Simon Campbell
Musings from an eclectic, eccentric, well travelled and generally funny bloke
Expeditions
St Kilda: Chapter five
This is chapter five in the series with the weather deteriorating and us setting out again from Oban with little chance of getting to our objective, St Kilda
Day seven (Saturday)
After a good nights sleep in the Lancaster Hotel, I asked O-ring if he was alive: affirmative.
I slept in a bit arriving at breakfast at 0850. More porridge followed by prunes; good for the bowels you know.
Briefing for the new group was at 0930, following which, I took my washing to the launderette. I forgot to mention in Chapter four that I had taken them on Friday afternoon, to be told that the place was closed due to a severe ‘drain problem’. I should have suspected trouble by the localised, olfactory assault and the sight of Argyll & Bute’s finest (Environmental Department) with a big tanker and an enormous pipe down the drain outside the place.
The massive amount of spares I brought precluded me from carrying many clothes and I needed a new supply of t-shirts, underwear and socks. I even risked taking my technical underpants which had already seen a weeks relatively heavy use (note to self: I need to purchase another couple of pairs). When I entered the place there were people in front to me querying the price. Six pounds for a small load of clothes was fine by me. She said to pick them up before 1300.
I walked back to hotel alone, which was a nice change, to pay the bill for the hotel, bumping into Tony, Neil and Dave FC on the way back.
Skipper Rob does like his whiskey and went out to buy a lovely, oak smoked Macallan. I then took my stuff back to the boat where I bumped into Delta team members, Justin (Maverick) and Paul (Goose), near the boat. The crew were still beavering away and I left them to it for a bit, reuniting with the mighty O-ring King who said “Id imperfectum manet dum confectum erit obesa cantavit’. The man is dangerous.
We had a lovely lunch with crew prepared by our cool, new cook, Karen McNish following which the second group arrived to load the boat at 1300. The weather looked increasingly dodgy and we left Oban at 1630, bound for an overnight at the Elizabeth G’s mooring in Tobermory.
The Elizabeth G contingent consisted of: Rob Barlow (Skipper), Helen Ricketts (Crew & hospitality), Karen McNish (Cook & Crew),
Team Delta consisted of: Anne Buchan, Tony Hargan, Dave Higson, Mike Holroyd, O-ring King, Nick Leathley, Justin Owen (aka Maverick), Willie Reid, Neil Walker, Jim Woodley, Paul Wynne-Jones (aka Goose) and myself.
Elizabeth G arrived at dusk and Rob took a small landing party ashore in the tender. Following a short walk along the pontoon, we made our way down the colourful harbour front to the legendary MishNish. I have to say it wasn’t as busy as I remember, and I have spent quite a lot of time over the years in this establishment. The most ‘interesting’ was the time we won the pub quiz. Led by the quiz-master Pete Sidebotham and aided by the mighty O-ring (both of Ribble Valley Sub Aqua Club), we cleaned up, really upset the locals and had to make a quick exit!
Anyway, this time the atmosphere was lacking somewhat, but after a couple of whiskeys, I started to get into the ‘spirit’ of the evening… Outrageously Rob chose to ignore his guests and went to see his Mrs ;-). When we returned to the boat, I broke out the Macallan and talked shit with Rob, on the bridge, till 0100.
Day eight (Sunday)
The weather was as predicted and the mighty O-ring was speaking more Latin; God knows what he will be doing by the end of the week.
Rob and I had discussed the weather situation and decided to match the route from the first week and once at Eig, check the weather. If it turned out as forecast, and of course there is no guarantee that any prediction is accurate, it would be prudent to follow a course around the east side of Skye. This way we could shelter from the weather and get in some great diving!!
Following porridge and bacon rolls, and without further adoo, the ship set sail towards Eig with a following sea. Like many ships designed for foul weather, the Elizabeth G is not best with wind up its arse but she was pretty comfortable. Thinking about it, who does like wind up their arse?
