What's New from MV Chalice in 2007?
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Apart from regular bulletins when we're cruising, you'll be able to download our newsletters and other relevant news articles too. If you're thinking about joining us on a cruise, you'll shortly be able to read about what we've actually been doing over the season by looking at our wildlife and cruise blog. Just click on the icon or underlined text below to lnk to the appropriate section or article. |
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Autumn 2006 Newsletter 191kB Autumn 2007 Newsletter 2.2Mb |
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(To read trip reports from 2006 click here )
March 2007
Work over the winter involved refitting all of the toilets with 'full size' units that are now single-button silent electric flush and fitting new ceilings in both bathrooms; adjusting the height of all top bunks to make access easier, adding new facias and hardwood trim; fitting new carpets to the for'ad cabins; fitting a new staircase to the for'ad accommodation; replacing the steering gear with a new hydraulic system; adding a new 'rapid heat' heating system; providing additional storage in the main and for'ad saloons.
With all of the major work finished internally, Chalice was brought from her winter berth on the Caledonian Canal down to Dunstaffnage Marina, Oban, where we spent a few days finally removing the last of the junk accumulated over the winter and stowing clean laundry and bedding. A spell of calm sunny weather also gave the opportunity for us to complete some external painting in advance of our trip to the slipway in April.
We then moved Chalice to her permanent mooring in Oban Bay ready for:
Cruise 1 - Easter Extravaganza (4 nights)
With almost a full compliment of guests, Chalice set off on its first cruise of the season enjoying some remarkable calm and settled weather. The emphasis of this cruise was not to cover as many miles as possible in the four nights at sea, but enjoy some of the scenery and wildlife around Mull and Loch Sunart.
We visited Lochaline, Tobermory, Loch Drum na Bhuidhe, Staffa, Gometra, Ardtornish and Loch Spelve, with guests spending time ashore for walks each day.
Although this is early in the season for sightings of whales or basking sharks, we did see several porpoise very close to the boat not far from Tobermory. Sea bird sightings included guillemot (one bridled – well spotted Bill!); manx shearwater; fulmar; razorbill; gannet and puffin. We also saw several herons around Loch Drum na Bhuidhe and heard woodpeckers in Lochaline.
Tales from the Slip'd (almost a week, feels like a month)
Normally, we finish all of the exterior painting on Chalice and fit in a visit to a slipway, before we start our cruises. This year has been different as we decide to visit a different slipway where we could be pulled inside of a huge shed (well, more of a huge tent really) and could work without the constraints of the weather .
Chalice rolled gracefully down the Corpach Slipway today sporting (several) smart coats of paint. Not to mengtion a unscheduled re-vamp of the two carved fish on the bow by an enterprising painter! You’ll see that in this picture Chalice is minus her top mast and radar array, which had to be removed so that the launching trolley could be pulled inside of teh shed. These had to be quickly attached again just prior to relaunching as the tide at Corpach takes no prisoners!
The preparation and painting process at took three days, but as the next vessel couldn’t be brought onto the slip until Monday, Chalice was allowed to stay indoors over the weekend allowing the paint to harden fully. This has been the first time Chalice has been able to be taken undercover for several years and it beats trying to paint between showers (usually of snow) any time. The seemingly endless Fort William rain waited until the exact moment that we were lowered out of the shed and followed us in ever thickening sheets back down to the mooring at Oban – still, at least Chalice adds a dash of colour to the harbour!
Oh, and the 'goal post' things that we're sitting in between? They are the support arms of the trolley - they are set at that width and we have to sail in between them.... carefully.
Cruise 2 - Scenic Seabirds
Our second cruise of the season saw us sailing on calm seas and enjoying five days of unbroken sunshine. Our first night was spent in Baigh Gleann nam Muc on the north of Jura, overlooking the famous Gulf of Corryvreckan. It's only safe to enter and leave this anchorage at certain times, and the tides on our first day gave us a window at around 7.30 - just in time for dinner!
After a peaceful night with a wonderful starry sky we watched red deer grazing around the anchorage before sailing up to the Sound of Iona and the Treshnish Isles, where we anchored at Lunga. Lunga supports active colonies of puffins, guillemots, razorbills and shags, and there was plenty of bird activity on land and sea for us to watch when we got there. A cruise past Staffa and Fingal's Cave followed, en route to our next anchorage between Gometra and Ulva.
