Launch Point: Scapa Flow – Stromness SC Public Slipway

Name of the Launch Location: Stromness Sailing Club, Stromness, Orkney.

Destinations:

Round Cava

About the Area: Stromness Sailing Club is the main sailing club in Stromness, incorporating the Orkney Yawls of Orkney.

Safety Note: One of the risks to be aware of in this area is a thick fog, locally known as the haar, which is a cold, dense fog that can arrive quickly and without warning from the North Sea. Paper charts won’t help you get home if the fog clamps down, so an electronic chart is an optional but could be vital safety device to help you find your way home.

Launch Point Latitude and Longitude: 58.95343774897904, -3.2976415909294348

Launch Point What3Words:  https://w3w.co/unite.parsnips.salutes

Launch Information:

Costs to launch: Free, Public Slipway.
Tidal information: The concrete slipway transitions to hard sand at Spring Low Water.
Launch facilities: Concrete ramp, no rings down the side, but there is a floating line to the South to connect your boat to while recovering or fetching your launching trolley. Additional support for sailing from this slipway may be made by arrangement with Stromness SC.

Photograph of Stromness Sailing Club Clubhouse.
Image: Photograph of Stromness Sailing Club Clubhouse.

Tides

The channel to the South of Stromness is the primary route into Scapa Flow from the Atlantic, and the tidal streams are fierce and to be avoided in a dinghy. The tidal action at half Spring tide alone is more than enough to swamp a dinghy, with standing waves, stoppers and back eddies. There is a threat of being taken out to the Atlantic on a strong ebb tide – locals have been swept away in yachts and required rescuing.

Stay out of the strong ebb tide by staying close to the North shore.

Image: Area of Scapa Flow which has significantly fast flowing and turbulent tides
Image: Area of Scapa Flow which has significantly fast flowing and turbulent tides
  1. This area is to be avoided during fast flowing tides – if on the flood there are significant overfalls to the East, and on the ebb there are significant overfalls to the West
  2. A safer route when the tide is running is to the North of the tidal race.

Towing Vehicle and Trailer Parking:
There is abundant parking around the top of the slipway.

Towing vehicle Parking and Trailer Parking What3Words: https://w3w.co/unite.parsnips.salutes

Toilets:
Just beyond the Sailing Club is the toilet block for the Ness Point camp site, which are open for use.

Toilets What3Words: https://w3w.co/marsh.candles.affirming


Page Month Published: May 2026

Photograph of the Stromness SC Slipway with the ferry passing into Stromness port.
Image: Photograph of the Stromness SC Slipway with the ferry passing into Stromness port.

Scroll to Top