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? ? ? ? r r r r e e e e t t t t kind of grading scheme is long overdue for small boats, such as ours, offering liveaboard t t t t experiences. The good news is that VisitScotland has been applying itself to this very task e e e e l l l l and today we had a visit from a Quality Assurance advisor as we had asked if we could be s s s s involved in the setting up of an accreditation scheme. It's early stages but we feel strongly w w w w that the development of this scheme can only be of benefit to customers looking to make e e e e an informed choice about operators in what is a growing marketplace. n n n n
s s s s i i i i Fri 28 Oct | Eagle altercation The intrepid divers aboard Hjalmar Bjorge this weekend h h h h spent lunchtime today sheltering from the wind in Loch Drumbuie (Loch Sunart, opposite t t t t
Tobermory). They were rewarded by the sight of a pair of golden eagles and a pair of sea t t t t eagles. The guests were thrilled to see four eagles at once but the pairs seemed less n n n n i i i i happy to see each other! They were definitely squabbling over something, perhaps r r r r territory, which provided the divers with some fascinating extra-curricular lunch p p p p
entertainment. o o o o t t t t
Mon 31 Oct | Cheques? Check! You might know d d d d e e e e that Hannah and Mark decided to make a £5 donation e e e e to one of two local charities for every cruise guest n n n n
who booked on any of the three boats. The decision to y y y y undertake this pretty painless fundraising procedure l l l l l l l l arose from Hannah's involvement in a three year a a a a e e e e Nature Based Tourism project focusing on Sustainable r r r r
Tourism (see also 6 Oct). At a regional meeting with u u u u the other Scottish businesses we discussed the o o o o concept of —green-washing“ where companies pretend y y y y
to have ethical or sustainable policies. Whilst we do o o o o our very best to be as "green" as possible it occurred D D D D to Hannah that, as a business, she and Mark could do
a little more to help the local community on a very N N N N basic level. We decided to donate a fiver per head for E E E E each cruise guest who signed up and gave guests the E E E E option of doubling this by paying an additional £5. The excellent news is that we have R R R R just paid £550 to Argyll Animal Aid and £810 to Oban Mountain Rescue Team. G G G G
Photo: Kirsty Dalby K K K K Special thanks to those kind-hearted passengers this year who also paid £5 to the N N N N I I I I charities. We're continuing this fundraising for future cruises so here's hoping your name is H H H H here next year! The 2005 Hall of Fame… T T T T
Tony & Sarah Cruxton Chris Robb Duncan & Beverley Ferguson Harry WR Shave John & Kathie Fish Hugo Shellabear Gordon Galloway Archibald CK Smith Stephen Halliwell Ishbel & Imre Stumpf Alwyn Lewis Robert & Kendra Stumpf Geoff & Julie Machan John W Suckling Richard & Elizabeth Maddock Caroline Taylor Desmond & Brenda Murphy Tony & Val Vile Karen Murphy Alexa Walker Colin C Neasham Francis & Lyn Watts Richard J Pearce John & Jane Ann Williams
? ? ? ? m m m m Fri 18 Nov | 2 dozen dolphins Mark and Kirsty are taking Hjalmar Bjorge from Corpach e e e e down to Oban this morning to collect guests this evening for a weekend's dive charter. h h h h t t t t
They were extremely surprised, at 9.00am, to attract two dozen bow-riding common o o o o dolphin, right by Fort William. That means the pod has swum up Loch Linnhe, through the t t t t
Corran narrows and almost reached the very head of the loch. Not a location where we'd r r r r normally expect to see dolphins. What a great start to a freezing cold day! e e e e t t t t t t t t e e e e Sat 19 Nov | Awards awarded Those dolphins yesterday were certainly a good omen! l l l l Mark and Hannah whizzed up to Inverness last night to attend the first Highland Tourism s s s s Awards Dinner and were thrilled to win the "Green Highlands" Award. Sponsored by w w w w Scottish Natural Heritage this Award was open to "organisations and businesses which can e e e e demonstrate a commitment to Scotland‘s natural heritage. The judges are looking for n n n n
s s s s evidence of how businesses raise awareness and understanding about the natural i i i i heritage, green issues and local conservation with their staff." h h h h t t t t
l l l l i i i i a a a a m m m m e e e e
t t t t o o o o n n n n
y y y y h h h h W W W W
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s s s s d d d d We are delighted that this Award recognises our hard-working crews on the boats and n n n n their commitment to ensuring all our guests have the best possible experience onboard. e e e e i i i i We'd like to congratulate Fiona & Graeme Ambrose (Evergreen B&B, Inverfarigaig) who r r r r were Highly Commended in the "Green Highlands" category and also Freedom of the Glen f f f f
Hotels, based just down the road in Ballachulish, who were shortlisted. And so...back to y y y y reality...we drove back home from Inverness after the main ceremony was concluded, to n n n n a a a a roll into bed at 2.30am...getting up at 6.00am so Mark could begin his charter aboard
