HEBRIDEAN ISSUE TWTENTYI EIGMHT • SPREING S2018 TIMES Issue 28.pdf · cruises, one of which will be a ‘Footloose’ walking itinerary. The return voyage from Invergordon to Oban

ClassicalInspiration

Treasures ofNormandy & the

Channel Isles

european RiverCruising with

Martin Bell

HEBRIDEAN TIMESISSUE TWENTY EIGHT • SPRING 2018

The

1 9 8 9 - 2 0 1 8

CELEBRATING

SEASONS

Cover image: Tower Bridge, London

THE HEBRIDEAN TIMES

2

News in Brief 4-5Farewell to Captain Bailey

Crew News

Countryfile Live

2017 Results

New for 2019

Refit Update 6-7

Maritime History at its Best 8-9Rear Admiral John Lippiett

European River Cruising 10-11on Royal CrownMartin Bell OBE

Classical Inspiration 12-13

Where are we going - 14Holland or The Netherlands?Sheila Salmon

View from the Bridge 15Kirk Blacker, First Officer

Competition 16

15

7

12-13

CONTENTS

Isle of Bute, Balcony Cabin

Dry Dock Classical Inspiration

On Board Shop

If you have travelled on ahebridean River Cruise and wouldlike the chance to see your work in

print, please send us anyphotographs which you feel may besuitable for use in our brochures or

other promotional material.

Images taken on board Royal Crown or on a hebrideanexcursion would be welcome.

Photographs should be at least 1mb in size and submitted by email,

CD or memory stick to our office in Skipton.

We will require information on thedestination or subject of the picture

and entries are submitted on thebasis that copywright is released.

Any images used in futurepublications will be acknowledged.

Please send email entries to:[email protected]

SEND USYOUR SNAPS

www.hebridean.co.uk

SPRING 2018

33

Welcome to the Spring 2018 edition of The Hebridean Times

As our 30th anniversary season begins, we are

already looking forward to the prospect of warmer

weather during our summer out of area cruises.

During late July and August a series of five exciting

voyages of discovery will allow guests to explore

the diversity of the British Isles, Northern France

and Belgium. Rear Admiral John Lippiett will be

joining our ‘Treasures of Normandy and the

Channel Isles’ cruise as guest speaker and writes

about the highlights on pages 8 and 9. Our brain

teasing quiz, on the back cover, will test your

knowledge of some of the islands included on

these fascinating itineraries.

Our continued programme of refurbishment has

seen a further 12 guest cabins and 10 bathrooms

renovated this winter and you can see the stunning

results on pages 6 and 7.

Popular guest speaker Martin Bell will be joining

the cruise ‘From Bavaria to the Moselle’ on board

Royal Crown, commencing 13th July this year and

has kindly shared his memories from his last river

cruise with us two years ago.

I do hope you take pleasure perusing this edition

of The Hebridean Times and that we have the

opportunity to welcome you on board

Hebridean Princess during her pearl anniversary

season, or on the majestic European waterways on

Royal Crown.

Louise Pratt

Hebridean Times Editor

6

10-11Martin Bell on board Royal Crown

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fAReWeLL TO CAPTAIN TRevOR BAILey

CReW NeWS

We are pleased to announce that Steven Grant, Second Officer, has

successfully completed his Chief Mates exams. Steven is now qualified to

stand in as First Officer as and when required.

We would like to congratulate Sian Price who has been promoted to

Second Officer, and Doreen Thomson who re- joins us this season in the dual

role of Purser and Food & Beverage Manager.

We wish Steven, Sian and Doreen all the very best for the

forthcoming season as they settle into their new roles.

It is with fondness that we say farewell to Captain Trevor Bailey.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Trevor has worked as part of the Hebridean team since 1999 and as Master of

Hebridean Princess since 2014.

He started his sea-going career in 1971 with BP Tanker Co. Ltd and gained his

Master’s Certificate in 1982 and was promoted to Master in 1984. After service in

tankers, container and RoRo container vessels, he joined Sealink British Ferries in

1988. Serving on board ‘conventional’ vessels as Master and Senior Master from

1992, he also worked on various high-speed craft, serving as the first Training

Master on board HSS Stena Explorer from 1996 to 1998.

