I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to join Bernd Grzeca on his Halberg Rassy 43 Hullo Poro going North in early May. His ultimate destination was Lofoten in the far north of Norway where he intends to spend the winter, but the first few hundred miles were an attractive prospect.
I first met Bernd during the 3 Bridges Rally in 2024 when I was rafted up beside him in Poolbeg. I was drawn by his tales of cruising the Baltic and the Caribbean and elsewhere and by the end of the weekend it felt like we had known each other for years.
Hullo Poro was berthed in Dun Laoghaire for the winter. I carried out care duties through the winter storms while Bernd spent November cycling through the Atlas Mountains and January cycling through Sri Lanka.
When Bernd returned to Dun Laoghaire in March he had made his plan to get to the far north of Norway and experience winter inside the Arctic circle. He invited me to join him on the first leg, as far as the Faroe Islands if the conditions permitted.
So, at 09:00 on May 3rd we slipped our lines. The wind was blowing from the north and we set course for the Isle of Man. My enthusiasm started to wane as the seas built in the 20+ knots and we had several breaking waves over the dodger. It is amazing how small a 17 ton 43 footer can feel when the seas get up.
By evening time the wind had veered and we tacked back to the Irish coast. The wave direction was less severe and we settled in for our watches. Bread and cheese and bananas were the staples for the day.
By morning time we were set fair to reach Glenarm and duly arrived there around midday securing a comfortable hammerhead berth. Glenarm is a lovely spot with friendly staff and is the ideal place from which to time the tidal flow past the Mull of Kintyre.
The next morning, fully rested and nourished, we set off to catch the flow. Conditions were much improved. We had sunshine and modest sea conditions but with a cool northerly still biting. We were closely watching the CAI weather reports and John Leahy was aware of our plans and sent us a few useful tips.
We settled in to the comfortable trip discussing where our next landfall should be. We wanted to go north but the north wind was forecasted to persist. We settled on Mallaig, a small marina in the inner Hebrides, and we arrived there in daylight. By Bernd’s plan it was my turn to cook dinner. I opted to make a Chili con Carne. I recognized most of the ingredients. I have used chili powder before but “Bird Eye” chili powder was not something I had come across. Still, how different can it be?
Every day is a school day and I won’t forget this one in a hurry. I watched Bernd’s eyes water as I broke into a sweat. No other flavours could be tasted as our mouths caught fire. We managed to struggle through it but there was enough for two days. This was on the same weekend as the “ Cook your Hearts Out” event in Malahide. I was lucky that only Bernd and I were tasting my chili. We survived.
An excellent bakery at the entrance to the marina supplied us with more normal food and pastries for the next days.
The weather forecasts were consistently mentioning settled conditions with light northerlies. We left Mallaig and headed up the coast to Lough Shieldag in Flowerdale Bay. I am being specific here because, as we discovered there is another Shieldag in Loch Torridon, which we decided was less suitable for anchoring. We picked up one of the mooring buoys in Shieldag before sunset and were amazed to be surrounded only by nature. There were a few unattended boats moored but otherwise only birds, trees, wild landscape and a backdrop of Scottish Highlands. It was so tranquil that we spent two nights there and neither of us were eager to leave, nevertheless, mindful that the Faroe Islands and Norway were the target, we reluctantly set sail again bound for Stornaway in the Outer Hebrides.
Our course took us between the Isle of Skye and the mainland. The seas were calm and the visibility to the East and the South was spectacular. I will definitely sail these waters again. During the 40 mile crossing we analysed the weather forecasts and exchanged thoughts with weather guru Leahy. While the forecasted winds looked manageable for the leg to Faroe Islands, the wave height was predicted to be up to 4 metres on the beam thanks to a storm off South East Iceland.
The journey to Stornaway became even more enjoyable as the wind backed behind the beam and increased to 18 knots. Champagne sailing. We arrived at the marina in late afternoon and explored the area around the harbour. It gives the impression that if there were not regular cruise ships calling, there would not be much going on there. As there was no urgency to reach the Faroes it was an easy decision to wait in Stornaway for a suitable window before proceeding.
As there was no prospect of a weather window in the next days, Bernd assembled his bike and planned his cycling tour of Harris and Lewis. I booked a flight to Belfast, via Inverness and the next morning we said our goodbyes.
It was great to cruise these new (to me) sailing grounds and I am now looking forward to my summer cruise in June to West Cork and beyond.
