tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8757628945271522342024-03-27T16:53:25.400-07:00scottishboatingeverything about boating, more or less in ScotlandUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-16275032579406130512024-03-22T10:38:00.000-07:002024-03-23T01:40:34.653-07:00Memorial to Iain Oughtred, Boatbuilder and Inspiration<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOezedFQ_b1KorTkOV_aPzsJfHDRYXC-6MEe9LxvnFsgzpJiuaCAYWUKje7GZiuMAjk-gs_TFlqbrpAHA4AKt7DhhcS4cJIBjMdYSezYKxuHkip7wJzXWy6kpc0hj-7D-GYHCCF1mi9IeEuYCoLJRkqmFxun61afM2a3A4eP4Tb82-6oN1zoytaC_at0nU/s2230/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-22%20at%2016.19.07.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1672" data-original-width="2230" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOezedFQ_b1KorTkOV_aPzsJfHDRYXC-6MEe9LxvnFsgzpJiuaCAYWUKje7GZiuMAjk-gs_TFlqbrpAHA4AKt7DhhcS4cJIBjMdYSezYKxuHkip7wJzXWy6kpc0hj-7D-GYHCCF1mi9IeEuYCoLJRkqmFxun61afM2a3A4eP4Tb82-6oN1zoytaC_at0nU/w400-h300/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-22%20at%2016.19.07.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-242b34ac-7fff-ced8-7fd2-5c26305ef8c1"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #324a6d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Iain Oughtred was born in 1939 and grew up in Sydney. He was a shy child, who didn’t enjoy his studies, but from early on he developed a fascination with aeroplanes and boats and the science around them. He became involved in racing the National Gwen dinghies that were a feature of the scene on the Harbour. These were flat bottomed racing boats, designed in 1942, with a hull just twelve feet long, weighing just ten stone (63.5 kg), but with the foresail on a bowsprit and what Iain called a “shy spinnaker” set on a ten foot pole, giving them a massive sail area and requiring incredible skill to keep them from turning over. By the 1950s the postwar availability of new glues and synthetic sailcloth increased the performance, so that he claimed, in an article he wrote in 1958, that one had been timed at 23 mph in a “gale-like wind”. He built seven of them and became the class champion. His long term friends knew him as Isig, from the number on his sail created from black tape.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #324a6d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After working for several yacht designers, in 1964 the lure of the Swinging Sixties brought Iain to London, where he established his own practice in his own distinctive style. There was at that time a huge interest in self-built sailing boats, led by the Daily Mirror sponsoring Barry Bucknell’s Mirror Dinghy at the 1963 Boat Show. Iain knew that a self-build need not resemble a shoe box and started putting out drawings of hulls that were lovely as well as fast and seaworthy, accompanied by detailed building manuals, ensuring that anyone with the most basic skills could build one. His fascination with Viking designs led to his move to Scotland and then to Bernisdale on Skye, twenty three years ago. There he was truly in his element, working in his boat shaped drawing office and eventually reaching over a hundred designs. He’s best known for one of his last ones, for the community-built Scottish Coastal Rowing skiffs, with over two hundred in Scotland and almost the same number elsewhere. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #324a6d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Iain was a quiet, deeply spiritual person, who invariably put others before himself. He was reluctant to embrace the internet, preferring to develop a personal connection with his clients, always available to take a call to resolve a problem. His drawings were works of art, invariably sent with a handwritten note adorned with tiny sketches. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #324a6d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is no easy way to leave this life, but it was a relief to know that Iain’s final few weeks were made as comfortable as possible in the brand new Broadford Hospital. His good friend and neighbour, Natalie Steele, had insisted on his being shifted from the back to the front of the building, with a view over Broadford Bay. As cards began to arrive from the boatbuilding and coastal rowing communities who owed him so much, and it turned out that one of the hospital staff was even building one of his boats, he was recognised as someone very special indeed. Although beyond the reach of any potential treatment, he was in no pain whatsoever, and so remained fully alert and cheerful. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #324a6d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In his final days Iain had visits from his son, Haig, over from Lisbon, and his brother David, from Hawaii (what an international family!), also from many friends within easier travelling distance. Then in the morning of 22nd February we got word that he had quietly passed away during the night.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #324a6d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I understand that, by the time you read this, a quiet Quaker service will have taken place on Skye. I suspect that his sailing and rowing friends here and abroad will organise their own events later in the year. And, to preserve his legacy, a group of friends, with the agreement of his family, will be setting up a small charity to ensure that his designs live on and continue to support the tradition, culture and skills of which he was such a keen advocate.</span></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #324a6d; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-35890712449380295982024-03-12T04:05:00.000-07:002024-03-12T04:05:50.612-07:00The Scottish Islanders<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsX4CTP0HFWzsynVTOZ-CpC_2eK97J7nSvkftxmfp40O0F4PwtxaPJCY9LFX8iWmGFC-IFvSEs0oK1_uQiSCC1sM4LCt6DLmHjlheEp_N3NSkOdy4MCKkTu2oEyEG58V6VoXR_uYV4GZEcvXFrIvJdd_Ofq44vJxa7XtaZiILXTohIh5rTA_ufZnrkeAl/s1850/PH9703%20Scottish%20Islands%20Class%20_%20Cover%20Design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1850" data-original-width="1496" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsX4CTP0HFWzsynVTOZ-CpC_2eK97J7nSvkftxmfp40O0F4PwtxaPJCY9LFX8iWmGFC-IFvSEs0oK1_uQiSCC1sM4LCt6DLmHjlheEp_N3NSkOdy4MCKkTu2oEyEG58V6VoXR_uYV4GZEcvXFrIvJdd_Ofq44vJxa7XtaZiILXTohIh5rTA_ufZnrkeAl/w390-h483/PH9703%20Scottish%20Islands%20Class%20_%20Cover%20Design.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b574cf50-7fff-e1cb-3630-121d73f8ec36"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s been great fun, and quite emotional at times, getting feedback from people who’ve read The Scottish Islanders. Stories have come in from sailors, including one telling me how her parents met through Jura and she now reads excerpts to her dad in his care home. The book’s not just for the old folk though. There are chapters dealing with approaches to saving the life of an old boat and even building a replica with modern materials, that should encourage those with energy to take on the challenge.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DDfSZJGzFuqSaAF4nY_mwCj0Wv3lPjN5zkzhZip2BHlE-NEtjWKuMN7D6_kpD9-SeWTMmQOjd8dY2WBZ-xxbdI3RAqHnk2aRYfBiGFPyBsiJep06xQ-F_dJKobA-1Z5XtBSw_Hhdea8R2pWOzIrIt8NcRftzrcRxpw5teDobZrdwRAtgBARtZa9pqtgR/s672/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.43.41.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="486" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DDfSZJGzFuqSaAF4nY_mwCj0Wv3lPjN5zkzhZip2BHlE-NEtjWKuMN7D6_kpD9-SeWTMmQOjd8dY2WBZ-xxbdI3RAqHnk2aRYfBiGFPyBsiJep06xQ-F_dJKobA-1Z5XtBSw_Hhdea8R2pWOzIrIt8NcRftzrcRxpw5teDobZrdwRAtgBARtZa9pqtgR/w213-h295/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.43.41.png" width="213" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3jj_yjausNSnzXATk7xE8GIvt2hAnrd5rUQAxJJXAyEt_wY0wLtkXsxdTSGlU7zbUU_Y_cE_39P6kMYKVNJq8eHWPPmvUwIuj_ux1BPeWVNhRcg438qbp6E4GamNRcKzfjHT2u4PM7-C58bKfd0vCqTx8k_yz-njCDnK1491BlfISjxzTm0yQZfdIuao/s670/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.43.55.png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="606" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3jj_yjausNSnzXATk7xE8GIvt2hAnrd5rUQAxJJXAyEt_wY0wLtkXsxdTSGlU7zbUU_Y_cE_39P6kMYKVNJq8eHWPPmvUwIuj_ux1BPeWVNhRcg438qbp6E4GamNRcKzfjHT2u4PM7-C58bKfd0vCqTx8k_yz-njCDnK1491BlfISjxzTm0yQZfdIuao/w265-h293/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.43.55.png" width="265" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are also some tales from the west coast, which should provide a nice read once you’re at anchor, and the book should sit nicely on a yacht’s shelf.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQRR9ffBCFlPdRYLPDD1Cs5PrtRFKhi6DqC678MkWX4OCXSs9yK-xJE-g9vysHRqo9Q7zuhovh_lQhtpdbx7chPidS4jIkEPdeAW_owX5S4b7cO3MiOC8228Ds3lhZtywqAw8ks0tHMs9EjVjvObiW3LDweBeKq1XPhntEFQYYNTrDql_Iwiuiih_KgIg/s668/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.07.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQRR9ffBCFlPdRYLPDD1Cs5PrtRFKhi6DqC678MkWX4OCXSs9yK-xJE-g9vysHRqo9Q7zuhovh_lQhtpdbx7chPidS4jIkEPdeAW_owX5S4b7cO3MiOC8228Ds3lhZtywqAw8ks0tHMs9EjVjvObiW3LDweBeKq1XPhntEFQYYNTrDql_Iwiuiih_KgIg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.07.png" width="240" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoHAsOTxK4mRWdKDIXfv1MKck6w1b_F_bUW4e4zGd-Qmx2mLBF-T-IwT9xVBkp7sDcw7b6hCHdf7yLGe_V7uKdR8FjvrN4O0z252yHpceRDpdSerdHYtuU3UNH6g5MxpkTjXkNQjQelIriTdz8fUwnds6W8bHIV8WOLDNXp9PD5d0rtpkibCbQtAOQbgs/s664/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.18.png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="498" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoHAsOTxK4mRWdKDIXfv1MKck6w1b_F_bUW4e4zGd-Qmx2mLBF-T-IwT9xVBkp7sDcw7b6hCHdf7yLGe_V7uKdR8FjvrN4O0z252yHpceRDpdSerdHYtuU3UNH6g5MxpkTjXkNQjQelIriTdz8fUwnds6W8bHIV8WOLDNXp9PD5d0rtpkibCbQtAOQbgs/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.18.png" width="240" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because my publisher friends at the Scottish Yachting Archives decided on a high quality print, there isn’t a sufficient margin to put the book into bookshops and still cover the production costs, so marketing is entirely via social media on sites such as this, and huge thanks are due to admins. We’ve also had some excellent reviews, including the current month’s Classic Boat.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gBzS3XPUoWYOgHSAc-yjUmC2dfqrv0cYDp4Rnv-ULWOEx6cjJ0nH2KTdRM4vfxqUDT_f9gmG9H2v891zOZr06yjyxy11zqUzY646VaHDDRa7L9KXajC8at8vdrp2nh6AlrEnTZWWTt95Bkm1q22im7H-nQ-i8UxuqaMEj4T2DugQXRLgv8vjWK1QRh2N/s672/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.30.