Good Bye "Serenity"

It's never nice to see a boat leave but the time has come and Serenity is on her way to a new home.

She has been a brilliant boat for us and hardly let us down and if it was not for her we would not be were we are today.
She was our first boat that we did tours around the islands and the one that brought my brother and myself closer. (Not that we weren't anyway) So thank you.

On Monday she was taken by a wide load wagon by road to her new home in Cornwall where she will be operating as a passenger vessel doing the same thing down there as she was up her.

As you might already know that we have slowly changed our vessels to catamarans as we think they are more stable in the water and I suppose we are just moving with the times. On a personal note, they are really easy to handle, better for the environment (less fuel) and the biggest thing of all is..... No painting. Whoop Whoop.
Well we have to paint the bottom of the hulls, but that's only a few days work which is much better than standing on the pier in the freezing cold trying to hold a paint brush while the waves are crashing over the pier and Yes, we will still have to do jobs on the boats, but the difference this time is if its cold, damp and bitter we can turn around and go home as I know I don't have to paint the boats ready for the season.

Anyway, from everyone at Serenity I would like to say "Thank you" for being a loyal servant to us.

       

Greenland Shark Update

For those who have not read about the Greenland Shark we saw a few years ago click on the Greenland Shark link before you read about the update. Greenland Shark 

I have just been sent a link to let me know a few things about the shark and what the do at the Natural History Museum.  rare-greenland-shark-specimen-preserved-at-museum 

It is also going to feature on River Monsters the award winning Channel 4 program. I will let you know details when this will be aired next year. 

 

Newborn Seal Pups

The grey seal pups are starting to arrive in abundance now, and at the last count their was 526
but over the last four days we have had dreadful seas with big waves and we have not been able to get out so fingers crossed the seals and their pups have managed to survive this weather.

I suppose its nature and over the last few years the seals have had it good and the numbers have increased a lot.

The rangers have started their counts and when you look at the rocks its all multi colored now. We also have spotted some new born pups with their umbilical cords still on.

 We also spotted a branded seal with a large V branded on her back. They stopped branding in 1995 but I'm not sure how old this one is but I will find out in due course.

We saw young born pups calling for their mothers as they were really hungry and others who had fallen into the water and their mothers were encouraging them to get out. We saw a young pup enjoying her mothers milk and other so tired it was not bothered where it slept.
We even saw the start of new life being created.

Over all my fingers and toes are crossed that all is well out on the Farnes and all the seal pups are doing just fine.