BLUEMOMENT

Having been over Orkney and Shetland innumerable times in both choppers and fixed wings, I'm planning to visit no 2 Son who is working in Kirkwall these days. From Peterhead > Wick >Orkney. He's in Kirkwall, but I would like to visit Scapa also, since my Grandfather and great uncle spent most of WW2 skippering puffers for RN support. Is it worth going round to Kirkwall or is Stromness a good enough place to tie up? It's not that far away by road.
Also, who has been in to Fair Isle? I have read the pilot book and it sounds a bit marginal quite a bit of the time in average weather, North harbour being better, but not a huge amount of space for more than a few boats. I've been towed past on a very long rig tow once, only on the south side, so if anybody has informed comment please fire away. Shetland is on the menu weather allowing, so Fair Isle would be a good stepping stone.

thanks, Graeme

Stromness has a fine marina with space for visitors. Coming from the east coast, Scapa Flow is the obvious place to arrive, St Margarets Hope being one good landfall. From there to Stromness is a doddle after the Pentland Firth.

Sorry can't help you about Fair Isle.

Derek

I'm planning for Orkney in mind August. Hadn't thought about FairIsle though... Not enough time I think, and not enough for Shetland either this time.

pagoda wrote:Also, who has been in to Fair Isle? I have read the pilot book and it sounds a bit marginal quite a bit of the time in average weather, North harbour being better, but not a huge amount of space for more than a few boats.

We called in at Fairisle on our way to Shetland and Norway n 2010.

There is enough room against the harbour wall in North Harbour for two or three rafts of yachts - say nine or ten boats easily, and there are unlikely to be more than that at any one time. Big fenders are provided for the use of visiting yachts in case there is a swell running and yours aren't up to the job.

It's pretty sheltered in all but a N'ly / NE'ly gale. However, we were there in a Northerly F8 and survived.


http://www.znoy8.co.uk/2010/tolerwick.html June 17th - 20th (dates are wrong in the blog)

- W