Landing on Skerryvore and Dubh Artach

[mm5aho]

I hope to land on these two rocks to see the lighthouses this summer. Any advice about approaches and anchorage?
the charts I have don't give a huge detail, but enough to approach. If the weather is OK, hope to anchor off and row "ashore".
Landed on Hyskeir last summer, but weather prevented Skerryvore being practical.
"Bagging" lighthouses is interesting. Last year inlcuded Lismore, Lady Rock, Rubhna Gall, Grey Rocks, Ardtornish.

So anyone been ashore at Skerryvore or Dubh Artach??

[Telo]

What a great idea - no suggestions as never attempted either, but sounds really interesting. Mr Haswell-Smith probably has the best advice.

[mm5aho]

Thanks!
Haswell Smith mentions but gives no useful detail of either of these rocks or the lighhouses perched atop them.

Raking about in my old charts, I came across a 1930s version showing Iona and Torran rocks, with a little inset chart of Dubh Artach.



This shows the rocks that dry and some soundings (fathoms of course) in the area. Give me a nice task to verufy these, if seastate permits tootling about in the dinghy while anchored.
I note in "The Lighhouse Stevensons" (Bella Bathouse), that waves of 60ft were experienced during the building of Dubh Artach lighthouse. I won't be there if that's the weather, but last year's trip to Hyskeir (Canna area) Lighthouse was in flat calm and about F2. Idyllic for that sort of thing.

Now to find a chart similar for Skerryvore. Anyone know of a source?

[Rowana]

Have a read of this -

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=n ... eq=5;num=i

[mm5aho]

thanks for link. Interesting stuff

[ubergeekian]

I think Christopher Nicholson, who wrote (the excellent) "Rock Lighthouses of Great Britain" tried to land on all of them at one time. or someone did. I'm pretty sure I saw a blog about it somewhere.

OK, not terribly helpful, what I mean is that I think someone has done it relatively recently. Have you tried asking the NLB? Tell 'em it's for a conceptual art project or something.

[cpedw]

Now to find a chart similar for Skerryvore. Anyone know of a source?

The national library old charts might cover them.
http://maps.nls.uk/coasts/admiralty_charts_list.html
Derek

[mm5aho]

Got to Skerryvore, but not Dubh Artach..

[Telo]

Well done! BTW, were you able to find a chart that gave reasonable detail?

[Rowana]

Looks as if it could do with a lick of paint. Now there's an "interesting" job for someone with a head for heights.

Wonder how much they'd pay me?

Well done, BTW.