With thanks to Neville Mooney for the Photos
Wed 19th May 2004. Scotland is a long way. 10 odd hours at towing speed from Bedford, we were glad to get here. Dunstaffnage Marina kindly let us launch and gave us a berth for the night. We have also had some good advice from them regarding the rest of the trip. In the best Challenge traditions plans have already been thrown out of the window and we are going to do the whole thing in reverse. Usual excuse - Wind and a sea state of moderate to rough means that again discretion is going before valour so the Caladonian Canal will be the start. The forecast is for a high to build here over the weekend so fingers crossed it may still all pan out. Watch this space.
Thursday 20th May 2004.
Oban Fire station have been our hosts for the night, even managed to find us all a proper bed for the night, many thanks. Top new station too. By the time we were sorted it was a late start - gone 11 before the 30 odd mile run for the canal. Found out straight away the 17 inch prop I had put on is too course for the weight we are carrying - 4 people, 175 litres of unleaded, auxiliary engine and lots of kit mean we are too heavy for it. Bit of a shock for the transit cost on the canal too - £90. It isn't till you see how much water they have to move for us though that you realise it is actually quite reasonable. The locks can take boats up to 150 feet and we are 18. We felt very small. The lockeepers are really friendly and pushing us along as best we can but we ran out of time at Cullochy Lock. Managed to change the prop for the 15 inch whilst waiting at Neptunes staircase so feel a lot happier, boat is too and drives a lot better. Shortly at Fort Augustus Fire station has once again been fantastic and opened up for us and we are now off for more Nessie Pie in town. If we can get a good start tomorrow and get to Inverness by early afternoon will try to press on to Helmsdale. Will watch the weather forecast with great interest - there is a lot riding on it!
Mileage about 63 and a lot of locks. Hopefully a lot more tomorrow
Friday 21st May 2004.
We were down at the boat for 8.20 and ready to go, unfortunately the flying start soon ground to a halt at Fort Augustus flight of locks as some yachts had just entered the bottom and were on there way up. 2 hours later we were through - So much for the early st art. Out onto Loch Ness with Nev driving it was absolutely freezing, helmets were definitely in order and even Nick could only grimace for so long before having to turn his back on the wind. No sign of Nessie again either. Once through the canal and down at the sea lock we met up with Becky on support, took on fuel, looked at the sky and decided to go for it. A scrachcard bet with Jason that he wouldn't get sea sick saw him on as 3rd person and at 4pm we cruised out into the Firth aiming for Helmsdale or hopefully, Wick. Conditions were perfect. Cruising at a steady 23 knots we saw first a seal and then dolphins, fantastic. Gradually though the weather deteriorated and so did Jason's colour, it was cold, we were taking a lot of spray, and then I lost my bet, Big time. Boy was Jason poorly, at first Nick and me couldn't stop laughing, later, when he was so cold he couldn't move or stop shivering it wasn't so funny. To say he was pleased to see Wick is an understatement. He is a big bloke and to see him go downhill so quickly was a real shock. He has bagseyed the van for the rest of the trip. Despite all this, arriving at 19.50 we had actually made good time. We are staying at Wick station and have even found a Witherspoons. Haggis, Neaps and Tatties, a few Whiskys and finally some action means we feel all feel good.
Mileage so far 153. Sea state slight - moderate.
Saturday 22nd May 2004.
Up at 7.30, found that Becky and Jason have already been out to get fuel and are raring to go. We have woken up with puffy faces and crows feet eyes from the salt and sun, I had forgotten what the first few days are like. All the forecasts say a force 4-5 which isn't brilliant for crossing the Pentland Firth, but just about OK. A chat with the harbour master and Coastguard confirmed our departure time to aim for the crossing on slack tide so we got ready to go. As we loaded and fuelled the boat, we could feel the wind rising. Later, the Harbour master came back, spoke to a local pilot and advised us to abort. If it is the top end of a force 5 here it will be nearly a gale in the Firth,and his talk of flipping the boat in the races confirmed what we now realised. We are staying put for the day. Later we drove up to Duncansby Head and then John O Groats for the obligatory photo.
He was right, the wind is rocking the van. Although the sea doesn't’t actually look too bad, the races are obvious and I am glad were not out there. Next forecast is 17.00 and the distance is only 50 miles so if the wind drops we may try this evening.
Becky has put Jason in hospital. All she was trying to do was get him some sea sickness tablets. A chance call at Wick hospital saw her speak to a doctor who then instructed her to bring him in on the understanding that his symptoms were occurring RIGHT NOW. An hour or so later he appeared grinning and brandishing six tablets. Thank you to them, and respect to Jason. We are all amazed that he wants to give it another go at all after last time. Lets hope they work. Alarms have been set for the ridiculous time of 04.15 to try and catch the dawn lull before the wind picks up again. If they don't work and the Pentland Firth is what we are expecting he is in for a long day.