Towards the end of the 2017 season, Trevor made the decision to retire from his

role in order to spend more time with his family, in particular his elderly father.

Trevor, along with his warm sense of humour, will be missed by many colleagues

and guests that got to know him so well over the years.

Our very best wishes are extended to Trevor and his wife, Lynda, for the future.

Twofold congratulations go to Egon Emr who has not only been

promoted to Public Room Supervisor, but also became a father

earlier this year. Egon, and his partner Joanna, welcomed a baby

boy, Oliver, on 30th January weighing in at 5lb 1oz.

Captain Trevor Bailey

Steven Grant Sian Price Doreen Thomson

Egon EmrBaby Oliver

www.hebridean.co.uk

SPRING 2018

5

vISIT uS ATCOuNTRyfILe LIve, BLeNheIM PALACe,

OxfORDShIRe

5

From 2nd to 5th August, Hebridean IslandCruises will once again be exhibiting atCountryfile Live.

Packed with wholesome countryside fun, BBC Countryfile

Live returns to the beautiful grounds of Blenheim Palace

for four days of live arena shows, hands on activities,

animal displays, debates, food, drink and shopping.

With a whole host of exciting new attractions for 2018, the

show brings together everything visitors cherish about our

countryside, from wildlife and farming, to outdoor pursuits

and food, for everyone to enjoy.

We look forward to seeing you there.

We are in the final stages of planning our 2019Hebridean Princess cruise itinerary schedule inpreparation for the launch of our brochure in thenext few weeks.

Next year Hebridean Princess will return to the Northern

Isles of Orkney and Shetland for a series of four fascinating

cruises, one of which will be a ‘Footloose’ walking itinerary.

The return voyage from Invergordon to Oban is scheduled

to be a brand new whisky themed cruise and will include

distillery visits on Orkney.

Other themed itineraries include art, golf, wildlife,

gardens, classical music and a total of four ‘Footloose’

walking cruises.

We are also scheduled to make a maiden port of call to the

privately-owned Isle of Carna. This historic, 600 acre gem

sits surrounded by the rich coastal waters of Loch Sunart.

With only 3 houses, no roads or traffic, no telephones, no

TV or internet, Carna hosts a mosaic of different habitats

and species of wildlife, many of them protected.

NeW fOR 2019

In 2017 Hebridean Princess guests told us that:

99% had an enjoyable holiday;

98.5% would consider cruising on Hebridean Princess again;

98% would recommend Hebridean Princess to others.

Percentages are based on our 2017 cruising season and are calculated

from the total number of returned After Cruise Questionnaires.

The ReSuLTS ARe IN

Skara Brae, Orkney

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THE HEBRIDEAN TIMES

6

During this winter refit period, wehave continued with ourprogramme of cabin

refurbishment. Once again we haveworked closely with interior designersSally and Lynsey from John Dick and Sonsto transform 12 guest cabins on board.

Continuing with the subtle Scottish feel created in

the public areas and previously refurbished cabins,

locally manufactured fabrics have been used

including plaid and Harris Tweed. Complementary

colours and textures give each cabin its own

individual identity and luxurious fabrics give a

comfortable yet contemporary ambience.

The Isle of Arran suite now boasts wallpaper and

fabric featuring vintage parchment maps, a world

globe inset in the coffee table and an elegant sage

green and sand colour scheme.

In addition, a total of 10 guest cabins have been

fitted with brand new bathrooms using quality

sanitary ware and brass fittings.

REFIT UPDATE

Isle of Arran Suite, Day Room

Isle of Arran Suite, Bedroom

Lews Castle

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SPRING 2018

7

A further transformation you will notice is the on board shop. During the winter new

stock has been sourced from local suppliers and is now attractively displayed in our

wee shop.

We have even had a bespoke range of bow ties and cufflinks created by the Edinburgh

Bow Tie Company from our very own Hebridean tartan as well as an exclusive range of

mens engraved leather wallets, supplied locally by Leather Guild.

To complement this for the ladies we had Lady Crow tartan silk scarves with beautiful

pewter brooches, Sheila Fleet Jewellery, Leather Guild Tweed and leather handbags

and purses plus a fine selection of Scottish toiletries and confectionery.

