Lewis in August... small boat worth the ferry fare?

[jeffstevens763@g]

a good write up poly any pics to come?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

a good write up poly any pics to come?

there was some video of the "whirlpool" but its mostly out of focus. I'm not sure if she took other pics that will be of interest but will check...

[Fenlander]

Great report Poly, thanks for posting in that detail. Happy to be accused of having no soul but, great that they are for a drive through and as much that we enjoy vast areas of Scotland, we find such areas a bit bleak.

Little Loch Roag is interesting... from what I can see of the chart it looks like there is about a 75ft wide channel at max for 2Nm of loch to drain and fill through. No wonder there are whirlpools.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Great report Poly, thanks for posting in that detail. Happy to be accused of having no soul but, great that they are for a drive through and as much that we enjoy vast areas of Scotland, we find such areas a bit bleak.

I can understand that. Some bits could really only be described as bleak - especially on a bad day. Personally I'd rather be somewhere bleak on a miserable day than somewhere heaving with the public on a beautiful one; but there is a happy balance, and I definitely accept that if everyone thought like me it would be a miserable day and heaving with tourists (which roughly describes what the Calanish standing stones were like!), and so worst of all worlds.

[Roflhat]

Originally Posted by Poly

No Mrs P thinks meeting strange men I meet on the Internet is odd! (I think the only ones she’s met are Jambo and 9d280 - so she may have a point!!!)

Seatrex were certainly busy so he may have been earning his keep - but I did have my eyes open for supersonic zapcats but didn’t see any.

More than welcome to stop by, you must have been close as I was the skipper on the Seatrek RIB going around Bernera.

We call that channel into Little Loch Roag "The Narrows". Get a fair tide flowing through there and there are lots of rocks but 90% of our trips go up there, you can go through at any tide even in 10m RIBs.

re the slipways, it sounds like you used the fish farm one for launching, nobody really uses that any more as it's so poorly maintained, the one on the other side in Uigean is our regular one, can launch at most tides and no cost.

Hopefully you get better weather next time, there's stunning caves around Pabbay and Gallan Head, as well as the Lagoons on Little Bernera and the north end of Pabbay. On calm days you can get south on the west coast to Mealesta Island and Scarp, the nicest beaches I've seen

[spartacus]

Great thread Poly.

The west side of Lewis really is a boating paradise, especially around Loch Roag. Valtos is my 'when at home' port. It dries at low-tide, but there's always the option of mooring off the sands, or using Kneep beach which is nice and sheltered (although you'd need a little inflatable to get out to it. The Port of Ness is also an interesting harbour if you're planning to visit other areas to the north.

This shows you how the weather can change (at Valtos pier) with an Atlantic squall coming in. The little yacht in the background - is where I would recommend dropping anchor if you are planning to return.

The island to the back of Pabbay is called Old Hill, and again well worth a visit - just to see the sheer impressiveness of Lewisian Gneiss rock rising from the sea with sheer cliffs! Good fishing there too.
https://www.hebrideanconnections.com/locations/40654

[Highland Haggis]

Just come back from the outer Hebrides and found some nice wee fishing and camping spots for next year levenbuburgh is a crackin wee port but the rocks make tinker hole look good [emoji41][emoji41] it was a mine field the local fisherman took me out and round to the next bay and that was just as bad with rocks

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by Highland Haggis

.... levenbuburgh is a crackin wee port ....

Leverburgh? - The Butty Box is worth a visit and they have diesel on the pierhead if you have a fuel key which is a simple application process.

The Sound of Harris is rock strewn. The path of the ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray is pretty amazing.

After a beautiful day yesterday, I'm currently looking at white caps in Bays Loch whilst my other half is starting to panic about the ferry trip back to Uig next week!

[Highland Haggis]

I went to the restaurant/cafe both nights at levenbuburgh food was dear but good yeah the ferry trip over to North uist was amazing the amount of time the ferry changed course was unbelievable

[Last Tango]

Originally Posted by GuyC

Leverburgh? - The Butty Box is worth a visit and they have diesel on the pierhead if you have a fuel key which is a simple application process.

The Sound of Harris is rock strewn. The path of the ferry from Leverburgh to Berneray is pretty amazing.

After a beautiful day yesterday, I'm currently looking at white caps in Bays Loch whilst my other half is starting to panic about the ferry trip back to Uig next week!

We had a wee trip to Leverburgh last month from Stein.......pea soup fog. That was fun.

[Brian]

Photo of Little Loch Roag at sunset:

[Highland Haggis]

Hi last tango yeah the weather changes very quickly oot here but we'll worth it. We are currently on Arron just now at the Kinloch Hotel back on main land tomorrow afternoon after two weeks oot weather has changed for the worst the swells here over the bay at blackwater foot are about 1 to 1 1/2 meters [emoji41]

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Highland Haggis

Hi last tango yeah the weather changes very quickly oot here but we'll worth it. We are currently on Arron just now at the Kinloch Hotel back on main land tomorrow afternoon after two weeks oot weather has changed for the worst the swells here over the bay at blackwater foot are about 1 to 1 1/2 meters [emoji41]

got your boat with you HH

[Highland Haggis]

Hi Jeff unfortunately not I have my mum with me it was on her bucket list to do outer Hebrides she turned 80 this year so it was her treat from me

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Highland Haggis

Hi Jeff unfortunately not I have my mum with me it was on her bucket list to do outer Hebrides she turned 80 this year so it was her treat from me

Nice one. Enjoy

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Highland Haggis

I went to the restaurant/cafe both nights at levenbuburgh food was dear but good yeah the ferry trip over to North uist was amazing the amount of time the ferry changed course was unbelievable

If you've got your own boat you don't need to take the ferry route; leave Leverburgh harbour at almost a right angle and cross to Ensay, watch your depths, turn left and travel around the end of Ensay, shallow take care, turn to right between Ensay and Killigray, tidal race - waves sometimes, turn left across the end of Killigray. There's a rock before you leave Killigray heading across to the channel to Berneray but I've never yet seen it - doesn't mean you won't though! When you're in the channel you can go right -out to sea, left through the cope passage or straight on to Berneray. If you go to Berneray watch your depth to make your own channel and look for the two posts ahead, past the bay on Berneray to your right. You need to pass right by the posts - tidal race - then turn sharp right - shallow, watch your depths. Look for the two post markers on land to your right, they're a leading line, turn left across the bay keeping the markers in line. Once you're across the bay bear left and follow the channel around to the ferry slip. I'm not sure why you'd want to be at the ferry slip but hey-ho.

[F406]

Hello Poly, this post goes to show I should read RIBNet more!

You were based a couple of houses away from my parents’ place, I passed your RIB a few times and thought it was very spick and span looking Didn’t think it would have been someone off here.

If you’re ever in the area again feel free to give me a shout on here - in addition I’d recommend Carloway as a launch site - fairly gentle slipway, usable at any tide (as long as you have a tow vehicle capable of negotiating a bit of seaweed at low tide) and totally sheltered. It’s about a 20 min drive from Bragar, the other major bonus being you avoid the slightly torturous tow all the way to Uig.

Once launched there on a nice day Little Bernera is about a 10-15 minute wazz away and the beautiful beaches at Uig are about the same again from LB.

Cheers

[F406]

This is the launch site I’m referring to BTW -

https://binged.it/2Qr1IvM

[GuyC]

That's good to know about.

Welcome to the forum.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by F406

Didn’t think it would have been someone off here.

Ah, you see that is the difference - every rib we see my wife says, “who’s is that”!