Lighthouse Weekend

2010Activating Isolated Lighthouses

MM5AHO / MM

•To activate isolated lighthouses (not activated before) for ILLW.•To do some more serious maritime mobile operation than before.•Determine what improvements could be made for future operations•Have fun.

Objectives:

The boat:

“Contender” is a fibreglass yacht built in 197632 ft long, sleeps 5, Heavily built for Atlantic crossings.30HP diesel auxiliary2 x 12V 75Ah batteries

Earlier this summer heading west through the Crinan Canal.

Radio Systems:

Marine VHF, 25WMasthead ¼ whipLinked to GPSBest DX? Liverpool Coastguard

Amateur:Yaesu FT857 100WYaesu FC30 auto ATU2m 5/8 whipHF backstay of mast,(About 8m sloper)DX? VK, JA, 9M0

HF ant(backstay)

Insulator

GPS Rx

25 litres spare Diesel

5/8, 2m whip HF ant cableFrom ATU

Creature “comforts”: 5 beds, galley, sea toilet, food storage etc

2 Forward berths in bow.

Fresh Mackerel

Freshly Smoked Fresh Mackerel. (30 mins sea to table!)

In July we took part in a record attempt at making a “sunflower”.

The Crew

MM1EUI MattNavigator, technician andhelmsman

MM5AHO GeoffRadio Operator, chief cookand skipper.

MM0HAI AlistairRadio Operator, outdoors expertand assistant cook.

After stowing our provisions for the week, we’re ready to leave.

Area of DXpedition

Route. 230 miles, 6 days

Navigation…..

How “politics” can interfere with a hobby…

There are four lighthouse groups.Three claim to be descended from Ayr Club and GM4SUCThere are four numbering systems for lighthouses.There is disagreement between these groups about numbering, andabout validity of “activating” lighthouses, and even on whatconstitutes a Lighthouse.

Our first contacts were from Lismore Lighthouse

A4107SCO121UK0120IO76EL

22 contacts, testing the water…

Lismore

•Actually On Eilean Musdile, an islet off Lismore Island.

•10 acre island bought in 1830 for £500

•Lighthouse built for £4,260 in 1830

•First lit in October 1833

•Lismore was a Rock Station. 4 men worked 6 weeks on 2 off.

•One of only two Scottish Lighthouses not converted to dioptric (lens) system but left as purely catoptric (mirror) system.

•Converted to automatic in 1965 (£10,000 cost, 11 tonnes material)

From Lismore, to Tobermory for the night.

Arndnamurchan Peninsula

Mull

Balamory is a real place, and it really does have colourful buildings.

Next day, Tobermory to Canna Harbour.

Tiree

Coll

Harris

Rum

Eigg

Muck

Skye

Canna

Canna Harbour. Staging post for Hyskeir. We made only 4 contacts here, but two crew went ashore to explore.

Many young seal pups. Seals “sing” like a dog howling!

Canna has only 20 buildings, including 3 churches, a post office and this tearooms / restaurant. No mobile phone service, but good broadband internet available.Population 16. In 1995 there were 10,000 rats - successfully exterminated by 1999, but the people survive. A ferry comes here 6 days a week.

Hyskeir light was built in 1904 by David & Charles Stevenson. Standing 41m high, it’s on arock outcrop and was manned until 1997. The keepers had a 1 hole golf course.

First view of Hyskeir approaching from Isle of Canna

The geology of Hyskeir is columnar basalt.

Hyskeir is known for its wildlife:KittywakeArctic TernCommon TernEider Duck

And sharks.. Loads of sharks….

We counted over 15 fins visible at a time.

Basking sharks are rather harmless. They eat krill and smallthings. We estimated the largest at 5m long and a metre across.

Note the UHF yagisfor control from themainland.

Diesel tanks for the generators.

The mess we humans make !

More mess…

The others had agreed tobe back by 1400. At 1415I started blowing our foghorn to get them tocome back aboard.We had a long way to go toget to Tiree for the night.We could sail all nightbut I’d never been throughGunna sound in daylight,and didn’t want the firsttime to be at night.

Gunna SoundIsle of Coll

Isle of Tiree

Seawater so clear we could see about 20 ft down.

Course to Tiree: about due south

Farewell Hyskeir. 145 contacts in 2 hrs 46min. (remember it’s not a contest!)

Tiree ferry jetty the next morning.

Rigging a Butternutantenna on Tireefor Callum.

Verticals need groundplane radials… loads of them.

Decision decisions….

Forecast for Caledonia, covering Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan.

Winds Southwesterly Severe Gale 9 to Storm 10

(F 9 = 41-47 Knots, wave height 7-10m, wave crests begin to topple)

We encountered a wedding on Iona.

Mull, looking from Iona. Storm? What storm?

Iona from our anchoring place.

Sunset over Mull.

Oh, that storm!

Tobermory Harbour. Long chat with EA/GM0OPK in Valencia on 20m that evening.

Rubha nan Gall Lighthouse the next morning.

Rubha nan Gall Lighthouse.

Built in 1857 by the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson.Automated in 1960.

127 contacts in a bit over 3 hoursOperated mainly 20m, but some 40m 17m, 15m also.

DX includedJA3JDTK9VFUN8IIUA9SGQUA9JFR

Only Scot was GM3IBU in Shetland on 40m

We anchored here

FT817 qrp with wire up the mast. Not successful running 2 rigs,as we had no filters.

Sound of Mull Lighthouses.

Green Island

Ardtornish Point

Grey Rocks

Lismore

Lady’s Rock

Green Island: 3 contacts in passing

Lady’s Rock Lighthouse: 7 contacts in passing.

Duart Castle. We anchored here for dinner.

Craignure. Anchored here for the night. GB2LBN only contact.

The ferry coming in for another “go”.

Anchored here

Lismore Light, second time.

Lismore LightSecond visit233 contacts in 4 hours

Only 2 Scottish Stations:MM0IOB/MM Andy on a trawler in the MinchGM4MTI in Oban (about 5 miles !)

DX includedPP9A, W1OW, AA2DR, AA1VX

G3ZOX/MM was on a yacht somewhere…

We operated mainly 40m for UK contacts, but20m for about 30% the time.