We are sure you will be tempted by the new array of mementos and souvenirs to take

home for yourself or your loved ones.

Isle of Raasay New Bathroom

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embarking in the Pool of London, outboard of HMS Belfast, the veteran of the Battle of the North Cape,we will immediately get the very best views of the Cityand Tower, and as we proceed down river we can absorbthe importance of the Thames as the country’s mostimportant maritime highway since prehistoric times. TheNational Maritime Museum at Greenwich gives us theopportunity to explore the world’s largest maritimemuseum, brimming over with stories of human endeavour,exploration, warfare and science. The nearby clipper, Cutty Sark and the magnificent Royal Observatory in thepark above the museum, are also well worth a visit, as isthe Queen’s house with its outstanding display of art.

Sailing through the impressive Thames Barrier, we makeour way down the river for a visit to Chatham historicDockyard where more treats are in store. We can climbover HMS Gannet, a sloop of 1878 that operated at theheight of Pax Britannica, HMS Cavalier, a destroyer datingback to 1944, and HMS Ocelot, a submarine from the Cold

This August seesHebridean Princessdepart from London

on an exciting itinerary ofexploration that will give usa splendid insight intomaritime and military historyspanning many centuries.

We will have the opportunity to explore a widevariety of exceptional museums and historicbuildings, and learn much about our heritage.

MARITIME HISTORY AT ITS BEST

honfleur

PORTLAND

Dover

GUERNSEY

CherbourgHonfleur

English Channel

Greenwich Museum

ALDERNEY

LONDON

Chatham

Boulogne-sur-Mer

SARK

City Tour andCathedral

Dover Castle

River Thames Cruise

Chatham Docks

St Catherine’sChurch

Utah Beach and

Sainte-Mère-Église

WORLD

HERITAGEby Rear Admiral John Lippiett

www.hebridean.co.uk

SPRING 2018

9

TREASURES OF NORMANDYAND THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

8th to 17th August 2018John Lippiett will be accompanying

this cruise as guest speaker.Prices from £5,490 per person

based on 2 people sharing an inside double/twin cabin

War. Other exhibitions ashore will give you a greater feelof one of her Majesty’s fine dockyards, including animpressive ropewalk that is still in use today. While we willadmire the outstanding exhibition about the shipwrightswho built HMS Victory, we will be reminded that theMedway was the scene of Britain’s biggest naval defeat. In 1667, the Dutch fleet arrived off the Dockyard and,finding the fleet decommissioned, captured the flagshipRoyal Charles and sank many other warships.

Our next port of call, Dover, provides us with the chanceto explore the iconic castle that has guarded the gatewayto our country for 900 years. We will explore the GreatTower and its display of a medieval palace, and have theopportunity to dive down into the secret tunnels, recentlyopened to visitors, that housed the crucial headquartersfor conducting naval operations in the wars of the lastcentury. The evacuation of the British and french troopsfrom Dunkirk in 1940 was, perhaps, the finest hour of thecastle’s long history.

Crossing the busy shipping lanes of the Dover Straits, wearrive in Boulogne-sur-Mer where we will wander thehistoric streets and admire the medieval fortifications thatreflect the turbulent past of this strategically importantport. It was occupied on numerous occasions by theenglish; henry vIII’s capture of it in 1544 led directly to thefrench attack on Portsmouth the following year, resultingin the sinking of his flagship the Mary Rose.

Once in honfleur, we have the opportunity to explore thisancient, picturesque fishing port and its fabulous church,built by shipwrights! Another church that later awaits us isin Sainte-Mère-Èglise which, together with the AirborneMuseum there, gives us a first class introduction to the D-Day operations, a useful introduction before we visitutah Beach to see where much heroic action took place inJune 1944.

Our final couple of days take us to three of the ChannelIslands, where we will experience a delightfully differentpace of life and scenery, whilst taken on guided tours.finally, arriving at Portland – itself an important base andfortress for the nation, we can reflect on the engrossingand thoroughly enjoyable visits that have enlightened andentertained us during this wonderful cruise.

