Despite staying on Lundy many times over the last 25 years, we had never been for Christmas. In the week up to our planned flight day, we were seriously wondering if we would manage it this time. Helicopters can fly in just about anything, but fog and the forecast was mist, low cloud and fog!
We had been watching
the weather all week. It was getting warmer but we all knew that
promised mist for days to come. Late on the evening of Wednesday
20th, I received a Facebook PM from Derek asking if we
could be at Hartland International Airport by 6:45 on Friday. This
was soon followed by further exchanges of messages with cryptic
comments from him and Shelley warning us to be prepared for an
unusual trip. “Don’t wear your best clothes and bring a sense of
adventure.” was the message.
We duly arrived at
HIA at 06:30 to find a large queue of vehicles lit by headlights with
“Auntie Wainwright” causing chaos, dodging between cars and
refusing to open the car park gates until everyone had paid her
charges, given registration numbers and names. She did miss out her
usual refrain of “Have you been here before?” though.
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| Waiting at Clovelly quay |
Thirty-six people
left our luggage and boarded the waiting coach bound for Clovelly.
At the coach park we transferred to 3 landrovers to be ferried down
the back road to wait for our next transfer in the Red Lion. This
had been opened specially for us and offered toilets and hot drinks
while we waited.
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| Our boat the Carrick Lee |
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| Shelley N |
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| Blue Fin |
We were the first
wave of 60-odd passengers to be taken by small boat to Lundy. A
little later than expected, the 3 boats arrived and we climbed down
the slippery quay steps helped by Derek, Graham, Dean and Zoe. With
12 people in each of the Shelley N, Carrick Lee and Blue Fin we were
slightly delayed by Blue Fin developing an engine fault en route from
Ilfracombe that meant she was much slower and less maneouverable than
the other two boats.
After a much less
bumpy ride that we normally get in the Oldenburg, we arrived at the
jetty around 10:00. Those leaving the island were waiting with their
luggage and we swapped places with them and said bon voyage to them
and Rob and Sue who were going to the mainland for a short break. We
then headed up the hill for our complimentary breakfast and got to
know our fellow travellers in the much quieter atmosphere of the
Marisco Tavern.
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| Leaving misty Clovelly |
The delays meant
that the tided was out when the 3 boats returned to Clovelly. What
was planned as a quick and simple transfer for both sets of
passengers turned into a Herculean effort to complete the task. Low
tide meant the Oldenburg was way off shore and the 3 small boats
could not get into the quay. Passengers and luggage had to be
transferred from the shingle beach into small boats, then to RIBs
then to the bigger boats. This all took time and effort as not
everyone was as agile as the patient staff who got soaked.
The job was
completed when the last boat, Blue Fin arrived at the same time as
the Oldenburg at the jetty. The tide was now so low at 16:30 that
the Oldenbug tied up and the Blue Fin tied up alongside her.
Passengers climbed from Blue Fin into the Oldenburg’s passenger
hatch, through and up the stairs to cross the gangway onto the jetty
thus avoiding the vertical ladder climb.
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| Oldenburg and Blue Fin - 16:30 final load |
Lundy staff finally
finished work after 13 hours non-stop at 19:00 when they delivered
out luggage and pre-ordered shopping.
I had always wanted
to travel from Clovelly to Lundy.
This was the best Christmas present ever.
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| Christmas Day lunch in the Marisco Tavern |
