August 2024

Ballycastle While sitting out the bad weather in Port Ellen, Islay, we realized how very close we were to Northern Ireland – just 25 miles!  So we thought: Why not? So after three days in Port Ellen (with two days of winds gusting over 45 mph), we set off for Ballycastle, Ireland in lighter winds […]

While at Craobh, we saw that we were going to have a one day weather window before more bad weather was on the way. After reviewing possible destinations that we could hole up in bad weather, we decided to head to the island of Islay (pronounced EYE-lah), about a 48-mile-trip south. MJ and I spent

Caledonian Canal Inverness Marina is directly adjacent to the entrance to the Caledonian Canal. Transiting the canal avoids the need to sail through the treacherous Pentland Firth that runs between Scotland and the Orkney Islands to the north. The Caledonian Canal is 60 miles in length and consists of 29 locks, 10 swing bridges, and

North Sea Crossing As noted earlier, Torrey and Sara Lawrence joined us in Norway to help us cross the North Sea (as well as to see the sights of Norway, Orkney Islands, and Scotland). The North Sea is a relatively shallow body of water with a reputation for rough, choppy seas and large obstructions, such