THE GIFTS FROM THE SEA

John and his partner Merry based their ferro-cement ketch Fancy Free at Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye from where they could explore the Hebrides and Scotland' west coast, foraging to support their off-grid nomadic lifestyle.

- John Huckett

As the season progressed the threat of serious bellyache diminished. The algal bloom disappeared and shellfish were declared fit to eat again. All stocks were low and needed to be replenished together with seaweed. For those folk who are not too familiar with gathering shellfish, here are a few tips from our own experience. For cockles, no need to break up the whole beach. Find a beach of sand, or better still, a mixture of mud and sand with plenty of shells around to guarantee their presence, then just walk along until you see a live one on the surface. Pop it into your bucket, then lightly rake in the immediate vicinity. Don't waste a load of time raking unnecessarily, just carry on until you see another one on the surface, then go through the same procedure again. It won't take long to fill your bucket. If it’s a good beach, enough can be gathered for a good meal by just gathering those on the surface. When you get them home remember to leave them in a bucket of salted water or seawater overnight; they're often full of sand and need a few hours to flush it all out.