The following day we sailed on to Loch Sunart, spending the night in Loch Droma na Bhuidhe (Drumbuie) and then finally on to Loch Aline. The weather was outstanding, with guests arriving, sailing and departing in warm sunshine. Bet it doesn't last!
Cruise 3 - St Kilda (pictures on the way!)
Well, the lovely weather continued over in to the start of our first St Kilda cruise and after a first night in Tobermory, we sailed straight across the Minch forthe outer isles. Although sunny, a brisk northerly wind agitated the Minch and we decided to head for the sandy beaches at Vatersay and some calm water. The following morning we headed off through the Sound of Vatersay and up the west side of the Uists.
Having access to the internet from on board Chalice means that wherever we have a mobile phone signal, we can get weather reports with fairly accurate wind predictions for 5 days ahead - it didn't look good, with winds in excess of 40 knots fast-approaching from the Atlantic.
It's always good to have a 'plan B' (and somewhere to hide!) so we continued north to the Monach Isles where all of the guests went ashore. Tantalisingly close to St Kilda - we could actually see the islands as we arrived at the Monachs - I had to make the decision not to go as the first of the gale warnings were issued by the Coastguard. We could have got out there that morning, with the risk of being caught out at sea in pretty violent conditions. It was time for 'plan B'.
So we scuttled off through the Sound of Harris and back across the Minch to Loch Bay on Skye in steadily worsening conditions. By the time we dropped the anchor, things were getting 'entertaining' out in the Minch - we'd made the right decision. This was one of those rare occaisions where it was pointless simply 'pushing on' justto get to another location, and as the wind howled all of the following day we sat tight in relative shelter while walls of spindrift (water spray picked up from the sea by the winds) sailed wraith-like across the Loch.
Monday morning arrived with a lighter wind and no 'white horses' dancing around in Loch Dunvegan, so we headed for Canna. The turbulent water of the previous day had decreased to a lazy swell and we enjoyed the spectacular scenery of Neist Point with waves crashing onto the rocks.
As ever, Canna was a treat. Eider ducks and seals were active in the harbour and the east of the island was covered with carpets of bluebells, with early orchids showing on Compass Hill. A good walk soon burned off the retained calories of the previous day! A 'puffin-fest' would have been a good way to end the week so we headed for the Treshnish Isles but it soonm was apparent that wind and waves would make the visit abortive. Plan B......
So we finished off our week in Loch Sunart, Loch Drumbuie, Loch Aline and Loch Spleve - not exactly a long way from home, but the scenery, wildlife and walking were all brilliant. Guests were amazed at the variety and volume of bird-song eminating from the oak woods on Ardnamurchan, while a good sighting of a white-tailed eagle was the wildlife highlight of one day. A walk at Loch Aline produced 'devil's toenails' or Gryphaea (pronounced 'gry-fee-a') which are a type of fossilised oyster around 200 millions old - wow!
Cruise 4 - Wildlife Photography 1
This was a private charter for a group of twelve photographers from the south-east. Excuse the pun, but the 'focus' of this trip was slightly different. Most of those on board were experienced underwater photographers - out mission was to introduce them to a new environment with different subjects and new challenges.
We visited Loch Moidart (astonishing rainbow), Canna, Lunga (twice!), Loch Sunart, Tobermory, Gometra and (very briefly) Loch Aline. Lunga was such a hit that they asked to go back again the following day and even some Hebridean rain didn't dampen their spirits. The brief visit to Lochaline was due to steadily worsening weather and strong winds - a better anchorage was needed for our last night and we retreated to the relative shelter of Craignure.
They're already talking about 'next year' and these images by Roger Busbridge show why...
Awww, look at the cute little rabbit...... Aaaargh! Gerroff!!.......
Cruise 5 - Lochs and Bens of the Inner Hebrides
A bit of a blow and some Timid Sailors saw us spending our first full day enjoying the scenery of beautiful Loch Sunart, before heading north to Canna via Loch Scresort, Rum. Guests enjoyed time ashore walking around the harbour at Canna and through the bluebell-filled woods and laughed at the courting eider ducks who seem to sound permanently surprised - 'whooo?'
