08 July 2009, Scrabster (almost), Scotland.

With nearly wind still weather we sailed out of Leith and I had high hopes for Scrabster. The weather had been brilliant over there for the last week with little or no wind or rain. For our day in port NW 4 was expected but the harbor master advised that the cliffs would shelter us from most of it. Thus full of happy thoughts we set course for Scrabster, next to Thursoe at the edge of the Northern mainland of Scotland. By 9 pm. the ship started to pitch a little bit and the wind started to increase. Well it is normal that it blows here so a bit of wind was to be expected and also a northerly swell rolling in from far away. The Coastal stations were indicating nothing out of the ordinary, a bit of rough weather but no gale warnings. However by 10 pm. we had wind force 8 blowing with deepening waves. Thus the Prinsendam became quite lively. That remained so for the remainder of the night until about 4 am. when we came in the lee of the islands again.

By that time I had spent several hours on the bridge to see if we had to change course or change speed but the Prinsendam rode the waves beautifully and only pitched a bit once in a while. Aberdeen Coastguard gave their regular weather forecasts but no mention of gale warnings and we were sitting right in one. You do get very localized weather here off the coast once in a while and we had it this time. To get to Scrabster you have to go around the corner near Wick and enter the Pentland Firth. This area is notorious for strong currents. (The maximum measured is about 16 knots) Currents of up to 10 knots are not unusual. There are even warnings in the chart, that a ship dealing with the current might steer totally different courses compared to the way the ship progresses through the water. If you make 12 knots yourself and you have to steer a drift course for 10 knots, your drift angle becomes considerable. You go almost sideways through the water.
I had calculated that we would be going through with the last of the Ebb; thus having the current with us. I was expecting about 2 to 3 knots but Mother Nature gave us five for a while. At least it made us approach Scrabster on time and even ahead of time. Our scheduled plan was to anchor in the bay, which is only sheltered from Northerly winds and that only to a certain extent. Then the harbormaster called and advised that near the dock there was hardly any wind at all so why not dock?? I had had a look at the chart before, to consider this, as the Prinsendam did fit in. Not with not much room to spare, but if there was no wind, then I could do it. So we got the pilot onboard and progressed to the harbour entrance. It was breezy but we could see the wind getting less and less the closer we came to the harbour entrance. Things were looking good. And then It happened……….

The two offshore ships at the dock are each about 130 meters long. The Prinsendam was to dock at the location of the first ship nearest to the land.

I had just lined the ship up to go stern in, the only way she would fit alongside the dock, and then the wind suddenly shifted to the North North East; came around the end of the cliff and increased to gale force. That meant she came close to full on the beam of the Prinsendam. That creates drift and with drift you cannot get into a small port like Scrabster. Time to abort the whole operation. When you attempt docking in ports as Scrabster, you always have a plan B and if possible also C in the back of your mind. This time plan B was to bring the big funnel of the Prinsendam through the wind and practice the –blow-away- maneuver to deeper water and so it happened. The strong wind pushed the ship quickly away from the harbour entrance and away from the shallows near the breakwaters. With the shifting wind, the swells started to roll in into the bay and thus the tender option was out of the window as well. I decided to abort the call and to return to safer and deeper waters. We disembarked a very unhappy pilot and sailed away slowly to our next port of call Portree on the Isle of Skye.

I now had plenty of time on my hands and that gave me the option to run courses that kept the Prinsendam nearly motion less and sail outside the 12 miles at the same time so I could keep the ships casino open. The locals had been looking forward to receiving the biggest cruise ship ever in their port, but it was not to be. We had looked forward to it was well, because the chance to visit this area otherwise is very remote. It is a long ride to the top of Scotland.

Tomorrow we will be in Portree which is located on the East side of the Isle of Skye. It is sheltered by mountains and cliffs on three sides, so 75% chance of having a sheltered anchorage. The weather which had remained very windy and showery throughout the day, is supposed to improve with sunny periods later in the day.