I'm scheduled to be relieved tomorrow at lunchtime and then I'll be on
the 12:45 bus back to Glasgow. It's been a good 2 weeks on here, the
crew on board have been great, good fun and very patient helping me
along with stuff. It has been an unusual last week with the trips out
to Tiree and Coll, it is a new thing for this ship and as long as
the weather holds out it should be a success as we came back today
absolutely full. There was a bit of shuffling around with the last of
the vehicles to squeeze every last one in, but we did it so that's
good for all.
Out for a curry and my first drink for a fortnight tomorrow, I'll be celebrating
my birthday from a few days ago which passed without incident on here.
It will probably be pretty quiet on the blogging front for a while but I'll be up and running
again on the 23rd of February when I rejoin. Thanks for reading, and
don't be shy about leaving a comment, it would be good to hear from my
readers.

Dinner

This was purchased from a local fisherman in Oban yesterday. Unfortunately he passed away this afternoon when swimming in a pot.

Colonsay school visit

Day starts with heaving Oban rain, despite the best waterproofs that
Mr Gore can provide, it seems to get through, perhaps it's by osmosis
through the soles of the feet?
We did a couple of trips over to Craignure and for the first time I
loaded the car deck through the bow door which requires a bit of
mirror image thinking. Heavy stuff, cars for the lifts, ambulances
etc. now have to go down the opposite side. There's more to loading
these vessels than meets the eye you know.
Lunchtime we loaded up with BT vans and various other vehicles for
Colonsay. On the return trip we had all the local kids on a trip to
Kingussie to go skiing?? They wanted to pay the bridge a visit, so I
was happy to oblige as we were passing the Garvellachs at the time
there was some close scenery to look at. Despite me telling them all
about our Safety Management System and the Cal Mac interpretation of
the ISM Code the kids seemed to be more interested in the windscreen
wipers and why the ship wouldn't go any faster. I guess at Primary
School age they haven't managed to appreciate the enjoyment of tidy
paperwork and slick administration.
Tomorrow we are back off to Coll and Tiree, early start but we get the
chance to cruise the Sound of Mull both ways, which is great. When we
get back to Oban at 3 we'll pick up the Mull service until the early
evening. Fabulous scenery today, the hills have a good coating of
snow contrasting against the brown heather, the Paps were looking
particularly good.

Spectacular scenery

We made it this time, two visits to Coll and one to Tiree.  Pretty tricky stuff though, the swell had died down but it was still a bit tricky with the ship moving around in the seas.  

The locals will have been delighted to see the men from Hydro Electric who were there to repair their power supply, fortunately Cal Mac have their own generator to power the Link Span, otherwise not to sure what they would have done.  

These were my first visits to these Islands and they are very beautiful in their bleakness, if that makes sense?  One thing that surprised me was how low lying, or flat they are, nothing like Mull with its mountains.  Bit more like Linconshire really.

To the Islands and back
Another early start, up at 4:30 ready for a 6:00 shift over to #2 berth so that we can load through the bow, both Tiree and Coll are stern too.  We set off on time at 6:45 after a bit of a fraught loading.  There was a lot of heavy trucks and loading for the two ports knowing that there was cargo coming on at the first, Tiree, for Oban makes for a difficult stow.  It was a good passage across to Tiree but there was still a worryingly large swell coming up from the South as we approached the island.

We dropped the starboard anchor off the pier and then dropped back to go starboard side alongside.  Because of the conditions frequently encountered here we take extra heavy ropes from the shore to tie up with.  We got in but the ship was still surging up and down from the swell coming into the bay.  I was standby on the ramp, if there was any sign of the ship moving away then I was to whip it up to prevent it getting damaged.  After a few vehicles one of the shore lines snapped, we replaced it but shortly after this the swell got too much to continue, up went the ramp and off we went leaving a few vehicles and a truck.  We got alongside in Coll but it was clear when we had tied up that there was no way we could work the ramp so we let go and headed off back to Oban.