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THE HEBRIDEAN TIMES

RIVER CRUISING ON ROYAL CROWN

Since I am no longer sent off to the warzones at short notice, I am in the happyposition of being able to pick my

destinations at my leisure. Not all invitations areaccepted by any means. Some years ago I twicedeclined to appear on Strictly Come Dancing – a wise decision, in my case.But 2 years ago I was asked by Hebridean to jointheir Royal Crown cruise on the River Danube –and I had the time of my life.Part of it was the ship itself, with its old-fashioned blend ofpolished decks, brass fittings and magnificently appointedcabins. Part of it was meeting some wonderful people witha real interest in the recent troubled history of the Balkans.Some of them said afterwards that the experience hadchanged them.

If you fancy casinos and night clubs, lounging on beaches,this is not for you. But if you want a cruise which is also anadventure and a learning experience, and from which youcome out better informed than you went in, then it mightbe just your stretch of water. And bring a notebook or asketch pad, so your memories can be somehow stored on paper.

It is as far from ocean cruising as you can imagine. Westopped at a new river port every day, from Budapest toBelgrade, each with its singular history. The Iron Gates, a

mountain gorge which we passed through, is the mostbeautiful waterway in the whole of europe. The banks ofthe Danube are mostly pristine and undeveloped, exceptfor the high ground. We passed forests and shallows withthe most amazing bird life. And if you are of a nervousdisposition, you are always within reach of dry land. Nolifeboats are necessary!

And by the way, Johann Strauss was colour blind. TheDanube for the most part is not blue at all but all sorts ofother and interesting colours. And as it flows and windsthrough hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria Ican assure you that there is not a dull sight to be seen onthe whole length of it.

I am not a tour guide and knew little about the PaprikaMuseum in hungary. But I stood on the upper deck topoint out the principal landmarks of the Croatian river portof vukovar, destroyed by the Serbs after a 90 day siege inNovember 1991. I was with them for days on end whenthey destroyed it. Much of the town has been rebuilt, but acorner shop with flowers growing inside the ruins remainsas shrine to the tragedy of war. In an evening lecture onboard Royal Crown, I showed some of the footage of thetime, and explained what it was like to be there. And in theBosnian War too, which followed it as night follows day.Then it was news. Now it is history, and I lived it for five years.

by Martin Bell OBE

Relaxing on the Sun Deck

www.hebridean.co.uk

SPRING 2018

11

I also wrote poetry about it – well, poetry of a sort, andhad a book of my verses published. So be warned – I offernot only three lectures during the cruise but a poetryrecital. I am one of the few passengers who decides not todisembark everywhere. So I wrote a poem about it:

If you are a lecturer on a big ship, you find someonewhom you want to avoid (always a man, in myexperience!). But on Royal Crown that is not a problem,for you will be among like-minded people.

Nor do I hide away. If anyone wants further information orreminiscences of the wars, I can talk till your eyes glazeover! I can usually be found on the upper deck, andoccasionally with something distilled and Scottish in myhand. The hebridean hospitality remains the same fromone end of europe to the other.

I look forward to the cruise from Bavaria to the Moselle inJuly, and hope you will join me.

Martin Bell

FROM BAVARIA TO THE MOSELLE

13th July to 24th July 2018

Prices from £4,440 per person based on 2 people sharing a

deluxe twin cabin

I thought as I clutched my Vodka Smirnoff

The secret to successful cruising

Even with only moderate boozing

Is knowing when not to get off.

And I wrote another about the sort of cruise this isn’t:

If this is Monday, it’s Livorno,

And raining stair rods, no bon giorno.

Cruising’s for those who dodge the coroners

And travel without meeting foreigners.

If dismal weather’s all one needs,

We might as well have stayed in Leeds.

The Royal Crown is not at all like that.

On Board Lecture Wine Tasting excursion

The beauty of Scotland’s Highlands andIslands has inspired numerous artists,composers and musicians, most famously thedramatic cathedral-like Fingal’s Cave on Staffa,immortalised by Mendelssohn and J M Turner toname but two. This cruise uncovers the talent oflocal musicians and artists who have also beenstimulated by the unique atmosphere of theenvirons in which they live.