A 'dreicht' day awaited us the following morning so we sailed back toward the mainland and Loch Moidart, where some late afternoon sun rewarded us with a fantastic walk on rocky Eilean Shona. 'Puffins please' was a request from one of our American guests, so next we headed off in the direction of the rabbit eating puffins of Lunga (see above). Although we didn't witness these antics again, there was lots of bird activity and an impressive array of wild flowers.
A night in Loch Tuath preceded a cruise back round to the Sound of Mull and Lochaline for a walk out to Ardtornish Castle. Perfectly sheltered we spent our final night beneath the Morvern cliffs.
Cruise 5 - Wildlife Photography 2
As we rounded Ardnamurchan Point in fog and rain, I began to wonder what it is about photographers that seems to make them attract this sort of weather... This was our first morning at sea and they could see not a lot. Oh dear.
We decided that this could be a day for travelling and promptly set course for Inverie, Loch Nevis - where it was still raining. Undaunted and shutter-happy the intrepid snappers headed ashore only to reappear some time later and very wet. A good dinner and impromtu party to celebrate skipper Chris' birthday (apparently he's still 27....) was followed by a visit ashore to 'The Old Forge' - officially the remotest pub in the UK for a celebratory dram.
The following day was calm and bright so we headed for Canna via Loch Scavaig, where for once the Cuilling Hills stood resplendant beneath a blue sky, with seals basking in the sunshine on the rocks. The next morning (remember, we're dealing with photographers here) we were ashore on Canna at 5.30 to catch the best light, returning to Chalice some time later for a well-earned breakfast. It was a perfect day for spoting whales, dolphins and basking sharks and we weren't disappointed. Having been joined by dolphins just north of Coll, we then encountered a minke whale then two basking sharks. More shark sightings followed through the afternoon before we finally slipped in to Loch Breachacha, Coll, to enjoy a wonderful sunset.
Another beautiful morning saw us heading for Lunga a little after 6.00am - a cunning plan which allowed us to have the island to ourselves before any of the day trippers arrived. There was a lot of puffin activity, although they don't appear to be actively feeding yet, but the guillemots were sitting on eggs while shags chicks have just hatched. We eventually managed to drag the last guests away and after a cursory visit to FIngal's Cave tucked into a quiet anchorage in Loch Na Keal.
So, we'd seen an impressive array of seabirds, minke whales, dolphins, basking sharks.....that just seem to leave eagles and otters. Well, otters can be elusive at the best of times and it usually takes patience or a bit of luck to see them. So we had to make do with eagles instead! We saw both golden and white-tailed eagles on our final day. It's always tempting to hang around when a eagle is sighted but in order not to attract attention to a possible nest sight or disturb the birds we made do with a glimpse of a wing tag. 'Green X' is alive and well and living in - well, that would be telling, wouldn't it.
Guests Robin and Claire have posted some of their photographs from this week here
Cruise 6 - Not St Kilda
We had hoped to visit the Outer Isles on this cruise but once again, sea conditions dictated that we had to move to 'plan B'. After cruising north through the Sound of Sleat Chalice was met with rough seas in the Inner Sound. Winds of over 20kts made our usual anchorage unsuitable so Skipper John anchored in Loch Sligachan (below) for the night, where conditions were far more pleasant.
This was only a minor setback and guests were still revelling in the 'close encounter' that they's enjoyed earlier that day when a minke whale had swam within 5 metres of Chalice in the Sound of Sleat . The following morning brought little change in the sea state so rather than take a battering all day we headed back through Kylerhea where otters and seals were seen.
As the week progressed, so did the widlife encounters with a dozen common dolphin bowriding, golden and white-tailed eagle, peregrine, minke whales and over a dozen basking sharks in view from the boat at one time! A visit to Loch Scavaig led to an introduction to a young grey seal who was fascinated by the anchor chain and not at all alarmed by the attention he was getting as he delighted guests with his antics.
Cruise 7 - Heatherlea Birdwatching
We were pleased to welcome back Heatherlea Birdwatching with guide Kenny Taylor ('Dr Puffin'). The cruise was to include a visit to St Kilda, but the weather had other ideas the resulted in a rough sea state and northwesterly wind blowing up to force 7 - not a good mix for a comfortable journey out into the Atlantic!