Tomorrow we are going to have another go, calling at Coll twice this time.  They are keen to get some of the trucks off the island as it has been nearly a week since they managed to get goods ashore.  We did get the fuel off to top up the power station on Tiree, apparently there wasn't that much in reserve so they'll be pleased about that.  Forecast looks much better for the next few days so fingers crossed that we can make it in to Coll tomorrow.

Abandoned trips and wind ups

We set off for Coll and Tiree at the crack of dawn with a good load on board.  A couple of hours later when we were clear of the Sound of Mull it was clear that the swell coming up from the south was going to prove to be a problem.  The two ports confirmed that it was untenable to berth safely at either island so we turned back to Oban and our passengers with their vehicles had to return to the mainland. Tomorrow we are going to have another go, this time with a full cargo as we are looking to be carrying three days worth of cargo.

On a lighter note one of the crew has an electronic butterfly, coloured a bright pink it flutters around inside its glass jar and looks quite genuine.  The story is that it must have been brought here from abroad in a vehicle. Amazingly enough this butterfly has now reproduced and produced eggs, novel for a butterfly, even an electronic one.  There are a couple of crew members now going around with a matchbox wrapped in cling film containing the eggs nestling in a bed of cotton wool, they are keenly looking forward to the hatching in a couple of weeks as long as they keep the eggs in the warm moist conditions required.  If they do hatch it will be a first for four peppercorns

Stormy weather

We knew about the weather coming in, it has been forecast for a number of days, but I guess nothing quite prepares you for what is a full blown North Atlantic depression, it reminds me of why I don't go deep sea any more.  Today we did three runs to Mull and back, each time the weather was deteriorating and the wind force going up a notch, I had 12 degrees of leeway on to keep her on course with the area around the South of Lismore like a boiling cauldron with the tide and a Gale force 8 wind across it.  At 14:00 we set off but turned back due to the height of the waves, it was blowing about 55 to 60 knots and I noted that the barometer had dropped 6mb in an hour, I'll have to take a photo of the barograph trace.  We are now lying alongside at Oban with every mooring rope out and the engines ticking over just in case we need them at short notice.  

We are being taken off the Mull run tomorrow and are scheduled to visit Coll and Tiree, the Lord of the Isles that usually serves these islands didn't sail at all today so with our bigger capacity we can take two day's worth while she does our regular runs out to Craignure.  I say that we are scheduled to sail to Coll and Tiree, let's see if we make it.  

Checklists and routines

On Tuesday and Thursday's we follow the normal summer timetable in that we ply back and forward between Oban and Craignure from early morning to mid evening, during the summer this is the way of things every day, as there are no jaunts off to Colonsay.  It means every hour we berth and every two hours we are returning to the same berth, this leads me on to thinking what precautions we should be following so that mistakes or errors don't occur with all this repetition

It is essentially the same procedure at every berthing, to assist and guide we have a checklist that is followed by the watch keeper and then confirmed to the Captain or Mate who is berthing the ship.  This is the norm in most vessels where they have similar lists that are followed when carrying out a manoeuvre or complex process. 

One could assume that this adherence to routine would prove to be foolproof, but I wonder if there has been any academic studies published that have looked into the way that complex routine procedures and tasks are carried out?  Are there any pitfalls evidence that they do work or otherwise?  I would have thought that there may be many, indeed a fertile source of material for psychology students, but where would they be?  Do any of my readers know of any published studies that are available?

A Monday cruise

This was a Colonsay day, we go there three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  This is only during the winter when there are fewer vessels in service, in the summer this vessel is solely on the Oban to Craignure run.  Heading off South to Colonsay brings an enjoyable change in the routine, rather than the 40 minutes run to Mull it is a 5 hour round trip to Colonsay.  Down the Sound of Kerrera on past Seil Island with my favourite anchorage at Puldorian, through the gap at Insh Island and spotting the hermit's abandoned home on the East Coast we head down to the Great Race.  This is the tidal race that results from the daily flow of water through the gap where the famous Corryvreckan  Whirlpool lies at the North end of Jura sucking in all around.  Once clear we start to pitch moderately, the stabilisers stop the rolling very effectively but have no effect on the pitching, our 9 passengers and 4 vehicles are however safely tied down and are a hardy bunch.

