A Date with Dr ABC on Easdale

Photo courtesy of www.easdaleislandhall.org

This morning we made the 5 minute journey on the 9 o'clock ferry to Easdale for a First Aid refresher course. Easdale was once the hub of the Scottish slate mining industry and the flooded remains of the old quarries are in evidence all over the island. 


The venue for our course was the community hall, originally built in 1871 as a drill hall for the island's volunteer force.  It has a 7m high central column, made from a ship's mast, believed to be from the "Norval" a 630 ton ship carrying wood from Montreal to Glasgow, which sank nearby in 1870. Heavy struts radiate from the central column like the spokes of an umbrella and support the huge rafters.  The newly renovated hall opened in 2003 and is a spectacular mix of the traditional and modern. 

Photo courtesy of www.easdaleislandhall.org

Our disarming skipper

Many thanks to Jeremy of West Coast First Aid (www.westcoastfirstaid.co.uk) for an informative and enjoyable day. For more information about Easdale island visit www.easdale.org.

Winter work

Well, the mast is back up and we have found a new use for cling film. A tight seal around the base will keep the elements out and the interior nice and dry. All electrics and electronics have been re-connected and are in full working order.  The new foghorn is ready to fit and the motor for the furling gear should be with us next week. For now it's on with fitting the new handlers for the air conditioning/heating system........not long now till we're back on the water!