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gBzS3XPUoWYOgHSAc-yjUmC2dfqrv0cYDp4Rnv-ULWOEx6cjJ0nH2KTdRM4vfxqUDT_f9gmG9H2v891zOZr06yjyxy11zqUzY646VaHDDRa7L9KXajC8at8vdrp2nh6AlrEnTZWWTt95Bkm1q22im7H-nQ-i8UxuqaMEj4T2DugQXRLgv8vjWK1QRh2N/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.30.png" width="239" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki28x3YDLcVjtMcAlX8VcxPKvV6FISFreWawBbITQyICtohNGqOsNHVF5wKaT2-txg7h7bix5SwQ7d2QqLKSsigHk7ofPKK2iMdrv5XiMJpOUNyki8jzEimyyknMQ1kmIJ3igVcyTRiYIk4xyNRYPGOQOeh_FZvpoAwW3SK1KxtSs5b0EHHVt9cklcfmv/s668/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.40.png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgki28x3YDLcVjtMcAlX8VcxPKvV6FISFreWawBbITQyICtohNGqOsNHVF5wKaT2-txg7h7bix5SwQ7d2QqLKSsigHk7ofPKK2iMdrv5XiMJpOUNyki8jzEimyyknMQ1kmIJ3igVcyTRiYIk4xyNRYPGOQOeh_FZvpoAwW3SK1KxtSs5b0EHHVt9cklcfmv/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.40.png" width="241" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’ve already read the book, think about posting a review on Amazon. It’s listed there, but the best way to get a copy is via the publisher’s online shop directly,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #050505; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://shop.yachtarchive.scot" target="_blank">shop.yachtarchive.scot</a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2AX_-qX6QSrtkhnJYlouVZYWKFgSffEs6peLJ8Yw6TMbVW-MsTPZPkmqV2mPV444ZQF2bUI1vUVqHeUCnvcpIVolPbdllDRCek-_OoG_nC1gR1LSVMBoYUK4O2vgoCNa_Oq6GiuW6CVnXOBRxkeExyQtdQJoSrSlkLOcFzY5SW143FdfXVTAL8NYhhBMk/s662/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2AX_-qX6QSrtkhnJYlouVZYWKFgSffEs6peLJ8Yw6TMbVW-MsTPZPkmqV2mPV444ZQF2bUI1vUVqHeUCnvcpIVolPbdllDRCek-_OoG_nC1gR1LSVMBoYUK4O2vgoCNa_Oq6GiuW6CVnXOBRxkeExyQtdQJoSrSlkLOcFzY5SW143FdfXVTAL8NYhhBMk/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.44.59.png" width="254" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pmeub7It0nHG920euZzq5K23noe5E2h1-GimYhOcnUEofkeu3VlbWvZIy15EZiXyzGQHXx-TX-am716K2hsClGa1ksxtzdCIP7gEiuX-zzQF1IsFAvOKb1udu1Oy1XBlwEAASbMRsIO2KiDGfisS9ZVnRV9jR4j-ggfBN4ZDtCxaw2iakZDOLsfcldiJ/s672/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.45.10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="382" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pmeub7It0nHG920euZzq5K23noe5E2h1-GimYhOcnUEofkeu3VlbWvZIy15EZiXyzGQHXx-TX-am716K2hsClGa1ksxtzdCIP7gEiuX-zzQF1IsFAvOKb1udu1Oy1XBlwEAASbMRsIO2KiDGfisS9ZVnRV9jR4j-ggfBN4ZDtCxaw2iakZDOLsfcldiJ/s320/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-11%20at%2011.45.10.png" width="182" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></span><p> </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-68834436663795731232024-02-15T07:15:00.000-08:002024-02-15T07:15:55.997-08:00The Scottish Islanders in Classic Boat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLsrC3khYrAmnq_DepPvSpkWYcG-tiD92qumkgZrBUbrzA6GKu6QwzsQcPPJftPNvJxwbmaJo6pFRT7ERWtpI3hzwirWeTxJLGCkyaVXxbFzJm1doqy7wNAre-bYL5EVMI8yjEj-pk7gN0YID-qIfQMIwOoYCNoOQto7kp9zh_6bk_4Xwv_VivpQSrIJy/s3072/Stroma%2520at%2520Crinan%25202008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLsrC3khYrAmnq_DepPvSpkWYcG-tiD92qumkgZrBUbrzA6GKu6QwzsQcPPJftPNvJxwbmaJo6pFRT7ERWtpI3hzwirWeTxJLGCkyaVXxbFzJm1doqy7wNAre-bYL5EVMI8yjEj-pk7gN0YID-qIfQMIwOoYCNoOQto7kp9zh_6bk_4Xwv_VivpQSrIJy/w417-h313/Stroma%2520at%2520Crinan%25202008.jpg" width="417" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm truly excited that Classic Boat Magazine has carried a nice review of my book in their March edition, following </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">another yachting magazine, Watercraft, who were very quick of their mark</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">. There have been reviews in a couple of newspapers, the Oban Times and the National, and also in the February edition of Scottish Field. To get a mention in the most widely read yachting publication is quite special.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IFXaCFUu3atMkpG26YB1_Rmldv0TOT2migEMfZOqzblzVtczULrYmeq-zHPdRSXw-Mh4Y34DnMyNC-_IOnny38Ld3JERDfclpIdIPUKWXjoUwhDSb24c1GFhpO4DNm-bSvQSkAGJV0AvhOK1hwC907naOROF3I4uAW3b6-W9s1UDftDnu4KVu9leeOMu/s3797/Classic%20Boat%20review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3797" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3IFXaCFUu3atMkpG26YB1_Rmldv0TOT2migEMfZOqzblzVtczULrYmeq-zHPdRSXw-Mh4Y34DnMyNC-_IOnny38Ld3JERDfclpIdIPUKWXjoUwhDSb24c1GFhpO4DNm-bSvQSkAGJV0AvhOK1hwC907naOROF3I4uAW3b6-W9s1UDftDnu4KVu9leeOMu/w502-h354/Classic%20Boat%20review.jpg" width="502" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">For anyone who doesn't already know, writing the Scottish Islanders was a labour of love that took about a dozen years, but the research for it really went back fifty years to when I first started to explore the coastline and islands of Argyll and further afield. In May 1974 I sailed a small open boat, single handed, from Dumbarton round to Oban, where I’d rented a mooring at the Brandystone in front of Donnie Currie’s house at the south side of the bay.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two years later I acquired Stroma, Scottish Islander number four. They were a fleet of identical basic racing yachts launched from 1929 onwards. She was just about seaworthy, and in those early days of the craze for plastic yachts very affordable, because old wooden boats could hardly be given away. She was an improvement on the open boat, with a basic cabin. She was mine for over four decades, during which she went into a serious decline, which was not entirely my own fault, followed by recovery, when I rebuilt her over eight years. She is now sailed by new owners, who like me were in their twenties when they took her over. Unlike me, they have now produced a crew, who one hopes will eventually help their parents handle the sheets and pull up the anchor.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During my custodianship I gathered a huge amount of information about the Islanders. In the years before the war they were sailed by some of Glasgow’s best known business families, who abandoned their home comforts each weekend to race against each other, regardless of the weather, sometimes the only fleet seen out on the Firth of Clyde. Their antics excited interest far beyond the yachting fraternity and were eagerly covered in the national press. It was fascinating to find that the mothers and daughters were often among the most competitive, and my researches unearthed some truly surprising stories. Here’s a quote from a Press interview in 1934:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Do you think,” I continued, “that yachting is good sport for women?”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The best in the world,” she laughed. “But you’ve got to take it seriously. It’s no use thinking you can only go out on nice days, and sit around the deck looking smart in trousers.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story of this remarkable young woman is one of the real highlights in the book. Her family allowed me access to her sailing diary, and photographs such as this one, the long skirt signalling that a woman can work a foredeck as well as any man.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwksbOHcpFo_sNEYNErPCgnhQWlCW7VsEUZbkLn-93cJuhKTKv9U9-V5k54my97mKdtN3J8panCyQtxNiMCBB_Q0u9l7wxtkaRi55roJgNHzzlIrvcLCl9ow-w07JW2SSclkPCXVlE9QNdvsxdUuPne3WvVueWBngjlwavlFpqKkMawV6t6D028I8E9cP/s735/Udy%2520on%2520the%2520foredeck%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="735" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAwksbOHcpFo_sNEYNErPCgnhQWlCW7VsEUZbkLn-93cJuhKTKv9U9-V5k54my97mKdtN3J8panCyQtxNiMCBB_Q0u9l7wxtkaRi55roJgNHzzlIrvcLCl9ow-w07JW2SSclkPCXVlE9QNdvsxdUuPne3WvVueWBngjlwavlFpqKkMawV6t6D028I8E9cP/w497-h256/Udy%2520on%2520the%2520foredeck%20(2).jpg" width="497" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book moves on to describe the return of the survivors of those families post war, followed by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a story of decline, and eventual recovery, when the Scottish Islanders survived in the hands of people who just wanted to sail and who appreciated craftsmanship, style and seaworthiness. Their survival has provided colourful tales of exploits and excursions, as new generations of sailors, very different from the original group, continue to discover the fun of exploring the west coast of Scotland.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve added a photograph of Stroma racing off the Isle of Kerrera in West Highland Week in 2004, with myself and my pals the horseman John Wilson and the late Paddy Shaw aboard. The oldest yacht in the fleet, she won that race easily and we only failed to take the overall prize for the week because we’d spent a day in the Mishnish hotel in Tobermory.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCQMLjjjwkzobtqAEvslH9dN1DkOGQDF8RaWlw1HXMkE1PR_TzqHQfIS3WfKmjkLjZOrXdryunLjXnBSI6F7OpQ2Y8l2KnhG8fPGh1Wbx5q1RG7WvyBjNQls-7oJIhuLBWP3tRqP6TDaSn-EvoPQ4Bqd2k4OdnwPcnaaEyLorKjAneEF0i1NvSXxHr9fk/s1774/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-06%20at%2015.38.19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1774" data-original-width="1126" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHCQMLjjjwkzobtqAEvslH9dN1DkOGQDF8RaWlw1HXMkE1PR_TzqHQfIS3WfKmjkLjZOrXdryunLjXnBSI6F7OpQ2Y8l2KnhG8fPGh1Wbx5q1RG7WvyBjNQls-7oJIhuLBWP3tRqP6TDaSn-EvoPQ4Bqd2k4OdnwPcnaaEyLorKjAneEF0i1NvSXxHr9fk/w280-h441/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-06%20at%2015.38.19.png" width="280" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best way to acquire a copy of the book is on the direct link to the publisher's online shop. It's also on Amazon, but they make a significant deduction, which is painful, given the production cost of a high quality publication, with a small print run. Copies are already available in several marinas, Kip, Largs, Ardfern, Craobh Haven and Dunstaffnage to date, with more to come as we get around. here's the link:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://</span><a href="http://www.shop.yachtarchive.scot/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.shop.yachtarchive.scot</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-52922259797271611252023-12-17T05:17:00.000-08:002023-12-17T05:17:32.676-08:00Arresting a Ship<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve managed to do very little sailing this year, with only one overnight stop, in a favourite spot, which I’ve often posted about, </span><a href="https://scottishboating.blogspot.com/2011/10/from-toberonochy-to-battle-of-largs.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Toberonochy</a></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">But in other ways it’s been one of the most fascinating seasons yet.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-73f76042-7fff-7390-8085-8d1f91ad02ad"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the beginning of the summer, Anne and I got a rather mysterious message from Switzerland asking us to keep the last week in July free, with further instructions to come. Then came another invitation, to one of Scotland’s most interesting and historic corners, Roshven, close to Ardnamurchan.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not every day that you get invited to the hundredth birthday of a boat, in fact it’s only happened to me once before, see here, <a href="https://scottishboating.blogspot.com/2010/10/scottie-story-of-espionage-in-sport.html" target="_blank">The Story of the Scottie</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To celebrate the occasion, I wrote the story behind it. Here goes!</span></p><br /><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 23pt; margin-left: 108pt; margin-top: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ceann Tràgha</span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 11pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 23pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra is the anglicised form of two Scots Gaelic words. