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The article below was written by Joan Gross following a cruise aboard Chalice in 2002. At that time Chalice was owned by Mark and Hannah and on this occasion Martin Teasdale was the skipper. Reproduced by kind permission of "Grace" magazine (issue Spring 2002).

CRUISE WITH A DIFFERENCE by Joan Gross

My companions were a mixture of singles and couples brought together by their love of the sea, walking and a fascination for wild life.

There is much more choice around these days in the way of holidays for single people. Travel companies and hoteliers are becoming more aware of the vast number of solo holidaymakers around and are steadily increasing their options for their share of this steadily growing market.

But what if you want something a little different. Something that offers the chance to explore little known, even remote areas that are difficult to get to, plus the opportunity to share such experiences with others. Well, I found one answer last summer when I decided to cruise around the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Other than to drive to these remote regions - and this is not always a desirable mode of transport for single travellers - the sea is the only alternative.

There are several companies offering cruising in the Western Isles from the luxury liner to the fishing smack. The former didn't appeal to me and the other sounded too much like hard work, so I opted for something in between which offered comfortable accommodation in a small enough craft that could cruise right into the shallow bays surrounding this magical part of Britain, whilst observing the local wildlife. MV Chalice, a 66 ft purpose-built cruiser had five crew and took 12 passengers, which turned out to be an ideal ratio. Skipper Martin was ably assisted by his number one, engineer Andy, both of whom put passenger safety and comfort on top of their list. Kirsty was a splendid all-rounder - a very efficient crew member, assistant cook and willing if necessary to dive for clams for our supper. Sarah was our wild life expert who also took an active part in all boat activities. And, last but by no means least, was Jane our cook, who succeeded in expanding all our waistlines in just nine days providing delicious, unforgettable meals from the tiny galley and in all sorts of conditions.

My companions were a mixture of singles and couples brought together with the same mutual interests - a love of the sea, walking and a fascination for wildlife. We set off from Oban and spent the first night rocking gently at anchor up a tiny creek off the west coast of Scotland. The plan for the week was to spend around three to four hours sailing daily to a previously determined destination - usually one of the smaller islands not get-attable by ferry - agreed with the skipper. Each day included time to go ashore, stretch the legs and explore our new surroundings. We tended to split into two groups - those eager to stride off and see as much of the countryside as possible and the others happy to potter along the shore bird-watching or hoping to see otters playing. Dinner was one of the highlights with which to end each glorious day and we, the passengers, always had our say as to where we'd go next. But it was left to the boss to agree or disagree depending on tides, wind and weather. One of the main objectives of the nine day's cruise was to reach St Kilda, a remote archipelago some 80 miles west of the Outer Hebrides. For this we needed the right conditions, and the decision to go was made early on in the cruise as the present fine weather threatened to break up later in the week. We left at 6am the following day.

It took fourteen hours to get to St Kilda in a fairly choppy sea and we were glad our boat was fully stabilised. But it was well worth the voyage. We spent a whole day on the island, seeing where the remaining 36 inhabitants had lived until the final evacuation in 1930. Nowadays the only residents besides huge colonies of seabirds, are a few army personnel tending the radar tracking station, students of various kinds and a flock of rare Soay sheep! We felt very privileged to be able to set foot on these remote and weather-beaten shores where whole families had existed for hundreds of years. They had lived mainly on the thousands of sea birds, eating the flesh and using the oil for heating, cooking and lighting. Money had no place and crime was unknown. God-fearing people, they lived strict, moral lives, sharing the spoils of work equally between each of the families and attended church regularly. (Recommended reading "The life and death of St Kilda" by Tom Steel.)

Moving on, we passed between North Uist and Harris to anchor overnight at Eriskay, then Barra, Canna and Eigg before turning south to join the mainland once again. During the cruise we had the pleasure of the company of countless seals, who popped up close to the boat when we anchored overnight. We watched, mesmerised, as dolphins followed in our wake and Minke whales leapt and dived searching for shoals of fish. Everywhere there were birds; gannets diving from great heights, guillemots, fulmar, tem, puffin and arctic skua. We saw two golden eagles swooping over the cliffs and heard corncrakes croaking amongst the heather. Near the shore, heron and curlew stalked the mud at low tide searching for tasty snacks left by the outgoing tide.

Each evening when the sun went down we sat on deck - quietly listening to the day settling down, a ripple in the water or the cry of a bird the only sounds to be heard. The camaraderie was such that silence became companionable; speech unnecessary as we sat soaking in the peace and beauty of everything around us - a million miles from newspapers, television and the incessant demands of every-day life.

All too soon we were passing through the Sound of Mull on our way back to Oban, full of memories and stories to tell when we returned home. The group had bonded well throughout the cruise and our last night was celebrated with a superb dinner followed by onboard entertainment organised by ourselves. It was with some reluctance that we found ourselves ascending the steep iron ladder from the deck of the boat to step ashore for the last time. There were hugs and promises to write and swap snaps when we got home, and I had found a new friend - Maggie - who lives not much more than an hour's drive away from me in Devon. I can heartily endorse this type of holiday, especially for singles, as it combines adventure, companionship and interest in a unique way.

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