Grimsay boats.

On the morning of 2/6/2008 we were awoken by the "put put" of a single cylinder diesel engine puttering round the turquoise waters of the Monach Islands. When we came up on deck our spirits were raised by the start of a fine day, this was the day we hoped to reach and paddle round the shores of St Kilda but at first we could not see the source of the sound.


Then a lobster boat took shape as she emerged from the burning reflection of the early morning sun. This was no ordinary GRP lobster boat. This was a Grimsay boat. The Grimsay boat is to the Outer Hebrides what the Model T Ford was to the rest of the World. These boats proved to be versatile for both transport and fishing throughout the isles. Since the 1840's it is estimated that over 1000 Grimsay boats were built by the Stewart family until their last full time builder died in 1994.

It was a joy to see this Grimsay boat being handled by Donald Brady from North Uist as he checked his lobster pots on the Monach islands. The Grimsay boats were of wooden clinker construction but with an exceptionally deep and fine keel. This allowed them to handle the Atlantic swell and surf found on the west coast of the Outer Hebrides. Due to the lack of harbours on the west coast, these boats were built in sizes of 10 to 28 feet. This allowed them to slip through tidal channels between the islands to sheltered anchorages on the east coast.

In 1928 the Grimsay yard launched the Morning Star. She was the link between the mainland of North Uist and the isolated community on the Monach Islands. She carried passengers, supplies and the mail. In recent years she had lain in disrepair in a mud berth in a creek of Loch Maddy in North Uist. She was restored and relaunched in 2007 by apprentices working at the Boatshed in Grimsay.

02/06/2008


We had seen other other Grimsay boats in various stages of restoration at Bhaltos when we first arrived on Lewis.

30/05/2008

The Monach Lighthouse and 60 years' of pigeon shit!

Paddling round the SW coast of Siolaigh in the Monach Islands we became aware that there are actually two lighthouses.


The original light was established in 1864 after it had been built by David and Thomas Stevenson. It is a 41m red brick tower but it was switched off in WW2 and abandoned in 1948.


It was replaced by a fully automatic minor light in 1997.


It is powered by solar cells.


We found a party of NLB workmen restoring the Stevenson tower. They lived on the Orkney Islands but were spending the summer here. The old light is shortly to be reestablished as oil tankers from the North Sea are going to be rerouted from the Minch on the east side of the Outer Hebrides to pass by their west coast. Three months of hard labour were required to shovel 60 years of pigeon shit from the tower's interior. The shit bags are piled up outside the lighthouse walls.


We were lucky enough to be escorted to the top of the tower by one of the Orcadians. This is the view to the NW and we were excited to see the tops of the islands of the St Kilda archipelago 64 km distant


The view to the SE extends over the Caolas Siolaigh to Cean Iar and the distant hills of North Uist and South Uist. On the 15th November 1936 two lighthouse keepers were drowned rowing back across the Caolas from the post office in the village.


The view to the NE extends from the distant hills of Harris to the hills of North Uist.


We were very grateful to our Orcadian friend for the privilege of seeing the view from the tower. It was his 22 ascent of the tower that day! Under the green sheeting, the new light and lens were already rotating.

This post should have appeared a few years ago but for some reason I saved it as a draft and forgot! 01/06/2008

Hebridean summer surf, sand and sunset.

The Hebridean surf was up on our first morning, we chose to paddle in the lee of the islands.