another cryptic whereizzit

[mm5aho]

"'At damn light's bin shinin' oan me fur 145 years, but my name's nae strong, powerful, stalwart for naething, (nae at ither meaning ay dusty dirt!). Ah'm 60 metres of Torridonian Sandstone, Only half th' heecht ay mah older brither up north., but I'll sink a ship or twa yet".

[cpedw]

Is that the stack at the south end of Sandwood Bay?

[mm5aho]

no, but not so far out...

[ruairidh]

i believe this is where you are

never sailed past it (yet)

but have been on top many times

http://ruairidhmackenzie.blogspot.co.uk ... an-of.html

[mm5aho]

[photobucket][/photobucket]

This is what it looked like when I passed it in August heading north.
Stoer Head Lighthouse a little south has been lit for 145 years. Old Man of Stoer is half the height of Old Man of Hoy.
It looks a long way off shore when compared with an aerial pic, but there are rocks not seen at this distance.

Have to make it harder still...!

[cpedw]

We had a memorable cock-up off Point of Stoer in June.(Is there a Yarn Warning smilie?)

Heading north with a brisk (F4?) SW, the wind slackened off so we hoisted the cruising chute. Fine only the wind kept dropping but the swell continued until the middle of the chute wrapped a couple of times round the forestay and furled genoa. That left a slightly filled bit of sail both above and below the wrap.

Tugging the sheet, easing or tightening the halyard, pulling down the snuffer all failed to resolve the issue.

A bit of lateral thinking suggested that motoring in circles should produce a remedy. Which it did eventually but only after we had circled the wrong way at first.

We motored on, wondering what this manoeuvre must have looked like from the shore.

Derek

[mm5aho]

A bit north of here, off Cape Wrath, we witnessed a strange thing.
A large cargo boat called a trawler who was about 2 miles from him, and no fear of collision and asked him the trawlers intentions.
Strange thing we though, looking at the AIS positions etc on the chart screen.
Trawler said he'd continue this course and speed. Ship says he intended to alter to north. Did a 90 turn to north steamed long at 20 kn for about 15 mins then stopped dead in water for 20 mins, then 180degrees to south, 15 mins south, stopped, then resumed east bound course. Never did figure that out, but looked stranger than a spinny wrapped round a forestay!