t t t t Hjalmar Bjorge this weekend. Special thanks to Chris Ireland (from Sea Otter), who o o o o babysat the boat last night, meeting and greeting our guests from Aberdeen as they G G G G arrived. Come to think of it we probably passed them on the road at some point in the 260 mile journey we undertook between the two of us yesterday (and that doesn't include boat travel from Corpach to Oban!). Photo: The Oban Times
Mon 28 Nov | Busy Lizzy (G) Rob set off for Mallaig Boatbuilding this morning aboard Elizabeth G. The vessel will be on the slip for about two weeks whilst the team at Mallaig
5 5 5 5 9 9 9 9 5 5 5 5 fit her new stabilisers. They are great big Wesmar stabs - just like the ones on Hjalmar 0 0 0 0 Bjorge - and anyone who has travelled on Elizabeth G and compared her with Hjalmar 4 4 4 4 Bjorge or Chalice will know what a fantastic difference stabilisers make. After the stabs are 7 7 7 7
fitted Elizabeth G is heading for the safety of Barcaldine where Rob and Chris Ireland will 1 1 1 1 recreate the extended superstructure that now exists on Hjalmar Bjorge. So, if anyone 3 3 3 3 who has been on Hjalmar Bjorge thinks we made any hideous mistakes with the 6 6 6 6 1 1 1 1 conversion, please tell us NOW, so we can get it right on Elizabeth G!!! 0 0 0 0
Tue 8 Dec | Roving Rachel We got a phone call today from Rachel Owens, who worked n n n n o o o o on Hjalmar Bjorge, whilst she had a brief stopover in the UK. Some of you will know that
Rachel left us to train as a Deck Officer in the Merchant Navy. So far she's been working h h h h a a a a on a supply vessel in the North Sea, a very big ship on the passage from Johannesburg to n n n n the Caribbean and now she's off to join a another very big ship working in the Gulf. In n n n n between the stints at sea she has been studying at Fleetwood Nautical College and has a a a a excelled at all her exams. Rachel says she's looking forward to getting her skipper's ticket H H H H and taking over the Hjalmar Bjorge...
l l l l l l l l a a a a Fri 9 Dec | Elizabeth G is stabbed Check out c c c c
proud owner Rob Barlow (that's him in the filthy e e e e boiler suit!!!) showing off Elizabeth G's new s s s s a a a a stabilisers. These won't change the vessel's amazing e e e e l l ability to get out to remotes islands such as St Kilda l l p p p p but they will make the journey much more
s s s s comfortable in lumpy seas. Any of you who have t t t t travelled aboard Hjalmar Bjorge or Chalice (both of n n n n which are stabilised) will appreciate the difference e e e e they make. Photo: Jamie Barlow m m m m m m m m Thu 15 Dec | Diving dolphins The last few weeks haven't been terribly newsworthy o o o o although Elizabeth G is now off the slip with all her stabiliser bits in place. Today, though, c c c c
divers aboard Hjalmar Bjorge were rewarded by the sight of a dozen bottle-nosed dolphins r r r r off Lochaline. As usual they did some bow-riding and a lot of excitable leaping around. We o o o o
think the majority of our guests witnessed this spectacle though it has to be said at least s s s s one was in bed with a hangover! n n n n o o o o i i i i The pre-Christmas diving weekend is always a special trip involving (if possible) more food t t t t s s s s and drink than usual, with guests contributing various bottles to the onboard bar. There e e e e were at least eight bottles of port lined up on the servery last night when Hannah left u u u u them all to it in Corpach. Whether they are all still intact is anyone's guess... q q q q
y y y y Thu 22 Dec | Phone purchase We got an email today from Oban Mountain Rescue n n n n Team telling us how they spent our donation made at the end of the cruising season (see a a a a
news 31 October). It reads, "the money enabled us to purchase a satellite phone as large e e e e areas of our patch do not receive normal mobile coverage and as I'm sure you can v v v v a a a a understand from being on the boat good communications are vital for both safety and h h h h efficiency of operation." Whilst some people coming for a cruise are delighted that mobile
u u u u phone coverage is patchy to say the least, and others actively welcome the break from o o o o their portable offices and "the real world", we can all appreciate there are scenarios when y y y y
a lack of communication is positively life-threatening. f f f f I I I I We're thrilled OMRT put the donation to such good use and look forward - with help from our guests - to giving another decent donation to OMRT and Argyll Animal Aid again next year.
! ! ! ! s s s s a a a a Sun 25 Dec | Merry Christmas We'd like to wish m m m m all our customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy & t t t t s s s s Healthy New Year. This is extended to everyone who i i i i has travelled with us before and all of you who could r r r r h h h h be future guests! Thanks to everyone who has sent C C C C us Christmas cards; they are all appreciated. One of
y y y y them is shown right - a painting inspired by a view r r r r of the Cuillins from Loch Scavaig created by r r r r Rosemary who enjoyed a holiday aboard Chalice in e e e e the summer. Inside her card Rosemary noted, "The M M M M memory of our wonderful holiday is still so fresh." Will it be you enjoying such a cruise in 2006...? Photo: Rosemary Wagner
Northern Light Charters, Achnacraig, Achindarroch, Duror of Appin, Argyll PA38 4BS Tel: +44 (0)1631 740595 | www.northernlight-uk.com | [email protected]