Striven’s home!

The last time I was on here it was blowing a gale and I’d just removed a thermometer from a pigs bum! I’d like to tell you what it read and even what it should have read but firstly I forgot to take my glasses out to the field with me so couldn’t actually see it and secondly I’ve forgotten what it should read anyway. This is not quite as inept as it sounds because when I went out on Friday night I had it written down on a piece of paper and when I realised I’d no glasses I ran into my workshop for a magnifying glass, still by the time I’d actually read it it was probably wrong, anyway  judging by the way she ate her dinner I figured there wasn’t much wrong with her. I think she’d just eaten something that didn’t agree with her and was sick of 12 piglets hanging off her, so after going out a few times during the night and checking up on them I slept easily and sure enough by the time breakfast came she was fine. The piglets too seemed unperturbed by the loss of their mother and despite mum and wains being in adjoining fields they’ve made no attempts to get back together. After Fridays storm Saturday was a breath of fresh air though there wasn’t much traffic on the ferry. Sunday was a less severe version of Friday though the ferry ran on both sailings, unlike the Loch Striven which was storm bound in Tobermory.

Home at last

Today, just as predicted by UKWind the day was mild with only light winds and I headed down ‘Calum’s road’  for work with a little more enthusiasm than of late. The shortest day was behind me, it was almost Christmas and with a bit of luck we’d be swapping the Loch Linnhe for the Loch Striven, whilst almost identical, for some reason the Linnhe is almost a knot faster and seveal decibels quieter. Sure enough on boarding the Linnhe there was an email on the ‘Blackberry’ saying she was on her way, I’d heard people talking about these infernal machines without ever really knowing what on earth they were talking about and since we were given one a year or so ago I’ve come to loathe it. It’s fine if you’ve got eyes like a sewer rat, fingers like a young violin player and only want to send text but for an old engineer with short fat fingers and poor eyesight who usually writes lists of numbers with symbols it’s a freakin’ nightmare and until they market an ‘Elderberry’ for people like me I’d gladly throw it in the bilge given half a chance

Loch Striven from Loch Linnhe

The infernal Blackberry said ETA 13:30 and sure enough there she was.

Loch Striven, Loch Linnhe

In no time at all we’d swapped places on the Raasay slip

Two ferries and a big anchor!

And the Linnhe was on her way.

Loch Linnhe from Loch Striven

With the boats swapped we headed for Sconser and the Linnhe headed south for a Christmas on Mull!

A couple of clowns

I thought it a little strange as we departed from Sconser about half an hour later as some dude was hauling a huge twinset out of the boot of a car. A twinset being two large diving cylinders and not some fashion item worn by middle aged ladies, this particular piece of diving kit being associated with deep wrecks and serious clam diving boats and not the odd splash in from the shore.  Sure enough when we returned to Sconser around 15:45 the coastgaurd radioed  the ferry to say there was a diver in the water near the pier!!! So with a deck full of cars the ferry duly stopped whilst all the crew went diver spotting.

an unexpected welcome

His marker buoys were right by the slip when we arrived and the noise of the approaching ferry must have made him realise that it was probably not a good place to be. Though to be honest the rather large sign saying WELCOME TO SCONSER FERRY TERMINAL, the flashing sign with all the ferry times on and the timetable should have actually given him a clue long before he stepped in the water! Still despite this lunacy I’d hardly have thought it was a police matter.

Hello, hello, hello

It was only as the ferry got nearer that I spotted Sconser’s local clam diver pearing into ‘Twinset’s’ diving bag that I realised why the police where there. There was obviously some suspicion of  foul play and apart from said diver and his pal being taken away in a police car I know nothing else!