Location: Bunessen, Ross of Mull
Distance travelled: 50 miles
Weather: Drizzle, overcast & more drizzle 


Not long after last night’s dinner, Fi and I leapt into the chilly waters of Loch Tarbet. No one else was brave (crazy?) enough to join us for a swim. Admittedly I was wearing a wetsuit (but only a 3mm shortie one, and I am a southerner) so Fi was the only truly brave one. I felt the need to beat the Silurian swimming record of one lap around the boat so swam round twice. This may not sound like much but trust me the shock of the cold water and the lack of feeling in numb limbs makes this quite a feat. Nearby, an inquisitive common seal took in the spectacle. I can’t begin to imagine what it made of it. I bet it had never seen such an attempt at swimming. After providing the entertainment, Fi and I enjoyed some much needed whiskey and warm showers (I never knew the on board shower could feel so good). Around sunset we all headed off in the dinghy for an adventure. Marcus lead us to one of Jura’s famous raised beaches. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was out of this world. There were perfectly-formed rows of smooth pebbles before a back drop of jagged rocks. Jo, Fiona and I raced ahead to scale the rough terrain for a better vantage to appreciate our unique surroundings. Half way up we encountered an enormous spider on a web stretching several feet across the rocks. This added to the impression that we were somewhere much further a field than Jura. We could pause only briefly to admire the sunset for fear of being eaten alive by some vicious midges.

This morning we woke up to quite different weather to yesterday. The sky was a uniform grey and the “Scottish sea mist” (i.e. drizzle) soon set in. The conditions remained so for most of the day. Added to the swell, this made standing at the mast for visual surveys a little uncomfortable. Our sightings consisted of a couple of seals in the morning before we had to surrender to the weather and poor visibility and rely on acoustics surveying alone. However, we were perked up later in the day when one of the crew spotted the leisurely snaking fins of a basking shark.

Tonight we look forward to authentic Scottish cuisine…Haggis…cooked by authentic Scottish volunteers. And the challenge of circumnavigating the boat properly (without a wet suit) hangs in the misty air. Can I set a new Silurian swimming record? (I might have to wait for the sun to come out again).

Log by: Abi