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Rockall adventurer fails in first attempt to land on remote Atlantic islet Rockall adventurer fails in first attempt to land on remote Atlantic islet
(about 3 hours later)
The adventurer Nick Hancock has failed in his first attempt to land on Rockall after encountering heavy seas around the remote Atlantic islet early on Friday morning.The adventurer Nick Hancock has failed in his first attempt to land on Rockall after encountering heavy seas around the remote Atlantic islet early on Friday morning.
Stornoway coastguard said Hancock, a chartered surveyor from Edinburgh who is attempting to set two new occupation records on the tiny rock around 230 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, is expected to try again early on Saturday. The Stornoway coastguard said Hancock, a chartered surveyor from Edinburgh who is attempting to set two new occupation records on the tiny rock around 230 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, is expected to try again early on Saturday.
He hopes to live there on his own for 60 days, beating the solo occupation record of 40 days set by SAS veteran Tom McClean in 1985, and the 42-day record set by three Greenpeace anti-oil exploration protesters in 1997. He hopes to live there on his own for 60 days, beating the solo occupation record of 40 days set by the SAS veteran Tom McClean in 1985, and the 42-day record set by three Greenpeace anti-oil-exploration protesters in 1997.
Hancock, and a film crew working for BBC's One Show, was taken back on the Orca III cruise vessel to St Kilda, a remote archipelago 187 miles off the Western Isles where a small military monitoring station is based, to sleep and recuperate. Hancock, and a film crew working for BBC's One Show, were heading back on the Orca III cruise vessel to St Kilda, a remote archipelago 187 miles off the Western Isles where a small military monitoring station is based, to sleep and recuperate.
The crew had been expecting heavy seas before they left port at Leverburgh in south Harris at 11am on Thursday, with swells as high as 8m forecast for Rockall over Thursday night and Friday morning. It can be a 12-hour voyage from Rockall to St Kilda, a world heritage site which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, and the Orca III had not yet arrived at noon on Friday.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency official in the Stornoway operations centre said: "They did attempt a landing last night but it was not successful. They've returned to St Kilda and are going to attempt it again tomorrow." The crew had been expecting heavy seas before they left port at Leverburgh in south Harris at 11am on Thursday, with swells as high as 8 metres forecast for Rockall over Thursday night and Friday morning.
The MCA said weather conditions in the Rockall area "were not favourable" last night. A Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) official in the Stornoway operations centre said: "They did attempt a landing last night but it was not successful. They have returned to St Kilda and are going to attempt it again tomorrow."
It remains unclear whether the second attempt will succeed: the Met Office shipping forecast for Rockall for the next 24 hours predicts the sea state will be moderate or rough, with westerly or south-westerly winds at force 4 or 5, hitting 6 at times, and bands of rain. The swell, however, is expected to be moderate, at around 3 metres.
The MCA said weather conditions in the Rockall area "were not favourable" on Thursday night.
Hancock said the crew knew when they left Leverburgh they only had a tight weather window early on Friday morning.Hancock said the crew knew when they left Leverburgh they only had a tight weather window early on Friday morning.
Hancock predicted the first attempt to land his survival pod and equipment there could fail: "That's a very genuine possibility. At the end of the day, the skipper is in charge and he's using his men and equipment to get me there. If he calls it off, I really can't argue with him."Hancock predicted the first attempt to land his survival pod and equipment there could fail: "That's a very genuine possibility. At the end of the day, the skipper is in charge and he's using his men and equipment to get me there. If he calls it off, I really can't argue with him."
Hancock has already landed on Rockall once, for a reconnaissance trip on Saturday 2 June last year with the Orca III. He stood victoriously on its summit, his fists aloft, and sent the first tweet and Facebook update from the rock to mark his arrival.
He celebrated the Queen's 60th jubilee by unfurling a union flag and tweeted: "Happy jubilee your majesty". This time, crew members on the Orca III who support Scottish independence have taken a large white yes campaign logo to raise from the boat at Rockall as a publicity stunt.
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