Dive #1: Eig Wall
Buddy: Nick Leithley
This is a ‘nice’ wall and better than it’s counterpart at ‘Canna’ where I had dived the week before. It featured pretty standard stuff such as Wrass, dead mens fingers and plumose anemones.
I was using EANx 33% which was perfect for the dive giving me loads of bottom time and nice margin of safety. I still cant believe that people insist on diving on air, especially the ‘older statesmen’ of the sport. It’s safer and I know there is little evidence to support it, but I do also feel better in myself…
We descended down through kelp to 28m for a 60 minute dive. At the end Nick’s Beaver DSMB was deployed but there was a hole in the welded seam (bloody Beaver kit). I deployed my trusty ‘Buddy’ and we ascended.
Lunch was next on the agenda. Today being chicken and vegetable soup then baked potatoes with cheese, bacon and tuna mayo.
Rob uses the weather program Theyr which he swears by and indeed, most North Sea fisherman tend to use. It didn’t disappoint; it was bang on, so we headed towards the Sound of Sleat, passing the East side of Skye and sheltering from the nasty looking South Westerlies.
I thought that this was a great opportunity to dive again the fearsome Kyle Rae, but I have to say Rob wasn’t keen. The tidal streams are very strong and there are also plenty of back eddies. So, its possible to have a load of divers appearing at different points all along the narrow passage that are difficult to recover if you are fighting the tide. It also can be very busy with boat traffic and due to the incoming weather system, it was possible that it could be even busier with other vessels sheltering from the weather. Just to give you an idea of power of the tide, we passed through on the Ebb and our speed was reduced from 8.6Kn to 4.5Kn!!!
Never mind, I will have to wait till I get up here again in a RIB!
We ate lunch of a salad, with pickled artichokes, lasagne with sweet-corn followed by coffee and cheese.
Dive #2: Port Napier
Buddy: Nick Leithley
I have done this dive a number of times and even though it’s shallow (the wreck pokes out of the water at low tide and waits patiently for some nobhead to drive over it as it is just covered) it is still a great dive with loads to see…
I led this dive and we descended down the buoy along mast. We penetrated the wreck disappearing through some quite silty corridors. One or two divers were stirring up silt with their finning which, in an enclosed space, can be a really killer, literally. Everyone on this expedition were solid divers and it’s not their fault as they hadn’t been taught any different (finger walking doesn’t cut the mustard in these corridors). This has prompted me to look at finning techniques taught in the BSAC diver training program; I still cant believe we only teach the shitstirring flutter!!! Anyway, rant over, on with the dive…
As we sauntered around the ship, we came across a huge, dead Conger Eel (upsetting), loads of Ballen Wrass and general fish life. Visibility wasn’t at all bad at 5m as it was an ebb tide which takes all the crap from the nearby fish farm away from the wreck! Good dive…
The promised storm came in overnight. We were starboard side to the pier and the wind even woke me up – which at least made a change from O-rings snoring. Our trusty cook had with her a portable anemometer and measured 40Kn at the stern – stewth.
Day nine (Monday)
Following another hearty breakfast, we sailed from the Kyle of Lochalsh making our way under the Sky Bridge heading for a dive site I investigated on my National Instructor Exam in 2007.
The site was Maggie’s mooch (named after Maggie Cowing) – Location: 57 19.435N, 005 49.650W. It is a shoal with shallowest depth at 25.5m (chart datum) falling to 33m. When I dived it last year it was in great visibility and featured a striated, rock bottom, interspersed with course sand and shells. We found piles of Crinoids, cushion stars, sea squirts, squat lobster, edible crabs, hermit crabs, scollops and nudibranchs such as Goniodoris Nodosa. Unfortunately, the weather was coming in from the South West and when we arrived at the site Rob and I decided it was unsuitable as there were occasional squalls and reduced visibility. Onwards and upwards!!!
