Wednesday 23^rd August, 2006

Anchorage: Oronsay

Position: 56°00.700 N 006°13.800 W

Distance surveyed: 38nm

Whatever they put in the blurb about life being basic on board the Silurian is a mis-representation. Sitting here with a nice drink just having got back from a walk on Oronsay and waiting for Duncan to serve up haggis and neeps, life feels pretty good.

We left the mooring at Gometra in good time this morning and sailed past Iona, Staffa and along the west coast of Colonsay. Although the day had started misty by mid afternoon it was brilliantly sunny. The was a fairly big swell running and attached to the mast (quite voluntarily) watching the horizon rise and fall and the surf breaking on the skerries and shallows it was hard to imagine anywhere more beautiful.

The days pass so quickly. As soon as we are clear of the mooring we go 'on effort', which means the observations start. Split into 3 teams of two, we have one hour on cetacean look out and then one hour on data entry and bird spotting while the third team have a well deserved rest after all the hard (?) work. The regular food supply helps us along with at least 4 meals a day plus an endless supply of biscuits!

Our faces are starting to glow from the glorious sunshine today (and the wine/beer we're drinking) and supper's coming so I'm signing off!

Juliet, volunteer

Tuesday 22^nd August, 2006

Anchorage: Gometra

Position: 56°29.600 N 006°16.300 W

Distance surveyed: 49nm

Happy days onboard Silurian, once more...My fourth trip this summer-it's like my second home... A couple of laps swimming around the boat certainly shocked the system into action and a porridgey breakfast fuelled the tanks. I spent a happy hour up in the crow's nest; yet even happier was the time spent munching on one of Duncan's bacon, egg and cheese rolls-happy days indeed! Sightings were fairly lacking along the East coast of Tiree, as we motored along with Hebridean white horses. Much to the delight of the volunteers, and on my own researchy point of interest, we happened upon a couple of hungry basking sharks just off the shore indulging in a hefty plankton buffet. Booms and nets deployed, I collected some decent samples-the degree is still in sight! The wind picked up after lunch into some worthy sailing puff, blowing us across from Coll towards Mull.

...And then it breached. Four times. Massive splash and massive body, a generous 500m from our bows. What was it? A UBO, no less. Unidentified Breaching Object is as specific as we can be. Too big for a Risso's? Too whaley for a shark? Very exciting all the same.

A sterling effort by Phil in the galley rounded things off nicely.As I sit here at the Chart table, wind howling about the boat, rain splashing about half-heartedly on the deck, I am glad to be heading to Bed-fordshire in the near future (2200 Snoozington Express) ...Happy happy days indeed-perhaps the last of my season's blogging?!

Otter, Volunteer (a.k.a UBO)

Monday 21^st August, 2006

Anchorage: Gunna Sound

Position: 56°33.700 N 006°42.700 W

Distance surveyed: 52nm

Another lovely day in the Inner Hebrides, as i write this my hands are still slightly numb from the early morning swim some of the more sadistic members of the crew forced me into. Any suggestions that i was a willing and enthusiastic participator are lies. Yesterday we left Arisaig and headed for Ardnamurchan point, where we attempted to lure any slightly shy cetaceans to the surface with a combination of singing (particularly songs from the Lion King and beautifully improvised tunes devoted to the variety of biscuits in the world) and the new extreme sport of deck bouncing. We were rewarded with many sightings of the beautiful porpoise-hausen...that's harbour porpoises for the more linguisically challenged, some of which were pretty close to the boat so that synchronised and slightly manic calls of “SIIIIGHTING” rung out sporadically throughout the day. Many sea birds were also seen and i am happy to report that, thanks to Susie's expert tuition and a little bit of Jizz i can tell the difference between guillemots, shearwaters shags and gulls. A small victory perhaps. After we left the Ardnamurchan area we headed for Coll and Tiree and as we sailed past the Cairns of Coll and alongside the island we were treated to many more sightings of porpoises, seals and seabirds. Just as Sarah and I finished our last deck-bounce of the day we arrived in our spectacular evening anchorage, Gunna Sound, courtesy of our fantastic Skef (Skipper/Chef) Duncan. Another exciting day.

Libby, volunteer