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ceann</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> means a head, while </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tràigh</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, here in its genitive form </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tràgha</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, can mean a number of things, such as a shore, a strand or a bay. Thus Kentra means “Head of the Bay” and is the name of a bay with astonishingly large mud flats when the tide is out. This part of Scotland has an interesting history and is known in Gaelic as </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Na Garbh-chrìochan</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, “the Rough Bounds”. Not far from Kentra Bay, on a little island, are the ruins of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">an Caisteal Tioram</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, “the dry castle”, dating back to the time of the first Lord of the Isles, Somerled, who ruled in the Twelfth Century. </span></h2><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_lCx29RAXk2AZsTLYdY8c1VSa0hjPYzPmktPBF1q71_vCV3dNRLHOh00xA0zeFhFjZG489thGmWZvcYowO-RgQSWo1Ex_7yFQZFTxDUcDpqgLG_8UAY7POGjQe5ddRhkwZjsgmurMId3HDGAU0UtwBmbOmSDllG2KHQsnlKNQsABBI9RQ8b4sJljkmkk/s1102/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2010.53.01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="798" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_lCx29RAXk2AZsTLYdY8c1VSa0hjPYzPmktPBF1q71_vCV3dNRLHOh00xA0zeFhFjZG489thGmWZvcYowO-RgQSWo1Ex_7yFQZFTxDUcDpqgLG_8UAY7POGjQe5ddRhkwZjsgmurMId3HDGAU0UtwBmbOmSDllG2KHQsnlKNQsABBI9RQ8b4sJljkmkk/w304-h419/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2010.53.01.png" title="King Somerled in an angry mood" width="304" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">King Somerled in an angry mood</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The castle was burnt and destroyed during the first Jacobite Rebellion in 1715. Happily, the area is a safer place to visit today! </span></div><br /><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 11pt 0pt 23pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’s first owner, Kenneth Clark, a member of the Coats/Clark Paisley cotton dynasty, bought the Ardnamurchan estate in 1916, a huge slice of land that stretched from the River Shiel right across to the westmost point of the British mainland, and which included Kentra Bay on its northern shoreline. The estate included Glenborrodale Castle, then quite a modern, late Victorian, red sandstone building, finished in 1901. He lived in slightly smaller accommodation at Shielbridge House, on the banks of the River Shiel and used the castle mainly for socialising, when it wasn’t let out to people such as Sir Thomas Lipton and Sir Thomas Sopwith. His visitors included King George V in his yacht </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Britannia</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: -12pt 0pt 23pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1916 he provided the local community with the Shielbridge Hall, a community facility, which is still in use. After his death in 1933 the estate was sold. Glenborrodale Castle has since been used sometimes as an hotel and sometimes as a private house, but Shielbridge House was demolished by a later owner in the 1950s, after the government introduced a tax on very large houses and many estate owners decided to destroy their properties rather than pay it.</span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: -12pt 0pt 23pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kenneth Clark also had houses in the South of England and on the Riviera, which probably suited his busy lifestyle as a sportsman and a gambler rather better than the quiet west coast of Scotland. Was he truly “the Man who broke the Bank in Monte Carlo”? Perhaps not, as it seems that the title should go to Charles de Ville Wells, who died in 1922. </span></h2><h2 dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: -12pt 0pt 23pt 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It must remain a puzzle why such a fellow as Kenneth Clark commissioned a true sea going sailing ship and, of course, we know that he sold her within a year. Perhaps he decided that his health wasn’t up to a round the world trip. Whatever his reason for commissioning </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, we owe him our thanks for one of William Fife’s most beautiful creations.</span></h2><div><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 400; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arresting a Ship</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the time I first heard of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, in the early 1990s, I had been running my law practice in the centre of Glasgow for many years. Our office was situated in an historic building overlooking Royal Exchange Square, the heart of the old commercial sector. I enjoyed the pleasant working space too much to join one of the bigger law firms, and the autonomy gave me the freedom to decide what work I wanted to take on. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5Bxx5STpQM_hMQ0hcxtAZE4c9fjQss17JwLqvGtwdR_xArWd7HiEiCHaGwmS2pMptcZvd2lhAKI9HsdRRS0oRuYBkkHOtslRTkfwdAjubobxwdePN4bqyJm-LsJOdw-k2_J7k8-AQPWrIYn0pmUld54f1J_1VfdpLdkJg8Lz2KzOC1Q7rbaEaY54O0O9/s1090/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2010.53.23.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1090" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5Bxx5STpQM_hMQ0hcxtAZE4c9fjQss17JwLqvGtwdR_xArWd7HiEiCHaGwmS2pMptcZvd2lhAKI9HsdRRS0oRuYBkkHOtslRTkfwdAjubobxwdePN4bqyJm-LsJOdw-k2_J7k8-AQPWrIYn0pmUld54f1J_1VfdpLdkJg8Lz2KzOC1Q7rbaEaY54O0O9/w400-h300/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2010.53.23.png" width="400" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because people knew of my interest in ships and the sea, problems with a maritime flavour tended to come my way. These were rarely straightforward, but always interesting. I found myself advising a firm of deep sea divers who had bought the Fairlie Pier and through them I met Archie MacMillan, the final director of the Fife yard, where </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> had been built. Archie even persuaded me to moor my own yacht, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stroma</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, at Fairlie for a few years, before the long stretch of mud at low tide eventually made me return to deeper waters.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSArL4yGjqbKRx63yg5h_JOWVfeFTwtSF1dw_fZFMMi74A8XNBAj4m1kFLK_aoGX6lgSculraf3eJACOQ5tt-y_5AKe_fB8dJcyanRX5ltlJVST-XeJcX_Laq8ApkCxXF6GsmZpaNiiot4Cozo_bJLkU9zlwRddfGI2NIrSbcdhHobv9GdRcrXG1hpraH2/s3072/Stroma%2520at%2520Crinan%25202008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSArL4yGjqbKRx63yg5h_JOWVfeFTwtSF1dw_fZFMMi74A8XNBAj4m1kFLK_aoGX6lgSculraf3eJACOQ5tt-y_5AKe_fB8dJcyanRX5ltlJVST-XeJcX_Laq8ApkCxXF6GsmZpaNiiot4Cozo_bJLkU9zlwRddfGI2NIrSbcdhHobv9GdRcrXG1hpraH2/w400-h300/Stroma%2520at%2520Crinan%25202008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stroma at Crinan, 2008</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">One day my accountant friend, Bill Cameron, invited me to look at a problem that had arisen at the old McGruer yard at Clynder, not far from the Royal Northern Yacht Club base near Helensburgh. She had arrived in Scotland for renovation after a hard working life in the Mediterranean. Her latest owner, said to be a fellow in the olive oil business who lived in the Dakota Building in New York, had apparently disappeared, leaving a squad of skilled craftsmen and the yard’s owners looking for their money. To make matters more exciting, it was even rumoured that a certain Brigitte Bardot had been sailing on her; one hopes that she would have taken her sharp heeled shoes off when she went aboard. What a wonderful case to land on my desk!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Among the things that attract young people to a career in the law are television programmes showing fantastically clever attorneys defending clients on terribly serious charges and getting them off due to their sheer brilliance, although also perhaps because, of course, the clients are always innocent. My equivalent ambitions, having been obsessed with boats and ships from an early age, were rather different. They included arresting ships by nailing writs to their masts, a procedure which caused a sailing ship to be kept in port in foreign parts until all her bills had been settled. I never thought that I might end up doing this in practice, although as it turned out in my case, no nails were to be involved; indeed there was no mast on </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arrestment is a procedure that has been around for ever and the rules surrounding it form one of the oldest parts of international maritime law. Problems that were first seen centuries years ago are in principle the same as today’s, when, for example, a container ship goes aground in the Suez Canal and incurs enormous charges. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I had never arrested a ship before, I started asking around and soon discovered that while an older lawyer friend had spent a lifetime working in shipping law and had occasionally secured an arrestment, the owner had always turned up with a payment to prevent his vessel being sold. With my friend’s help and a visit to the library we got the case started. It seemed that a mast was an essential part of the procedure, but the Sheriff at the court in Dumbarton confirmed that using sticky tape to attach the writ to any permanent part would suffice.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the owner had failed to respond to various efforts to notify him the Sheriff ordered that </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> be sold by public auction, to take place in the Commodore Hotel in Helensburgh, rather an appropriately named place. He had never granted such an order before and decided to set out some detailed rules, providing that there would be an upset price of twenty thousand pounds and bids would be throughout in units of one thousand. This was to guarantee in due course rather a long day!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few days before the sale I had a telephone call from a Swiss gentleman who informed me that he intended to bid. Because of the obvious conflict of interest, as I was in a sense now acting for the court, I introduced him to a good friend, Graham Wilson, sadly no longer with us, who had served in the Royal Navy before becoming a lawyer and who lived in Helensburgh. When I first called Graham, he thought that I was joking, but the next call from Switzerland put him right.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the appointed day the bidding went quickly up to £28,000, after which a well known local car dealer dropped out, then proceeded, in bids of one thousand pounds, until a major international brokerage firm gave up and Graham’s new client, Ernst, found himself not only with a yacht, but also a slice of heritage that has engaged him and Doris for the last three decades.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sale produced sufficient funds to clear all the sums due to known creditors, but a few others now turned up and created problems which belong more appropriately to a textbook on insolvency law than here. I was greatly relieved to be able to pay the sale proceeds into the Sheriff Court and leave it to others to sort out who got what.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The new owners decided to have </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> restored by Duncan Walker and his crew at Fairlie Restorations, who had already returned several other Fife masterpieces to life in their yard by the Hamble. To get her to Southampton was to involve a sea voyage the length of the West coast, round Land’s End, in late autumn. Being an empty hulk, there was no question of her travelling on her own keel. