Chilly crossing to the Orkney islands

15 Mar, 2026

Getting out of bed at dawn to a temperature close to 0°C and quickly layering up to full sailing gear reminded us of our summer in Svalbard. We used to call this dressing operation “cosmonauting”: once fully layered you move with the grace of a cosmonaut.

The first two hours the wind was surprisingly and unhelpfully light. It picked up to a more serious 25 kt with uncomfortable seas as soon as we passed the northern tip of Scotland. The sailor’s trade-off: go fast but work for it, or feel relaxed but go slow.

We were glad to reach Kirkwall, only to discover the marina was not sheltered from the wind. Mooring Capsula became a challenge. I turned a bit too early into the berth and ended up at an awkward diagonal, the bow already near the pontoon while the stern drifted toward the neighbouring boat. Luckily without damage. This will not improve my stress level at the next harbour manoeuvre.

We just had time (and energy) for a quick glimpse of Kirkwall. We were surprised to find it more lively than Wick. The pub we ended up in for a beer had more customers than we saw in the whole of Wick town centre.

Anne - Kirkwall - March 2026

#anne #logbook #scotland