Day 25

We awoke early and decided to leave. Jazz was pleased as the tide was up and she could just jump ashore.

We left at 5:30am - we had 35 miles to cover and we wanted to make the best use of the tide. The wind was as predicted North/North East - in other words a beat! We tacked out on long legs (going away from the land for a long time and then back again). It was quite bumpy and the boat was healed over. We passed Aberdeen and noticed the abundance of helicopters - we think that they would be servicing the oil rigs.

We carried on making good progress, the sun was out but it was cold and Jazz didn't like it!

We got to be about 8 miles from Peterhead and by then the wind was right on the nose so making it hard work. It took us 3 hours to so the last 8 miles! The tide had turned and by then was strongly against us! Coming into Peterhead Harbour we had to call the Harbour Master and ask permission to enter the harbour as it is a working harbour. He asked us if we could go any faster!

It was with great delight that we are now safely tucked up in Peterhead marina. We will have a rest day tomorrow and expolore.

Thought I would put this little bit in - you are cold so you make yourself a hot drink. Then comes the problem that you need to go to the toilet. You leave it as long as possible as you don't really want to have to go through all that it involves but then comes the point that you have to go. The boat is healed over, it is bumpy (wind against tide - the wind is going one way and the tide another so you get waves). First you have to negotiate getting down below (about 5ft down into the boat - 4 steps), then you have to balance to take off your life jacket and coat. As it is cold outside you have on plenty of layers. You proceed to the Heads (name for the toilet - always used to be at the head of a boat), the heads is a small room, you can just about stand up, you have to undress, turn around and sit down. This may seem so easy but when the boat is healed over, bumping along it is not. You manage to bump almost every part of your body and then have to get dressed again and back up on deck. Then someone looks down to you and asks if you are ok? And we do this for pleasure!

My lady sailing friends will know exactly what I mean by this