The Crinan Hotel is a renowned gallery venue wherecontemporary artists Frances Macdonald and her son RossRyan regularly exhibit. Frances is unrivalled in her ability tocapture the true character and drama of the landscapesand coastline in Argyll and the Western Isles. From herstudio and the hotel overlooking the Corryvreckan, thereare inspirational views across the water to the north end ofJura, to Scarba, the mountains of Mull and the greatexpanse of the North Atlantic. Wonderfully in touch withher subject matter, Frances is immersed in hersurroundings and can convey their every nuance to theviewer.

Ross Ryan grew up in the small fishing village of Crinanand graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.When he is not travelling the globe or sailing, Ross worksfrom his print studio in the Old Boathouse at the CrinanFerry in changing mediums; fully equipped for Collograph,Monoprinting, Etching and Woodcut prints, this is whereRoss creates his print series and develops new projects.

The Resipole Studio is an award-winning fine art galleryand unique exhibition space which hosts an exciting annual

programme of exhibitionsand workshops

of Scottish contemporary art that is both emerging andestablished. The gallery was launched in 2004 by AndrewSinclair. An arts graduate himself, Andrew recognised theneed for a professional gallery space and studio facilities toenable resident and visiting artists to access high qualityresources in a truly inspirational Highland setting.

Since its launch, Resipole Studio continues to present workby artists of many disciplines, with Scotland as their keyfocus. With many award-winning artists on its roster, thegallery is regarded as one of Scotland’s leadingcontemporary art spaces.

Every July the beautiful Hebridean island of Islay is hometo Cantilena’s professional musicians and students of theRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland who bring together theirunique sound of chamber music to residents and visitors,

with many of the concerts being held in the famousIslay Malt Whisky distilleries. To this

romantic island, Cantilena bringswonderful music from the dazzling

virtuosity of Vivaldi and Bach,through the romantic

sophistication of Beethoven andSchubert, right up to the

challenges of moderncomposers.

OBAN

Port Ellen

ISLAY

JURA

COLONSAY

COLL

TIREE

IONA

CrinanCrinan Gallery

Tayvallich

LaphroaigDistillery

ColonsayHouse Gardens

Iona Abbey

STAFFAFingal’s Cave

Tobermory

MULLCraignure

DuartCastle

KilchoanArdnamurchan

LighthouseSalenResipole Studios

Islay HouseSquare

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CLASSICAL INSPIRATION - 3rd July to 10th July 2018

MUS

IC and ARTS

INTEREST

fingal’s Cave, Isle of Staffa

The professional musicians involved in the CantilenaFestival are driven by a powerful desire to share theirpassionate love of music-making with an emerginggeneration of young musicians.

The German composer Mendelssohn visited Scotland in1829 when he was 20 years old. It was the naturalbeauty of Scotland and its rich history of fact and fablethat delighted the young composer and inspired theScottish Symphony, including the Hebrides Overture andFingal’s Cave.

Some 150 years later the remarkable violinist LeonardFriedman, based in Edinburgh, conceived a musicalpilgrimage in commemoration of Mendelssohn’s visit.With the first such event in 1988, Leonard inaugurated aweek of music-making, concentrating on string chambermusic, where the participants were a blend ofestablished professionals and students at whichaudiences were welcome at no cost.

Today, the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival has retained itsshape, despite the changing nature of artistic direction,musical mentoring and student participation. Thevenues in which the concerts are held are extraordinary,including the rugged splendour of Duart Castle, whichhelps to explain why these concerts have built a nationalfollowing.

Our Classical cruise also takes us to Islay House Square,the exotic woodland gardens of Colonsay House, thesacred iconic Iona Abbey, the awe-inspiring Fingal’s Caveand the ancient Duart Castle. Experience all of this,interspersed with musical interludes and breathtakingscenery, all from the luxury of our floating country househotel, Hebridean Princess.

www.hebridean.co.uk 13

Prices from £3,885 per person based on 2 people sharing an

inside double/twin cabin

Resipole Studios fine Art Gallery

Crinan hotel Gallery

Work by frances Macdonald

Cantilena festival

SPRING 2018

Sorry for any confusion but it is areasonable question which is frequentlyasked? To be honest, both are correct in a

way – nowadays North and South Holland formtwo counties or provinces of The Netherlands,but from the 10th century to the 16th century,Holland proper was a unified political region, acounty ruled by the Counts of Holland. TheKingdom of the Netherlands first appeared in1579 and since that time this has been the officialname for the country which now boasts 12provinces. However, even the tourist boardseems confused!

