Farnes Islands September 2011

17th -18th September

While strong winds had been blowing early in the week, conditions had started to calm down leading into the weekend. Gav and Lorna, and Ally and Debbie towed the club RIBs down to Seahouses harbour. After a little satnav/google map misdirection, the second RIB turned up. Word of warning for anyone in future – typing seahouses into google and some satnav’s will send you 8 miles further south west than wanted. I’m told North Sunderland will get you there to the harbour. Registering with the harbour master and paying the fee of £25 per boat/day (this included birthing overnight), we started launching the boats. The tide was going out, having launched one RIB we got the other in, to turn and find the first was grounded. A group effort got this RIB back into the water.

The first intended dive had been the Pinnacles, but as we headed out of the Harbour we could see white water smashing up against the outer Farne islands. Looking at the site, diving the Pinnacles was not going to be an option. Anything on the eastern side of the islands looked like being out, due to the waves. So around the back of Staple Islands we dropped our first divers in at northern end of Brownsman Island. The guide for this area has an unflattering description, but it is the only diveable site at mid tide when conditions are bad coming from the east. A few seals were swimming about, so we were hoping for some encounters. The divers reported a dive over kelp bed or sand with plenty of crabs and urchins but otherwise dull. Hearing this, Gav made a suggestion about trying further north at the Wamses. This looked very promising, with plenty of seals about on the surface. Dropping in and descending I spotted a large adult seal directly behind Pauls shoulder, but it flitted off quickly. I was back up again on the surface within a couple of minutes passing a flooded camera to Kirsty before dropping back down for the dive. Spotted one other large seal early in the dive, but otherwise we had a similar experience to the first divers. Dead man fingers attached to the rock base suggests this area see’s some strong currents.

Back to harbour for a quick bite to eat and a change of cylinders before heading out again. The swell had started to drop. With a later start than expected we were a bit behind schedule and would miss slack water which is essential for diving the planned seal dive at Crumstone. So plan B was the Blue Caps another site for seal interactions. Unfortunately there was a bang as Ally rolled off the RIB – a split high pressure hose prevented him from diving. A quick reshuffle of dive buddies and everyone was off. For those doing surface cover, the seals were inquisitive coming right up to the RIBS. By all accounts everyone had good seal encounters with fin nibbles. One diver even apparently had a seal looping through their legs. Vis about 5m.

Returning to harbour, Tarryn made a quick get away back to Edinburgh, while the rest of us stayed for another days diving. A meal was had in Seahouses just up from the harbour. Spent the night in the bunkhouse (old converted tackroom) at Annstead Farm Holiday Accommodation. 3 high bunkbeds, and musical beds in the middle of the night. Who were those snorers????

An early morning start on the Sunday to catch slack water, to dive the Somali. On site and there was a bit of confusion about the site. Believing the wreck to be buoyed, a buoy was observed not far from the co-ordinates on the GPS. First wave kitted up and over the side we went. As one of the SQSAC members gave us a ribbing later on after hearing the story – NOT onto the biggest wreck near the Farnes at 500 feet long and weighing 6000 tons, but onto a 1 meter by 0.5meter lobster pot. It wasssssss a nice string of pots. Rocky bottom, dead man fingers and a few crabs. Doing a search in the hope of coming across the wreck we gave up and had a bit of a mooch about, before ascending. We tried again dropping a shot on the GPS co-ordinates we had, and sent the second wave of divers in. Again they surfaced reporting no wreck, but a couple of pieces of metal with a few rivets. A bit disappointed we headed back to harbour.

Looking at a four hour wait until the next slack water to try diving with seals out at Knifestones, it was decided to dive back around at the Blue Caps as the site was not so tidal, so we could get away earlier. Like the previous day, Debbie and I were sitting the second dive out, so all divers went in as one wave. All who were diving reported having even better seal encounters than the first day. The current was flowing a bit faster than the previous days dive at this site, and we were picking divers up at the corner of Big Harcar. Paul and Will had their DSMB up around Big Harcar, but while doing a safety stop the current carried them into Pipers Gut and they took off like a shot. No problem following them or picking them up, but does show how quickly the currents flow around the Farnes and the need to carry a DSMB.

Not a bad weekend. We only dived one of the four planned sites, AND THEY WERE GREAT CRAY POTS!! Yes it was disappointing not to dive the Somali, but the main goal was to dive with seal’s and everyone who did dive these sites, had some sort of interaction with them.

Big thank you to Debbie and Ally, and Gavin and Lorna for towing the RIBs. Without their help the weekend would never have gone ahead. Also thanks to all who helped out with advice behind the scenes. Having a go at organising a RIB trip was a big learning curve.

Nathan

Watch this space. Debbie organised a second attempt for the Somali two weeks after this trip.