Oh, by the way. Anyone who has read last years diary will know how pissed off I was in London when I lost my Killer Loop shades. I've lost them again. Bugger.
Sunday 23rd May 2004.
It has been an excellent. Day. Even Jason would agree. We have not only been to Stromness on Orkney but also made up our lost day. I have always wanted to go to Scarpa Flow so this was a big tick in the box. The 04.15 start worked wonders and enabled a steady 23 knots all the way to Duncomsby Head. Going across wasn't’t too bad. Strong currents though, we gained an extra 5 knots on the way across and the eddies really pulled the boat with oasis’s of calm right next to big lumps. A photo call in Scapa Flow confirmed we were all relieved. Half an hour later the first surprise of the day came when we found out you can’t navigate under the bridges connecting Ronaldsay to the mainland. I've got to hold my hand up that one but there was no way we going to get through 30 feet of solid granite. Rather than go back out into the Firth and all the way round the outside we decided to go straight for Stromness. Mooring up behind the lifeboat the water was crystal clear. Absolutely beautiful. The Harbour master there was great and really helpful with good advice, for our return passage. A hearty breakfast at Julies Cafe later we put back out to sea. The advice we had was to go round the outside of Hoy and not back out through Scarpa. He had warned us the First 5 miles or so would be the worst and he wasn't kidding. The wind had picked up a lot now now making some big (for us) white water. I wouldn't have wanted it any worst. Apparently we went past the biggest cliffs in the UK and the spectacular Old Man of Hoy, but concentrating on the driving, I didn't see a thing. A Herring Gull cruised with us for ages no more than 3 feet from Nick and Jason's head, they even had to bat it away at times. As Nick put it “that Gull had Balls”
We were glad to get into Thurso. It had been a lively crossing. We have refueled the boat shoehorning as much unleaded as we can possibly carry into the tanks. It is a minimum 109 miles tomorrow to Stornaway on Lewis culminating with a crossing of the Minch and not much in the way of bailout options between. Forecast isn't good with headwinds all the way so it could be another interesting day. We are going for another 04.15 start (being this far North the daylight is incredible, it doesn't get dark till gone 11 and even with our ridiculously early starts we have only ever seen broad daylight!) to try and catch the lull again. Great. Have decided sleep is an over rated commodity anyway.Today's mileage 72. Total 225.6. Sea state anything between slight and rough.
Monday 24th May 2004
It had been executed with military precision. Points of refuge, cutoff points, contact points and ferry times for Jason to meet us on Stornaway. The alarm went off at at 04.15 as planned and ………..no body moved. About 15 minutes later the 6 ton weight that was my duvet allowed me to stagger outside and find the tree’s bent horizontal. I kidded my self I would listen to the shipping forecast in the van, went back to bed and we all woke up again about 8 o clock. So much for the early start. We eventually headed off about 11 with the wind still blowing hard to see how far we could get. Nick was driving and doing great but the seas were big, right on the nose, and within 2 miles we knew it just was’t worth it and were back within the half hour. It still hadn't dropped by 3 so we went for a cliff walk instead. The faces here are huge with 3-4 hundred foot drops. Three of us were cautiously lying down on the edge of one of the sheer drops when an American sauntered up unheard and scared us to death by suddenly talking and nonchalantly standing right on the edge. He either had nerves of steel or a death wish. It sure is a wild part of the world.
Alarms are back on again for stupid O Clock, forecast is for the wind to drop to variable less than force 3.
Like we believe that!Mileage, about 3. Sea state big.
Wednesday 25th May 2004.
