Trip to Oban - September 2007

By Elspeth Berry

Also known as “Small Engine Repair” starring Andy Stanbridge, also starring Mark Hodgson and the Octagonettes (Claire W, Kirsty, Helen and Elspeth), and featuring Octagon II (if she can be bothered), with technical assistance from the crew of the Wild Goose III (John M, Anne, Rob, Karen, Nick, Heather, Mike, Lizzie and Steven) and appearances by Max the dog and a variety of rather tame ducks and chickens.

The alternative title of this trip made an early appearance ie before leaving the Nottingham section of the M1 when the Kirsty/Matt mobile was struck down with technical problem, temporarily fixed by Mark and Matt and very nearly permanently fixed by Steven with the aid of a shaving foam lid (don’t ask). What we didn’t know then was that engine repairs would become one of the themes of the trip…

The Cologin chalets near Oban were reminiscent of Centre Parcs, but in a good way ie clean (at least before we moved in), comfortable and in beautiful scenery but without all the infuriating rules and will a good pub, The Barn, to which we repaired on arrival.

The first day of diving provided an introduction to the excellent facilities at Puffin Divers ie a slipway cunningly coated with super-slippy seaweed, an occasional snackbar (ie it occasionally opened), nicer toilets than at Stoney and a shop jam packed with goodies. Just as well really, as owing to a series of technical difficulties with the good ship Octagon II, we were destined to spend many happy hours there. Anyway, Octagon II was eventually coaxed into life by PowerBoat Master Stanbridge and Mark, with the loan of a spare fuel connector, and with Wild Goose III we set off for the Breda. This was a Dutch cargo ship which was assembling as part of an Arctic convoy when she was sunk by German bombers in 1940. Although she sank, there were no direct hits and she is a fairly intact wreck to dive, at around 17-30m. Lots of big silver Pollack, plumose anemones, deadmen’s fingers, sea squirts and starfish, plus some peacock worms, crabs, leopard spotted gobies and a lion’s mane jellyfish and a conger eel. It’s a big wreck but it is possible to swim from the shotted bow to the stern and back, and still have time for a proper look around. On return to the boats, Mrs Divinggod had been overcome by the motion of the ocean, and took no further part in the week’s diving (although she took a starring role in transporting divers and collecting batteries and other essentials for the RIB) and Octagon II decided that the adventure has all been a bit much and had to be coaxed slowly back to Puffin under one engine, resulting in a rather long, cold, journey home. We rounded off our 11 hour day with takeaway pizza and plonk.

Monday dawned bright and sunny, a perfect day…..for Octagon II to refuse to work at all, despite the purchase of two new batteries (and not helped by the shop which sold us one which didn’t work at all and had to be returned) so its crew (minus Andy who valiantly elected to spend the day fixing it) were transported to Tralee Bay where Wild Goose offloaded its divers and took the Octagonites for another (very good) dive on the Breda. A Mexican meal finished the day nicely.

With two more-or-less functioning RIBs (guess which one was less) Tuesday saw us heading off to the Rondo, a steamship which sank in a storm in 1935, having crashed over an island and come to rest in a near vertical position on the other side. It’s a deep wreck – up to 50m – and can be disorientating because of its steep angle, and it provided experience of – variously - depth, darkness and nitrogen narcosis for our divers. Lots of kelp, deadmens’ fingers and plumose anemones, starfish, urchins, some sunstars, a few topshells and lots of wrasse to be seen on a memorable dive. Also the first – but not the last – trip on which Elspeth (aka Robinson Crusoe) had to be landed on a deserted island as compensation for the lack of “facilities” on the RIB. Big Chinese takeaway for dinner, hurrah.

On Wednesday – after the by now traditional trip to buy parts for Octagon II (today it was spark plugs) - we visited Duart Castle and the wreck of the Swan which sank in 1653, part of Cromwell’s fleet sent to subdue the Royalist Maclean clan. Although little of the wreck can be seen – most of it has perished, been recovered and resides in a museum in Edinburgh, or is kept safe on the seafloor below sandbags, a variety of cannons and the ship’s anchor remain and when the history of the site is known, it is an impressive and unique dive (and, at 12m, the vis is good). The main sites are indicated by an underwater buoy, and we were provided with laminated maps to assist us. Bit of a Robinson Crusoe moment for some of us (Heather, take a tip from an expert, make sure its an uninhabited island!) then a welcome visit to the teashop and around the castle (punctuated by one non diving visitor saying that she knew we were all divers, she could smell us! What could she mean?!). In the afternoon- hold on to your hats – we actually got a second dive, just south of Puffin, near the Ard-Na-Cuile Cliffs – lots of kelp but also lots of wrasse, pollack, starfish, sunstars and giant urchins. Evening back at the Barn for a good meal and some live music.

The Octagonites became even more depleted on Thursday with both Andy and Mark calling in sick, but the upside of this was that together with the attrition rate on the Wild Goose, all the divers now fitted on to one boat. We had a successful trip out to the Thesis, a lovely little wreck of a steamer which sank in 1889. It lies at 16-32m. is easily navigable and sufficiently intact to look like a ship, but sufficiently broken up to provide swim throughs and spectacular views from the inside through the plumose anemone and deadmen’s fingers-covered ribs to the green water and silver pollack beyond. And another second dive near Puffin with lots of squat lobsters and other sealife including a bright red fish, possibly a gurnard. Time for a curry in the evening – a mass event at the Light of India with 17 of the 20 divers and family who came on this trip.

Final diving day saw a return to the Thesis for another good dive, and a return to the Barn for a few farewell drinks.

Thanks to everyone who took part in organising the trip and the diving – despite Octagon II behaving badly, it was a good trip!