station made the Guinness Book of World Records as the windiest place in the UK and it certainly seems to live up to that reputation.
9/16/2017: Arches
Double sea arch in the cliffs on the northwest side of Lewis Island.
9/16/2017: Conditions
Conditions are thankfully improving now that we've rounded the Butt of Lewis and are heading southwest towards St. Kilda. The winds have dropped from the high twenties to below fifteen and the pitching motion (roughly center of screen) has fallen from 10-15 degrees to less less than 5. Taking those earlier conditions on the beam would be completely handled on the stabilizers and no problem at all, but on the bow it's uncomfortable.
9/17/2017: St Kilda Ho!
After a relaxing overnight run from Stornoway, we're off Boreray Island in the archipelago of St. Kilda. Our destination Hirta, the largest island in the archipelago, is in the distance on the left. St. Kilda is the first Scottish UNESCO World-Heritage Site and Scotland's only Natural World Heritage site.

We're super-excited to be here, as we've been wanting to visit since first arriving in the area. The islands are forty miles west of the main Outer Hebrides chain, exposed to the full force of the Atlantic Ocean, and have no all-weather anchorage. So calm conditions are needed to make the trip. We had hoped to visit via the Sound of Harris, just north of Loch Maddy, but the winds were too strong. We saw 60 knots while at anchor in Loch Maddy, definitely not a good time to visit St. Kilda.
9/17/2017: Hirta
The morning sun lighting up Hirta, the main island in the archipelago.
9/17/2017: Dun
Large sea arch at the west end of Dun Island. The scenery isn't the only reason for visiting St. Kilda, but it certainly is enough of a reason for us.
9/17/2017: Arch
Smaller sea arch on Dun Island.
9/17/2017: Caolas an Duin
Looking south through Caolas an Duin, the narrow rock-strewn passage between Dun (left) and Hirta islands.
9/17/2017: Anchored
Dirona at anchor in Village Bay at Hirta. Even though conditions are extremely calm, with winds below 10 knots, a constant swell enters the bay. So we put out the flopper stopper.

In the background on the left is a military radar station atop 1,187ft (362m) Mullach Mor, with 1,410ft (430m) Conachair to the right. At the base of Conachair, directly right of Dirona, are village ruins. The large grey building is a power station and the just-visible green buildings to the right is the rest of the military base that the power station feeds. The large white building at the far right is the old village church. On shore to the left of Dirona, a partly-visible barge is offloading construction supplies and equipment for the military base. (Click image for larger view.)
9/17/2017: Pier
Our tender tied off to the pier. The yellow line of our Anchor Buddy is visible to the left, keeping us off the pier. We used the Anchor Buddy partly to keep the tender from being bashed against the pier in the swell, but also to be out of the way of any tour boats that may need to use the pier.
9/17/2017: St Kilda
A happy Jennifer, finally on shore at St. Kilda. Our cruising guide recommends landing immediately upon arrival as the weather here can change quickly and you might have to leave suddenly.
9/17/2017: Soay Sheep
Soay Island in the St. Kilda Archipelago is home to a primeval yellow-eyed sheep that until the 1930s were found nowhere else in the world. In 1930, 107 were collected from Soay and released on Hirta. We saw the sheep, that somewhat resemble a mountain goat, throughout the island. They seemed unbothered by our presence unless we surprised them or got a little close.
9/17/2017: Fuel Tanks
Looking from Hirta toward Dun across a field of fuel tanks for the military base.
9/17/2017: Cleit
Archaeological evidence indicates St. Kilda was inhabited for at least 2,000 years. We saw dozens of these turf-roofed, dry-stone structures throughout the island, both near the village site and high up on the hills. Called "cliets", they were used mainly as larders to store sea-birds and eggs, and also to store gear such as ropes and fishing tackle. The islanders relied heavily on abundant seabirds for their survival—St. Kilda is the most important seabird breeding station in north-western Europe with around one million birds.
9/17/2017: Radar Station
In 1957, a military base was established on Hirta, with a missile-tracking station radar station on the summit of Mullach Mor. When we later visited the station, we could see evidence of several radar generations.
9/17/2017: Mullach Bi
Jennifer taking in the fabulous view southeast from 1,181ft (360m) Mullach Bi. The Tiny islet of An Torc is just off southwest end of Hirta, with Dun in the distance. The scenery here is astonishing.
