Day 8 - Peterhead to Banff

Thursday 30^th June 2016 – Peterhead to Banff – Day 8

With an early rise, I took advantage of the marina facilities for a morning shower.

Left the marina at 08.45 and called the harbour control for permission to leave, he told me to go as quickly as possible, a trawler was on its way. 

Laid-up Supply Boats

I gunned the engine up and departed the piers doing 5 knots, passing looking along the laid up oil supply boat on the breakwater. 

This is another knock on effect of the slump in the oil price.

Outside unfurled the full genoa and now getting used to fixing the temperamental auto-helm.

We were heading to turn the corner off Rattery Head, a notorious headland which leads to the Moray Firth.  A reef extends two miles out to sea and at certain conditions with wind and tide, it can become a very tumult sea, no place for a little boat.

We passed round 4.2 miles from the prominent light house, the sea was still a little lively and cold.

Hoisted the mail with one reef in the sail and stopped the engine and by one o clock we were passing the other large fishing port of Fraserburgh.

As we passed, Kinnaird Lighthouse the heavens opened and we got drenched, the wind died and back on with the engine.

After the showers had run their course, revealing a spectacular coast line of rolling hills and towering cliffs, with villages dispersed in amongst the bays.  On the cliffs of Troup Head it is the home to a large colony of nesting birds.

At anchor

Inside Banff Bay was a tanker, at anchor, a sister ship to the one we had seen off Aberdeen, maybe another casualty of the oil slump.

MacDuff

On one side of the bay lies the fishing port of Macduff which is still functioning, while the other side Banff have been converted to the leisure industry with the installation of pontoons and shore facilities.

Banff Entrance

We furled our sails and entered the tiny harbour of Banff with a sharp left hand turn into the marina, the harbour master guiding us onto our pontoon and all finished for 18.30.

A walk around the town and found it very clean with quaint buildings appropriately signed with plaques given their history. Eventually found ‘The Restaurant’ for two beers and a plate of haddock and chips.

Finished off in the ‘Market Arms’ but found the locals, while trying to listen in to their conversations very difficult to understand.  Both of us were mystified at what they were talking about, it was not about us, as they would of been laughing.

There was still light in the sky at midnight when we retired, another brilliant day, it began raining during the night.