The plan was to dive 3 different Lochs around Skye/Plockton Area.
The team all met in Plockton on Friday 30th March. The team consisted of Thistle Members and some non-Thistle members to fill up the trip.
The team;
Exped Leader Rob Sewell
Member Anne Peck
Member Andy Gibson
Member Donald Bain
Member George Pinkett
Member Martin Paterson
Non-Member Debbie McNeill
Non-Member Sands Castro
Non-Divers J Peck
Non-Divers Bobby Sewell
Non-Divers Skye Peck (Dog)
I towed the boat with the club jeep, with Debbie and Bobby. We brought the shopping for the trip, although this was not without a few hitches. I left Friday night’s tea, Lasagne, in my house, doh! Debbie started the morning having a cracking time with the eggs. All were replaced on route.
Martin kindly took his jeep with Donald and George. Andy took the easy rider route and arrived on his bike. Anne and Jonathon had been enjoy the delights of Skye all week and came over to meet us. Sands finished diving in Oban and drove up to meet us.
With the all the team present we decided to dive Loch Duich on the Saturday. Everyone chipped in over the weekend helping to cook breakfast make sandwiches and generally assist with jobs, even Jonathon helped by running the cylinders to get filled whilst we went diving.
Saturday Day1 Diving
Boat launching was easy at the slip on high tide, impossible on to recover on low tide, so we ended up recovering at the Kyle slip. The morning didn’t start great as the boat wasn’t running as good as normal (old fuel and a long time between uses was blamed). We decided not to dive the planned sites due to the engine not running great and dived alternative sites on the south side of the loch, closer to the launch site. Fish farm is near this end of the loch on this site which would reduce visibility, Anne and I both did the North side of the loch. Both air and water temperature had everyone frozen by lunch time and everyone decide that would be it for the day. We recovered the boat at Kyle as mentioned above, giving Bobby his chance to drive the boat, which put a smile on his face. We also took the opportunity to mark the Port Napier on the GPS on route. Recovered boat and everyone headed back to the bunk house to warm up.
Loch Duich
Sunday Day 2 Diving
Kyle of Lochalshe (Port Napier)
Boat Launching was easy at the slip on any state of tide. Straight out to the Port Napier, which also has a fish farm near the wreck, reduce visibility was noticed. The dive was good with reduced visibility, again water temperature had everyone keen to do only one dive. Boat recovered and everyone headed back to heat.
Jonathon was away helping to get cylinder fills, very much appreciated.
Sunday Day 2 Diving Second dive was going to be in Loch Carron (Conservation Bay)
Boat Launching was easy from the old Strome Ferry slip and possible on any state of tide. Straight over the loch to conservation bay, this should have been on slack water; however the tide was running in every direction like a steam train, clearly not slack then. Possible slack may be on HW and LW. A good drift dive was had by those that chose to dive; water temperature took its toll again with everyone doing short dive times.
Monday Day 3 Diving
Should have been Loch Carron; however everyone had called it a day and we all just headed home.
On an evening the group, played football and went down to the local pub to play pool.
Learning from this:
Think about hiring a Compressor
Think about water temperature and time of year
Phone signal is non-existent
Try to avoid Spring Tides
Delegate jobs to the group;
Towing the boat
Organising meals
Organising Dive Sites
Organising Costs
Rota of jobs (Meals & cylinder filling)
Positives from Trip:
Group of divers out enjoying themselves