After a choppy first day at sea, we sailed to Inverie, Loch Nevis which provided superb shelter from the northerly wind. Despite the rain, the guests all enjoyed a walk ashore through the woods, which returned some good bird sightings and a guest appearance from a very photogenic woodmouse (Chrys or Ray - picture please!). Some of the guests were so taken with the atmospher at the 'Old Forge' that they had to return briefly again after dinner, "just to make sure...".
The following day we set off for Neist Point but rough sea conditions had several guests feeling queezy. It's pointless to 'push on regardless' so we head for Canna, where we again got good shelter and a good walk around the harbour. The following morning was brighter and calmer and the day started superbly with a fly-past by a white-tailed eagle which seemed to have upset some of the resident gulls who harrassed it for several minutes until it soared practically out of sight. The Minch was surprisingly calm and we made good time up to the Sound of Harris and on to Taransay, spotting minke whale and basking sharks en route. Our arrival in Loch na h-Uidhe was met by two great northern divers.
Leaving for St Kilda early the following morning it soon becam apparent that this wasn't a journey that we shoudl be making on that particular day, so we scurried back to the Sound of Harris and on to Rodel where we breakfasted and considered 'plan B' - The Shiant Islands. We weren't disappointed.
The Shiants provided a first-class bird experience, with huge numbers of puffin, guillemot and razorbill not only rafting on the water but constantly wheeling around in the air as they flew from their nest sites on the boulder cliff of Garbh Eilean. After a leisurely lunch we sailed back into the 'Stream of the Blue Men' an passed the fearsome-looking Galtachan - the reef and islets that lie to the Harris side of the main islands - and on to the remote Loch Eport where we spent the night.
The following day we sailed on down the eastern side of the Uists - sighting more basking sharks - an on the the island of Vatersay. By now we had 'liquid sunshine' (rain) accompanying us, but undeterred we all went ashore for a walk. The guests were amazed by the machair (the carpet of wild flowers) covering the island and also visited the memorial to the 'Annie Jane' - an emmigrant ship which sank in 1853 with the loss of 333 lives. Having been driven back to Liverpool twice by stormy weather she was making her third attempt to sail for America when she was blown northwards and onto the rock off Vatersay where she broke up and sank - there were only 60 survivors.
Another early start on a calm sea the following day brought yet another close encounter with a basking shark as we headed across the South Minch for the islands of Coll and Tiree, en route to the Treshnish Isles, where the guests had a fantastic afternoon with the puffins, guillemots, shags and razorbills of Lunga. Still buzzing with the excitement of their visit, we sailed past Fingals cave which looked resplendant in the early evening light on the basalt columns that make up the small isalnd of Staffa. But the wildlife encounters of the day weren'r quite over yet...
Winding down over dinner in the quiet recess of Gometra Harbour, sharp-eyed Kenny uttered the phrase which guarantees a faster response than 'man overboard' or 'whoops, I've dropped a fiver'......."Oh look, dolphins!". And that was the end of dinner. Sure enough three bottlenosed dolphins enetered the anchorage and began an entertaining interlude that lasted well over an hour. Brilliant!
Cruise 8 - Awash with Colour with Bruce Pearson
Top wildlife artist Bruce Pearson joined us again for a seven-night cruise around the Inner Hebrides. This cruise is run at a very relaxed pace that gives guests plenty of time ashore at each location so that they can sketch and paint or simply wander off and ejoy the scenery and the wildlife.
The week started well with two white-tailed eagles over Loch Sunart and good sightings of shearwaters around the Small Isles. Arriving at Canna in time for lunch, we were delighted to see that we had the whole harbour to ourselves and anchored in a spot that would allow us to swing easily if the wind shifted as forecast. The rest of the day was spent exploring the east of the island, with Bruce leading a walk up to Compass Hill where guests counted no less than eight basking sharks cruising along under the cliffs! Chris and Helen headed off with their cameras in the direction of adjoining island Sanday where the machair (the fertile sand dune pasture lying above a beach) was carpeted with wild flowers (above).