We proceeded to the next alternative site which was at 57 21.157N 006 06.258W. After some investigation the site looked disappointing with slopes rather than shear walls. Site three awaited.
Dive #1: South entrance to Portree 57 25.385N 006 08.196W
Buddy: Nick Leithley
We finally dived on this excellent site, descending opposite a cave which was about 3m. We sank to 10m into great visibility (10/15m). The water was slightly colder than we had experienced earlier at 12 degrees. There were rock ledges like steps down to sandy seabed at 30m featuring crayfish, edible crabs, squat lobsters, loads of encrusting life… Outstanding.
Dive #2: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Cave
Buddy: Nick Leithley
I did this dive some years ago when we were blown out from St Kilda. I still have not established where the name of this dive originates. Presumably the entrance point is opposite a cave where old Charlie hung out?
Anyway, the skipper then was George Mair on the Gemini Storm (Mk1). I remember being horrendously overweighted, not long having my twin 10’s. Too much gas in the buoyancy system, difficulty holding my stops – horrific. This time I was feeling good, floating around neutrally buoyant like a turd.
We descended into 10m and followed the slope down east to 30m. Again we found ledges like steps with profusion of life. Dogfish, octopus, again squat lobsters, langoustines, hermit crabs and the ubiquitous encrusting life.
Following the dive, we stopped for lunch to watch sea eagles swooping into the water and majestically holding perfect station over the ship. Justin was pretty agitated as the new housing for his video camera was not working correctly. But more of this later…
We then steamed to top of Sky, dropping the hook in a bay sheltered from the SW winds. We experienced gusts of up to 44Kn during the night; more shit talked on the bridge following a few Malts.
When I am away on these expeditions, I am always so honoured to go to places that very few people see. Diving is not just about being underwater…
Day 10 (Tuesday)
Being an experienced lot, the dive team were pretty stoic about the possibility of getting out there. The wind was still bad but Rob decided to have a go at crossing the Minch, ready to strike out to Kilda if the weather broke. The [Elizabeth G](http://www.elizabethgcharters.com/) gingerly moved into the unpredictable Minch to cross over to the Sound of Harris. Of course the boat was build for very fierce seas indeed, but even though willing, many passengers are not!
WSW winds created a moderate swell and the Elizabeth G made light of the conditions. Many of the passengers retired to their beds only arising when lunch was served – sandwiches and home made soup, great stuff.
The forecast was improving and as we snook out of the Sound of Harris the swell wasn’t too bad, so we decided to try punching through to St Kilda! Delta team were buoyed up with the great news.
As we proceeded, the swell was building nicely, eventually reaching peak to trough of around 6m. Pretty uncomfortable. It had been a long day and the skipper took a nap with me at the helm. Its not very often I am seasick but I did unfortunately part with my lunch during the crossing and went to bed for a couple of hours.
We arrived at Kilda and with a sense of relief, achievement and excitement. Most of the troops dived a cavern on the NE side of Dun, remarkably known as Dun Caves. The reported visibility was a refreshing 15-20m and the dive featured overhangs with a maximum depth of 25m. I decided to miss this dive and O-ring King and I dealt with the dive management and recovery as the crew were hurriedly making dinner. The passage across was certainly not suitable for making anything!
Dinner consisted of Haggis to start, then fish pie with green beans, celery and leeks plus beetroot, onions and cabbage sautéed in raspberry jelly. Desert was banoffe pie followed by the ever present cheese board and coffee. Phew…
Following dinner, I broke out the charts, maps and guide books. I hadn’t done it earlier to prevent mutiny if we didn’t get out there!
That’s it for chapter five. You had better go and brew up again, make a piece of toast and ready yourself for the last chapter, which features a video and total tomfoolery. Be careful not to get jam on the keyboard…
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I first visited the archipelago in May of 2005; an experience I will never forget. This expedition shared my passion, immersing 24 Divers in 13 days of adventurous, challenging and world class diving.
