Farewell to St Kilda

Once the kayaks were secured on the Cuma's deck at 1730, Murdani wasted no time in setting off on the return journey to Loch Reasort, which divides Lewis and Harris. First Boreray and Stac an Armin then...

 ...the entire St Kilda archipelago slipped away over the western horizon. We were sorry our adventure had come to an end and spent the long return voyage chatting and reliving our experiences.

 At 2240 we passed to the north of Scarp and to the south of Mealasta island on our way to the entrance to Loch Reasort.

The midsummer sun was well set by the time we dropped anchor in Loch Reasort. Then Murdani, Gary and Louise prepared our evening meal. A long day for them meant we had enjoyed a very full day! We slept well that night.

Loch Reasort, a long time in the making.

Our first day back on Harris dawned with a freshening SW wind but wonderful clear skies and sunshine. It was good to be back on the water as we left MV Cuma at her mooring. We would rendezvous with the Cuma at the north end of Scarp later in the day.


Cuma had anchored half way in towards the head of Loch Reasort (Resort in English).


We now made our way down the loch towards the Atlantic.


A glacier cut a U shaped valley though the ancient rocks of Lewisian gneiss.


Ahead lay the distant island of Scarp.


As we paddled below the rocky slopes of Taran Mor, 303m, we were looking at rocks that are about 2,500 million years old. Even in this now desolate place, lazy beds betrayed past settlements that are now long forgotten.


Our route from Loch Reasort to Scarp.

04/06/2008

Empty beds on Scarp.

The steady thrum of MV Cuma's diesel did not miss a beat on the 105 km trip back from St Kilda to Loch Resort, Harris.


We made landfall at Scarp. Scarp was inhabited from time immemorial until its last inhabitants were evacuated in 1971.


The low sun showed off the abandoned lazy beds on the north coast Scarp. Generations of back breaking work (without machines) created these beds and fed the families of Scarp.


Leaving Scarp, Cuma slipped below bold mountains and into the fjord-like recesses of Loch Resort which cut deep into the hinterland of Harris.

03/06/2008 pm

Hand dived scallops of Harris.

It was quite windy in Loch Reasort, a deep sea loch on the west coast of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It was perhaps a little too breezy for sea kayaking.


So we went for a walk...


....while the divers went... diving in nearby Loch Tamnabhaigh.


They brought up a good haul of hand dived scallops. Recently StuartA commented "Maybe for hand-caught scallops? Yum!"


There is a worrying number of bits and pieces in there...


... but as Stuart said, Yum! (This photo Mike Marshall.)

12/06/2006

How is it? It's as bad as it gets.

West coast of Scarp

June 2006 was stormy off the west coast of the Outer Hebrides. We were out there in a 70 foot fishing boat and had to run for "shelter" in Loch Reasort.


Loch Reasort

At times like that I always think of the RNLI. Have a look at John's blog for details of their work. I have been a supporter of the RNLI for many years and I would urge all UK and Irish seakayakers to give their support. Today I received my copy of "The Lifeboat" the RNLI journal.

It tells of a dramatic rescue (a few days later than my photos above) which involved a Dutch 12m racing yacht. She was pitch-poled and flattened by a monster wave in winds exceeding force 9 about 25km to the north west of Barra at the south end of the Outer Hebrides. The skipper was injured, the shroud plates were damaged, her standing rigging loosened, the mast mounted electronics were damaged and the keel bolts loosened. He put out a PAN PAN call on the VHF requesting urgent assistance.

Stornoway coastguard picked up the call and requested the launch of the Barra lifeboat. She is the Edna Windsor a Severn class and Coxswain Donald MacLeod took command. He was really worried that the yacht would attempt to reach shelter through the treacherous Sound of Barra to the north but could not make contact with her. He decided he would need to take a shortcut up the east of Barra and through the Sound to head the yacht off. There are three routes through this sound and the best would depend on many factors. Donald called his father and asked if he could go over and advise which route he should take.

"Caimer a tha i?" (How is it?)

"Tha i cho dona 's chi thu I" (It's as bad as it gets.)

The lifeboat had to reduce speed from 25 to 5 knots as it slammed into 10 to 11m swells. Eventually they cleared the sound and were heading for the yacht's position at 12 knots when they realised their electronic navigation equipment had been damaged by the pounding and it was too rough to use paper charts.

Once they found the yacht, they guided her for the Sound of Sandray to the south of Barra. The treacherous nature of this channel is only exceed by that of its northern neighbour and it was vital the yacht followed the lifeboat closely. She was making 6 knots under her storm rig so the lifeboat had to slow to a speed that put her in danger. A monstrous wave slammed her over by 100 degrees plunging the wheelhouse under water and damaging her.

Recovering, she led the yacht to safety.


Sound of Sandray

Coxswain: Donald MacLeod, volunteer shellfish fisherman
Deputy 2nd Coxsawain: Ranald MacLean, volunteer tug boat captain
Mechanic: Angus MacNeil, RNLI full time
2nd mechanic: Lachlan Douglas, volunteer fisherman and builder
Crew: Iain Boyd, volunteer fishernan
Crew: Michael MacNeil, volunteer oil rig worker

Thanks guys!