Scottish SIBbing destinations

[jwatson]

Originally Posted by The Gurnard

Hey you might have seen me clambering up the hills behind you too..I did a few of the Corbets there last year


I will drop you a PM next time alothough it will be in the spring

But Yup..Inverie is Paradise..

Here is the Tesco Extra Value tent on Longsands camp site..just park the boat in the shelter of the river



Then stroll round to The Old Forge..the most remote pub in the UK...access only by boat or foot.. and wash a dinner of fresh caught langoustines down with a few glasses of the dark health drink they sell there...what could be better ?

This trip can't come quickly enough!!

[The Gurnard]

Here is a better photo of the narrows in Loch Nevis.. you really feel very small in a SIB below those hills....its in a good day ... but if wind is against tide and gusting down the glens..i its no place for a small SIB.. my handheld VHF didn’t seem to get a signal in their either

But what a beautiful place to die ..if you down too much health drink

[Wozizname]

That's it, them photos have tipped me over the edge and I've gotta get back up there ASAP so registered my interest on the other thread

[Fenlander]

Gusting down the glens...

A few years back we took our 3.1m Zodiac and 3.6m GRP boat to the inland Loch Morar for a week. A few miles further towards the head of the loch than where this photo was taken (by the Mrs in the Zodiac) we turned back due to rough and confused water. No current obviously but squalls and wind gusts from two directions at once producing waves behaving in a similar way made it quite uncomfortable for a while.

In 2013 a Fife guy in a kayak drowned on Morar in similar wave conditions.

[A1an]

Morar is extremely dangerous, not only from being very unpredictable but the bottom end is littered with hidden rocks.

Did you go right up to Oban bothy at the end?

If you jump out the boat and take a walk up the gorge at the head of the loch you fill find the remains of what looks like an old Still

[Fenlander]

No we never reached the far end, it became rough where Tarbet Glen runs down from Loch Nevis and as it was a family holiday with kids we erred on the safe side. We had a cottage close to the mouth of the Morar river where it leaves the loch from the western end. The water was very low during our visit and the run out to beyond the initial group of islands was quite concerning as the depth sounder often showed 1.0 to 1.5m with the odd rock obviously much more shallow than that. The water was brackish too so not nearly as easy to see what you might hit as it is in the clear blue water shallows at sea in that area.

[The Gurnard]

Great photo Fenlander, and I agree that it is worth noting that lochs in Scotland can at times be even more dangerous that the open sea. High altitude winds that may not affect the coast waters ..can funnel down the mountain glens.. accelerating as they go ..and cause sudden squalls that will easily swamp a small boat.

An example is a day I was on Loch Etive end of April 2011. The forecast for the area was for light winds all day. It was bright but cool. I was in my little displacement boat puttering along with my 4hp engine.. I was enjoying the calm and beautiful scenery.



Not long after.. I heard a noise ..something similar to a muffled, low flying jet plane. It was a gust of wind funnelling down the glen and when it hit the water.. it caused short sharp breaking waves.



I know this area like the back of my hand..so when the gusts started to increase in frequency.. I knew it was time to head for home port..as fast as my little displacement boat could go..which is only 4 or 5 knots if lucky. The short sharp waves were now increasing in size.



As I approached the narrows at Bonawe.. the now larger waves started meeting the tide coming the other way. This compressed the spaceing between the waves.. making them even larger ..and more confused..with white tops breaking.



I had a real fight to keep my small boat from broaching as I went through the narrows. The little engine couldn’t keep up with the wave speed. I knew if the boat did broach.. it would have instantly rolled..and I was swimming.

I made it home safe.. sorry I cant post a photo of the waves in the narrows..but that was the last thing on my mind at that time

Unfortunately.. half an hour later .. another larger fishing boat with five anglers on board.. was not so lucky. It was swamped. Four of the anglers made the shore and lived to tell the tale. Sadly ..the fifth angler was drowned.
I believe that .... when he was in the water and trying to make the shore.. he removed his life jacket thinking it was hampering his progress.. but that is only speculation.. all I know is that his body was found later without his life jacket. I didn’t know the guy personally..but I later found out he was the brother of a work colleague ..that is why the incident stuck in my mind.

The moral of this ..if there is one is.. don’t be fooled into thinking the lochs are safer than the sea.. That day..it was still just a reasonable swell off Oban.


Fears for loch man after boat capsizes - The Scotsman

[Ribochet]

Originally Posted by The Gurnard

The moral of this ..if there is one is.. don’t be fooled into thinking the lochs are safer than the sea.. That day..it was still just a reasonable swell off Oban.

Fears for loch man after boat capsizes - The Scotsman

Very salient post and scary photo's - thanks

As those who know say " water is a good servant but a very bad master.

[jambo]

Loch Etive on Discovery Shed NOW


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[A1an]

Originally Posted by jambo

Loch Etive on Discovery Shed NOW


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Ah, ronnie Campbell, I'm just about to phone him, I'm out on the 15th of next month with him.

[jambo]

Aye it's an old but it's just when they were discussing it as a venue. Hope u r well mate.


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[A1an]

Aye, all well Billy,

Loch Etive is a great venue, especially if you want to catch tea. It's easily reached and just round the corner from Oban.

[jambo]

I agree I think it has everything plus there is plenty of it and give all kinds of sibbing experience including some rapids running.


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[jwatson]

Have we any idea on a suitable date yet?

[Poly]

I wasn't planning to put any more serious planning into it until probably Christmas. Feel free to suggest a date / venue etc though - there is no reason to have only one trip...

[jwatson]

No bother, just hadn't heard anything for a while. Date wise I would recon April onwards? Pretty flexible but sooner we know the better so I can let my bro know.
Venue, anywhere!!!
Looking forward to it.

[Poly]

Yes it will be after easter to get the better chance or OK weather...