We were up for the early start, but the wind was still doing its windy thing. Uncertain whether or not to go for it, Becky, Nick and I drove down to the harbour to stare at the sea. Up around the headland a bit it did seem a bit calmer so decided to stick the nose out again. It was a hard and sometimes scary 45 miles with big occasionally breaking waves right on the beam. There were a few dodgy moments and it was not nice, I certainly wasn't looking forward to Cape Wrath. As we neared Loch Eribiol we all needed a break so decided to call in for a rest. The almanac says limited facilities and they weren't kidding - we couldn't find any! Becky was freezing and wanted to bail out but with no phone signal there was no way we could get hold of Jason. Nick and I even climbed up one of the hills to try up there (which if you have ever tried mountain walking in a dry suit you will know is a good way of getting warm) but to no avail - she was just going to have to come with us. Going back down to break the news we found Becky had befriended Gordon and Susan who were staying in one of only 3 mobile homes around the Loch, she had a cup of tea in her hand, a smile back on her face, and they were chatting like old friends. Another cup of tea for Nick and I later we were all raring to go and couldn't thank them enough. Gordon even offered to drive a few miles down the road to try and get a signal there. Thank you to both of them, you made us human again. Back down by the boat, we checked the time for rounding the nemesis that had become Cape Wrath and decided to wait another hour to try nd arrive on a slack tide, lay down on the grass and all promptly fell asleep. Later, as we got ready to go, we noticed a buoyancy aid and life jacket had been left by the one of the only 2 other boats there - an 80’ Oyster doing sailing experience with teenagers, dropping the jacket off as we went, the skipper asked us about leaving now as there was live firing on the range later…….with so much else to think about I had ignored that bit of the chart. With so many hills around us we colon’t contact the range safety boat so once more people came through for us and the skipper let me use his radio. Again, many thanks. We had exactly an hour to do 17 miles before the first Jaguar would be doing its run in complete with live missile firing - it was either that or go 5 miles offshore. The sprint won and with Nick driving now we went for it. The first plane appeared and buzzed us from behind at 500 odd knots just as we got to the Cape before turning around and letting go some big fireworks. Very impressive.
By now the seas were dropping nicely and henceforth intimidating named Cape Wrath will be known as Cape fluffy. To say I was glad to get round is an understatement. We were even able to stop for a photo call. Later, we met up with Jason on support at Kinlochbervie and took on fuel. Even though it was now 4.30, with the sun shining and the wind still dropping, we looked at each other and all came to the same conclusion. Stornaway. Jason quickly fired one of his magic anti seasick pills down his neck, we loaded all the kit and headed back out for the 48 mile run across the Minch. With the weight of 4 fully kitted people, a full load of fuel and 4 drybags and safety kit Osprey staggered on to the plane, I set the revs at 4300 and we cruised west into the sun at 22 knots. Perfect. Once offshore ocean rollers glided through. We maintained our speed occasionally getting up to 26 knots as we surfed down the gentle hills. Cruising just doesn't’t get better than that and I loved every minute. We changed drivers half way and Nick took us in. It seems impossible that the sea can change so much in one day. Absolutely amazing. Once on Stornaway we met up Martin Haigh who took us to the station He and his wife Andi have been amazing, late as it was she had prepared supper for us of chilli and rice with garlic bread, summer pudding and beer. We are all once again overwhelmed by the generosity and care people give us. A huge thank you to you both from us all.
Bed was about 11.30. It has been a long day but well worth it.
Total miles 361.8. Sea state anything from rough to perfect
Wednesday 26th May 2004.
Dolphins!. A whole school. Jason spotted them first. Then we stopped as they came over to look at us. We counted at least 12 as they played around us and dived under the boat. We have traveled over 2600 nautical miles for this moment. To see them playing in there natural environment was absolutely fantastic. With the water crystal clear we could see everything. We were all on the boat too which was special so no-one has missed out. I'm a happy man.
Martin Haigh at Stornaway once again helped us in the morning with a fuel run and to ferry us down to the harbour. Away about 11 the seals once again popped up to watch us go. The Minch had changed a now bit overnight with a stiff breeze now blowing right on the nose and it was a hard won first 20 miles. Jason did well on the helm as he has never really driven on the sea before and he was glad to have a rest and hand over, his magic tablets are still working though. I took the next 15 on a change of course to try and take the waves on the beam and then handed over to Nick for the final leg. Becky was cold again by the time we arrived back at Kinlochbervie and immediately scurried to the fisherman's mission to get us all tea. Once refueled we prepared for the 77 miles down for Portree. Jason was back on the bus now and facing a 286 Km drive. Straight line distances arena’t that bad here but the way the roads wind means travel times and distances are huge. The run to Portree was my favourite type of cruising - downwind all the way with lots of spray and a bit of air. You can hold good average speeds so really feel like you are crunching out the miles. Arriving in the beautiful harbour at 19.40 and were met by John who is the Sub O here. The station must have the best view in the world from a high position overlooking the hills and harbour, the station social club has also given us a sizeable cheque for the charities. Many thanks to all of you. We have all cooked our heads a bit from the full day in the sun and couldn't apply enough moisturiser before going out, no matter how much we put on it just disappears, my forehead feels like leather. An Indian was all that was still open for us so curry it was. It was good too. Bed about midnight, we were all in need of a good nights sleep. Unfortunately Nicks bed went flat.
Thursday 27th May 2004. Part 2.
