Isle of Luing Expedition - June 2004

29th May - 4th June

Divers - Paul Taylor, Caroline Roberts, Neil Taylor, Paul Alderson, Mandy Alderson, Ian Muirhead, Reg Fisher, Gary Maidment, Graeme Bruce, Jimmy Turnbull, Mandy, Craig Billingham and Mike Barlow.

Boat/Shore Team - Olive Taylor, Viv Muirhead, Amy & Paul, Anne Maidment, Val Fisher & David.

May 29th once again saw Bishop Auckland Sub Aqua Club's annual Le Plongier Expedition to the the Isle of Luing. Armed with tidal information, charts and a host of information to plan our diving on the spot. My journey to the Isle Of Luing started in the small village of Lucker in Northumberland. My alarm woke me just after stupid o'clock (03:00), we had packed the cars the night before we were just to place some of our last-minute belongings into the cars then we were ready to go. Paul and Mandy Alderson arrived to pick up the club boat from our site at 04:00. Once the boats were hooked on top the vehicles we hit the road at 04:10, as usual my better half was very cheerful, great contrast to my morning mood.

As normal our first stop was Stirling Services for a well earned break from driving, and for me a break from Caroline!

We continued on, and finally arrived in Oban just after 9am, this would be our second stop on the journey, here we would purchase our food (and drink) for the first few days on Luing. After a few hours in Oban we then headed out towards the islands and to Seil Island and the Tigh An Truish pub for our lunch. We then went to the  Cuan Ferry to catch the small car ferry MV Belnahua to Luing.We finally arrived on Luing at 14:30.  Last year the MV Belnahua was away having a refit of its engines, the MV Grey Dog was it's replacement, it is even smaller than Belnahua. Thankfully Belnahua was running again, probably just as well, both Neil's RIB "Calypso" and the club RIB proved to be a major handful for the crew of the ferry, I spent at least 30 minutes waiting for the others to come across with the boats.

After the unpacking we launched both RIB's and moored them into Sunnybrae's new mooring. Caroline baked us a mince and onion pie, her first attempt at making us ill.... I mean a meal.

A few welcoming beers were sunk as we watched the sun sink behind the hills of Luing, we all slept very soundly that night.

We were all keen and fired up the next morning, Ian, Gary, Reg and Mike went along to Puffin Divers in Oban to go on a trip to the wreck site of the Tapti. The rest of us decided to dive a new site on Garbh an Eileach the largest of the Garvellachs, this site was on the seaward side of the island and can only be dived when the sea is flat calm, we met Graeme, Mandy, Jimmy and Craig in Graeme's hard boat the MV Kraken.

Huge stacks of rock are breaking away from the huge underwater cliffs from 28m down to 35m and are covered with soft corals and anemones, I dived with Graeme Bruce where we went off onto the flat sand at 40m and had a play with Craig's Zep, if there was ever a way to sell Zeps it's to let someone have a go! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dive.

The next day was an early start, Neil, Graeme and myself planned to dive the SS Helena Faulbaums, with our cylinders filled with Trimix 16:42 and our stages of 36% and 60% Nitrox we cut a table for the depth of 55m. We sat poised above the wreck kitting up, I noticed the buckle on my wing was smashed, gutted I bowed out of the dive. Graeme and Neil enjoyed a great dive on the HF. The rest of the group took the club boat up the Sound Of Mull and had a great day diving the SS Thesis.

It would be the next day after a mad dash into Oban looking for a sail-makers needle and some whipping twine and a strong buckle, that I got my dive on the HF. In the evening, we had our daily dip in Loch Melfort.

The next day, Ian went to dive with Graeme, the rest of the group tried a new dive site off a small archipelago off the eastern side of Shuna, although devoid of scallops, it was a fairly good dive.

Thursday - Our day off, we pilled into Oban for our annual Chinese meal at the China Restaurant opposite the Oban Whisky Distillery in Oban, the China has a great menu and does not break the bank. Afterwards some of our group went to the Oban Cinema to watch Harry Potter - The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Friday, our last day on Luing, we dived off the same archipelago off Shuna, however further to the North, this time we struck gold, the site was according to those who dived it "beautiful", I did not get to see the site as my suit was leaking badly in the boots. With the sun setting on a flat Cuan Sound, we recovered the boats and packed our vehicles, a sense of sadness at the holiday going over so quickly was felt by everyone, however we are all returning next year, with some more members from Bishop Auckland SAC!

Until 2005!

Thanks to Mike and Rosy Barlow for being such wonderful hosts!