David and Molly the Collie left last Tuesday after a visit which I enjoyed very much. David came up when I knew that I was going to have The Thing removed from my neck. It was good having the company and David is a very good cook! The weather was pretty atrocious for most of the time they were here and given the gale force winds combined with an unfavourable tide I was surprised that the ferry left Stornoway for the morning sail. As it was it was rough. You always know that it's going to be bad when the ferry, MV Isle of Lewis, comes past my house going North up The Minch.
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| Travelling North |
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| Turning South to run with the wind and tide to Ullapool |
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ReplyDeleteAdrian the MV Loch Seaforth is sitting in Greenock. She cannot start on the run because the two ports have not yet finished all the work needed for her to come into service. It's looking as if it could be next March they way things are going. Having said all that I think your comment was rather over the top even by your standards.
DeleteGraham, I'm sorry.
DeleteI don't Hate Germans but don't like people that are as arrogant as I am.
I'll look for a picture of her in Greenock. The Weegies will nick anything that is moveable. I'll leave it to you. Thank the good god they didn't drop her in Liverpool. The scousers would have had her engines away over night.
Told you a year ago that she wouldn't fit.
A Year , it was a year and a half ago I mentioned that there may be a cock up with the docking.
DeleteI could be on mega bucks as a consultant to ferry docks. Multi mega bucks if I had advised against the Krauts building it.
They only work one week in two and rely on Polish welders to fill time.
It should be up and running. I can't believe you defend the delay.
Who is paying for all this?
I'm not defending the delay Adrian. I neither need to nor want to. I'm as irritated as anyone. The ferry has been delivered rather late but that is fairly academic given that the pier works aren't ready. The fact that the works were needed was known from the inception but there have been various problems and delays and they seem to be ongoing.
DeleteGraham, I'll not fall out over a funny foreign built ferry.
DeleteNot when it's Remembrance Sunday.
It is hard to credit that when I came over to see you that it was obvious to me a big ferry would not fit. Not one with an offset loading ramp. Who asked for it? Some f..k wit on a big backhander no doubt. No worries that is government.
Welcome back! Rough crossing for David but a visit to Lewis is worth any rough crossing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. It's been a busy few weeks and a combination of that and poor internet access my Blogland life has been quite quiet recently.
DeleteIt is amazing how the ferry functions even in dismal weather!! I love stormy rains and rough weather but only when there is a fire by your side. I love to huddle in warm clothes with all the family in the same room and eating and chatting away...
ReplyDeleteRuby if the ferry didn't run in bad weather we'd spend a lot of time not getting on and off the Island. We are out in the Atlantic with a propensity for gales (and occasionally hurricanes). It's 2005/6 since I spent a winter anywhere and so I shall have to get used to making the most of the long winter evenings and give thanks for the fact that I am warm inside despite the wind and the rain outside.
DeleteAnd that is the reason I fly across Cook Strait....always!
ReplyDeleteOn the whole Fiona bad weather on a crossing doesn't bother me much. I need my car when I'm on the mainland so it's a necessity anyway.
DeleteThe thought popped into my head when I saw your photos that neither man nor beast should be out in that weather. I wonder if the rough crossing bothers Molly at all? So glad to hear you are well after The Thing.
ReplyDeletePauline it was rough but David and I have sailed in worse. Nowadays the ferry is cancelled when the sea gets any worse than that and, indeed, the afternoon sailings didn't take place.
DeleteThat was really rough. I don't think I'd want to be on that one.
ReplyDeleteI'm a good sailor Red but I'm glad that I wasn't on it.
DeleteHow bad does it have to be before they stop running the ferry? This looks pretty bad enough for my liking. Glad everyone made the journey in one piece (and reasonably dry, I hope).
ReplyDeleteMeike it has to get just a little bit worse than that. The next sailing was cancelled. David and Molly survived fit and well.
DeleteThe Minch sounds like a rude term. I bet that Adrian coined the word so that he could say salacious things like "I went up The Minch last night" and "I love it when The Minch is rough".
ReplyDeleteYP, I would have thought an English teacher would know how to spell Minge.
DeleteNever mind the crossing, tho that looked awful. More importantly, how's the neck?
ReplyDeleteThe neck's good thanks Frances. I get the stitches out tomorrow. The nurses who have seen it have both admired the surgeon's handiwork.
DeleteThanks for posting those as still photos rather than videos.... I hope David (and Molly) does not mind a rough crossing any more than you do.
ReplyDeleteMonica the boat was too far away for videos really. David and Molly are good sailors. Just don't ask Molly to be in a car when it goes over a cattle grid. She hates that.
DeleteI'd hate that too! Luckily we don't have a lot of cattle grids around town (= none at all!) ... but the bumps at some pedestrian crossings (to make cars slow down) are bad enough (for my neck)!
DeleteI wouldn't want to be on that ferry. What a rough ride!
ReplyDeleteI'm not too keen on cattle grates, or anything else too bumpy since my car accident & the residual neck injury. I hope your neck is healing well.
Glad that David and Molly made it back okay....that crossing looks like an awful bumpy ride.
ReplyDeleteI'm now all caught up with your blog.
DeleteVirginia I noticed your comments coming in. I shall now pop back and moderate the ones over two weeks old.
Delete