There were lively audiences for the recent open days at Oban Lifeboat and at the Northern Lighthouse Board HQ with its new ship, the NLV Pharos, coming into service last year and responsible for servicing around two hundred lighthouses, one hundred and fifty seven buoys and forty beacons. Visitors to the Pharos also got a trip in one of Seafari’s RIBs and those on the lifeboat had to make a quick exit when the boat was scrambled to rescue the Manchester kayakers we’ve reported on at the time - who got swept into the Corryvrechan whirpool. Not where you’d want to be.