On arrival at Colonsay with the wind gusting up to 25 knots in the shelter of the harbour we need to approach from the south and hug the coast heading for the roundhead at the end of the pier.  Getting a line ashore we cant round the end with the stern swinging close in to the shore so that we can lie alongside.  Despite being in the shelter there is still a swell coming in and the ship is surging up and down the pier, everyone is left on standby fore and aft while the ramp is lowered down and the vehicles disembark.  As soon as the last of these are off the pier master gets on his bike and sends the waiting cars and truck down to load.  In all we are in for about 5 minutes, fortunately not much longer as it can't be called a safe haven, memories of Waverley, Clacton, Margate and Dunoon in  a fresh southerly breeze.

The weather as forecast has deteriorated blowing up to an gale force 8 now but the difference is that it is behind us so we are wafted along back up to Oban and a safe berth alongside for the night.  Back to the normal tomorrow, 6:15 start as we need to shift berth before loading. 

This evening I went for a walk along the prom, tropical rain tonight without the temperature.  Not many others out and about strangely.

 

Dolphin Watch

After four days I feel that I am starting to settle down, and understand the routine.  Routine is all on board here, there is little time at either end to do other than follow the script.  We have explicit check lists that are followed on each docking and departure, despite it being the same each time it is easy to forget if all the items have been carried out.  Well it is for the writer.

Glorious weather again today, the sunset over Mull was straight of a chocolate box, it could have been a July evening rather than January.  I had a school of dolphins following along for a while, I thought that they would have departed south for the winter?  We had a lot of round trip passengers during the day, they had just come along for the ride to look at the scenery, like being back on the Waverley.

I joined the Isle of Mull at midday in Oban.  The handover is a brief affair, the new relieving crew wait at the gangway and nip on board as soon as possible, straight up to the bridge, dropping off luggage in the cabin on the way then meet the outgoing mate for a minute to hear that everything is working and he's off.  Five or so minutes later we sail off south to Colonsay with our 4 cars and 19 passengers.  Lovely weather with a stiff NE'ly which is the worst direction for berthing but all was well.  Back to Oban for 17:00 and tied up for the night.

All different crew on here so lots of new names to remember.  Hopefully I won't have forgotten all the stuff from last week, tomorrow we are on the regular Craignure run from 08:00 till 18:00 so we see how much I can recall.

Weekend Activities
I'm thoroughly enjoying my week off, I could easily get used to this a week of work followed by a recovery week at home.  Last night we navigated our way through the fog to Braehead to see the film The King's Speech, fantastic piece of work and I do hope that it wins recognition at the Oscars.  You know when it's a great film when it seems that the time has just flown by and the final credits are running; I would encourage any of my readers to go along and see it.  Colin Firth is excellent but any one of the other actors deserve an award as well, Helena Bonham Carter is as dishy as ever.

Home for a spell

I came back yesterday on the bus from Oban, glorious scenery on the way with most of the hills topped with snow and the sun glinting off the lochs.  
At my interview it was suggested that I would be going around the fleet to gain experience of the different ships and routes.  I'm on a temporary contract for six months, hopefully to be renewed, and I would get my leave at the end of the six months.
So you can imagine I was slightly surprised that my rota has me on the Isle of Mull for the rest of the season with a spell of leave at the end of April.  Looks like I'll be pretty familiar with the stretch of water twixt Oban and Craignure.  I would mention that the two busiest routes that Cal Mac operate are Adrossan - Brodick and the one I am working on. 

Rain and wind of Biblical proportions

This is some place in the winter, the seas out there today when the
wind was up to 65 knots with the tide swirling around us was a sight
to see. In between the squally showers which came down like a fire
hose. Still raining here tonight which even after all my years living
in this country never fails to amaze me how much water there is up
there.