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5KENgm4okeURWV2cr0w8BRz7pcgX5zM29sEPx_kfz6XIIT-SpOZQZvsyeaawsOha9a4IbZYUnA1fess5gtCE7w8FQffScgHnYMY7zGkHFQ89YEFooD8BLIFEDkRXAoqdYyxotdtU8mffHb05eQf3isZqTAx5wxTzkthE41ArqHsmQazxlFvZt4khpyn8/s1246/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.02.10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1246" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5KENgm4okeURWV2cr0w8BRz7pcgX5zM29sEPx_kfz6XIIT-SpOZQZvsyeaawsOha9a4IbZYUnA1fess5gtCE7w8FQffScgHnYMY7zGkHFQ89YEFooD8BLIFEDkRXAoqdYyxotdtU8mffHb05eQf3isZqTAx5wxTzkthE41ArqHsmQazxlFvZt4khpyn8/w400-h278/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.02.10.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The legendary Harry Spencer of Cowes, the doyen of riggers worldwide, was contracted to handle the voyage on a special barge to be towed behind his private tug. The largest mobile crane in Scotland, belonging to Baldwins of Grangemouth was engaged and brought across from the far side of Scotland by Mr Baldwin in person.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here we see Duncan Walker, myself and Graham Wilson, on a cold, late Autumn morning, before the fun commenced.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxscLfjq8I01zmANuiUhmv1qGYrTYXkMh9zyeWt_MrdtpP90vPJM1_zKMi1lddqPcIZbD0ogocGEjgbyhLURtRirlmI973gVOPuDSxdP-0L0Ub3qZ-wnQXeFczjqK0QCyaNyrCkJSLozSFcbGEmPoGlRi3yGaMU7M0Ihs8nh3c7K7-NCKwLOqfhvknemIv/s1334/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.03.36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxscLfjq8I01zmANuiUhmv1qGYrTYXkMh9zyeWt_MrdtpP90vPJM1_zKMi1lddqPcIZbD0ogocGEjgbyhLURtRirlmI973gVOPuDSxdP-0L0Ub3qZ-wnQXeFczjqK0QCyaNyrCkJSLozSFcbGEmPoGlRi3yGaMU7M0Ihs8nh3c7K7-NCKwLOqfhvknemIv/w370-h400/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.03.36.png" width="370" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This all took place on what I believe was Harry Spencer’s seventieth birthday in September 1995 and I imagine he was totally in his element, shown standing on the deck of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in this photograph. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8obbRGa_oqjzJMxnXDB-kmwWOCpwIXZcP3UU0Hu8wKyn4wnrQ-Mu8jQSvP9ZkqtbppwFqDMHNlkHSy4w6Me9UE-Iqz6MBgBhgMsUAe9pv_tLPNVgYWDOw1WrrgtMbFynIsPEh2hlO5GmA-NJINnCEcRHaTGpwpvs_AM4gSnxrRnytctABGPOMF6j01Qh/s1742/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.05.27.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1742" data-original-width="1190" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8obbRGa_oqjzJMxnXDB-kmwWOCpwIXZcP3UU0Hu8wKyn4wnrQ-Mu8jQSvP9ZkqtbppwFqDMHNlkHSy4w6Me9UE-Iqz6MBgBhgMsUAe9pv_tLPNVgYWDOw1WrrgtMbFynIsPEh2hlO5GmA-NJINnCEcRHaTGpwpvs_AM4gSnxrRnytctABGPOMF6j01Qh/w438-h640/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.05.27.png" width="438" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The voyage south took, I’ve been told, a couple of weeks. Bad weather set in and the underwriters insisted on the journey being broken and days being spent in port before the final, risky, rounding of Land's End could take place. One suspects that Harry and his crew will have enlivened things in a few unsuspecting, remote taverns on the fringes of Wales. Happily all went well and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was successfully delivered into the hands of Duncan and his crew at the Hamble.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have borrowed this great image of Harry from the Cowes Heritage website.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFZL52IGSSB1oomMH5f1MlPslxQsCEPIndfjOYCU8KzWnhc1I6I3lNk7_lgZQfkvHSZ_goJO3bA9vZiCab7yJsJKE5NRmlkVFq6GJOmVyh7quewx5R1zisvaLMoeRGMPXW-As4bOsX_m1ltWAR1APjpdPAzOG2RDHrcRLkJ3SRMFB5NL8CCvG6c3ANTu_/s1286/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.09.11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="1286" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFZL52IGSSB1oomMH5f1MlPslxQsCEPIndfjOYCU8KzWnhc1I6I3lNk7_lgZQfkvHSZ_goJO3bA9vZiCab7yJsJKE5NRmlkVFq6GJOmVyh7quewx5R1zisvaLMoeRGMPXW-As4bOsX_m1ltWAR1APjpdPAzOG2RDHrcRLkJ3SRMFB5NL8CCvG6c3ANTu_/w400-h385/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.09.11.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel enormously privileged that a legal case thirty years ago has led to lasting friendships. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The 1998 Fife Regatta</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first Fife Regatta in 1998 was an especially emotional experience for all of us, overshadowed by the loss of Eric Tabarly in the Irish Sea. With only a dozen or so yachts attending, the available spaces, such as the historic Kelburn Castle, had enough space to accommodate everyone as we came to terms with the sense of shock for all of us and personal grief for those who had known Eric. Later events have not quite managed to recreate the feelings of intimacy.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was happy to be able to help Jimmy Houston with the organising and as a result managed to sign up in the French merchant navy to sail aboard </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moonbeam</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for a couple of days, but the real delight was spending a day aboard </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the Kyles of Bute.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYn3obOXnFcj9en1MTnLqxv90h1Pau0f_Kp_BfCnrKn0MgkCKViiu7ryfDQ3VaBp3cCSYRF_fp6WqmImZOAhow7cIfDtqTvWpNRchGl03ei_23VLo4NEAvwfgiOqv5ao_rrMDAxAfLkLGGSKxbsPIj5Gyq_Al6YWdnNzF78aWHDSWxdhyphenhyphenhIR833QJHPoqK/s1324/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1324" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYn3obOXnFcj9en1MTnLqxv90h1Pau0f_Kp_BfCnrKn0MgkCKViiu7ryfDQ3VaBp3cCSYRF_fp6WqmImZOAhow7cIfDtqTvWpNRchGl03ei_23VLo4NEAvwfgiOqv5ao_rrMDAxAfLkLGGSKxbsPIj5Gyq_Al6YWdnNzF78aWHDSWxdhyphenhyphenhIR833QJHPoqK/w400-h270/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.00.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qq968Q7ZE3q_EBn1I4KrNqjJ7yDreyV_Bv9IuHayonVpXh7deGE2xUzx9aYaX4a1MhQnL1k7lMgdj4ioUucHijWl0zf7WCJZbD3YjA_oNSGg8uyg0ebR21TF20HAT6ny5DBma1Uw4TYYRghFPy0lfucquNKG2SFmInPoW8X1zJyGAzavJbZt7uBJ7AUg/s1250/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="1250" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qq968Q7ZE3q_EBn1I4KrNqjJ7yDreyV_Bv9IuHayonVpXh7deGE2xUzx9aYaX4a1MhQnL1k7lMgdj4ioUucHijWl0zf7WCJZbD3YjA_oNSGg8uyg0ebR21TF20HAT6ny5DBma1Uw4TYYRghFPy0lfucquNKG2SFmInPoW8X1zJyGAzavJbZt7uBJ7AUg/w400-h270/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.14.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujiJMNBpqHhOlSJm5OyFZKd8tHHZAHGSUdw2U5gDisndogWOPjAitS7uMtWD9r_HsaRA5Wr3hR7B23FS4MH05BvdfWxJ_mdBD3QAGwsLbYEpdEIyFmqaK0BuswolBDABryoVu-_NLzCgE3eb08Irb32iMiXu_Monm8N8TNANZ5q6zGP1JfYNuF3t-ocVB/s1248/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1248" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujiJMNBpqHhOlSJm5OyFZKd8tHHZAHGSUdw2U5gDisndogWOPjAitS7uMtWD9r_HsaRA5Wr3hR7B23FS4MH05BvdfWxJ_mdBD3QAGwsLbYEpdEIyFmqaK0BuswolBDABryoVu-_NLzCgE3eb08Irb32iMiXu_Monm8N8TNANZ5q6zGP1JfYNuF3t-ocVB/w400-h272/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.26.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three days after my return to Argyll came the real surprise, thanks to that pink cap. There it was, bobbing along behind the hedge at the front of our garden, a hundred sea miles from the Firth of Clyde. Without anyone aboard knowing where we lived, not only </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pen Duick</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as well, were moored in a sheltered bay about a kilometre from our house!</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlX22RM55fjeY7lzijK84_Qqki1iYGRAFlHGWn3kx2g-ivKzBoYBZadwQzNwjAStN5feIKdzDE7BvxFhRP1umixTCKElcbWcOg6u71EAGoXWjUXAcgYYVIfJetG4Wnzy5eiY9wJfovVE2uGK4ocVbKZS7m7_k6IeQu-Wip_PnsezwsZ7jvbiaZn8crQcn/s1288/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.43.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1288" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlX22RM55fjeY7lzijK84_Qqki1iYGRAFlHGWn3kx2g-ivKzBoYBZadwQzNwjAStN5feIKdzDE7BvxFhRP1umixTCKElcbWcOg6u71EAGoXWjUXAcgYYVIfJetG4Wnzy5eiY9wJfovVE2uGK4ocVbKZS7m7_k6IeQu-Wip_PnsezwsZ7jvbiaZn8crQcn/w400-h269/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.11.43.png" width="400" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fearnach Bay, with its ancient pier, a relic from the days when the local industry was making gunpowder, has since become a favourite anchoring spot for </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Feature of the West Coast</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are always very pleased to see </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and are amazed at her people's tolerance of our Scottish weather, which often provides four seasons in one single day.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslVKedGTJF0DkBYx4cmfH6uhAkZNBVNuaFET3zCL3Hgd3j7PTDIt4b5c23QbsSIRmkzRDpZAgc2PnqR6nesA7jUnq0mMuOD67wKjrHApRaQnsalkw5QvhXZVJwATk5owIvA5abwvw0rJD3yf8_o6DjAT0IvMu1HkfRG2LAR-A7v4-zxvJaloEc_LRb_Nw/s1250/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.14.32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1250" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslVKedGTJF0DkBYx4cmfH6uhAkZNBVNuaFET3zCL3Hgd3j7PTDIt4b5c23QbsSIRmkzRDpZAgc2PnqR6nesA7jUnq0mMuOD67wKjrHApRaQnsalkw5QvhXZVJwATk5owIvA5abwvw0rJD3yf8_o6DjAT0IvMu1HkfRG2LAR-A7v4-zxvJaloEc_LRb_Nw/w400-h269/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.14.32.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last summer, I had headed off aboard my new little boat, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mariota</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, launched in 2019, with my good friends Margaret and Vicky. At the North of the Isle of Seil there is a well known anchorage, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Puilladhobhran</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, “the Pool of the Otter”, which we tend to avoid, as it’s like a parking lot in summer, so we anchor in a more private spot. Once settled, we looked along the shore and, also avoiding the crowd, there was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7wJxXQ5WLxil9EaOL2Rf-OIId0PvNijlpq_liDYbNCiNnUojBvV9KbSqQLTFu2-yqqZ9ZpkyuAT4GPuA6QH9QFYF5sqkv4KcJ15wTd5kMVqhsY-bcw4E5iRqDtRFjfY8Ik32_Fvb0WwoSXg0azXvnIutbA102oKXEddRbvWtTfd4w70FMRT-HTssYbvU/s1664/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.14.49.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1664" data-original-width="1252" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7wJxXQ5WLxil9EaOL2Rf-OIId0PvNijlpq_liDYbNCiNnUojBvV9KbSqQLTFu2-yqqZ9ZpkyuAT4GPuA6QH9QFYF5sqkv4KcJ15wTd5kMVqhsY-bcw4E5iRqDtRFjfY8Ik32_Fvb0WwoSXg0azXvnIutbA102oKXEddRbvWtTfd4w70FMRT-HTssYbvU/w301-h400/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-17%20at%2011.14.49.png" width="301" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s wonderful to see </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kentra</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in spectacular condition as she enters her second century and her present custodians have our grateful thanks for all you have done to bring this wonderful piece of heritage back to life. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-47305307833298508402023-12-13T07:19:00.000-08:002023-12-13T07:19:27.988-08:00The Scottish Islanders<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_F7bjKKsCHphsvS0FqMQQIoNTtbGcq0HDG89TjzASAic7qHPEC6sOUxKRTECKwBbaZiP2ewV3K7f6O2qdUqRfwVAztAicmTxXO5b5RZ9YBGLZbI7MMFzP2s9xMNjx19Xa_A7rq__KnXGQQ8AeRw9zJPGQ3QBklUgBeOMu4Ji5UIlYrRA1JIGAS5bZ3xC/s3324/Scottish%20Island%20Class%20Clyde%20Regatta%201939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="3324" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_F7bjKKsCHphsvS0FqMQQIoNTtbGcq0HDG89TjzASAic7qHPEC6sOUxKRTECKwBbaZiP2ewV3K7f6O2qdUqRfwVAztAicmTxXO5b5RZ9YBGLZbI7MMFzP2s9xMNjx19Xa_A7rq__KnXGQQ8AeRw9zJPGQ3QBklUgBeOMu4Ji5UIlYrRA1JIGAS5bZ3xC/w487-h394/Scottish%20Island%20Class%20Clyde%20Regatta%201939.jpg" width="487" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Above is a fantastic photograph of the fleet racing in the last major event before war put a stop to such things. When I was putting my book together, I was delighted at the support from companies such as Beken, who were content for me to use a portrait image of my own Islander, Stroma, without payment. This image isn't in the book, it came from someone whose forebears had purchased a copy at the time. Perhaps we'll eventually do a reprint.