Saturday 01/07/06

The cycling father and son who arrived yesterday on their bikes are due to leave on the early ferry. Dad was OK by all accounts, but son found it necessary to behave as we've just crawled out of the peatbog. Mrs B got her own back by being very accommodating, giving them a breakfast at 6.15 am, but otherwise maintaining a glacial silence. Cyclists are slowly sliding down the popularity scale, although one should never generalise. The Swiss chap had a nice walk in Ness, going down to Cuidhsiadar and the ruined chapel at Filiscleitir. He is off to Tolsta this morning. As I finally haul myself out of bed, another Antarctic research vessel, the James Clark Ross sails into port. The Internet website reveals that she is due to go on trials with a remotely operated [submarine] vehicle ROV, called ISIS. This is a research project from the University of Southampton. Her next trip, in 14 days, will take her to Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen for a month's expedition, to leave for the Antarctic in September. In the month of June I've taken 594 pictures. In the Western Pacific, Tropical Storm Ewiniar is making waves, but she's far from land. Just as we're having lunch, the sound of the helicopter becomes noticeable. The helicopter is right outside the house, hovering over the basin. Hotel Lima is tending to a yachtsman that we noticed earlier, struggling to control his boat in the force 6 winds. His boat lies overturned, and a winchman is going down to assist the hapless sailor. Newton Street very quickly fills up with spectators, the police are in attendance, directing traffic and all who are outside are drenched by the water which the helicopter's updraft is spraying around. The yachtsman manages to make dry land under his own steam - his own two legs. Meanwhile, the wrecked boat lies on its side in the basin, and slowly drifts towards its mouth. The lifeboat moves to the mouth of the basin and launches a dinghy. There is a sandbar across the basin, which makes it impossible for boats to leave it at low tide, and the tide is falling right now. The wreck is towed to Goat Island, where the damage is assessed. The boat is not holed, so it's left anchored on a mooring. I head into town for some shopping, and another yacht sails. She has some difficulty tacking through the wind. I go to the ferry terminal to watch theJames Clark Ross being loaded. Town centre is pretty busy. Cloud increases through the afternoon, but temperatures reach a nice 20C / 68F. Odd drops of rain fall, leading to a sharp shower around 8pm.