Twelve determined competitors are now heading for the International Island Games after fears they would be stuck because of the ferry crews' strike.
The Western Isles are gathering in Stornoway on Friday evening before jetting off on a chartered plane to Jersey.
But the Southern Isles' contingent could not get across the Sound of Harris as the
ferry was strike-
The team's main sponsors, the Scottish Salmon Company, came to their rescue by hiring a chartered fast RIB boat to transport them from Berneray to Leverburgh.
David Steele, who runs Uist Boat Tours, steered the RIB through the reefs dotted about the strait.
Onboard was 16-
Ms Mackinnon said: “I was very disappointed when I heard about the strike. I had the feeling we wouldn’t be going to Jersey and all our hard work was going out the window.
“I was scared about the RIB because I had never been on one before but it was OK.”
Athletics squad manager Mary Levack, who also travelled on the speed boat, said: “We had lots of fishermen offering to take us across and I knew David Steele would take us through on the Uist Sea Tours.”
The boat made two trips across the Sound of Harris and also had a return load of
three runners making their way south to Barra's half-
Island athletes take fast boat to beat ferry strike
26 June 2015