Cool it or blow?

My first love is climbing mountains. I just like reaching a summit. The aim of the trip is clear, get to the top and get back down safely and, if possible, go to the pub for a celebration pint. Hill-walking, scrambling, rock-climbing, alpinism, ski-touring and mountain-biking, they all basically fit into this pattern. Such mountain activities do involve longer journeys, to get to the base of the mountain, but the purpose of the trip is still clear, reaching the summit. It is 2nd  July 2021.

Some outdoor people like journeys. Walking the Pennine Way, doing the coast to coast, traversing the Pyrenees from Atlantic to Mediterranean coasts. But that is not really my scene, up until now. Sailing round the UK does seem pretty much to be a journey, although to be fair maybe getting round successfully is a kind of clear target, rather like a reaching a summit. So perhaps I got into this trip thinking of it like a summit, when in fact it is more of a journey. Maybe I was rather muddled in my thinking.

All of these games that climbers play, and maybe sailors as well, involve rules or ethics. The great thing about outdoor activities is that generally speaking they are not competitive, and you basically make up and play by your own rules or ethics. Some sailors, who generally have plenty of time, will happily wait for a few days in a harbour until the wind forecast is right, or at least feasible, for their next passage. For them actually sailing, using the wind to make progress, is ethically important. They might use their motor to get in and out of harbour, or very occasionally to reach a tidal gateway on time. On that basis, we do not seem to be very ethical.

Today we set out from Peterhead with only the faintest hope of some sailing, the wind forecast was for extremely light winds. During a long day we made progress using the motor and tidal flow and the sails stayed pretty much wrapped up. We did run out the foresail at one point in an over-optimistic moment, when the breeze seemed to pick up, but it was soon furled again. I guess we are determined to continue our journey and do it in one go, Not, for example, leaving the boat in harbour and going home by train for a week to wait for the wind. That is not something we want to include in our rules or ethics. So it seems we want to make progress on our journey despite the inconvenient weather. We set out on the trip late and now we are running towards a deadline when other commitments arrive. We feel we need to keep on making progress southwards, even if it does turn into a kind of under-powered motor boat trip for a day or two. It is 2nd July 2021.

Our day of motoring at 5 knots, plus some help from the tidal flow, still involved the pleasures of setting out and watching the sun rise over the horizon. For some of the journey we took it in turns to catch up on sleep. Using the autopilot means that being on watch is not onerous. The sea was completely calm and for half an hour or so I sat on the front deck just contemplating the horizon. The thing about horizons is that seem so horizontal, compared to my usual obsession with challenges that have a more vertical dimension. However, I began to consider the horizon as the sea’s surface rising gently towards a hill. So, perhaps the curve of the earth is a kind of slope running up to the crest of a very rounded summit. This contrived contemplation did not persuade me that we are actually on a mountaineering trip, but it did help me to pass the time. In the afternoon I tried the more conventional pastime of reading a book, that worked fine, and we soon arrived at Arbroath.

A fishing boat twixt glassy sea and overcast sky. 
We had to admit that fishing seemed a more sensible game than sailing today.



Contemplating a more or less horizontal horizon from the front deck, as the autopilot kept us on the right bearing.


The wind turbines were not turning and our sails were not snapping. Our courtesy Scottish flag was flying but only in the breeze caused by our use of the motor.


Moored up in the inner harbour at Arbroath. Next to a small working fishing that no dount goes out in all kinds of weathers.

Tomorrow, although light winds are again forecast, it does look as though we can sail for at least part of the day. So rather than wait, here in Arbroath harbour, we will push on. Arbroath is a tidal gate harbour so that at least means we cannot leave until the gates open at 7.15am, which on this trip is a lovely luxurious lie-in. The next couple of days look like light winds and marginal days for doing much sailing. At each harbour I guess we will need to decide, should we wait here or continue on our journey. As the Clash put it so succinctly – Oh darling let me know, should I cool it or should I blow?

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