Exploring the Summer Isles

zodiacman · 01 June 2008, 18:57

Just home from a week touring round the north west coast of Scotland and now I know why the call this area the "summer isles", the sun shone all week it was FANTASTIC it must be the best area in the UK for boating.

Mollers · 01 June 2008, 19:01

Looks fantastic, we have some Isles down this way that we think are pretty good.

zodiacman · 01 June 2008, 19:11

jwalker · 01 June 2008, 19:28

Excellent.

Bigmuz7 · 01 June 2008, 22:47

Shsss ! ....

Glad you enjoyed them,... after about 5 years on and off cruising, you might have got around them all and discovered many of their secrets

,.. but not them all,.. because after 20.. I'm still finding them

codprawn · 01 June 2008, 23:43

Just look at the water - like gin - the Bristol Channel is more like Windsor soup!!!

At least we don't have any midges - was it too early for them?

zodiacman · 02 June 2008, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Just look at the water - like gin - the Bristol Channel is more like Windsor soup!!!

At least we don't have any midges - was it too early for them?

Hardly any midgies slight sea breeze kept them away, but 7 days of sunshine its worth a couple of bites

zodiacman · 06 June 2008, 19:43

video
[YOUTUBE]NBoTeWIFvM0[/YOUTUBE]

Mollers · 06 June 2008, 20:09

Stunning.

Hugh Jardon · 06 June 2008, 20:17

amazing place and so beautiful, great fun on the sibs as well

great vid, i know parksey and me are very jealous for sure

randski · 06 June 2008, 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Stunning.

Couldn't have put it better

Bigmuz7 · 06 June 2008, 21:46

I have downed a few beers on that beach at Isle Ristol Zodiacman

.. the only downer is when you look at the mainland.. the locals have used a crevice in the rock to dump old cars down it etc .. fooking idiots

and if you didnt see it .. look closer next time,.. maybe then again ....dont.

Getting a weather window to do the trip you did is THE BIGGEST challange you had, and you scored

Its impossible when you dont have this, unless you have a decent RIB but then, even if you can make the trip you did,.. beaches of stone are impossible landing places, except with SIB's the few landing places get pounded at a moments notice as the wind and tide change due to the weather and currents that affect this area and are notoriously unpredictable, even with settled weather systems !!

40 ft + swells just off Priest are fairly regular

I love em

its what I grew up on

The rewards are great with the summer Isles and sometimes people who travel here wait a good few years to do them properly like you did.. Lucky you

Haste ye back

BruceB · 06 June 2008, 22:30

Its been a couple of years since my last visit but I am looking forward to going up again this year.
If you get the weather its a fantastic place to explore, nice clear water, the odd wreck, seals, and lots of little islands to have barbies on. What more could you ask?
(apart from a very slight breeze for the midgies)

zodiacman · 06 June 2008, 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

The rewards are great with the summer Isles and sometimes people who travel here wait a good few years to do them properly like you did.. Lucky you

Haste ye back

Lucky is an understatment, the week we were there the rest of the country had gales and torrential rain, its a trip I will find hard to forget, before we set off Id done a bit of homework about the area looking up photos on google but nothing could prepare me for the sight from the top of the hill on Ristol photos cant do it justice. we sat up there for hours watching all the colours of the islands change as the sun was setting. Magic who needs the Grand Canyon when Scotland is on our doorstep

120 miles of sunshine

BruceB · 06 June 2008, 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by zodiacman

Magic who needs the Grand Canyon when Scotland is on our doorstep

120 miles of sunshine

Sshh! trying to keep that a secret otherwise you'll all want to move up here

spartacus · 08 June 2008, 23:01

Love the Zodiacs - the full Jacques Cousteau expedition complete with 'chump' barrels. You were lucky with the weather.

ribpilot · 03 July 2008, 19:01

Now that's my kind of holiday,getting away from it all.Peace and tranquility,really enjoyed the vid and pictures.Glad you were lucky with the weather......

shirehorse · 23 July 2008, 07:51

With the pictures and that video why would anybody want to go abroad, only a poet could find the words to say what you have showed us thank you Ian.

Bigmuz7 · 25 July 2008, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by zodiacman

before we set off Id done a bit of homework about the area looking up photos on google but nothing could prepare me for the sight from the top of the hill on Ristol photos cant do it justice.

Well I'm doing the Summer Isles again now, and you reminded me of a thought, with the above statement, and its that I have about 30 pictures all of the same view looking out to them, from the southern mainland, and 1 year or so ago I suddenly realised why I have so many, and its exactly as you say.. you keep trying to capture the momement, so you take a photo, but in reality you never can quite get it !! and the whole sensation ... you have to be there and 'feel' it to appreciate it/them at their best

ian parkes · 25 July 2008, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh Jardon

amazing place and so beautiful, great fun on the sibs as well

great vid, i know parksey and me are very jealous for sure

Yes stunning indeed , would love to do some more up there only problem is its such a long way from this end of the country and huge risk with the weather .

Out of interest Ian how much fuel did you have to carry for that trip ?