</p><p>The feedback from purchasers has been very positive, also I've been getting sent material, such as the photograph, also anecdotes about the boats and their families, which is making the whole exercise feel very worth while. There's a lot of social history that deserves to be recorded, not just regarding the older, rather patrician families, but also just about the characters who made the west coast and its little bays and havens a lot of fun. I'm thinking of men like Boyd Keen, who made it into the book, and the recently departed and much loved Cubby MacKinnon, about whom a book, <a href="http://ameliadaltontravel.co.uk/mistress-commander-the-book-2/" target="_blank">Mistress and Commander</a>, appeared a few years ago.</p><p>Seriously, the book is quite a limited print run, and it's selling quite well, via social media only, because the margin between cost and retail price rules out major bookshops. So, if you want a copy, or know someone whom you think might enjoy it, you can find the online shop at</p><p><a href="https://www.shop.yachtarchive.scot" target="_blank">www.shop.yachtarchive.scot</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEcqvh4eaXaQfZR1CED9-V6zXRa5hqjarlNLB2_NRKU8vZJOZnKRwyx18WTnMEwh37ZYAx5gLrTY_pZjCZTD4cdgjb_LsEIKLIL71DsLsPqlfM0CgLAJsouxnMm_Y-QHWR0PYH_2BsmAq_KLbmnAVtRN4MeGw8889NtR6360Pv2rG0r_lOHYXk3gl0EpZ/s1850/PH9703%20Scottish%20Islands%20Class%20_%20Cover%20Design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1850" data-original-width="1496" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEcqvh4eaXaQfZR1CED9-V6zXRa5hqjarlNLB2_NRKU8vZJOZnKRwyx18WTnMEwh37ZYAx5gLrTY_pZjCZTD4cdgjb_LsEIKLIL71DsLsPqlfM0CgLAJsouxnMm_Y-QHWR0PYH_2BsmAq_KLbmnAVtRN4MeGw8889NtR6360Pv2rG0r_lOHYXk3gl0EpZ/w449-h554/PH9703%20Scottish%20Islands%20Class%20_%20Cover%20Design.jpg" width="449" /></a></p></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-91341820397604436012023-12-05T02:22:00.000-08:002023-12-05T02:22:30.809-08:00Christmas Approaching<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_d_GecZEMtu4OBQHNJaRa3FVRJguFbReIl-nTthoXvoNpV14Co3wdor4N0kCs5sZ8JBx9rxTkyI652mqoCmC5uKSBWT4gRfsgfoeQ3ddUXOKEZDMwuta8zwSyIK_aCeu1ftcmV1JTixhPw3USHfb_mbiIFcx22jLaUsbXv2qBn8Lj4mIwF5WCVsjWPnF9/s3072/Stroma%2520at%2520Crinan%25202008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_d_GecZEMtu4OBQHNJaRa3FVRJguFbReIl-nTthoXvoNpV14Co3wdor4N0kCs5sZ8JBx9rxTkyI652mqoCmC5uKSBWT4gRfsgfoeQ3ddUXOKEZDMwuta8zwSyIK_aCeu1ftcmV1JTixhPw3USHfb_mbiIFcx22jLaUsbXv2qBn8Lj4mIwF5WCVsjWPnF9/w487-h365/Stroma%2520at%2520Crinan%25202008.jpg" width="487" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><h2 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time for a reminder that my book on the Scottish Islanders is out. With Christmas approaching it might even solve a problem, if you need a present for a salty old uncle or aunt!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book has been very professionally put together and is fully illustrated with archive and modern photographs and artwork. It should be of interest to those interested in our social history, as well as our sailors. </span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Copies can be acquired online at: </span></h2><span id="docs-internal-guid-acb07add-7fff-cbde-808b-b90ac9079004"><br /><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://</span><a href="http://www.shop.yachtarchive.scot" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.shop.yachtarchive.scot</span></a></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-33436267758714473402023-10-16T09:37:00.000-07:002023-10-16T09:37:06.467-07:00The First Review is out!<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTp-f1gAGEKk0yGU7L86Pk9E5fYqK21rAYiTuodv96dWONogXi4mrzH76Yo6UuZGIXJjG3u4H3o-X3aDhccIH30UE_9A28WpxkzzSEMxtuhbCc3vus3tJIzcsvNFg3aTs6WGxkm4UthM3dh37AG-_38nLwY0qLcci-7wwvNtpVZU6zi0LXMz2HkYiqySw4/s2100/Sunday%20National%20Review.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1670" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTp-f1gAGEKk0yGU7L86Pk9E5fYqK21rAYiTuodv96dWONogXi4mrzH76Yo6UuZGIXJjG3u4H3o-X3aDhccIH30UE_9A28WpxkzzSEMxtuhbCc3vus3tJIzcsvNFg3aTs6WGxkm4UthM3dh37AG-_38nLwY0qLcci-7wwvNtpVZU6zi0LXMz2HkYiqySw4/w433-h546/Sunday%20National%20Review.png" width="433" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's great to see the first review, with a couple more in the pipeline. Also, readers are getting back and seem to be enjoying my efforts. The online shop now has its own dedicated website, so to buy a copy use this link:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.shop.yachtarchive.scot"><span style="font-size: large;">shop.yachtarchive.scot</span></a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-71139113814679863342023-09-28T09:26:00.000-07:002023-09-28T09:26:21.565-07:00The Scottish Islanders<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiAltgn6KtJDtFSFCidjIVRaA2-YNAeyBENmNFwZ66QTcwT6z9f3WxKvb-XXUsZXnlJ6rDL0bEl2f0NMr6FRCjNaQ59hDiWjPCrM4iPmcyoX_uGIqBkkm5Prpoee3iqkUdyt-0aLfjGhGAxRsztpsOnrf9j8MjdB9ldMP6gS7BtZ60Jqh_8bLDYfzQyA5/s1850/PH9703%20Scottish%20Islands%20Class%20_%20Cover%20Design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1850" data-original-width="1496" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiAltgn6KtJDtFSFCidjIVRaA2-YNAeyBENmNFwZ66QTcwT6z9f3WxKvb-XXUsZXnlJ6rDL0bEl2f0NMr6FRCjNaQ59hDiWjPCrM4iPmcyoX_uGIqBkkm5Prpoee3iqkUdyt-0aLfjGhGAxRsztpsOnrf9j8MjdB9ldMP6gS7BtZ60Jqh_8bLDYfzQyA5/w518-h640/PH9703%20Scottish%20Islands%20Class%20_%20Cover%20Design.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following my post about the Scottish Yachting Archives, I’m writing to let people know that my book, The Scottish Islanders, is now in print. </span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The Scottish Islanders were a fleet of identical sailing yachts launched from 1929. Designed, built and organised to ensure absolutely level competition, winning was entirely down to boat handling skills and cunning. In the years before the war they were sailed by some of Glasgow’s best known business families, who abandoned their home <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>comforts each weekend to race against each other, regardless of the weather, sometimes the only fleet seen out on the Firth of Clyde. Their antics excited interest far beyond the yachting fraternity and were eagerly covered in the national press.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I acquired Stroma, number Four in the Scottish Islands Class in September 1976, and over the next four decades kept her mainly on the west coast, before finally passing her on to new owners just a few years ago. Over that period I gathered a huge amount of information and over the last twenty years or so I’ve been putting together a book on them, based on research into the interesting group of families who first owned them, reports from their descendants and my own experiences of sailing in one. For nearly a hundred years the Islanders have been a feature on the west coast. They still regularly turn out for West Highland Week.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The first part of the book has a lot of social history and stories about some remarkable people, such as Udy Russell, a pioneer of women on water. There are occasional excursions abroad, when the Scots did battle with America’s best in Oyster Bay, outside New York. This section ends with a look at the return of the survivors postwar. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The book then moves on to tell a story of decline, when the yacht racing fraternity moved away from wooden boats, but the Scottish Islanders survived in the hands of people who just wanted to sail and who appreciated craftsmanship, style and seaworthiness. They had become cheap enough for young people to buy and use for coastal cruises. The survival of most of the fleet has provided colourful tales of exploits and excursions, as new generations of sailors, very different from the original group, continue to discover the fun of exploring the west coast of Scotland, with the boats still winning races and always turning heads.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I had nearly given up hope of finding a publisher until my old friends Dr William Collier and Antony Harrison told me that they had set up the Scottish Yachting Archives, an operation dedicated to ensuring that the history of sailing on the west coast is preserved. To date they've acquired the records of the William Fife dynasty and the G L Watson design business, a total of several thousand drawings and artefacts, all now preserved in their unit in central Glasgow. Part of their operation will involve publishing, and I’m delighted to report that my book is their first venture. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm also delighted that the Rockfield Centre in Oban has agreed to host the book launch in the cafe in the afternoon of Saturday 28th October.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In the meantime, copies of the book can be got via shop.yachtarchive.scot.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-72164698094089212962023-08-09T02:50:00.000-07:002023-08-09T02:50:52.121-07:00A very short Trip<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3ef9ldZJhaUXvdjXhtnUWJBbE37IiWhpod2nBkXlCh1QpkQsL245RARJ8cLI8xJggD76TQgt-MV_lL_DoILNWNbfEgTBMYy4mXE2QVWMJSlICiEch16zWUE0v2nxRuzkIUsgYpXnpOzZ_Gh0lHkU4-zwCypzYgi1edLjGH_Q8MjZszrCI_ATh5MU7bUA/s2048/IMG_2131.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3ef9ldZJhaUXvdjXhtnUWJBbE37IiWhpod2nBkXlCh1QpkQsL245RARJ8cLI8xJggD76TQgt-MV_lL_DoILNWNbfEgTBMYy4mXE2QVWMJSlICiEch16zWUE0v2nxRuzkIUsgYpXnpOzZ_Gh0lHkU4-zwCypzYgi1edLjGH_Q8MjZszrCI_ATh5MU7bUA/w510-h382/IMG_2131.jpeg" width="510" /></a></div><p>This summer has been utterly dreadful here in mid Argyll. As we head into the second half of the season I'm wondering if I should believe optimistic locals here assuring us that there will be an Indian Summer, starting any day now.</p><p>After another couple of weeks of extremely unsettled conditions, the forecasts a few days ago promised a couple of days of sunshine and light westerlies, so I headed off on Monday with three plastic boxes containing lunch, dinner and breakfast. </p><p>Long term readers of this blog will know that Toberonochy is one of my favourite places, sheltered from anything with west in it and excellent holding ground. So, off I went in the late morning, tacking into a light westerly, but there was not too much of the promised sun. By the time I was half way down the loch the wind was really getting up, with some dirty black clouds bringing nasty puffs, but I figured that as I got closer to Shuna and then Luing there would be a bit of a lee, so decided not to reef and pressed on. Mariota is actually a much tougher wee boat than she might appear and there were no scary moments. </p><p>Outside the bay I hove too and got anchor, chain, warp and tripping line nicely rigged and flaked, then sheeted in and tacked up inshore of Mariota's older sister Minna. When I started sailing I tended not to use a tripping line and was perhaps lucky never to lose an anchor, although fifty years ago the seabed wasn't littered so much with discarded fishing gear and debris from abandoned fish farms. Another problem in recent years is the growth of kelp, which seems to be taking over everywhere, perhaps also a bi-product of fish farming, via the excess nutrients dumped in the water column. This can mean that the anchor never actually reaches the seabed, an issue if you're using a wee Bruce or similar type of hook. Even if it makes its way through, it will likely come up with a load of heavy material, giving the foredeck hand a nasty job and maybe rendering the boat difficult to steer until it's cleared. And working alone, it's essential to get back to the helm sharpish, once you're clear. A problem with a tripping line can arise when some lazy fellow comes in after you and mistakes it for a mooring, which traditionally caused some to paint some strong language on the float. With a long line it's possible to keep it on the foredeck.