BLUEMOMENT

Hello again! Welcome to this quite superior forum.

IslandMan wrote:My name is Andy Strangeway, I have slept on all 162 Scottish islands that are 40 hectares and above www.island-man.co.uk
I am currently in the process of planning an expedition to Rockall, I am requiring a yacht or motor boat. For more details please see www.islandmanrockallexpedition2009.com All offers of help or advice gratefully received.

Outstanding. Best of luck. Will have a count up of my Strangeways and report back my pitiful count.

I'm glad you are acquainted wi oor Davey - he's probably slept on mair islands than you...and bars, bridges, canals, laybys, meetings, aeroplanes and pistes.....not fer nothing is his fame as ra fantom kipper renowned.

Will have a count up of my Strangeways and report back my pitiful count.

15.

Welcome Islandman. It sounds like a bit of an adventure does yon sleeping on Rockall.

I saw the thread in TOP and found it a bit negative, I'm sure you apreciate it's not going to be easy, and you know how to suck eggs.

Good luck finding a suitable vessel to get your landing ship near the rock.

What a fantastic idea, I alos though you got an unnecessarily hard time over at TOP. If you can find the resources and a suitable boat there's every chance of success if you can find the right weather. I know a couple of people who ahve been round Rockall and it is a very long way from anywhere so good planning is essential. Good luck.

Surely this is a job for tcm?

I think your problem is that there aren't many "leisure sailors" with big enough boats. AFAIK the two biggest boats on here are in the 50' range. Only one of these is actually a pleasure craft (although this is disputed by some who have crewed on Mojomo) and neither is big enough to carry your team and a sailing crew.

Not wishing to be a nay-sayer; just pointing out the difficulties with which you're doubtless already familiar. I sometimes wonder why I bother posting.

Welcome Andy.
I have tried my best to sleep on as many Scottish Eileen;s over 6stone as possible, but it takes a lot of charm.

There used to be a big sailing vessel doing the St Kilda trips out of Oban - The Jean de la Lune? I haven't seen it for some years, mind.

Would have thought that the best bet would be chartering one of the converted fishing boats that operate from Oban or Tobermory such as The Poplar diver. There are quite a few that do trips for divers or wildlife watchers.

Any yacht big enough to take 12 people must be an arm an a leg to charter.

Thinking out of the box a bit, I wonder what the range of a RiB is?

You're only going to go if you're pretty sure of 36hours of very calm sea, 120 miles at 40kts is three hours. Doddle.

4/5 rufty tufty RiB owners might well be prepared to take you all + kit and stand by over night.

As for size of boat - someone's crossed the atlantic in a 13ft boat - countless people have crossed in 22 footers. A 40 footer would easy cope.

There are probably countless flaws in that plan but I wouldn't discount it without investigating it.

In fact the more I think about it a fast boat has countless advantages over a yacht.

IslandMan wrote:Windfinder
Thanks for thinking out of the box but that is a none starter.
From leverburgh to Rockall is around 450 miles round trip plus time out there. Fuel capacity would be an issue. But the idea of bouncing 180 miles from St Kilda to Rockall, The very thought of it.....

225 miles, for some reason 120 stuck in my mind.

Anyway, looks like I've thought a bit too far out of the box!

Royal Cruising Club?
Clyde Cruising Club?

Alcyone wrote:There used to be a big sailing vessel doing the St Kilda trips out of Oban - The Jean de la Lune? I haven't seen it for some years, mind.

Jean DLL is (last time I looked) laid up afloat in Leith Docks and was for sale unless someone has snapped her up. A fine vessesl lovingly restored by John Reid who has had to give her up, as I understand, for helath reasons.

Border Maid wrote:

Alcyone wrote:There used to be a big sailing vessel doing the St Kilda trips out of Oban - The Jean de la Lune? I haven't seen it for some years, mind.

Jean DLL is (last time I looked) laid up afloat in Leith Docks and was for sale unless someone has snapped her up. A fine vessesl lovingly restored by John Reid who has had to give her up, as I understand, for helath reasons.

That is so sad. I'll never forget waking up in Village bay and watching her coming out of the darkness in the East and then the sun rising behind her. Lovely looking boat. I heard another boat I had been on - Monaco, was also out of comission as well, though she was a converted trawler.

Is Bob Jones still running the Gaelic Rose at Lochaline? He did a fair bit of running around the Hebrides, Barra and Norway too, I think.

There's also the Spirit of Fairbridge. Might be worth suggesting a collaboration.