The best road out of Scotland - Days two and three...

Orkney isles sailing on Dutch Yacht Cherokee

So, to recap, day one of our Faroes adventure (see here) took us to Orkney from Wick, a day that started out wild and very wet, and ended peacefully at harbour in the delightfully historic port of Stromness. Where refreshments were partaken. Following a good night sleep in our tiny bunks, I took the opportunity to visit the charming art gallery in the main street, with many delightful local paintings and sculptures.

Stromness harbour and port, Orkney

On day two, we set sail at midday, to run the fast tidal rip out of Scapa Flow, and head off into the North Atlantic. Scapa flow has a large tidal range, as well as rather restricted outlets, and catching the rip at just the right time is exhilarating, as the tide is so strong that it creates a sort of tidal bore, that feels much like running the rapids on a large river. It was sensational, quite the ride!

The next 36 hours we sailed North West, towards the subarctic circle, and the seas were rough. I was not the only person to spend much of that time feeling pretty sick, and whilst I was able to function, I threw up three or four times. The sailing itself was hard and fast, but with a strong wave pattern from the South West, the boat corkscrewed around a great deal. This is us waving goodbye to Orkney… with the old Man of Hoy visible on the right of the headland.

And here is the passage to Vágar , Faroes..

to be continued…..