Conditions were absolutely perfect. There was not a breath of wind and we were in brilliant sunshine. Becky even felt brave enough to drive. The plan was Nick would drive the bus to Mallaig, and Becky, Jason and I would meet him there, throw on the dry bags, and we would all do the final run to Tobormoray and Oban together then pick the bus up tomorrow. Cruising at 22 knots we felt good and the scenery was breathtaking.
As we passed under the Skye Bridge I thought I heard a slight knocking sound, by the time we got to the narrows of the Sound of Sleat there was definitely something happening so we we slowed to a crawl to investigate. Jason's second job is to teach mechanics at Mander College and he diagnosed the gearbox. We tried the auxiliary engine for a while but progress was painful and, with the damage already done, a bit pointless, it was only 5 miles anyway so we started the main back up and came in at 14 knots which was just enough to keep us on the plane. Mooring up next to the lifeboat, Dave Johnston the Mallaig Sub O had contacted a mechanic who promised to come as soon as he was able. As we waited the local celebrity came up for a look around and to get some fish. He has only one eye and is the biggest friendliest seal you can imagine - the fishermen even feed him out of their hands. Mallaig is a busy fishing port so we would imagine he does quite well for himself. It was refreshing to actually find a port still working hard - with the Spanish trawlers landing as much as they like and our restrictive quotas strangling the small local communities there have been hardly any boats left for us to see, all around the country whole harbours have been left deserted, it is all sad and very wrong.
Eventually our man arrived, confirmed the diagnosis and suggested the best course of action was pull Osprey out and drain the oil for a look, problem was the only available recovery was via a dogleg slipway and down over the beach, we looked at our brigade Transit and shook our heads, we were too long, too heavy and only 2 wheel drive. Luckily, he again volunteered to help, and, not afraid to give his diff locks some stick, span and bounced us out. Looking at the drained oil was not a pretty sight - it had shiny lumps in it - that was when we knew it was over. The Harbour master was brilliant at trying to get someone to lend us a boat for a day to complete the circle but it was all to no avail.
It was four very flat people who went for the final drink, and a long way from the euphoria of the morning. We have had to stop just 57 miles short of the finish.Total miles 541. Sea state smooth. We will be back to finish it though.
Epilogue.
Despite not quite closing the circle, we have still done bloody well. Osprey has once again faced some big seas and not just looked after us, but always come back for more. We have faced some of the most notorious and dangerous waters of the UK and come through. The top of Scotland, Duncansby Head, Cape Wrath and the Pentland Firth were always the bits I feared the most, second was crossing the Minch but we did them all. It is a wild desolate part of the UK with precious little in the way of shelter and no where to run to if it all goes wrong, but once again we have done it in a small Rib, and I for one think that is no mean achievement.
All the sponsor kit has once again performed faultlessly, a huge thank you to everyone who has once again supported us, please check out the list on the home page, we once again couldn't have done it without your help, and how people navigated in a small boat before arrows were invented on chart plotters and GPS I don’t know.
In all the UK Challenge has now covered 2790 nautical miles. We have crossed the Channel, the Minch, Pentland Firth, the Wash and the Irish sea, been to the tip of navigation of the Bristol Channel and faced the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. We have rounded the four corners of the UK that are Lands End, Cape Wrath, Duncansby Head and the Dover Straits, with too many headlands in between to mention. We have visited the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Inner and Outer Hebridies and the Orkneys, and all in an ageing 5.6 metre Rib.
I would like to thank everyone who has been involved for it has been a mammoth task. The support we have had has been nothing short of amazing, whether it has been from the sponsors, land support, organisation, logistics or boat crew. There have been no arguments or cross words, everyone has just quietly got on with the job. Thank you to you all. Some good professional pisstaking too. Then there has been the support and generosity from people as we traveled. All over the Country, folk have thrown open there doors at often virtually no advance notice, fed and watered us and and given us somewhere to sleep. Despite what this supposedly Labour government are trying to do to the Fire Service the camaraderie is still amazing. It is like being part of a huge club.
Finally, I would like to once again thank my wife Fiona for all her help and the lonely evenings she has had to endure while I have been buried in our PC, charts and Pilot books planning it all. She has to manage my two very special boys all on her own while I am away and that can be a job on its own. She is a very special lady.
NB. We have been having a scratchcard competition re mobile phones. Nick is O2. Becky is on Orange and Jason and I are Vodaphone - and we are all fiercely competitive regarding reception. There were a lot of times when no one had a reception and on the whole it was all pretty even. There was just one instance though when the only person to have a reception was Nick, so, I guess that makes O2 the winner.
