Sound of Mull – September trip
Our group consisting of 11 TSAC members, 8 retired and the remaining 3 still working (boo), arrived in Oban on the evening of Friday 8th September at various times due to serious traffic delays around Lancaster and Glasgow. Afterloading our bags onto the Gaelic Rose (moored on the Marina pontoon) we met up in ‘The Corryvekan’ (Wetherspoons pub) where drinks and food were enjoyed until late.
Saturday morning saw us setting off for a leisurely sail up the Sound of Mull for our first dive the Shuna (11 divers), in temperature that was cooler than they had been up until that point! The viz on the wreck wasn’t all it could have been as a previous group of divers were just leaving the wreck as we got there! We enjoyed it none the less, then carried on up the Sound of Mull for our afternoon dive was the wall at Bloody Bay (9 divers) where the underwater viz was much better. As the weather was getting up at that stage, we returned for an overnight stop and shelter at Tobermoray Marina (with its inviting array of bars).
On Sunday morning we left early to assess the sea state in the hope of diving Bo’fascadale as our morning dive. However,when we got there the sea was calm but the mist had come down to such an extent that our skipper wasn’t going to take the chance of putting us in and then not being able to find us. As a consequence, we carried on to the Isle of Muck where we dived the ‘Windmills’ wall (10 divers), on which the viz and wildlife were good. In the afternoon the weather had cleared so we returned to dive Bo’fascadale (10 divers), which was really calm on the surface and in good (swelling) shape underwater. A very rewarding dive of this spectacular pinnacle in good visibility, which those that dived really enjoyed. We then sailed to Lochaline Marina for the night, as our skipper Bob Jones needed to go ashore the next day.
So, on our final day with Lee skippering the boat (as well cooking the food) and Helen (Bob’s daughter) providing sterling assistance, an early start was made to cross the Sound of Mull to dive the Rondo wreck (10 divers). This had good visibility, which had’nt been the case in the club’s earlier visits this year. After that we then sailed south down the Sound of Mull towards Oban in order for 7 of us to dive the Breda, which again had the benefit of a previous set of diverson it before we got there!
A mainly wreck diving trip (4), with a minority of scenic dives (2), which was enjoyed by all. We left around 1330 on Monday with the traffic and weather on the way back being a lot kinder than on the way up! However it’s sad to report that this may well be the last UK sea diving by the dive organiser,Kathryn Relton, who seems to want pack this diving activity in! Happy dive retirement Kathryn!!
Thanks to Anthony and Paul for the photos.