An early start today with a sailing at 06:45. Good job that this is
considered a lifeline service, the 5 cars we took to Oban and the 2
post vans with one car back as a return trip wouldn't support a
private ferry for sure. Horrible weather today, blowing a Force 7 to 8 from the SW, pop the stabilisers out and everything calms down nicely. Tonight our last run is at 22:30 and overnight in Craignure.

To and fro

Nearly eight in the evening now and we are alongside at Oban for a
couple of hours before doing the late night run back out to Craignure,
presumably with the evenings revellers who have been living it up in
the sin bins of old Oban town. We will then spend the night alongside
in Mull before returning at 06:45, which means a 5:30 start for me.

The weather went downhill today with a South Westerly 6 to 7 when we
were on our way to Colonsay but the vessel seems to take it in it's
stride, not that this will have been the first time that this
particular ship has experienced bad weather in her 23 years of running
around this part of the world. We took eight vehicles and and about
10 passengers out to Colonsay and returned with even less. Looking at
the little settlement that is at the pier head there doesn't appear to
be a lot there, maybe just over the hill there is more.

The regular mates on here dislike the long 2 and a half hour run down,
can't be doing with all this sea time, they much prefer the 45 minutes
back and forward from Oban. I have started to supervise the loading
of the vehicles, finding it quite tricky with so many factors to take
into consideration.

Anyway that's the first 48 hours over, I seemed to have survived, wish
me luck for the weekend.

Touch of the Groundhog Days

Today was an excellent example of a normal day, 5 runs across to Mull
from Oban starting at 08:00 and finishing at 18:00 here back in Oban
and tied up for the night. I'm starting to get my head around the day
to day stuff, the navigation part is pretty straightforward two
courses from clearing the berth at either end, if it wasn't for
Lismore it would be the one but the lighthouse gives a wee 5 degree
dogleg on the way.
Traditionally Cal Mac has been manned by locals and folk from the
islands. Suffice to say the folks on board are Duncan's, Murdo's
Euan's and the talk is of farming and tractors a lot of the time. One
of the mates has a photo of a prize ram posted on his cabin
bulkhead,beside the photo of the wife and kids. As well as learning
about RoRo's I'll have a fair knowledge on the price of hay and sheep
blight.

By bus and boat

I don't think that I have ever joined a ship by bus, so today was a
first. Down to Great Western Road and the 8:40 Citylink direct to
Oban. Pretty trip up the road with quite a lot of snow still around,
particularly at the top of the Rest and be Thankful.
The vessel Isle of Mull duly arrived at 11:45 and sailed 14 minutes
later for Colonsay, pretty familiar territory to me from last year's
sailing down Sound of Kerrera and then an hour and a half trip with
our 10 vehicles and 22 passengers. So much warmer today with the wind
round to the SW at last, a little bit of a swell coming in but that's
not a problem on here, just stick out the stabilisers and all is well.
We were back in Oban for 17:30 after a very early dinner, they eat
dinner at 4 on board here. All tied up for the night and the evening
free to do as we wish. Which is reading the safety management manuals
in my case.

To the Isle of Mull and then back again

My first appointment with David MacBrayne is the Isle of Mull sailing from Oban on Wednesday.  Familiar territory from last year's sailing on the boat, so quite pleased about that to ease me into the way of things.  Only going for a week on this first trip and then two on two off.

Travelling to join is easy too, a bus from Great Western Road to the terminal at Oban.  Only £5 with an advance ticket, mind you if my experience from last year is anything to go by I'll be one of the few actually paying.

New Year, New Job?

With the arrival of the New Year I have news of the next step in my career.  On Christmas Eve I received a phone call from Clyde Marine advising me of an interview with Caledonian MacBrayne, the ferry operators.  I duly attended last Thursday and met one of their Superintendents who after a chat, it couldn't really be considered an interview more of a convivial discussion, offered me a position with the company as a deck officer.

Subject to my references being acceptable, the cheques are in the post guys, I should be offered the job shortly with a view to taking up a position sometime this month.

Really looking forward to hearing about where I'm going to be sailing from, indeed quite excited about the whole thing.  A good start to the New Year.