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> </span><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDgF61nwRAsL1PdEroKyRHCwco65BJxS36Z5fdKzR7qCTljbiGM1ABRrLp5TpO33APiEoWlGmR7hBjxa4l5khdDPmNgPSCezXrZL5dgrNi8oiq3CkogEeQR9iLk-2R181f9ro0vOdoquEut2m3g3bjESd7E37htqGA6MTuHFj4a4WxiyOeMxV0ftY4Y_l9/w586-h440/IMG_2130.jpeg" width="586" /></p><p></p>There was no real reason to go ashore, but having brought the tender I went for a walk up to the old Kilchattan church. Over the years I've tried unsuccessfully to get a good photograph of the ancient graffiti, which is as interesting as the church itself. This time the light was perfect and it worked!<p></p><p><span> </span><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifq0bftW1rmsmo9mlBkUy5ndVgsxDUb92aNZqvbyusoBEgeITKUkjJLhRSh9Mc2Mt3V96icFP-kTiDxzclEUyyg5VJpZjDIPO0QN_cuZkkP-vj7GM_Rv0BAlZHu5mOl-1dUMlmouaGRsO-Dwlu2DHQGCZHY2fpQF_tIDWg5Jun7dK1boGT9NnmyQJ49RTL/w584-h438/IMG_2132.jpeg" width="584" /></p><p>You can read more about the history behind this here: <a href="https://scottishboating.blogspot.com/2011/10/from-toberonochy-to-battle-of-largs.html" target="_blank">From Toberonochy to the Battle of Largs</a></p><p>And since writing that earlier post a kind friend has donated an authentic image of the battle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx85gT7yqVg05ZQhv53dYDY8-mUtKMDixVtO3WiVIp6oKXS5qTPKJeioVb1ZUhXOd5AVJz0wYqnQK0NPH3vrjnQjWo34RCevGJUrHbwnOdb5TLlqWGRoSBdjbu24vrFawwg05Vk82M9jCaPDLsCToJtC4WKpn4CTK0ZVGGLZJnNlxWaohMp_Bl4CVMQd3/s2939/IMG_3704.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1902" data-original-width="2939" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx85gT7yqVg05ZQhv53dYDY8-mUtKMDixVtO3WiVIp6oKXS5qTPKJeioVb1ZUhXOd5AVJz0wYqnQK0NPH3vrjnQjWo34RCevGJUrHbwnOdb5TLlqWGRoSBdjbu24vrFawwg05Vk82M9jCaPDLsCToJtC4WKpn4CTK0ZVGGLZJnNlxWaohMp_Bl4CVMQd3/w606-h393/IMG_3704.jpeg" width="606" /></a></div><br /><p>When I turned in, the forecast was for a day of beautiful sunshine and a gentle westerly breeze, so it was a surprise when, just after I had taken down the cockpit tent, black clouds came over with quarter of an hour of a strong, very cold northwesterly and a downpour. Then, all was calm. The anchor came up loaded with mud, no kelp at all. I rigged the electric outboard and used about 0.5% of the battery storage travelling at about two knots across to the mouth of Loch Melfort.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaaYV1OOD8bhiyD6UphQDxQjCKvkx-41wYsX-0HRi185kgSvZZ256qOLrzTn4G_2Lgncxyk_4U6gRKE81O_XWK-WOuLbfgi3399E6J8gAhW0vmDcy85IypyqsuYP85F5NWo7f3G5LmtIlMLVqll4s6147wtuQEtyiueG9ar4YKKfgUnsNqgiOM32iTGOL/s2048/IMG_2134.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="503" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaaYV1OOD8bhiyD6UphQDxQjCKvkx-41wYsX-0HRi185kgSvZZ256qOLrzTn4G_2Lgncxyk_4U6gRKE81O_XWK-WOuLbfgi3399E6J8gAhW0vmDcy85IypyqsuYP85F5NWo7f3G5LmtIlMLVqll4s6147wtuQEtyiueG9ar4YKKfgUnsNqgiOM32iTGOL/w377-h503/IMG_2134.jpeg" width="377" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfbaXa6gZNvzcAMbujkj0-c0v9Bv32qapME7mQ6WTqMKfN5LFapRo4Q7Viymqg-o5BifLEVC3I6GgCI9LLE_ldjOeAshvtp6-vNGP_5Abamaa-apEO1CfnkzfsUZqLSP8SeOTsgiappLcKsOgFnTTTwDcQNbbVllUuDKKwZTM3nJlFx9-oRSf7gKdELT6/s2048/IMG_2133.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfbaXa6gZNvzcAMbujkj0-c0v9Bv32qapME7mQ6WTqMKfN5LFapRo4Q7Viymqg-o5BifLEVC3I6GgCI9LLE_ldjOeAshvtp6-vNGP_5Abamaa-apEO1CfnkzfsUZqLSP8SeOTsgiappLcKsOgFnTTTwDcQNbbVllUuDKKwZTM3nJlFx9-oRSf7gKdELT6/w439-h329/IMG_2133.jpeg" width="439" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpZegFfhrLksP2OllZIet2D8XpPdN5pAkyZb42NOqw8cgjQ6wNlJ8qWsRN-vFPpFW51weJznwHCvAry0kVwD0Tmo3piXzuQvR-bZRtNolOCbi0k16j6NP_A0nESN7_QqbrUJ3Xf8alTAeezr-Dja1o4G0Rv0q010O8a5tKCMHwUUrWcHFf6CZhVL_Gyb2/s2048/IMG_2135.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpZegFfhrLksP2OllZIet2D8XpPdN5pAkyZb42NOqw8cgjQ6wNlJ8qWsRN-vFPpFW51weJznwHCvAry0kVwD0Tmo3piXzuQvR-bZRtNolOCbi0k16j6NP_A0nESN7_QqbrUJ3Xf8alTAeezr-Dja1o4G0Rv0q010O8a5tKCMHwUUrWcHFf6CZhVL_Gyb2/w431-h323/IMG_2135.jpeg" width="431" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Off Kilchoan, the wind arrived, providing a dead run back to base. I was lucky to be hooked up before it strengthened to a fierce, cold blow that lasted until night time. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-19045328683701668582023-07-23T07:18:00.004-07:002023-07-23T07:18:59.993-07:00Summer Report<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpzYXqqa3ZG_njgFMCyDD1usHMZiSAxxmjt-h1ze2av_B0DxX3HOmr4eqh12Jg4hw_85nko03irq3BX2EEQw2hNmPIV0QJZQE3_6KF9TK7zSuTH6w_q03yqYVxTmdzg80YfN0YR9m4XlnsSyaYbW35rwCg1Rivzs13xuAnckwfj4jFU2MEtqalrhZSZv_/s4032/IMG_2748.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpzYXqqa3ZG_njgFMCyDD1usHMZiSAxxmjt-h1ze2av_B0DxX3HOmr4eqh12Jg4hw_85nko03irq3BX2EEQw2hNmPIV0QJZQE3_6KF9TK7zSuTH6w_q03yqYVxTmdzg80YfN0YR9m4XlnsSyaYbW35rwCg1Rivzs13xuAnckwfj4jFU2MEtqalrhZSZv_/w364-h485/IMG_2748.jpeg" width="364" /></a></div><br />Here in mid Argyll it's been a very mixed summer for sailing. We had a great spell of sunny weather in June, but with many days when there was either no wind at all, or a furious land breeze brought on by the heat. Then it seemed that summer had gone, and for a month there we had cold wet days, with a lot of easterlies, which here mean nasty squalls and no fun at all. The image above was taken by pals on one of the few recent good days.<p></p><p>We have had some interesting visitors to our loch. A month ago the extraordinary Kaos managed to squeeze her way into the head of the loch, the flagship of a Walmart heiress with, one understands, two skippers and a crew of forty two. The weather was dreadful that day, with little visibility and lots of rain, so it wasn't a surprise when she left and returned to warmer climes, where she was visited by environmental activists with pots of red paint. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5nhwdPKv_0RwNe09oSiubvx2mGAYxVoGlyDrb1jAiMYkTxqqQr-bkdqCvZXzL7kM1ql-PW--tX0rX_OWpZ5v3sV5zeTafO7WX_dd6rBygrcz6q3wTzn2oAand0rnrmMq48nxVnuApNQm8uLOPcAjHV5X-_sgoUlgFXDo6hBZFumlsy3qurdgKFE4gltp/s2048/IMG_1993.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="461" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5nhwdPKv_0RwNe09oSiubvx2mGAYxVoGlyDrb1jAiMYkTxqqQr-bkdqCvZXzL7kM1ql-PW--tX0rX_OWpZ5v3sV5zeTafO7WX_dd6rBygrcz6q3wTzn2oAand0rnrmMq48nxVnuApNQm8uLOPcAjHV5X-_sgoUlgFXDo6hBZFumlsy3qurdgKFE4gltp/w346-h461/IMG_1993.jpeg" width="346" /></a></div><br /><p>Around the same time, there arrived on our shore one of the oddest ships we've seen ever seen here, a reinterpretation of one of the oldest craft in the world, and the brain child of the guru of Ullapool. Arriving in bits, it took him some time to connect it all together, with what looked like scaffolding poles.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTH7wKNhcPZvnlRKHfVD_xbwR7cufvOlVbNXqbX2-4k9Ge6C-W50jU6FKxUMEY6nxnJsNrq6elx9_Mvq3kvtITj822ra16xR-uDBm0O4szocUtxcyLmrdTWUIxk1dZtnpi8rP0bLFun9vqiFN-EbJA48TbEVn-JRTFxybuTCrZs6vcQ8p2go0kJUU9Plm/s2048/IMG_1970.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoTH7wKNhcPZvnlRKHfVD_xbwR7cufvOlVbNXqbX2-4k9Ge6C-W50jU6FKxUMEY6nxnJsNrq6elx9_Mvq3kvtITj822ra16xR-uDBm0O4szocUtxcyLmrdTWUIxk1dZtnpi8rP0bLFun9vqiFN-EbJA48TbEVn-JRTFxybuTCrZs6vcQ8p2go0kJUU9Plm/w385-h289/IMG_1970.jpeg" width="385" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I declined the chance to spend a wet weekend on Eilean na Gamhna, the Isle of the Stirks at the head of our loch.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXnjo1GVuReBJwUTjByzvryOW_w0t5jjYO1cxwrdEl_IxYcvQXFubFqsPj-bjOojhAC1Zf6C-9tFtk4WorxcKiK3uv5f-JnWmgJfvjxJiKHqdk39W4O1Py-Oc0vnCCYDoTWwxxh2R4orlRBDGv8gfrtjA28RZ_1C7X7AgpvFMyeduXqF6amhh31-ct6Oc/s2048/IMG_1979.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXnjo1GVuReBJwUTjByzvryOW_w0t5jjYO1cxwrdEl_IxYcvQXFubFqsPj-bjOojhAC1Zf6C-9tFtk4WorxcKiK3uv5f-JnWmgJfvjxJiKHqdk39W4O1Py-Oc0vnCCYDoTWwxxh2R4orlRBDGv8gfrtjA28RZ_1C7X7AgpvFMyeduXqF6amhh31-ct6Oc/w369-h277/IMG_1979.jpeg" width="369" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The weather improved the next day and the Admiral posted this image of her travelling fast.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbb_414HXkJ5L7GhnQM8G8sEy20b7IHt6WHtPZhhNM21gpDi-RKkWLnEmH4odhfuAZbOjxR2uI7a_AE3Zkxm7LymjRPXtzwtmV2Wj1ttV7ygTY6ALArEj7ClcJRjcLlzDeXyqqcuPu95JXUG_2TPnptsEOd2wEoXTeH6vsrdtve0A_1lcVonDptawp5Nt1/s1376/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-23%20at%2014.50.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="782" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbb_414HXkJ5L7GhnQM8G8sEy20b7IHt6WHtPZhhNM21gpDi-RKkWLnEmH4odhfuAZbOjxR2uI7a_AE3Zkxm7LymjRPXtzwtmV2Wj1ttV7ygTY6ALArEj7ClcJRjcLlzDeXyqqcuPu95JXUG_2TPnptsEOd2wEoXTeH6vsrdtve0A_1lcVonDptawp5Nt1/w310-h544/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-23%20at%2014.50.22.png" width="310" /></a></div><br /><p>Finally, a visit from a ship that would suit fine, if one were seeking a live-aboard and had a bit of cash.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTxaS2wxzVsoKT-DePbjgA99Ly4bZKZSdqq5iIDpDOWvB8xhF_MwXltBMSmXRdyUXBdwtUzjG6QX7o3wW8XLyvDNhVpk6ez1fnzYnTbZhGlMSeHM_T2-J9-fanEvrJaofrzANwGblMj3tO-Rc1dPtmqSfPDUM3bg6L0If0jzPlIRa60QZWzlaPN7fhXqv/s2048/IMG_2042.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcTxaS2wxzVsoKT-DePbjgA99Ly4bZKZSdqq5iIDpDOWvB8xhF_MwXltBMSmXRdyUXBdwtUzjG6QX7o3wW8XLyvDNhVpk6ez1fnzYnTbZhGlMSeHM_T2-J9-fanEvrJaofrzANwGblMj3tO-Rc1dPtmqSfPDUM3bg6L0If0jzPlIRa60QZWzlaPN7fhXqv/w513-h385/IMG_2042.jpeg" width="513" /></a></div><br /><p>Built by Hall Russell of Aberdeen in 1963, she's one of the last of the fine, stylish cruisers that Scotland once produced in great numbers. Now named Jura II and sailed by her hands-on owner, Cameron McColl, it was lucky that we had a fine morning for me to get out for a photograph.</p><p>The lack of good sailing days hasn't bothered me too much, as I've been very busy with the publishers of my book on the magical fleet of Scottish Islanders, one of which, Stroma, adorns the top of this blog. I'll soon be in a position to reveal full details, so, if you're interested in traditional boats and the folk who fall in love with them, watch this space! In the meantime, see my last post for information on the Scottish Yachting Archives.