VHF Coastguard reception at St Kilda?

West Coast

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Hi all, can anyone advise from experience re VHF reception/comms with Stornaway CG from St Kilda? I phoned the CG, they advised it was on the edge of their range, and depends on weather and mast height etc.

Boat is a sailboat, and reckon the mast mounted antenna height is around 15M from water level

Any experiences? Thanks!
 

dunedin

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I think you already have the answer from the coastguard - it is marginal, so some boats will get signal some days, other days not.

I walked up to the high point with all the masts for the “view” (mist came in 5 mins before reached the top, but still lovely views when walking up). Took both mobile phones with me and one got enough signal at the top to check the forecast for next day. #

# For marginal data signal i use the print version of the Met Office inshore Waters and XcWeather, as these need very little data. Keep a tab always open on phone browser so just need to hit refresh, to avoid the need to navigate to a page.
 

West Coast

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Hi Dunedin - thanks, wasnt sure if CG was just being very cautious. Amazing you were able to get mobile signal - albiet very limited!
 

bikedaft

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wouldn't rely on being able to radio CG from there. Range VHF reaches out there, suspect they have a repeater on the island. mobiles sometimes get texts at the summit, but again, don't rely on it.

XC etc usually fine for 2-4 days out of mobile range. Monach's and Loch Roag or getting out to sea all good plan B's.

magical place, well worth a visit.
 

ctva

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Coastguard advised, and I can confirm correct, that reception was fine all the way but to call to report arrival before turning into Village Bay which is a blind spot. Mast ariel at 15m or so.

As an aside, we also had mobile reception till about half way out on BT/EE at sea level.
 

bikedaft

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i could be wrong, but not sure the CG are that interested in us telling them our plans, now whether we have arrived, unless we have a problem? (sorry to stir!)

weather, the warden in st kilda gets XC, and prints/puts it up on the noticeboard daily.

also the tour boats are day trippers, with helpful skippers.
 

gordmac

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It would take me about two hours, I am curious to know how long it would take sailing. The thread put me in mind of someone local who organised several boats to sail and said they didn't make it about half the attempts. I suppose with the time it takes you could easily be caught out by the weather.
 

bikedaft

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been 3 x.

1st time, 12h from Snd Berneray, and 13h ish back.

2nd time 9h from Snd of Harris, and 12h to Snd Berneray.

3rd time about 28h from Tayvallich, and 8h ish to Monachs, where we were storm bound for a day or two, as the forecast had changed whilst we were out of mobile comms...

35' MAB, usually plan for 5kts cruising speed.
 

dunedin

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It would take me about two hours, I am curious to know how long it would take sailing. The thread put me in mind of someone local who organised several boats to sail and said they didn't make it about half the attempts. I suppose with the time it takes you could easily be caught out by the weather.
The issue is often the need for reasonable weather for going ashore on St Kilda - Village Bay being open to South and East. And bashing out directly into a decent Westerly can be rather uncomfortable (though plenty people do bash out in marginal conditions).
Last year wee went in the 2-3 week flat calm spell - motored all except 20 minutes as W wind was 2-4 knots, and flat water - which was ideal. Wind filled in from NW as expected to give sail back.
We went from Taransay, about as close as you can get, and back to Scarp as heading north kept apparent wind speed up and avoided motoring.. Left at 5am and think got there about 2pm.
 

gordmac

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Thanks. I was curious, about what I thought but wasn't sure. I presume with a big, heavy dangly bit underneath a sailboat will cope better with it being very rough?
 

gordmac

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The issue is often the need for reasonable weather for going ashore on St Kilda - Village Bay being open to South and East. And bashing out directly into a decent Westerly can be rather uncomfortable (though plenty people do bash out in marginal conditions).
Last year wee went in the 2-3 week flat calm spell - motored all except 20 minutes as W wind was 2-4 knots, and flat water - which was ideal. Wind filled in from NW as expected to give sail back.
We went from Taransay, about as close as you can get, and back to Scarp as heading north kept apparent wind speed up and avoided motoring.. Left at 5am and think got there about 2pm.
Going ashore can be a problem, someone was telling me of friends that made it to the bay but it wasn't possible to get ashore, that would be really annoying. Other issue would be getting ashore but not being able to get back to the boat. Not sure how the tour boats view that possibility.
Fascinating place, l need to get back sometime.
 

bikedaft

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Thanks. I was curious, about what I thought but wasn't sure. I presume with a big, heavy dangly bit underneath a sailboat will cope better with it being very rough?

Yes. 2nd time we went, one of the tour boats turned back as was too rough for them to make enough headway.

Landing, there is a wee tiny sheltered landing area behind the pier, although I doubt it would be any use if wind coming into village bay. Rest of the bay is a surf landing on a beach ?.

Glan Bay, although marked as an anchorage on admiralty charts is deep and boulders. A fisherman I spoke to said plenty lost anchors down there. Landing would be a scramble also, but not impossible. There is a wreck remains there, with a video on YouTube- gives an idea of the bouldery bottom.

Even if you couldn't land, would still be worth going, v dramatic going right around d the group, and Stac Lee and an Armin etc
 

bikedaft

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Ps know some kayakers who couldn't land after getting there as too rough. Now that would be disappointing... A lot easier for us with cookers and toilets and a cabin...
 

gordmac

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It is a stunning place, places really with the other stacks and islands. So much bird life. Where the sheep graze on Boreray is impressive and how the people got on and off there with sheep is hard to imagine. They have been on there for thousands of years. Then there is on and off the stacks!
Impressed that people went there in kayaks, that would have been a long and hard paddle.
 
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