Nessletter - No 030 - 1978

Magazine Overview

Title: Nessletter
Issue: No.30
Date: October 1978
Publisher: Ness Information Service
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of Nessletter, dated October 1978, focuses on various expeditions and investigations into lake monsters and other unexplained phenomena. The cover headline is 'Expeditions', with a prominent byline for Tim Dinsdale.

Expeditions

Tim Dinsdale's Loch Ness Expedition (June-July 1978)

Tim Dinsdale, leading the 38th (Private) Expedition to Loch Ness from June 12th to July 27th, 1978, undertook three phases of activity.

Phase One involved making a short, uncomplicated film for the US educational program 'The Big Blue Marble'. This phase featured a 12-year-old boy named Phillip as a 'Monster Sceptic' and a 13-year-old local girl, Caroline, as a 'Monster Witness'. They cycled around interviewing people, including Bob Rines and Fr Gregory. Caroline had previously had a significant sighting of a two-humped creature in November off Fort Augustus.

Phase Two consisted of serious monster-watching from a boat, despite severe weather. This period yielded new sighting reports and included a lecture in Inverness for scientists from Bemidji State University, Minnesota, as well as interviews with an American professor and an amateur filmmaker. This phase also helped to strengthen local friendships and monster hunting relations.

Phase Three involved a journey up-loch to Urquhart Bay and then to Lochend, coinciding with underwater activities by the Boston-based Academy of Applied Science. During this time, advanced electronic equipment, including strobe-lights, synched cameras, and trigger sonars, were deployed. Extensive sonar mapping of the Lochend 'stone-circles' was conducted by Prof. Harold Edgerton. Scientists, geologists, and archaeologists participated in diving operations using the 'Hunter' workboat. Marty Klein's team, assisted by Hamish MacDonald, also performed sonar mapping. Results included the re-finding of a sunken aircraft and a spectacular sonar 'picture' of a large moving 'target' deep in the water, which was confirmed not to be a submarine.

Jeffrey Watson's Loch Ness Visit (September 1978)

Jeffrey Watson visited Loch Ness on the weekend of September 2nd-3rd. While watching from a high section between Foyers power station and Inverfarigaig, he noticed a waveform developing on the far shore. Initially attributing it to wind, he soon realized it was unusual and began taking photographs with a Chinon 35mm SLR camera. He concluded the wake was being made by an animate object because no visible object was causing it, and other boats were moving normally. The wake developed a distinctive 'vee' pattern, and Watson estimated the object's speed at ten miles an hour. He observed a small, dark, rounded object at the head of the wake, approximately 2ft by 1ft in size. The sighting occurred at 2:10 p.m. and lasted about two minutes. A family nearby, alerted by Watson, also reported seeing a 'finlike' object through binoculars. The loch surface was calm, and the weather was dry but cloudy. Photographs were taken on 400 ASA film, and it is hoped they will provide identification of the object.

Jonathan Long's Loch Ness Visit (September 1978)

Jonathan Long spent a week at Loch Ness in September, based at the Foyers Hotel. He conducted dawn watches and moved along the loch, finding it a good practice for photography and understanding monster hunting. He described the loch's 'mystique' and spoke to local people. The proprietor of the Foyers Hotel, Mr MacDougal, relayed a report from a cynical worker at the Foyers Hydro Station who had seen a hump the 'size of a cruiser' about 40 yards away, moving against wind and waves. This witness is now certain of the existence of large animals in Loch Ness. Jonathan Long had an enjoyable time and plans to return.

Joe Zarzynski and Lake Champlain

Joe Zarzynski has been working on lake monsters at Lake Champlain. He spent a week on the Vermont side doing shore watching and was part of a special schooner cruise aboard the 'Richard Robbins' to search for 'Champ'. The cruise, coordinated by Zarzynski and organized by Professor Kempton Webb, lasted from August 21st to 26th. Despite no sightings during the cruise, it was an enjoyable experience. Zarzynski has collected 84 sightings of Champlain creatures, including 36 reports of 'longneckers', and is trying to verify three specific sightings from that summer.

Res Bureaux Bulletin

The Res Bureaux Bulletin, published since September 1976, circulates among interested parties in a general exchange of Fortean news. It is now available for subscription to those who wish to stay informed about events in Canada and abroad. Issued tri-weekly, it contains news of recent events, historical reviews, and special notes for Forteans. An annual subscription costs $10.00 Canadian, with single copies at 60c. The address for subscriptions is Box 1598, Kingston, Ontario K7L 5C8, Canada.

Odds and Ends

This section includes an address for Lewis Dickinson in Warren, R.I., USA, a former member of the LNI, who wishes to hear from other ex-members or NIS members. It also notes that Fort Augustus experienced its wettest September in 86 years, with over seven inches of rain, and a record high temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. A brief story about an Alsatian dog that was found watching Loch Ness after being taken into police custody and subsequently reunited with its owners is also included.

Contact and Subscription Information

The newsletter concludes by reminding readers that their news and views are important. The contact address provided is R.R. Hepple, Huntshieldford, St. Johns Chapel, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, DL13 1RQ. Subscription rates are £1.75 for the UK and $7.00 for the USA and Canada.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are expeditions and investigations into lake monsters, particularly at Loch Ness and Lake Champlain. There is a strong emphasis on eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence, and scientific research methods like sonar mapping. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into unexplained phenomena, encouraging reader contributions and maintaining a network for sharing information among interested parties ('Forteans'). The inclusion of miscellaneous news ('Odds and Ends') suggests a broader interest in unusual events beyond just lake monsters.