Returning to the harbour we found that Chalice was now corraled by yachts who seemed to think that they'd get some sort of protection by anchoring as close as possible to a larger vessel. As predicted the wind changed and increased overnight. Checking all was well in the wee small hours, Chris was met with the sight of a small yacht apparently 'reversing' past Chalice as it dragged its anchor. There was a mad scramble by its crew as they quickly started the engine, retrieved their anchor and motored off into the gloom to try another spot.
The following morning was spent under the north cliffs at Canna where a golden eagle made a spectacular fly-past. Next it was on to Loch Scavaig where we watched the seals and their pups basking in the afternoon sunshine before we headed on to our next anchorage at Loch Slapin, with a backdrop of the Cuillins.
Loch Nevis was our next stop-off point, and after an afternoon ashore and some pretty stunning sketches now emerging as the guest got into the swing of things evryone just had to pay a quick visit to the Old Forge (which is officially the remotest pub in the UK) 'just to see what it was like'......Right!
The following morning we had an escort of common dolphins as we left Loch Nevis and then came across a huge basking shark just south of Arisaig. Gently picking our way in between the reefs and rocks of Loch Moidart, we anchored between the islands of Riska and Shona in view of Castle Tioram. Over the remainder of the week Chalice visited the Treshnish Isles and Staffa, Tobermory and Lochaline. Guests encountered yet more basking sharks and white-tailed eagles, not to mention the close encounters of the puffin kind at Lunga. By the end of the week the bird species count was an impressive 92!
NEW GADGET! - Chalice Cam introduces the 'virtual dive'
Considering that our guests spend so much time ON the sea, our only contact with what's IN the sea arrives in the form of surface sightings of marine mammals, fish (don't forget that the basking shark is a fish) and the abundance of seaweed that seems to attach itself to the anchor chain as if by magic.
Enter 'Chalice cam', which is now allowing guests to explore what lies under Chalice when we're at anchor. Apologies for the quality of the picture as this was photographed from the camera monitor, but it will give you an idea of what is 'down there'. This is an image from Canna harbour and as you can see, there's plenty of fish life to support the sea birds and seals that make Canna their home.
We're still in 'development stage' with the new rig, but so far it's working well. "Much better than East Enders" declared one guest....
Interlude....
There is now a short gap in our trip reports - we just haven't had time to add them to the site, but here are some highlights of the 'missing trips'....
- New anchorages visited at Loch Slapin, Loch Sliaghan and Loch Eynort.
- Two minke whales observed feeding off Neist Point while we were on land!
- Dolphin escort out of Loch Nevis and a large minke whale off Loch Hourn.
- Record of 15 basking sharks seen in sight of the boat at one time.
- 15 individual white-tailed eagles seen in one week.
- Chris said "We'll go there - there's a good chance of seeing an otter". We saw an otter!
Trip 15 - Late Summer Cetaceans
For only the second time this season, we headed south to Jura for our first night, anchoring within sight of the infamous Corryvrekan whirlpool. Guests enjoyed a splendid sunset before tucking in to dinner, but not before spending some time watching red deer and wild goats on the hillside surrounding our anchorage. After-dinner entertainment was provided by Helen who demonstrated how ‘phosphorescence’ occurs when a bucket of water is poured overboard….
The following morning we headed out past the Garvellachs (‘Islands of the Sea’) and sailed on to Mull where we spent some time watching white-tailed sea eagles. After lunch it was on through the Sound of Iona and a fleeting visit to Staffa and FIngal’s Cave which was quickly disappearing in early evening mist. Picking a quiet anchorage off Loch Na Keal for the night, everyone braved the drizzle in favour of a walk ashore before dinner. ‘Chalice-cam’ was deployed into the depths and guests given a ‘fly through’ of the sea bed beneath the boat. We had been so taken with the skills of Helen and her bucket the previous evening that she decided on a second show - but to no avail. However nature intervened with it’s own show - the Northern Lights!
Saturday morning was quite overcast but Chris felt that sea conditions were pretty good for cetaceans and basking sharks and set of for a favourite ‘hot spot’. Sure enough, he found what he was looking for and soon we were drifting calmly in sight of around nine sharks, with one large ( 5 metre ) specimen swimming right across the bow. Moving further north we then encountered two minke whales before popping into Loch Eatharna for lunch. The afternoon gave us a good selection of seabirds, including sooty shearwaters and storm petrels, along with porpoise and two more minke’s.