What else is there to learn about this near neighbour – wellfrankly there is nowhere else like The Netherlands. A smallcountry which delivers an historic and cultural experiencefar outweighing its size!

In 2018 Hebridean River Cruises is offering two contrastingcruises around this fascinating nation – and in a countrywhere one fifth of the total area is water, and one third liesbelow sea level – a river cruise seems the logical way totravel.

The first of our cruises in mid-May will be concentrating inpart on Dutch maritime and military history when theDutch East India Company ruled the seas and generatedenormous fortunes enabling the merchants who hadinvested, to build houses with ornamented façades thatbefitted their new status. Evidence of this can be found,not only in Amsterdam, but also in the beautiful town ofEnkhuizen.

Never heard of any of the towns on our first cruise –Naarden, Lemmer, Enkhuizen? Never been to Alkmaar orHaarlem? Once seen, their charm and seafaring flair willremain an abiding memory. Too frequently, we are onlydrawn to the big names, where their obvious attractionsare rightfully well known, but whenever we visit these

lesser known towns our guests are often astounded – “Whyhave we not heard of these places – they are delightful”.So, well worth taking a look!

The second consecutive cruise in late May/early June doeshave some big names. In the 19th century the UnitedNetherlands also included the area which we now know asBelgium and so, we can happily include Bruges and Ghentin our itinerary in addition to The Hague and Amsterdam.Our theme here will be the Golden Age of Dutch andFlemish Art – with emphasis on the artistic achievementsof such giants as The Van Eyck Brothers, Rembrandt, FransHals and Vermeer. Both cruises will also give you animpression of The Netherlands’ age-old fight against thesea as we cruise through some of the amazing network ofwaterways which epitomise the country – both natural andman-made. There is of course the phrase whichencapsulates this, “God created the world but the Dutchmade Holland” and here again we are back where we started!

WHERE ARE WE GOING - HOLLAND OR THE NETHERLANDS?

LAND OF WATERWAYS AND WINDMILLS20th May to 27th May 2018

HISTORIC CITIES OF THE LOW LANDS27th May to 3rd June 2018

Prices from £2,825 per person based on 2 people sharing a deluxe twin cabin

by Sheila Salmon, Cruise Director forHebridean River Cruises

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THE HEBRIDEAN TIMES

14

Alkmaar Cheese Market

Zaanse Schans Open Air Museum

As I write this we aremoored

alongside at CustomHouse Quay,Greenock, and theship’s crew is in full‘refit’ mode readyfor the comingmonths.

Refit is the period whenthe ship does not haveany guests on board and

does not sail. Instead we have a very busy schedule ofplanned works, routine maintenance on critical equipmentand machinery, surveys and inspections by regulatingauthorities and guest cabin upgrades and refurbishments.

Once the cruising season is over the ship will nominally bemoored alongside for a period of one or two weeksenabling the crew to carefully shutdown all non-essentialservices in preparation for a busy couple of months. Inshutting down the ship we will be laying protection downto preserve carpets and soft furnishings, pictures will betaken down and stored or covered up. Furniture fromaround the ship will be stowed neatly in the Tiree Loungeand Dave Indge's joke book will be put into the ships safe!

Where required, our life saving equipment is made readyfor annual servicing and the Bridge equipment is switchedoff. The paper charts will be maintained throughout thewinter along with our Electronic Chart Display andInformation System or ECDIS.

Anything that is not bolted down in the restaurant will besafely stored for the winter and the home-made tabletennis table will be set up, much to the delight of the crew.

All seasonal staff will shortly be leaving the ship and in thecoming days we will be going into dry dock, just downriver at the Garvel ship yard.

During shutdown the Engineering Officers have alreadystarted their routine engine servicing so we will be movinginto the dock as what is known as being ‘dead ship’ as weare unable to proceed under our own power. During themove we will be entirely dependent on the skill, knowledgeand experience of the local Clyde pilot and the tug driversto get us safely into position at the entrance to the drydock, under the close supervision of the Bridge team of course.

