Hebrides

richgiddens

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Couple of months back I asked for some advice re an itinerary for ten days in the inner isles and got loads of great advice.
Just got back and, amongst lots of others, including a slightly too close encounter with a nuclear sub, the memory that'll last a long time is, barreling up the Sound of Luing at nearly 13 knts SOG on a beam reach, flat sea, sun shining and not another vessel in sight anywhere.
There were eight of the widest grins I've ever seen on a boat!
In those conditions, if there's a better cruising area in the world, I'd like to see it.
In addition, lots of friendly people, great wildlife and 15 year old Tobermory!
As Arnie said, "I'll be back"
 
Couple of months back I asked for some advice re an itinerary for ten days in the inner isles and got loads of great advice.
Just got back and, amongst lots of others, including a slightly too close encounter with a nuclear sub, the memory that'll last a long time is, barreling up the Sound of Luing at nearly 13 knts SOG on a beam reach, flat sea, sun shining and not another vessel in sight anywhere.
There were eight of the widest grins I've ever seen on a boat!
In those conditions, if there's a better cruising area in the world, I'd like to see it.
In addition, lots of friendly people, great wildlife and 15 year old Tobermory!
As Arnie said, "I'll be back"

I'm well pleased to hear it. Photos....?:cool:
 
Ha ha ha, no way!!!

We've had this discussion / debate on here a while-back ...... can't remember who it was ... but someone was saying that the new sensor arrays can detect a yacht under sail.... X-P

Well in the lab or with absolutely no other noise in the sea / ocean .... possibly .... but I strongly recommend running your engine .... even if it's just on tickover if you think or know one's about & dived ...... it's what I do .... ;)
 
Yeah remember that. Oh we'll some people think that Tom Clancy books are real too...... Sub facts are the answer, hope they help in the real world.

Cheers, Deeps!
 
I would seriously like to get hold of a 183 off one of the decommissioned 'O' Boats ..... could prove interesting! :)

OK! ... so we are trained to use surface comm's (VHF) ..... but nothing in the syllabus about UWT ..... could start a new business venture ..... 'Mo's Underwater Communication School' ..... awwww-deary-me ..... I thought I gave all this up a long time-ago!?
 
Scotland is magic...

The sub will have know about you long before you saw them.

Actually, bit of stupidity on my part. We were in the Clyde north of Arran when we spotted the sub on the surface.
As it got closer, it looked to be more or less on a closing course so I altered a bit just as it altered too, it then altered again presumably based on my alteration. I have to say, additionally, I thought that my change of course would give us a better view as it went past.
Anyway, we received a visit from the accompanying Defence Police who, I have to say, were charm itself. Very good natured, short lecture about how one should behave in the presence of our nuclear deterent which ended with, 'have a great summer'. I think the Met may have had the pepper spray and batons out!
Please feel free to dish out a more appropriate *******ing.
 
we still want photies :-)

glad you had a good trip. please don't tell everyone how nice it is up here.

not convinced that a sub can hear a sailing boat (unless echo sounder on?) - we have hit seals in the water before, so if they can't hear us coming a few feet away, not sure what chance a sub has several hunderd meters away

also, i was swimming near a motoring boat once - 50m away - couldn't hear it underwater at all? i'm not that deaf...
 
It would be helpful if one of the "sub knowledgeable" on here could clarify the point re. whether a sailing craft with an operating echo sounder can be detected by a sub contemplating surfacing / going to periscope depth.
 
It would be helpful if one of the "sub knowledgeable" on here could clarify the point re. whether a sailing craft with an operating echo sounder can be detected by a sub contemplating surfacing / going to periscope depth.

If you (the Sub) set the equipment / system to display specific frequencies ..... then everything is detectable ...... and if the power output (you or your equipment) is high enough then yes ...... but! ..... if not it can be lost in 'background / ambient noise' or masked by other contacts or deflected by layers, fronts and sound channels.

So! ..... if worried / concerned my advice is to run your engine .... thus producing a broad spectrum of noise which will be detected and tracked within a matter of seconds.

I really cannot comprehend why the RYA don't teach this as a matter of safety!?
 
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I really cannot comprehend why the RYA don't teach this as a matter of safety!?

Thanks for the useful reply

However i cannot carry enough fuel to run the engine when we are sailing. And vast majority of time we sail thru waters that could have a submerged sub. What is the minimum depth for peacetime diving, 40 - 50m?

And we go sailing to turn off the engine. Sure i'd rather be alive than right! But impossible except short trips to run the engine all the time.

Send the cabin boy down to hammer on the keel bolts?
 
Suspect how bongles and dongles works is classified? Can find plenty of descriptions of what it is, but no more info

A loud clockwork ticking clock bolted to the hull? :-)

Its a perennial problem, rare tho it is to be actually hit by a sub. Certainly one surfaced v close to us at night recently, either he was showing off or hadn't seen us. Passed about 150-200m infront of us at speed, they waited a while before they then turned on the orange flasher

We had the engine and nav lights on, so surely he would have heard us/seen us?
 
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