Tensions were high this morning. The wind looked good to go around Duncansby Head via the Pentland Firth to Wick. This stretch of water, know as Hell’s Mouth has some of the strongest tides in the world, flowing at 15knts. (Mentor’s top speed is only 15knts, and that can only be achieved in calm seas, not something we were expecting on this stretch of water). We all knew today would require lots of concentration and teamwork to get around.
We planned to be at Duncansby Head, the most north-easterly point of mainland Great Britain just after the tide turned. This would mean the overfalls and sea state would be at their calmest. The wind was going in the same direction as the tide, so the most important thing would be not to drop our kites. If we were to ditch the kites in the water it would be hard to relaunch them as the current would be reducing the apparent wind.
As its such an iconic stretch of water, going past John O’Groats, my parents were joining us for the day. As we reached our start point it was the roughest we’ve ever started in. I was slightly overpowered on the 9m but this would make it easier going up any large wave faces.
Only 30 minutes in a large rain cloud appeared, sucking up all the wind. We had to send Jeremy out with the two 15m, as we watched Mentor pitch and roll in the swell. In the dinghy we were all starting to feel a bit queezy, so could only imagine what our visitors in Mentor were feeling like.
Disappointingly we only made it to Dunnet’s Head, the most Northerly point, before the wind died again. We couldn’t wait any longer for it to fill in before the tide would mean we couldn’t turn back. After all the mental hype and preparation, we’ll have to retry in a few days when the wind is better. I know it’ll be in the back of all of our minds until then.
My dad was given strick instructions not to interupt while we were launching, so as not to distract Joe at the helm. I could see him quietly sitting in Mentor’s upper deck watching our every move. But my mum was no-where to be seen. I later learnt she’d been wedged against the sink happily making her way through the crab we’d brought from the fisherman earlier that day. Even high seas couldn’t keep her away from that!
Map of today’s route
Map Key: Stew (Red), Islay (White) and Mentor (Blue)
| Days since start of trip | 82 |
| Number of Kiting Days | 38 |
| Distance Travelled Today | 5.8 nm |
| Distance Kited Today | 12.2 nm |
| Time spent kiting today | 2 hrs 53mins |
| Total Distance Travelled | 1269 nm |
| Total Distance Kited | 1831 nm |
| Total Kiting time | 189hrs 59mins |
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