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-7121025301540767962023-07-13T07:34:00.002-07:002023-08-09T00:15:12.165-07:00The Scottish Yachting Archives<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFAHzPHQKR92hetVH4CpXXC2YlChosiv3cBbfHSpRyud9VWxKjZUhxjUrViuJT26ubi6kmb116aVYRhdcJIie9xaHf5kzfsPt61i9nGv08AEpEbRKCBk61rH241Ih15LyC3dTKPoX5l5RNIBwIBZ9q1bxtgP6r0y-vfUQbTJtCus4SiVdbdkFEOWg8Juo/s4032/IMG_8156.JPG" style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFAHzPHQKR92hetVH4CpXXC2YlChosiv3cBbfHSpRyud9VWxKjZUhxjUrViuJT26ubi6kmb116aVYRhdcJIie9xaHf5kzfsPt61i9nGv08AEpEbRKCBk61rH241Ih15LyC3dTKPoX5l5RNIBwIBZ9q1bxtgP6r0y-vfUQbTJtCus4SiVdbdkFEOWg8Juo/w546-h410/IMG_8156.JPG" title="Watsons and Mylnes" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Collier and David Gray</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m just back from a fascinating visit to the Scottish Yachting Archives, run by my old friends Dr William Collier and Antony Harrison. </span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">My association with William and Antony goes back over thirty years, to the time they acquired the business of G L Watson & Company Limited. The founder, George Lennox Watson, pioneered the idea of a pure yacht design company not associated with a working boat yard. This meant that you would get a well engineered design that could then be <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>taken to any of the ship yards and boat builders operating around the Firth of Clyde for tendering. By contrast, builders such as the Fifes would expect a client to have them carry out the whole operation, from initial discussions to launching your yacht from the muddy shore at Fairlie.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Despite these different approaches there was no hostility between Watson and his contemporary, the third William Fife, the latter frequently building the former’s designs and both no doubt benefiting from the other’s ideas. There have been numerous articles written about the relations among one of these brilliant men and the third member of Scotland’s great boat design trilogy, Alfred Mylne, who was trained by Watson and left to form his own company, again a pure design agency, at the age of twenty four. I and others have written about this elsewhere; my own view is that the idea of conflict between Watson and Mylne has been at least partly stirred up by some of those who followed, to nobody’s credit. While Mylne lived until the late 1950s, his mentor Watson worked himself to death at the age of 51 in 1904, so there have been no living witnesses to speak for him. ‘S e saoghal beag a h’ ann, it’s a small world, as the Gaels say, and my own view is that there would have been enough work to keep all of these fellows too busy to spend time squabbling. The good news is that their successors are on the best of terms and it’s not true to say, if it ever was, that “Mylnes don’t drink with Watsons”, as the lead photograph shows. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">William and his opposite number at Mylnes, David Gray, share the ambition of keeping the surviving records and artefacts safe for posterity, despite the truth that such things are expensive to preserve and there’s almost no chance of profit from old drawings. Having said this, many of those plans are capable of producing fast, safe, wholesome boats, as we saw exactly a year ago at the Fife Regatta, when Hubert Stagnol launched his lovely recreation of Watson’s Red, the first one design in the world, into Scottish waters at Portavadie. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwjV4ujlyONnH21HVNjs1GBGWUQ9HqWbCFcxGToTltMibUdtnS-ueV-NbGvkxS3YoR8S4qpIpUnYvyeKdVTbekdzI0gMsuKCB3cc5YRIO7nd95PoXLto-Yg7MVZjKIoGYvfHYt7_FxMMzIt3Pt6exb0Nd3HlOyjzb9a73COCzGvd0RVzCGYSIVWMgOiF7/s5472/Fife22_11Jun22_Preset_mt_7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwjV4ujlyONnH21HVNjs1GBGWUQ9HqWbCFcxGToTltMibUdtnS-ueV-NbGvkxS3YoR8S4qpIpUnYvyeKdVTbekdzI0gMsuKCB3cc5YRIO7nd95PoXLto-Yg7MVZjKIoGYvfHYt7_FxMMzIt3Pt6exb0Nd3HlOyjzb9a73COCzGvd0RVzCGYSIVWMgOiF7/w400-h266/Fife22_11Jun22_Preset_mt_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red at the Fife Regatta, photo from Marc Turner</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The archives also contain, at the more extreme end, a few designs that were never built at all, perhaps because the building techniques and materials then available couldn’t have made them strong enough. There have already been a few recreations of boats actually built, German Sonderklasse and American carpetbaggers being examples, using modern epoxy resin techniques. While Watson preferred to concentrate on sea keeping ability, the Fife archives contain several enticing possibilities for those seeking pure fun.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixImleEgy1ADrj-4uj5Lpky8g4r_hc8xoHpPe1jpOo0kPNs1AyqKgW_wy4DCEwHxRxm262C5JYdUK8xeGkAGuM7fvKdlp1Hq8Srut_DhDUzEpzkQWjtOgEtONJJL1W3-p1y7ci_2vEQ8udNRq8f2sTBUWhaa8WTx9kE2bHMkFg04F7JqGAxXWonqLYpRm0/s2592/IMG_1270.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1936" data-original-width="2592" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixImleEgy1ADrj-4uj5Lpky8g4r_hc8xoHpPe1jpOo0kPNs1AyqKgW_wy4DCEwHxRxm262C5JYdUK8xeGkAGuM7fvKdlp1Hq8Srut_DhDUzEpzkQWjtOgEtONJJL1W3-p1y7ci_2vEQ8udNRq8f2sTBUWhaa8WTx9kE2bHMkFg04F7JqGAxXWonqLYpRm0/w400-h299/IMG_1270.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZDzbEa1XmGyNGo-hs631wsb5b9zeGOgIx0cMZzUzYmAFcQ1Vb77NJoE3XWdKUxEYG1PXhC3vSVTpNxF7VffRllmzQ_X87DgPSwZmZAQr8N_ulh0VMq9oV_cN_Cu5Tt4ZZ9-LfmIVeGUP0BuMgnF9hR86wPEhTkjEDDSjZJ8qeW9G72IdakFzWykzhxWX/s2490/IMG_1272.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1860" data-original-width="2490" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZDzbEa1XmGyNGo-hs631wsb5b9zeGOgIx0cMZzUzYmAFcQ1Vb77NJoE3XWdKUxEYG1PXhC3vSVTpNxF7VffRllmzQ_X87DgPSwZmZAQr8N_ulh0VMq9oV_cN_Cu5Tt4ZZ9-LfmIVeGUP0BuMgnF9hR86wPEhTkjEDDSjZJ8qeW9G72IdakFzWykzhxWX/w400-h299/IMG_1272.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, to the Scottish Yachting Archives, located in one of Glasgow’s many cultural hubs, an old industrial building that is now home to many in the arts and creative sectors, next to the historic Forth and Clyde canal. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCJ9RVvOlMRrbHpoYLkX8uBCLo-B4OiNYHzpyqsZxIcXZTfLUwLboY5mrCQwShHfPtKxBoCLOAYDbLh1wgGDNV0Jm129eXOF1dYNS0Iw4h6eIPaLyKd7uBqSdhkxaoC5ctcOjs7xZWgYFqSbdbBxSmsD4338judvPGdoZsLUhhmoEaucoXDnjBoGLofQZ/s2048/IMG_2015.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCJ9RVvOlMRrbHpoYLkX8uBCLo-B4OiNYHzpyqsZxIcXZTfLUwLboY5mrCQwShHfPtKxBoCLOAYDbLh1wgGDNV0Jm129eXOF1dYNS0Iw4h6eIPaLyKd7uBqSdhkxaoC5ctcOjs7xZWgYFqSbdbBxSmsD4338judvPGdoZsLUhhmoEaucoXDnjBoGLofQZ/w400-h300/IMG_2015.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RXYOfcYeZg9SFWKp4ITQKZEVb6ZH6mGxwHOVZubK2YEVRfD_4LnnWfCOJ4TrkcSfrYfJmzkYTOjZ0MBVyrt4EbtnVsqfME3GdI6rr4u5LDFGohKLTu8c9gcTUXeI1ARxxlhz13YyCh3w0YD-lxA32yyv_Yr__2ZN3iKq9Dxb8ELTmv0yYtD2K8s3-LtH/s2048/IMG_2018.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RXYOfcYeZg9SFWKp4ITQKZEVb6ZH6mGxwHOVZubK2YEVRfD_4LnnWfCOJ4TrkcSfrYfJmzkYTOjZ0MBVyrt4EbtnVsqfME3GdI6rr4u5LDFGohKLTu8c9gcTUXeI1ARxxlhz13YyCh3w0YD-lxA32yyv_Yr__2ZN3iKq9Dxb8ELTmv0yYtD2K8s3-LtH/w400-h300/IMG_2018.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was astonished at the sheer volume of materials, from actual drawings, working notes and specifications, to builder’s half models and client’s full models, to volumes of records, correspondence and the occasional fragment of an actual vessel. Families have donated their albums of photographs, while my friends have examined auction catalogues at home and abroad to locate and bid for anything relevant. Surprise finds have included a model, made for an aristocratic client, found in a sale of agricultural machinery in Switzerland.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The unit in the north of central Glasgow is very much a working hub, rather than a potential museum that people can drop into, so the more obvious public benefits will be seen in what emerges in due course from the analysis and research that I saw going on. One aspect of this will be a series of published works on aspects of yacht and boat design and construction in the Scottish golden years, for which purpose my friends have established a publishing imprint. This has led me to the best bit of serendipity to come my way in years!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I bought a Scottish Islands Class yacht, designed by Alfred Mylne, when in my twenties, as an affordable way to get afloat, but ended up keeping her for over forty years, during which time such little ships acquired the status of classics. Towards the end of 2010 I conceived the idea of writing a history of the class and to this end set up a blog, <a href="http://scottishislandsclass.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Scottish Islands Class</a>, which in turn led to an initial draft of a book three years later. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It then took a further decade to follow the leads that arrived in online comments, before I was in a position to start propositioning established publishers. The results were in virtually all cases the total absence of even an acknowledgment. A couple of very small operations did reply, negatively but at least politely. Learning of William’s ambition to start an imprint was therefore a piece of unimaginable good fortune, especially when he read the text and decided to go with it.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">On the face of things, the Scottish Islanders may seem to be something of a niche interest. Only a dozen were built and there are few survivors from among the early sailors, although three nonagenarians shared their memories. Because of this I have broadened the scope. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The work starts with something of a social history of some of Glasgow’s families at play a hundred years ago, then takes us through their struggles as the survivors returned to sailing after the war and finally moves into our times, when a new generation now cherish these remarkably sea worthy and fast little yachts as basic cruisers. I’ve added in a few west coast anecdotes and sketches for good measure. If I’ve sparked your interest, please feel free to send me a message by commenting here.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-56212556092934135652023-05-01T02:24:00.000-07:002023-05-01T02:24:04.794-07:00A New Season awaits<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTgN3XSI3UIymCh5NAfRYM4HbTUKBdPpSJwqJ26gE7r4Bbyo2o6-Js_uk0wJIBQFqg8l-2S8ahnL9Cn1rOAodCTSgs07oW73ciY9wmlpnZwdJBTHZjmah8sNQMxMrR_czYXocHpbpQLaEcLLcuTTaksQ_JkVwQAj5qCY0KXn1vw-FjfrVpDKRymZDLHA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTgN3XSI3UIymCh5NAfRYM4HbTUKBdPpSJwqJ26gE7r4Bbyo2o6-Js_uk0wJIBQFqg8l-2S8ahnL9Cn1rOAodCTSgs07oW73ciY9wmlpnZwdJBTHZjmah8sNQMxMrR_czYXocHpbpQLaEcLLcuTTaksQ_JkVwQAj5qCY0KXn1vw-FjfrVpDKRymZDLHA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Just a quick reminder that I'm still here and hope to be posting more often as the year goes on.</p><p>A great delight about living beside the sea is that Mariota can be run down the drive, across a single track road and over the foreshore when the tide is out, to float off later and be towed to her mooring.</p><p>I've had a lazy winter, as far as maintenance is concerned, just a few spots touched up and of course that dreaded antifouling.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMsGRSZi90PMKEDbEyy2kK7zUZbfdiot8Q82A8QVPq1aWlV6jn6VCZfzJF5IWDOPEfpIi_XDYfoNBNWsjjAIldRFBm72V7PeALG99alqrjEGTAw8KCW012iSomgVjFbRkZhZ8peTVDpUXubuxswaI6_6rvF6mxwTNFH4bx_AIREqHHFk7q3CfdSB0oRw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMsGRSZi90PMKEDbEyy2kK7zUZbfdiot8Q82A8QVPq1aWlV6jn6VCZfzJF5IWDOPEfpIi_XDYfoNBNWsjjAIldRFBm72V7PeALG99alqrjEGTAw8KCW012iSomgVjFbRkZhZ8peTVDpUXubuxswaI6_6rvF6mxwTNFH4bx_AIREqHHFk7q3CfdSB0oRw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdioZwiolDiAgNSr5mgCGy0Dk2an8Bk4vvpCQSRHSJoJcNSxyZ2oT71WElBRMMPIVVA6quMTW2KY9ScdHqNvRftIb2WyBxHfxRe8dXHD7kk8SKr9RZ8PnsgcrGiPyOcDH8p9p_-IatY2Ir7DCNnhs3j1Tis4U-qnepb_fDQqkf7yKU8IQMHXDiEiEAGw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdioZwiolDiAgNSr5mgCGy0Dk2an8Bk4vvpCQSRHSJoJcNSxyZ2oT71WElBRMMPIVVA6quMTW2KY9ScdHqNvRftIb2WyBxHfxRe8dXHD7kk8SKr9RZ8PnsgcrGiPyOcDH8p9p_-IatY2Ir7DCNnhs3j1Tis4U-qnepb_fDQqkf7yKU8IQMHXDiEiEAGw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-9453811621023398962022-07-22T04:44:00.000-07:002022-07-22T04:44:04.060-07:00Brian Corbett<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP9Uqm96bkwcUAafOr4Tc4TVZA6fv00DCmwC2y_ZW6GUyjkk2QasySGnjdzhZaqj7vS9m8Z4onD3XmItQu6pErYJ88eHGRctoe3rCkWM-btVJvWavxz7Gz-DmUgu2eONa1v-r_Xh0MT6uwR8g-nb4zKxr7THp4UFozbRe1iuo-VUbFKXnIwkAtiDjcA/s3264/P6170011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVP9Uqm96bkwcUAafOr4Tc4TVZA6fv00DCmwC2y_ZW6GUyjkk2QasySGnjdzhZaqj7vS9m8Z4onD3XmItQu6pErYJ88eHGRctoe3rCkWM-btVJvWavxz7Gz-DmUgu2eONa1v-r_Xh0MT6uwR8g-nb4zKxr7THp4UFozbRe1iuo-VUbFKXnIwkAtiDjcA/w480-h640/P6170011.