The weather forecast was now giving ‘NW 6-7’ so we decided that we’d put into Tobermory for the night, then decide on a cunning plan the following morning, Chris and crew went ashore for some R&R after dinner and to meet up with cook Heather who had just undergone surgery to repair a shoulder injury. Scottish group ‘Skerryvore’ were playing live in the town that night so we all enjoyed some live music. Any reports circulating about dancing in car parks are malicious and untrue…...possibly.
The following day was quite windy and threatened rain, so all of the guests went ashore for a walk and then we went in search of otters in Loch Sunart. Rain stopped play eventually and we retreated to a sheltered anchorage where guide Chris Gomersall gave an impromtu slideshow of some of the wildlife that he has photographed in the Hebrides.
Monday dawned bright and breezy, but with no rain and better visibility we headed for Ardnamurchan in search of more cetaceans. The sea conditions were still quite rough, so rather than waste time getting thrown around in vain, we headed back into the Sound of Mull. After anchoring for lunch, guests made a beach landing and walked into Lochaline, enjoying good wildlife sightings on the way.
Our last full day was spent around the Sound of Mull and Firth of Lorne. After watching an assortement of seals, shags and gulls, we soon spotted not one, but FOUR white-tailed eagles. While watching the eagles, another skipper called us on the VHF radio - “Hi - there’s a large group of porpoise out here…” So it was quite an eventful day. In the evening we anchored in Loch Spelve, Mull and visited the Inverlussa Mussel farm, who were having an open evening in aid of the RNLI. Everyone enjoyed a ‘tour’ of the farm and sampled mussels, salmon and oysters provided by local suppliers.
Trip 16 -
Our final cruise of the season and, sadly, probably our final cruise with Chalice. The threat of severe gales meant that we wouldn't be saling very far - but that's seldom a problem as we know some really good places to hide! We visited Loch Spelve, Loch Aline, Loch Sunart and Tobermory and in a strange twist of fate, Chalice decided to scare Chris by suggesting that one of her engines might be running hotter than expected. Even though everything appeared to be OK, Chris didn't want to take any chances and shut down the suspect engine, sailing straight back to Tobermory where he could inspect the problem properly. It turned out that there was indeed a problem and that the starboard engine coolant pump was about to expire. This wasn't the best thing that could have happened, but at least we were safely tucked up on a mooring, the forecasted gales hadn't turned up yet and...it wasn't raining!
Completing the cruise knowing that we only had one engine wasn't an option, but we still had a day left and endless 'Trivial Pursuit' didn't appeal either. So Chris made a few phonecalls and the following day six guests went off with Pam and Arthur Brown of Discover Mull, two went walking, one went to play golf and two tucked themselves up with mugs of tea and the Sunday papers. Pam and Arthur gave our guests a fantastic day out and we'd urge anyone who's visiting Mull to contact them and see what they have on offer. Check out our link page for full details.
However, we still had the problem of how to get everyone back to Oban the following day - enter Rob and Elizabeth G. If you've checked out the main site you'll see that we'll be delivering all of our wildlife cruises on Elizabeth G next year, and this proved to be a fitting transition. On Monday morning, we transferred guests, luggage, crew and - most important - food, across to Elizabeth G and made the journey back to Oban. Another successful cruise!
And Finally...
Our story doesn't quite finish there, because now Chris, crew and guests were in Oban, and Chalice was still sulking out at Tobermory.....
By Monday afternoon, Chris had sourced a replacment pump which duly arrived on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Chris and crew travelled back to Tobermory and on Thursday Chris discovered that the replacement pump wasn't actually the correct pump! Oh dear. However, he managed to build up a working unit using parts from the the broken pump and the replacement unit and by Thursday afternoon Chalice was fit for sea. After a celebratory meal in Tobermory on Thursday night Chalice sailed back to Oban on Friday, then on to Fort William and her winter berth on the Caledonian Canal on Saturday. Phew. What a week!
A Big 'Thankyou'....
To everyone who popped some loose change into our 'Lifeboat' box on Chalice. We handed it in at the end of the season and have just got a receipt back for £ 82.61 - every little bit helps!