Stromness, St Mary, Longhope, Stromness.

The trip back to Stromess was a doddle.

Easyjet wasn’t difficult; The hotel in Inverness was “inexpensive”. The coach was comfortable. The ferry was excellent. Albatross was still floating.

The potatoes hadn't kept well.

I had a list of important maintenance tasks.  My beloved had her kindle.  We had a pleasant day together.

At last, I found the reason why the boat fills up with water when the engine runs  … it’s done this since birth.  The Engine exhaust elbow has a crack in its welding.

Doom.

What to do?

I consulted BHQ  (It’s very good to have a retired nuclear engineer available for advice 24/7). 

New elbows are just over £200 and are widely available in England.

The local garage recommended Hamnavoe Engineering “on the industrial estate” (in the big shed behind the primary school).

Hamnavoe Engineering (BSA too high to measure) is now and will always be my most favourite establishment.. anywhere in the world.

We wandered in, complete with leaking elbow. 

I explained to a nice man that my elbow was leaking. 

He looked at it  and said “the weld has a crack in it, see here and here.”

He wandered off with my elbow, returning after about 10 minutes.

“I’ve re-welded it, here you are”.

He should have said, “My name is Michael Angelo, welder from Heaven, Nobel Laureate in Stainless Welding, Philanthropist and Saint .. here is your  beautifully re-engineered elbow.”

I said, “Thank you, how much do we owe you?”

He said, “Nothing, that’s fine.”

My newly repaired elbow

We sped home, refitted the elbow. It no longer leaks when the engine runs.

Unfortunately, the bilges still fill up when the engine is running, but no longer from a leaking elbow. Such is life.

Anyway, time to go sailing.

Tuesday, off to explore Scapa Flow.

First stop, St Mary’s.

We anchored, flubbered ashore, went for a walk.

Back on board we had supper and watched The St Mary’s Sailing Club Tuesday Evening Snipe Racing Series. 

Tuesday evening at these latitudes is light till about 11.00 p.m.  This is a good thing as, in common with all evening racing series, the wind died as soon as the starting gun had been fired.

Snipe racing at St Mary's

We chatted to the sailors after the race.

“Where are you from in that big white thing?” (I think they meant “that boat”).

“Sussex.”

“How long did that take?”

“About a year and a half.”

I decided to give the Snipe sailors some tips.

“Don’t you know how to rock a boat in light airs?”

In a stroke the innocence and good sportsmanship of Snipe racing in Scapa Flow lay in ruins; never mind, next week they’ll be finished before the pub shuts.

Windless racing on Scapa Flow

It’s lovely sleeping at anchor, until the wind gets up and everything starts creaking and groaning  … and that’s just the skipper.

Today, pleasant sail to Longhope, the main village in Long Hope and the famous lifeboat station.

We anchored for lunch.

This evening, back in Stromness.

Tomorrow, Westray, so we’ll be out of communication for a few days.