Mull Madness

[Helen F H]

Ok, i will leave Bren to fill in the gory details, but i can say we had a STONKING time in Lochaline.

Bravo to all involved.

Dowsing for wrecks works. Nananananaaaa

[angleseydiver]

Hi Helen,

Sources inform me that your Homing-sock is on it's way

[The Dougie Paddler]

Originally Posted by Porg

Ok, i will leave Bren to fill in the gory details, but i can say we had a STONKING time in Lochaline.

Bravo to all involved.

Dowsing for wrecks works. Nananananaaaa

Glad to hear you had the usual good time, I spent the weekend up at the Moray Firth. Diving sat in large swell, and big surge underwater and Angelsey type viz, which limited areas we could get to, but boat was buzzed for around 30mins by pod of dolphins on journey between sites.

Sunday much better with improved, water tamer, first dive on fishing boat at around 25m with much improved viz, and stunning second dive on reef teeming with life. Only down side to trip was that I seemed to be on a boat full of "rechabites", I'm not sure I'll take to diving sober.

Off to the Clyde this weekend, 4 nights liveaboard, and a trip doon the water on the Spinaway Isle, weather permitting we hope to take in Rathlin Island and the North Antrim coast

[Helen F H]

Im looking forward to seeing Jules piccies, should be some cracking ones.

And i will never look at a jaffa cake again in quite the same way.

[Helen F H]

Oh yeah, and i drove 500 miles after just 5 driving lessons!

[Helen F H]

Ok, here is my trip report for the mull gig!

Firstly I was nervous – not just a little bit, but a BIG bit. I have had five driving lessons, and have been out in my little car 4 or 5 times for a pootle about. So it seemed a good idea a few weeks ago for me and john to share the journey up there, with me driving most of the way (him having to do the M roads). One very full corsa later, and I do my first bits of parking (unbeknown to John). Soon we were whizzing along the A697 when my L plate came off. Never mind – I always carry a spare!
John took over his bit once I had a dicky fit in Dalkeith (wrong gear, stall, stall again you get the idea) until we got past stirling and then I got to play again. The rest of the journey was alright, apart from the last wee bit which is single track roads with passing places. Always fun when you meet a white van going 60!

Anyhow, Lochaline was its beautiful self, and we started drinking at 4pm. Not a good plan, but a workable one. I made pasta ala Helen – sossi, pasta sauce, loads of fresh herbs and other nice stuff. It fed us for two days!

First dives were out of the sound. Dolphins broke the glassy waters, there wasn’t a breath of wind and not a cloud in the sky. I got to drive the boat most of the way. Cap’n Porg! Muck wall was fantastic, with great vis, loads of life and these really weird sponges – bright yellow and knobbly!

Second dive was Bo Fascadale – what a dive! It reminded me of the pinnacle we did in Malta. We got to 40m and there was still plenty of life to be seen. So many fish, dead mens fingers, starfish of every kind. Fantastic.

We had a BBQ on the beach, a minor oversight was that cooking in the dark means that you cant tell if things are cooked or not! Oops. At about 10.30 it started spitting with rain so we went to see Mr Happy in the pub.

Next day – Rondo is our objective. I have bottomed this wreck, but had no real desire to do it again. There aint much down there, and there was a hell of a current last time too, 35m and the vis was pretty pants really. John signaled that there was something worth looking at, so I drifted over (quite low) to find the biggest conga eel I have ever seen in my life. I thought I must have been narked, but John said it was huge too! Monster! Its at 35m in the middle if you go up there! After the wreck we came off to go along the reef – where we found a lovely dog fish – the first one I have ever seen! Fantastic! On returning to the wreck john’s computer packed in, the battery going flat. Bit of a bugger but we did about 10 – 15 minutes of stops (which is no problem when you have something as pretty as the arse end of the Rondo to look at) when my computer had only given me 3 minutes. Just to be safe.

On approaching the Thesis for our afternoon dive, I decided to try dowsing. Yes it works.

Afternoon dive was the Thesis. Myself and John were first in, but the boat ran the shot over, so we just descended hoping to be near the wreck before we got swept off. Fortunately we were near the anchor and a couple of minutes saw us on the wreck. A nice wee pootle around and then off the wreck to have a look at the reef. There was me, swimming along happily when something ‘went’ on my kit. A quick check showed it was the strap at the back of the weight harness. Unfortunately John couldn’t put it back, and my arse decided to be very floaty due to the lack of weight pulling it back down. I binned the dive at this point after having major problems with floaty feet!

We had a third dive with a scallop dive. Me and John caught the biggest crab I have ever seen, which was given a good home with the skipper. Oh yeah, and we found a pipe fish. Lovely little creature.

Scallops ala Jules followed that evening, with another visit to Mr Happy in the pub for our tea. Very nice it was too.

Last day and a wall dive with a fairly brisk current on Auliston Point. The vis wasn’t as good, but it was still an enjoyable dive.

Finally the Hispania, a dive I didn’t enjoy. I don’t like the Hispania, I had my suit invert on it in the past, and it still gives me the heebyjeebies. After 25 minutes I called it a day and left John and the rest of them down there!

After a shower and then the long drive home. Again, most of it done by me. We lost another number plate – im budgeting for one every 250 miles now!

Well done to all involved. I have left loads of holes in this trip report, so feel free to fill em!

[parahandy]

Nice one Porg, the pasta was great, oh and yes not only did it feed the YD team, but I hazard a guess a few others at the dive centre!!!!!!!

[The Dougie Paddler]

[quote=Porg]Ok, here is my trip report for the mull gig!

John took over his bit once I had a dicky fit in Dalkeith (wrong gear, stall, stall again you get the idea) until we got past stirling and then I got to play again.

Nothing to do with gears etc, I've worked in Dalkeith for last 20 years, they eat their kids there, was what the "Stepford Wifes" were based on. I'd just say not every one is lucky enough to get their car started again, you and John could have been in Dalkeith for eternity.


We had a BBQ on the beach, a minor oversight was that cooking in the dark means that you cant tell if things are cooked or not! Oops. At about 10.30 it started spitting with rain so we went to see Mr Happy in the pub.

The up side would also be that you couldn't see what the food looked like.

Next day – Rondo is our objective. I have bottomed this wreck, but had no real desire to do it again.

Presumably it would look different if you had a torch that worked, and a sober buddy, sorry forgot you were with John

John signaled that there was something worth looking at,

He's used that line more than once


Scallops ala Jules followed that evening, with another visit to Mr Happy in the pub for our tea. Very nice it was too.

Was that Scallops a la Jules or the latter, silly question

After a shower and then the long drive home. Again, most of it done by me. We lost another number plate – im budgeting for one every 250 miles now!

Now you've got the 250 miles drive sorted you just ned to work out how to get to Selsey avoiding motorways and I'm up for a lift

Dougie

[The Dougie Paddler]

Still haven't got the hang of quotes

[Mr T.]

Originally Posted by The Dougie Paddler

Still haven't got the hang of quotes

Here ya go Dougie - leave NO spaces in the brackets, equals sign or the person's name being quoted and write like this:

[ quote = Porg ] Mull was a blast etc. [ /quote ]


Remember no spaces and always bracket that part which you'd like to quote.

HTH.