9/17/2017: Enchanted Isle
The Sea Harris tour boat Enchanted Isle passing far below along the southwest shore of Hirta Island. The capable-looking vessel is a Redbay Stormforce 1650, purpose-built in Northern Ireland for the St. Kilda run based on a pilot boat design.
9/17/2017: Village Bay
Looking north to 961ft (293m) Oiseval towering above Dirona and Village Bay, with Boreray visible in the distance to the left.
9/17/2017: Village
The village ruins viewed from the ridge southwest of Village Bay, with Boreray beyond. The dry-stone structures here represent centuries of effort and are a good example of Stone Age culture. In the 1800s much of the houses, strung along the lower part of the picture, were replaced by cottages built using mortar to Victorian standards.
9/17/2017: View East
Looking east across Hirta from the summit of 1,187ft (362m) Mullach Mor. Boreray is visible on the left, 1,410ft (430m) Conachair is just to the right, 961ft (293m) Oiseval is just beyond Conachair to the left of Village Bay, the sea stack of Levenish is in the distance about 2 miles beyond the bay, and Dun is on the right side of the bay.
9/17/2017: Tie Downs
Several radio towers are at the radar station atop Mullach Mor. The towers are held down with incredibly robust-looking tie-downs, a good indication of how strong the winds get up here. A 2014 December storm brought 125-kt winds.
9/17/2017: Mullach Mor
Lunch atop Mullach Mor with a view to Boreray.
9/17/2017: Boreray
A more detailed view to 1,259ft (384m) Boreray, with sea stacks 643ft (196m) Stac an Armin (left) and 564ft (172m) Stac Lee.
9/17/2017: Soay
Looking across The Cambir peninsula at the northwest end of Hirta to Soay Island, where the Soay sheep originated.
9/17/2017: Main Street
Jennifer walking along the Main Street down in the village. The village population numbered about 180 in the late 1600s, but declined rapidly starting in the 18th-century due to introduced diseases, emigration, and a breakdown of island society and self-sufficiency that brought acute food shortages. These islanders also had to pay rent to the MacLeods of Dunvegan in Skye. Having toured the lavish Dunvegan Castle, it's clear the taxes were high. In 1930, the remaining 36 residents requested evacuation to the mainland.
9/17/2017: Graveyard
The small graveyard surrounded by an oval stone wall. We saw gravestones dating from the 1800s to as recent as 2010. Since the evacuation in 1930, several St. Kildans have been buried here.
9/17/2017: Museum
The National Trust for Scotland is restoring the village and has created an excellent museum in one of the cottages, detailing the island't history, geology and wildlife.
9/17/2017: The Kirk
Inside The Kirk, the village church, built in the 19th-century. Religious fervor contributed to the breakdown of society on the island when crusading Christian ministers coerced the villagers to spend so much time in church they weren't able to grow and gather sufficient food to survive.
9/17/2017: Schoolroom
The small schoolroom adjacent to the church was built in 1884.
9/17/2017: Gun
After a German submarine shelled the island during World War I, a gun was installed just east of the village, but was never used.
9/17/2017: Arch from South
After touring the island, we took the tender over to Dun Island to check out the sea arches we'd seen when arriving. This is looking from the south side of Dun through the larger arch with Boreray visible beyond.
9/17/2017: Cliffs
Rugged sea cliffs along the west coast of Dun. Conditions were reasonably calm, but we still felt pretty out-there along this exposed coast. And little did we know, our tender was about two operating hours away from blowing a tube. This would not have been a good place for that to happen.
9/17/2017: Dirona
Looking north through Caolas an Duin between Dun and Hirta islands to Dirona anchored in Village Bay.
9/17/2017: Island Baggers
We'd seen two tour boats in the area and later that evening they both arrived and tied to mooring further in the bay. Both were Sea Harris vessels from the Isle of Harris. While in Stornoway, we'd been corresponding with owner Seumas Morrison to get advice on St. Kilda and by chance he also had been following our blog. He came over to say hello and explained that he was carrying a group of "Island Baggers" who would be spending three days trying to land on as many island as possible and camping for the night on Hirta. The "Island Baggers" phenomenon is driven partly by Hamish Haswell-Smith's The Scottish Islands, a book that has influenced our trip as well.