SHETLAND OWNERS ASSOCIATION

One of the places that we are contemplating going for our summer cruise this year is the Outer Hebrides, so we are in information-gathering mode at the moment.

I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience of boating in those waters, in a Shetland or otherwise? Any advice about places to launch, visit (sea and land), avoid, get petrol, catch fish, etc. would be gratefully received.

Robin.

Hi there
I live in Lionel near Port Ness, up near the Butt of Lewis. Last few years been pottering about in a Microplus 461 but now have a Shetland Black Hawk which will be in the harbour the first week of May. The harbour dries out at low tide, but is sand. Too much sand in fact. There are 2 slopes there, one is made from natural rocks and then there is the concrete slope. Lots of excellent fishing up our way, and no worries about using the harbour and slopes, I have a 4wd so can help you get your lady in and out of the water.
Stornoway harbour now has extended their marina and are offering a lot more pontoon berths for visitors. There is a slope at Cuddy Point, don't what the charges are or if there is a charge for using the slope. REMEMBER everything is closed on a Sunday. Only pubs and churches open. Saints and sinners. There is one petrol station open on a Sunday on the whole isle and that is in Stornoway. The Fisherman's Co-op can provide most of your needs chandlery wise, but prices can be a little high. Stornoway is a good starting point for heading down south to Tarbert, been planning that trip myself, going in and out of Loch Leurbost and Loch Erisort, then down to Tarbert and from there down to Rodel. Would advise getting the Pilot Guide to the Western Isles. First words are Beware there are dragons here, referring to the unmarked rocks. A good depth sounder is advisable.
From Port Ness it is an easy trip down to Carloway and lots of little inlets and the Loch almost splits the isle in half, and you can anchor safely just off the Callanish stones. There is a slope there so if the weather kicks up easy enough to get the bus back to Ness for the car. Going round the Butt of Lewis one does have to be a little careful as there are some strong rips there, will gladly escort you round the Butt as there is the Dell rock with lots of cod and dogfish. You get the dogfish chasing the cod you have caught, have to reel in real quick sometimes. I have the Admiralty charts for Stornoway and Carloway, Carloway lots of good boating there as the waters are so sheltered.
There is a Tesco and a Co-op in Stornoway, closed on Sunday of course, but open to about 10pm at night and open from 8am. If you're a Pub person some of the pubs in Stornoway are pretty rough, but the Criterion and MacNeils are ok and of course up our way we have a good pub, the Cross Inn. Does lots of typical Pub grub, but like most of the places in town and around the isle don't do food on Monday nights. Other places to eat in Stornoway are HS-1 the Royal, Digby Chic.
There is no petrol close to any of the harbours, its no fun carting a couple of jerry cans half a mile.
Hope that helps a bit.
Best wishes
Steve

Hi Steve

Many thanks - very helpful.

Weather: I suppose this is our main concern. I know Scottish weather well enough to know that you can never predict what will happen, but in your experience is there a better time in terms of less likelihood of storms and rain? I have the HEBEX weather data from Stornoway - haven't had a chance to look at it thoroughly yet, but it seems that May/June there might be slightly less chance of rain than other months?

Petrol: could be a problem, but we can get an average of 160 NM before refilling (depending on how we use it). There seems to be petrol at Tarbet, and I think Ardhasaig? I suppose if the worst comes to the worst we would just have to lug it the half a mile you mention. We have a small set of suitcase wheels that we have used in the past, so that might do the trick! Sunday closing shouldn't matter too much - we'll just have to plan well and work around it. We can be self-sufficient in the boat for several days at a time.

We have the latest edition of the CCC Sailing Directions - presumably that is the Pilot you mention? It seems to have combined the previous edition with Martin Lawrence's Yachtsman's Pilot and is crammed with useful stuff and stunning photos. We also have paper charts for most of the area (not all), Reed's Almanac, and MemoryMap software covering all of the Hebrides.

Robin.

Well last year my mate came up in June and that was the best weather we had all year. Caught enough fish in one week to stuff a big chest freezer full. On the whole would say June is the best month to visit. Going down the West coast of the isle there are very few bolt holes if the weather does kick up. Most of them I do know and can point them out on the charts as they do not appear on most of the charts.
For myself the Carloway area has always been one area that I want to do by boat, just so intriguing the chart for that area with lots of little hideaways, and of course the beaches at Valtos and the most picturesque little harbour there.
My landline is 01851-810035 (Before 8pm) and my email is [email protected] if you need any help or advice when you do come over I would be only to glad to help. I have a 4wd so if you find yourself at a slope miles from anywhere can always come and pick you up. I would look at some of the OS maps for the isles as you will find slopes marked all over the place but some of the slopes can be in a bad state and others will be spanking new and hardly used.
May you have fair winds
Steve

Thanks, Steve.

I use my Shetland 570 out of Stornoway harbour. they've also built a new bigger marina this year with lots of berths,services electricity/water/wifi etc. summer months weather is amazing. I like to day fish as well as tour about south of Stornoway and is well sheltered. If you like to fish, I hear Steve's neck of the waters is phenomenal for it, I hope to get a trip out in Ness one day for it. just prepping my 570 just now and hope to be in the water in next few weeks, cant wait!

Hi Angusjm
If you ever venture up our way will help you sort out a mooring in Port Ness for the odd night or two. Yes last year had a great fishing season, lots of mackerel, cod, haddock, whiting, even caught a scorpion fish last year which the wife said was delicious eating, the thing looked lethal to me though, and then when the weather kicks up stay in the bay and get lots of flatties. One of the guys last year was also catching a lot of skate in the bay, when the weather is good, you can see all the skate and other flatties on the seabed, literally hundreds of them just off the harbour breakwater. Had to abandon fishing a couple of times last year as the dolphins were out in force herding the mackerel into the bay, so put the rods away and got the cameras out instead.
Tight lines
Steve

Hi Steve and Angus

It sounds good up there. We are still thinking of going there in June. We were wondering about starting in Stornoway then heading south down to Rodel and exploring the little bays and lochs on route, including Loch Seaforth and East Loch Tarbert. Then if the weather looks promising, up on the west coast to Loch Roag. Given the weather at that time of year, do you think that would be too ambitious? Also, is it feasible to go out to the Shiant Isles, or is that too risky?

We like our expeditions, living on the boat.

Rob.

Hi Rob
Funny enough last night down the local watering hole was talking to my crew about going out to the Shiants. It is something we're going to do a bit of research on in the next week or so. Seems like a good idea going up the west side and into Loch Roag, seems perfectly feasible to me and coming up from Rodel there are a few botlholes if the weather kicks up, if you do go up the West side give me a shout and we'll see if we can go by our boat down to Carloway from Ness. Something we're planning to do this year anyway.

Well, we made it. We launched at Cuddy Point in Stornoway then spent the next two weeks working our way down the east coast exploring all those impressive sea-lochs, zooming out and back to the Shiant Islands, into Loch Seaforth, then round to Tarbert. From there down to Rodel, Leverburgh and across the Sound of Harris to Berneray, then back to Leverburgh.

By that time, we had run out of time as we had a cottage booked with some friends, so we trailered the boat up to Loch Roag, and spent the next week exploring all the nooks and crannies there, including Carloway, the Callanish Stones and Iron Age houses. We even managed to sneak through the channel between Great and Little Bernara and back under the Great Bernara bridge despite all the rocks.

Impressive scenery throughout, friendly folk, and we were lucky with the weather - a few wet days, but mostly warm and often sunny, and the seas were smooth, occasionally moderate, but overall ideal for boating. Several fish also caught.

Will try and find time to write it up into a trip report at some stage.

R.