Weather: Nice and Calm probably no more than a force 2, Significant wave height 2-3m
Location: Loch Broom - Ullapool
Food: Thai Curry
Once more into the loch dear friends....... The Circus comes to town
Panoramic Image of Loch Broom
Big shout out to Heather's mum and thanks for the email!!!
Last night was great fun!! As its Friday it's a night for socializing and a large number of crew met up in the bar for our allocated two units!! The rock drill was deployed at 8 and everything appeared to ok so after ensuring that the tracking was working I joined everyone in the bar.
Chris had got his singing game (Singstar) for the playsation out and Jacqui and Chris did a duet to a number of songs. For those who have seen the film "Hunt for the Red october" there is a scene in the film where the American hydrophone operator is listening on his headphones and hears the Russians onboard their submarine singing their national anthem. As we are adjacent to the sub-training area I had visions of a British or American sub hearing the Spice Girls or Queen's "Don't stop me know". It is also the first time in my life I have seen people willingly do Karaoke when they are not drunk.
The party went on until midnight with a few sing-alongs........ It was a really good night and the first time we have had to really relax since the cruise started!
Woke up early (inspection day and needed to tidy!!) - found out that the workboat was being deployed to Ullapool to pick up navigation charts and really wanted to get on it. Really enjoyed going on it during the training exercise last week!! Spoke to the captain and he said it wasn't a problem.
Spent the morning looking at a number of computing issues.
Around midday we started to sail into Loch Broom - a sea loch named by a no-nonsense chap - It comes from the gaelic "Loch Bhraoin" - loch of rain showers!!! It lives up to its name!!!! Despite the rain the loch is unbelievably beautiful – numerous people saw seals swimming around the ship as we slowly advanced down the loch. By all accounts these little critters annoy the local fish farm owners by breaking into the farms and eating all the fish!!
Ullapool is located in this loch along with several areas that the BGS team wanted to get cores from. The ship made its way to Ullapool and just after one o'clock we found ourselves a few hundred yards away from the town. The workboat was prepared and we were lowered into the loch. The journey to the harbor took only two minutes and we were met by the agent and a relatively large crowd who must have been surprised by the sudden arrival of a very large research ship in their loch!!
We were given the navigation maps and then returned to the ship where I gave them to the Captain - by all accounts the harbor master wanted to know if we fancied going for a drink or a pub lunch!! Unfortunately we didn't have any time and proceeded up the loch where we spent the rest of the day coring before finally leaving the loch just before dark to continue rock drilling!!
Had a good talk with some of the crew – I am amazed at the colorful backgrounds and stories that many of them have to tell and their achievements. I found it very interesting listening to the accounts of some of the crew who served in the Falklands conflict and how grueling it must have been working for days on end whilst underfire.
Anyway bed – I’m sooooo tired!!
Ullapool
Ullapool (Ullapul or Ulapul in Gaelic) is a small town of around 1,300 inhabitants in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest settlement for many miles around.
On the east shore of Loch Broom, Ullapool was founded in 1788 as a herring port. It was designed by Thomas Telford.
The harbour is still the centre of the town, used as a fishing port, yachting haven, and ferry port. Ferries sail to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides.
Map of Loch Broom and Ullapool
Leaving Loch Broom . Rhue Lighthouse is in the middle of the picture and Ben Mor Coigach ( 743m) mountain in the distance.
Nice view from the back of the ship!!
Heather working hard at planning our drill sites.
More core samples form last nights drilling !!
Heather working and cores - Heather begged me not to put this picture on the blog because of her massive cheesy grin - I couldn't resist posting it and thought her parents would appreciate it!!
Of all the Lochs, In all the world you had to core in mine. The worlds most unluckiest fish who met the BGS drill in open combat and lost. Science can be brutal.
Lowering the workboat for our quick run to Ullapool
The intrepid landing party making the 200m journey to Ullapool
RRS James Cook in Lock Broom
Heather told me that palm trees naturally grow up in this part of the world. For the rest of the day something was nagging in the back of my mind. Checking my Captain Cook book I discovered that Captain Cook had accidently landed in Ullapool (and there are palm trees - see the picture above) . It was here he died at the hands of locals who thought he was trying to sneak off without paying his bar bill during a fancy dress party. His sailors without the world class navigator thought that they had landed in Hawaii.
I love mountains and water in pictures. I really like this because of the changes in water surface and how the farmhouse is dwarfed by the mountain. |
Cal mac ferry passes the RRS James Cook at the narrowest part of the loch |
I love this picture. The white of the lighthouse in contrast with the dark rock of the mountain in the background. There is also a sense of scale - The man fishing (the little speck ) on the rocks to the left of the lighthouse. The man-made lighthouse and the massive towering mountain.
Just like when you are going down a narrow lane - you always meet someone going the other way at the narrowest point. Its a bit different when its two ships weighing a few thousand tones each....
Scientists at work with core samples on the aft-deck
Kev the Bosun cleans down the deck after coring.
Ullapool - All I can say is I WOULDNT WANT TO BE CAUGHT BEHIND THI S LOT!!
A chance to runaway and be a clown - Unfortunately there was some stiff competition..... |