We will be using two tugs, one forward and one aft. We willtake tug lines and make them fast on our mooring stationsand once this is done we will gracefully be pulled andpushed into position ready to manoeuvre ourselves intothe dock.

When entering the drydock the ship is floatedin and then the dockgates are closedbehind us. The water ispumped untileventually the shipgently touches downonto the pre-arrangedwooden blocks at thebottom of the dock.

Once the dock isempty and the safetyfamiliarisation for allremaining Officers andcrew on board hastaken place the hardwork really begins.

One of the first jobsthat usually happens isthe ship will get agood high pressurewash down in readiness for painting. This is a very noisyjob and as you can imagine, one that reverberates aroundthe whole ship.

The pre-planned work schedule can now begin. The shipsfresh water tanks are drained and inspected, the shipslifeboats are sent ashore for any necessary work, life raftsare removed and inspected and this year cabinrefurbishments can start with the removal of old picturesand fittings.

There is a lot happening, with many jobs taking placesimultaneously, so it is very important that the refit periodis discussed, planned and then the plan adhered to.

Everyone works incredibly hard during the season howevernow is when the hard work really begins. Of course theweather plays a large part in what we can do and when wecan do it, so only time will tell if mother nature is kind to usand lets us complete what we need to.

You can ask me in the season if the weather was kind to us!

Kind regards,

Kirk. First Officer.

www.hebridean.co.uk 15

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE by First Officer Kirk Blacker

In the Dry Dock

Sunset over Greenock

SPRING 2018

Hebridean Island Cruises Ltd, Kintail HouseCarleton New Road, Skipton, BD23 2DE

email: [email protected]: www.hebridean.co.uk tel: 01756 704704

Find us on:

www.facebook.com/hebridean

www.twitter.com/Hebcruises

www.instagram.com/hebrideanislandcruises

COMPETITION

This summer Hebridean Princess will be leaving her familiar waters off Scotland’s West Coastand voyaging to the south coast of england and the coast of Northern france and Belgium.During her travels she is scheduled to visit 12 islands outside of Scotland. using the cluesbelow can you name all 12?

1. This island is linked to the British mainland by 2 bridges. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. This sub-tropical gem is the only privately-owned island in the Isles of Scilly. _ _ _ _ _ _

3. This island is home to an unusual blonde hedgehog which is rumoured to haveoriginally arrived inside a Harrod’s shopping bag. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4. The flag of this island displays a Triskelion on a red background. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5. This traffic-free island consists of 2 main parts joined by an isthmus called La Coupée. _ _ _ _

6. The main settlement of this island off the coast of Finistère is Port Kernog. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

7. Charles II spent several years in exile on this island and was proclaimed king here in1649. _ _ _ _ _ _

8. The largest of the Isles of Scilly. _ _ _ _ _ _ _

9. During the occupation of WWII, 80% of this island’s children were evacuated toEngland. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

10. The name of this island, England’s only marine nature reserve, means Puffin in Norse. _ _ _ _ _

11. Famous for its pink granite, this island commune is known as the ‘island of flowers.’ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

12. The national symbol of this island is the harp. _ _ _ _ _ _ _

LUXURY SCOTLAND MONOPOLY COMPETITION in ISSUE 27Our thanks to all who entered the Monopoly competition in the last issue and congratulations to everyonewho correctly answered the following questions:

Which Luxury Scotland property was the setting for John Buchan’s book, The 39 Steps. KNOCKINAAM LODGE

Which Queen stayed at Inverlochy Castle in 1873 and wrote in her diary ‘I never saw a lovelier or more romanticspot’? QUEEN VICTORIA

The lucky winners were: Mrs Sandra Goldsborough of Louth, Mrs Pamela Ball of Hereford and Mr Peter Dunsford of Exeter.

for a chance to win one of two hand crafted harris Tweed wall clocks,please email your answers, together with your name and address [email protected] by Thursday 31st May 2018.

The lucky winners will be randomly selected from all the correct entries.

Please note email addresses may be used for marketing purposes. If you prefer not to receive email communications fromHebridean Island Cruises please state this in your entry.