Round Rattray Head

In order to make the most of the tide round Rattrey Head we needed to leave Peterhead at 04:00. It turned out that Robinetta was not the only boat heading north, and although we were the first to leave we were passed by 5 other yachts before we got to Rattray Head. The forecast was for very light winds, so we did not even bother to raise the main sail, and we headed close in to the headland to take advantage of the fact that the tide was in our favour there 2 hours earlier than further out. The sea was oily calm, except just off the headland itself where it seemed very confused, but with a wave height of less than 30cm this did not worry us!

By 07:10 we were only 3nm from Frazerburgh, a huge contrast to the last time we came past Rattray Head in 2014. We had been exhausted by battling the sea state, and took shelter in Frazerburgh harbour. Today we were merely sleepy from an early start, and felt no need to stop while we had the tide with us.

Julian and I took turns to doze as we motored in bright sunshine past some spectacular sea cliffs, full of breeding birds. Mostly gannets from what we could see, but there were guillemots too, and possibly some razorbills and puffins. As well as the birds resting on the water between fishing trips I saw a less welcome sight. A colourful bouquet of deflated balloons had no place in the sea, so I circled back to them so Julian could fish them out with the boat hook.

That tide carried us all the way to Portsoy, which we entered at 14:00 just on high water. We were actually there twenty minutes earlier, but were asked to wait while they got a classic fishing boat in ahead of us. This was not a problem. Julian turned the engine off, and we sailed very slowly on the staysail while I got the bowsprit in and tidied the foredeck. There was even time to put a new line on our biggest fender before we were called in.

Drying out on the wall

The old harbour had been cleared of its normal boats, and Robinetta’s berth was on the harbour wall. There was plenty of water as we came in, but by 16:30 we had grounded, and we were high and dry an hour later. Robinetta was not designed to lie on sand, but she settled against the harbour wall almost upright. That big fender is working hard, so hopefully it will survive the weekend!