Day 160-167 September 2026
Reading time: 8 minutes
I mentioned in the last post from Portree that the long trick is not quite over, and indeed it wasn’t. Overnight the wind got up and, maybe funnelled by the hills, came screeching through the harbour. I got up to check the lines, yes I always tie to buoys with two lines, to find the mooring buoy dragged underwater and Sumara’s high prow taking solid water over the decks. Lucily the wind soon veered and everything calmed down. By the afternoon we were able to row ashore to the nearby friendly yacht club.
We had done some passge planning for the next leg to Mallaig and decided to leave in the dark at 04:00 the next morning to catch a fair tide through Kyle Rhea. The Kyle Rhea deserves some respect. That meant having just a sort time ashore if we were to get some decent sleep.
I called in to Portree on the trip up and I explained my feelings about the picturesque town to Paul. He loved the place but agreed that the harbour area looked slightly unloved. It just seems such a shame that this lovely place is so neglected.
We enjoyed a pleasant little circular walk to the folly tower, there not being time for the longer walk up on the hill to the north.
On return to the town we found a smashing pub called The Isles Inn for our tea. The eating area was empty when we arrived and the bar staff said the kitchen doesn’t open until 17:00. At 16:58 people started arriving and by 17:05 all the tables were full and we needed to wait 30 minutes for a table!
Day 162. We set off in the pitch dark on Wednesday morning with virtually no wind. We passed through Kyle Rhea marginally ahead of schedule punching a light current and moored in Mallaig ahead of schedule at 13:10 GMT. As we entered the harbour we spotted Nigel’s boat and we yelled out. Nigel had just returned from Scoresby Sund single handed. He was onboard and came over to welcome us to his home port and to invite us for tea! Nigel was, amongst other things, responsible for designing the best looking marina facilities building in the UK. He is a very very talented man!
Day 163. We had spotted a Moody yacht called Pangey and recognised the name. We had sailed through “Pangey’s Passage” in Scoresby Sund and sure enough it was named after this boat! We went over to say hello. The yacht was owned by Mike and Helen who were responsible for writing the Cruising Association’s pilot guide to Scoresby Sund (and more). Helen was on board and gave us a warm welcome. Helen has sailed to Scoresby Sund EIGHT times!!
She was waiting for Mike to return next week. Helen invited us for “tea” but Sod’s Law we were already booked up! You don’t get invited for “tea” for months then you get two invites for the same day!
Paul and I went for the short circular walk.
Nigel came to collect us in the afternoon and before we left we introduced him to Helen. We were invited aboard and chatted about Greenland. Helen showed us her wonderful musk ox hide. I was very jealous, although thinking about it, the sheer size of it would have made it far too big for Sumara.
We drove towards Arisaig and arrived at Nigel’s walled garden where he had built his house. It was no less amazing than we would expect from this talented man. Together with his wife and daughter, we enjoyed a splendid “tea” of chilli followed by a proper pudding topped with ice cream and cream! (“Tea” up here seems to cover a range of options from a cup of tea to a full blown meal). His poor daughter had to drive us back to the boat, being the only sober one amongst us. A great evening.
Day 164. We woke realising that we probably had one whisky too many. This place is just too sociable as we were soon invited to join the Crew of Voyager and the Skipper of Eda Frandsen for an evening beer.
Day 165 Saturday 5th September. We sailed out from Mallaig at 07:00 GMT into what we hoped would be a fresh westerley breeze. As it happened there was a lot of south in it, so even close-hauled we couldn’t clear the Arisaig Promentry.
We beat into a rather bumpy sea until we eventually cleared Ardnamurchen and could free the sheets for a fast run into Tobermory.
“Ard” means high or height in Gaelic and Ardnamurchen means “Height of the Seals”.
We moored at 17:13 GMT and met the crew from Bowman 40 who we joined for a few beers in the Mishnish pub. There is rather a lot of drinking going on, I feel some drying out will be required very soon!
Day 166. We went for a walk around the harbour to the Aros Pier. I was annoyed that I hadn’t taken my swimming trunks as there is a new building there with lockers and showers, and the slipway looks like a perfect spot for a dip.
The sea is warm here at over 14°C. There was also a mobile sauna! Next time I will go prepared.
It looks like we will wait here until Wednesday. I don’t feel that I have anything to prove by setting off before the weather calms down, we are ahead of schedule and in no hurry.
Day 167. This time we walked out to the Rubha nan Gall lighthouse. The attractive building was designed by David and Thomas Stevenson in 1857. The name means “Stanger’s Point” in Gaelic.
On the path back there is a rough track that climbs up the wooded bank and eventually runs beside the golf course. It is a quieter route back to town.
In the afternoon I had a mooch around the Spanish galleon moored in Tobermory called Andalusia.
Day 168. What a miserable day! It is pouring with rain and blowing a hooley but it is cosy in Sumara’s cabin. We will set off at 04:30 tomorrow for the final leg to Dunstaffnage.
Day 169. Wednesday 9th September
10:00 GMT. We have now tied up back in Dunstaffnage and I can declare the long trick is over.
These little boats have little else to prove, they have sailed across all the oceans and now we can add Greenland to their long list of achievements.
For that we must thank Jack Laurent Giles, who designed the boat in 1936 and Terry Newman who built Sumara so well that it has looked after me for the last 36 years – and even survived bumping into that rock at full tilt!
The trip has recieved no commercial sponsorship but has been helped by many people who have made it possible for zero financial reward. Those include all the crew who have sailed Sumara from the East Coast of England to Greenland and back to Scotland. They include Grit and our dog Tilman, Ray, Alex, Grit again, Jannicke, Torsten, Jo and Grit again and finally Paul who sailed from Iceland to Greenland and all the way back to here.
On land I must thank Amit and Gerry for their work trying to set up the laptop to receive grib files and Grit and Diana who stood on standby each evening at 18:00 GMT to relay vital weather information.
I was grateful that my insurance company had faith in the success of the voyage and provided full cover. Many people helped with information including those who take the trouble to write the pilot books – Andrew Wilkes for the RCC and Micheal and Helen on Pangey for the CA.
Finally I must thank Grit for putting up with my ridiculous antics and for looking after our wonderful dog, Tilman, while I am away.
…and thanks to those who have been following the little adventure.
At some point I will assess what worked and what didn’t and what I have learned and I will upload improved photos from my camera.
But now I must get home to walk that dog who has been waiting so long.
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