In July, I had to opportunity to head to Scotland to sail and explore the Outer Hebrides with Sail Britain’s Creative Ecology Residency. It was co-facilitated by poet-adventuress Anna Selby, and Oliver who is the Captain of the ship Merlin and Tom who was first mate. Our small crew had a diversity of folks looking to expand our collective practices with the more than human. None of us knew each other previously but there is nothing like having to share a small sailboat over a week that helps you get over the initial awkwardness. Through poetry, photography, journalism or visual arts, by immersing ourselves in the more than human, we came to become more than we thought we might be. These experiences that come from a week of sailing in the North Atlantic.

The wind and ocean conditions varied a little bit everyday and we had to learn to work together as a team, to be on the lookout, to feed each other, to get to a destination in time. Some days, the wind was virtually non-existent which meant motoring and using fuel. During those times, we rested, worked on our artistic practices and exchanged stories. On other days, the boat would be flying with the winds and we would feel the exhilaration and the (sometimes) terror of feeling the boat tilt sideways to the water’s surface as we surfed the waves.Anna would sometimes inject some creative exercises to help us get more in tune. Oliver and Tom (First Mate) were amazing. They showed all of us how to operate the sailboat safely. We all gained confidence in being a supportive member of a competent crew. All of us got a chance to steer the boat, how to read the water and wind and the environment and also- how to control our own nervousness and fear.

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

Stornoway is a small town in the Isle of Lewish centered around a harbour. I arrived the night before and slept very soundly at the Royal Stornoway Hotel right on the main street. The restaurant at the hotel was phenomenal with lots of local seafood and I felt nice and rested by the time I had to leave. I spent the morning exploring the small shops, a local museum which was free and quite beautiful and had a long walk around all of the attractions including an older castle. What really took me by surprise was that there was evidence of neolithic inhabitants on the Isle of Lewis for over 5,000 years! It feels funny to me that these small peripheral communities that have existed for thousands of years through a living symbiotic relationship with their environment are somehow becoming small and abandoned as technology progresses.

The Seals Have Learned to Howl like the Winds

After an evening on the boat adjusting to our quarters and getting used to each other, we charted a course. After a short fuel-up, we started off with a ton of wind right out of Stornoway. We sailed for several hours without the wind dying down. I did take an opportunity to steer at this point- going at 5 or 6 knots per hour- was much more stressful than anticipated! We were all clipped on for dear life. We were not sure where we would anchor for the night as the wind was so strong.

Our destination, if the wind gods allowed it, would be the Shiant Isles. This group of islands is in the middle of the channel between the Hebrides and the Isle of Skye. It is one of the most important breeding grounds for seabirds such as the Atlantic puffin and the common razorbill. Usually Merlin takes a much narrow channel into the Shiant Isles but this time around, we had to sail around. We saw only two other boats anchored in the archipelago so we tacked right out of the wind and in the lee of one of the islands. It was truly magical to feel the force of the wind and to work together as a team to tack back out of it.

I love being in wild places like this. There were many seals close to the islands and the sounds they made were eerily like the howl of the wind. I wondered, have seals learned to speak with the winds here on the Shiants, as their main companions? The light on the islands was constantly changing- a truly amazing experience surrounded by islands in the middle of the ocean and millions of birds. I also learned that the Shiant Isles were owned (inherited) by one of my favourite authors, Adam Nicolson, who wrote the phenomenal book the Seabirds’s Cry. I don’t understand how such a biological important place can be privately owned, but then again, the UK’s land owning rights don’t make much sense to me. According to his book The Sea Room (which I have not finished yet), his father bought the islands in the 1920s. The Islands can be visited, as per Scotland’s Right to Roam laws, but of course one must be extremely sensible and not disturb the birds (or fall off the tall cliffs).

The next morning, using the small zodiac, Oliver and Tom shepherded us to the larger of the islands. We landed and had the opportunity to spend some time with the puffins, razorbills that nest on the islands. It was an incredible opportunity- breath-taking actually- I’m not sure I’m totally over it yet. After a few hours of exploring up close and personal with these stunning birds, we made our way back to the boat ready to sail on to our next destination. I could have stayed in the Shiants for a week.

I felt so privileged to be in this special place, making me think of the beautiful planet we are building towards these days. I relished in the opportunity to stay off my phone, bundled up on the deck, listening to the winds and the howling of the seals, the clacking of birds, the swish of the waves on the boat and listening to stories and laughter of my companions below deck. The Shiants Reminded me so much about the topography of own island home, Newfoundland where we also have similar colonies of puffins, murres and razorbills around my home in Tors Cove, NL in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. However, this was my first time getting so close to a puffin borrow!

The Waters and the Winds

Over the next few days, we would wake up to a wonderful gently rocking boat, sailed during the day and anchored in interesting points on our way across the islands. We took the occasion upon arrival at our destination to jump into the water- some were more enthusiastic than others. I regretted not going in one evening so made sure to get over my head-mind and jump in every time I got the opportunity. There is quite nothing like a good swim out in the middle of the waters or in a secluded bay.

On one of our last days, we went onshore to the island of Rum. I walked up a mountain, my footing a little unsure on solid ground, my eyes looking up for the golden eagles the island is renowned for. Unfortunately, I did not manage a sighting but it felt glorious to stretch my legs. I took a quick dip in a stream and washed off the saltwater. Surrounded by heather bog, a mountain spring and the ocean, life felt surreal and yet I felt so grounded and full of life.

On our last day, sailing back to Mallaigh, the sun was shining bright and the winds were in our favour. We each took turns to sail Merlin one last time. I took the helm towards our final destination, manx shearwaters dancing alongside the boat, the bright sunshine on my face. One by one, my lovely crewmates started singing ‘One Voice’ by the Wailing Jennys. With the winds pushing past the sails, it felt like they wanted to be part of our tiny boat concert too. All of us- humans, shearwaters, seals and the winds- singing with one voice. These little moments in time when it feels like we might just learn to live in harmony with the world.