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| Rockall adventurer returns to port after landing attempt is thwarted | Rockall adventurer returns to port after landing attempt is thwarted |
| (33 minutes later) | |
| The adventurer Nick Hancock has returned to port after heavy seas thwarted his first attempt to land on Rockall early on Friday morning, delaying his record-breaking solo occupation attempt. | The adventurer Nick Hancock has returned to port after heavy seas thwarted his first attempt to land on Rockall early on Friday morning, delaying his record-breaking solo occupation attempt. |
| His attempts to scale Rockall, a barren islet some 230 miles west of the outer Hebrides, and set up a homemade survival pod in the early hours of Friday became impossible after the Atlantic swell is thought to have reached 8 metres in height. | His attempts to scale Rockall, a barren islet some 230 miles west of the outer Hebrides, and set up a homemade survival pod in the early hours of Friday became impossible after the Atlantic swell is thought to have reached 8 metres in height. |
| Hancock is attempting to set two new records on the tiny rock by living there alone 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 is attempting to set two new records on the tiny rock by living there alone 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. |
| Earlier on Friday, it appeared the Orca III, the leisure vessel which Hancock chartered for the Rockall trip, planned to stay overnight at St Kilda, the remote archipelago and world heritage site 187 miles off the Western Isles which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. | Earlier on Friday, it appeared the Orca III, the leisure vessel which Hancock chartered for the Rockall trip, planned to stay overnight at St Kilda, the remote archipelago and world heritage site 187 miles off the Western Isles which is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. |
| A Maritime and Coastguard agency official in the Stornoway operations centre had said on Friday morning they believed the Orca III would base itself at St Kilda overnight before Hancock attempted a second landing on Rockall on Saturday. | A Maritime and Coastguard agency official in the Stornoway operations centre had said on Friday morning they believed the Orca III would base itself at St Kilda overnight before Hancock attempted a second landing on Rockall on Saturday. |
| "They did attempt a landing last night but it was not successful," the coastguard official had said. "They have returned to St Kilda." | |
| There was no further direct radio or satellite phone contact with the Orca III on Friday, but during the day the swell became much rougher than expected. It is thought this may have forced the Orca III's skipper to again change plans, and return instead to port. | There was no further direct radio or satellite phone contact with the Orca III on Friday, but during the day the swell became much rougher than expected. It is thought this may have forced the Orca III's skipper to again change plans, and return instead to port. |
| It is a 12-hour voyage from Rockall to St Kilda, which is also home to a small missile range observation base run by the contractor Qinetiq. On Friday afternoon, the Orca III was seen by NTS staff doing a tour of its steep sea cliffs, sea stacks and Village Bay, home to the ruined St Kildan village evacuated in 1930, before heading back to Leverburgh. | It is a 12-hour voyage from Rockall to St Kilda, which is also home to a small missile range observation base run by the contractor Qinetiq. On Friday afternoon, the Orca III was seen by NTS staff doing a tour of its steep sea cliffs, sea stacks and Village Bay, home to the ruined St Kildan village evacuated in 1930, before heading back to Leverburgh. |
| 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 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 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 to hit Rockall over Thursday night and Friday morning. | 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 to hit Rockall over Thursday night and 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. | 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. | 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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