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">About ten years ago I was looking out of our house at Loch na Cille in mid Argyll and saw a fellow on the other side of the loch launching a very pretty, interesting little yacht. I soon saw that he was in some difficulty and realised that he was in a spot where the seabed is mud rather than the hard shingle that we have on our side.</span></span></div><p></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">After a quick change of clothing I raced round the head of the loch and found a fellow above his waist in extremely cold water faced with a problem that he couldn’t resolve on his own. After Winifred was duly launched and moored and the trailer recovered my new friend Brian came round to the house to warm up. Thus started a friendship that continued on the water, when he visited for events and regattas and also online, as we found that we shared an interest in yachting and boating history. </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I was to learn that Brian was a man of wide interests, with an unpretentious confidence in his ability and a belief that we should all try to leave the World a better place. Latterly we were in contact regarding Heritage Harbours, of which Brian was keen to identify a few here on our West Coast, also the Coastal Project and Pericles, a European initiative aimed at sharing cultures across nations.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Brian’s sailing ability requires no comment from me. On his visits to Argyll he was usually single handed and although I was never aboard her I imagine Winifred wasn’t the easiest boat to sail in a breeze. I’ve annexed a selection of images from times here and on the Clyde.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9V1W8m1FGUCP9ksPYwQoACwWG5cJPOGKLz--QFY5bre5qP7uPQ1IA9EycSULIy2-VX5oI8OZ-7eDA_W3LcyHrklAKue13w-fN2bVIWzoTe3Oob5SfAPvlPOYHrVh1XSgG0062igfY3PrQUjASC9B7kd8DFsOWgWkZGiGmN-7g8K7jiIDw_ARIwDfmQ/s3264/P6170016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9V1W8m1FGUCP9ksPYwQoACwWG5cJPOGKLz--QFY5bre5qP7uPQ1IA9EycSULIy2-VX5oI8OZ-7eDA_W3LcyHrklAKue13w-fN2bVIWzoTe3Oob5SfAPvlPOYHrVh1XSgG0062igfY3PrQUjASC9B7kd8DFsOWgWkZGiGmN-7g8K7jiIDw_ARIwDfmQ/w300-h400/P6170016.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXdi6vHhYwWDkVeVrgiSGAtaPzo_oN15agw5mqAqus6YYjZkPyU_7tuaXfUcGTOFds3HBnaaq9zwqJrbx9JmbQOikTCfXEgEbrN-_g7OyiVgKEPi-QfWcxw8XqnSWAstsJQONV_1Rzx8fxEcmYJCAa7FRtTp62lCnm1T6Qh8BORi-AdeiK2q2b3upKw/s3264/P6170019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXdi6vHhYwWDkVeVrgiSGAtaPzo_oN15agw5mqAqus6YYjZkPyU_7tuaXfUcGTOFds3HBnaaq9zwqJrbx9JmbQOikTCfXEgEbrN-_g7OyiVgKEPi-QfWcxw8XqnSWAstsJQONV_1Rzx8fxEcmYJCAa7FRtTp62lCnm1T6Qh8BORi-AdeiK2q2b3upKw/w400-h300/P6170019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8JKjEvHgpvkGyit85DF_1RjF7Zv58H9FQ7KssyjuwPvbDsND854wd3P9oTJp56IB2E_8E7CjkF9Dt_j4P4vqsrpTwitCwMpylLozKu63plcd_qZBiM6MB60GoOOvzieBoEuu6rvgkkxgJpyhU8La3oX6ubQv5XxjXPXCF6Sg3N3r6J4odcyf8xlRrg/s3264/P6170025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8JKjEvHgpvkGyit85DF_1RjF7Zv58H9FQ7KssyjuwPvbDsND854wd3P9oTJp56IB2E_8E7CjkF9Dt_j4P4vqsrpTwitCwMpylLozKu63plcd_qZBiM6MB60GoOOvzieBoEuu6rvgkkxgJpyhU8La3oX6ubQv5XxjXPXCF6Sg3N3r6J4odcyf8xlRrg/w400-h300/P6170025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklbkzNo4ruEIn4ed2sNMXR4aeUL34H7aMYejEYfFdf6pZWcoxy2uRlltf3I6IcXK64XPrfNDSL6n4Wyo8gksa45D-4t4MbSR0CUXGnkaEvWZ6JZ90tOzecqV51ViQF1bDoHxo61m3RYpnD7M5GecetTTvW0TIgismnRm13ppygs2eKCC3gDHmDhkBew/s3264/P6170039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiklbkzNo4ruEIn4ed2sNMXR4aeUL34H7aMYejEYfFdf6pZWcoxy2uRlltf3I6IcXK64XPrfNDSL6n4Wyo8gksa45D-4t4MbSR0CUXGnkaEvWZ6JZ90tOzecqV51ViQF1bDoHxo61m3RYpnD7M5GecetTTvW0TIgismnRm13ppygs2eKCC3gDHmDhkBew/w400-h300/P6170039.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDsKKLVa9DR-8MTZT0RdvSjtCjReQ3G9n_JiDusA-8E7APpnLBQ3XgGo_mu3iH-eGI21GE3wcyJut_TWtRI_aykqGKF6ZSTwOfyOdvLGQhTIBTtdi7wznkMvLy6RIVZxbEutdWShlkOS3sfdfHzFy4VJPbb5uBXG29A8O0tiz6iYNdhyGg0ouDzSPKQ/s3264/P6170054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDsKKLVa9DR-8MTZT0RdvSjtCjReQ3G9n_JiDusA-8E7APpnLBQ3XgGo_mu3iH-eGI21GE3wcyJut_TWtRI_aykqGKF6ZSTwOfyOdvLGQhTIBTtdi7wznkMvLy6RIVZxbEutdWShlkOS3sfdfHzFy4VJPbb5uBXG29A8O0tiz6iYNdhyGg0ouDzSPKQ/w400-h300/P6170054.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv1FFfYKjFAavTzTrExcoqnH4-qZecY1Ns6nvN7E_hv50S-35lOu1VrBTbjfJPEWljHjI5ts7L9J_52yI1uqKBHy8GRq_1JBDVVXupo6WgjKn2kpw3dzwW4UTtCH_iojl34qZthDugVeIyPnqRRDjlC0JSJoMQzW_dAWHnO9TELYelJGESP_ZSwF5Pg/s3264/P6220013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv1FFfYKjFAavTzTrExcoqnH4-qZecY1Ns6nvN7E_hv50S-35lOu1VrBTbjfJPEWljHjI5ts7L9J_52yI1uqKBHy8GRq_1JBDVVXupo6WgjKn2kpw3dzwW4UTtCH_iojl34qZthDugVeIyPnqRRDjlC0JSJoMQzW_dAWHnO9TELYelJGESP_ZSwF5Pg/w400-h300/P6220013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">He was a most decent and entertaining man, about whom Anne and I will retain many happy memories.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-9084381087844280492022-07-21T11:58:00.006-07:002022-07-21T11:58:43.840-07:00A short Summer Trip that ended with some fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKWPmetz4KAYYfDrkEsTOUo4lAYlDUoJiaU6WFDMF0JzzIdYRjSOJ_U8pSb6Cz_JtbzMfjp190tA64lLk98-uPilfpspUdcF2kjskPLG9zUZZIPYuJyBMKsJ530S1Zvi3xho3VC78_W1IfgwDUI3bzxyxCm1xqoGLJLn8m2RfIxQRnVlhdGw1pRtfiQ/s4032/IMG_0112.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKWPmetz4KAYYfDrkEsTOUo4lAYlDUoJiaU6WFDMF0JzzIdYRjSOJ_U8pSb6Cz_JtbzMfjp190tA64lLk98-uPilfpspUdcF2kjskPLG9zUZZIPYuJyBMKsJ530S1Zvi3xho3VC78_W1IfgwDUI3bzxyxCm1xqoGLJLn8m2RfIxQRnVlhdGw1pRtfiQ/w400-h300/IMG_0112.jpeg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At last there was a prospect of nice settled weather, sunny with gentle breezes, so it seemed a good idea to set off for a couple of days. With a fine crew, The First Mate and her pal, the newly appointed Cabin Girl being both on annual leave we duly left the anchorage in Loch na Cille in light airs and drifted down the loch on a falling tide, the idea being to stop for lunch at Caisteal nan Coin and wait for the Cuan Sound to open its gate for us two hours before High Water Oban. In the event we were there pretty well at opening time and found a gentle breeze as we entered, giving us the required ability to steer, although in the Sound the tide does most of the work.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlOGRRLPvdGpidto2B5mvVFXq5A_hs0WKHtESq0E7eeVeq6woi1SLM-SPDVVag1td0sdUof-A-55S_Otm29s6j1RCPYNzC-5V8F9U0l-MzvaaGA1GwyLVO1nCv1rnQtNhseUX8H9cYM8kkcXu7EGvZpNbx4SVROWjuxxkYsRqQsKY9ztDQJymvZcrFQ/s4032/IMG_0126.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlOGRRLPvdGpidto2B5mvVFXq5A_hs0WKHtESq0E7eeVeq6woi1SLM-SPDVVag1td0sdUof-A-55S_Otm29s6j1RCPYNzC-5V8F9U0l-MzvaaGA1GwyLVO1nCv1rnQtNhseUX8H9cYM8kkcXu7EGvZpNbx4SVROWjuxxkYsRqQsKY9ztDQJymvZcrFQ/s320/IMG_0126.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not generally appreciated is that the tide is still falling during those two hours. The outgoing water travels West before taking a turn to Port and joining the last of the ebb down past Fladda light. At that point the wind failed us, we rigged the Torqeedo outboard and headed North at a gentle pace to conserve electricity, giving us a speed of 1.5 knots that doubled as the flood came up. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5nBOA1fvi83WBBu_pby06gVt-JvvkPRI_sKwroAkOv_QZL6CD64DbgZoiz_vJyZlvEC3RvHlTE-iswO51ZE6nFqWvRPrYPuLRSW18D6X8pGm2yyOzDPaPDRd1gMUs8b3eVkCpDGA3TpXmvKtaclQ12lhkLAPaP3z7irs3aImrkHTf6tYBtaW0wIx0g/s4032/IMG_1448.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd5nBOA1fvi83WBBu_pby06gVt-JvvkPRI_sKwroAkOv_QZL6CD64DbgZoiz_vJyZlvEC3RvHlTE-iswO51ZE6nFqWvRPrYPuLRSW18D6X8pGm2yyOzDPaPDRd1gMUs8b3eVkCpDGA3TpXmvKtaclQ12lhkLAPaP3z7irs3aImrkHTf6tYBtaW0wIx0g/s320/IMG_1448.HEIC" width="320" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After six miles, when we had hardly dented the reserve in the battery, a nice breeze came up and we were able to anchor under sail in Garbh Airde. We set a tripping line, essential here because the kelp is really growing and there are few visitors to this long narrow cut in the land, with high rock on one side and reefs lurking just under the surface on the other.</span></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once settled we were delighted to see the lovely, historic Kentra at anchor in a slightly wider bay half a mile away. Beyond her a forest of masts in Puilladhòbhran, basically a parking lot these days and probably too busy for the otters after which it’s named.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QwpZ_SwOtYTkj7ILR4uBO5f6YT6F95u3zxzB5DeNnrzIY_9yXvPX8RcI2fzQNAQMfXOtFSowLNZWHOWZfhE26PnZJxrGjlwa7vubQ5JwfOE09xy58qq48IAvU1tsBdnY9EWn1RtDfyuUTcaOxa2dLfe-BmTR9FJNkkrfG_NpaqnXDkPQmj2zz-JqbA/w400-h300/IMG_1450.HEIC" width="400" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdorv-zIivXRGG45MN0ZohWPY_ZxhR6qTMvMKhMvlaa48gE0yRueovSqmGc-9yhbrr6aG39Vi0bxSJ7XcgtKKUzk3oGf_nti_mVW3u8drjt-3YFnrfssnmz25RF2q-IGbs1ixoLLk_SvXRIvc0IXtLpqcOkG6hv_EqWDNgGcT8gbmVduaBPjRTjYeIfw/w480-h640/IMG_0143.jpeg" width="480" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dinner ashore supplied by the CG in the encampment she and the FM had established, venison meatballs in tomato sauce followed by chocolate. Then the Kentras arrived for strawberries, bringing with them an invitation for breakfast next day, which we felt we couldn’t refuse.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8O-hX3_B9W0xWHPZDOB2yONQSw57En_cuLqyNX8RLeA4v3RNOWnpnLpqxknUn_TIeGa1yIjbUyBnFTzBVtwD9OjzLaGSYfaqt3Ya6pIqOHVk1WPffoPhV0B_gaEDyJMsYnb8im7xxCe5bOSyUVgriodr1PZDPL7MgKuNal7vXg_D3AFMtE2PaM_GL_Q/w400-h300/IMG_1483.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kerrera in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzne0DW2nKEM5IIE13d4MGhHMJoxB8Df3eRwRN0_tZumPxmrXTwfrbI09RtXh7lt9zUUdvBlByQHsmDTFVdtZKqiQ9Cr9LyefVHxUaaTMXsVV5iFipQdADk8qEL-_zejDmDthAzJbIthnvk9-wq6HMR7CJ2-keJPsqBzqReVYVmVsqLTgdZcdMk0Binw/w400-h300/IMG_1449.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMd2sRoLy8a4bUv4cpO4pF0yVSz8S9vLYQreFk_OzNpGYCQcCanketLFZeKGInYwd2Gop3tdpxT1uh74K-VkXHhQr1pGJN54mMCssmzCZtA5IzxXDK2QelTsExiw-akRwUfFoWCxNUMPYi8ktXxkhwbPGOULvAPrG5EEHRY2SeLCSSbjwOqQ3-Ff-jkQ/w400-h300/IMG_1467.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Morning, Second Day</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I love the Kentra, now in rather better shape than when I first came across her thirty years ago. She triggered one of the most fascinating and complex episodes in my career and was responsible for numerous friendships. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHBcRb2yUrQLUfs_JKY_EF14k2z2-Q5dY2vH79-iZgs1rUVe26f1NeEyhTM8Fp30g3uEWX7a7mZwev47ZXkYvXSx1fv5-_sqy3xnzQ11lvXDdcdOTFkQmRD2pb7o16ylmu-zFe-J9Q-lOankPsk9usjp3vk0PiUyVOCtmSwtvFWQSq9NuxDKMJ3iIhQ/s1294/IMG_1284.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="902" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHBcRb2yUrQLUfs_JKY_EF14k2z2-Q5dY2vH79-iZgs1rUVe26f1NeEyhTM8Fp30g3uEWX7a7mZwev47ZXkYvXSx1fv5-_sqy3xnzQ11lvXDdcdOTFkQmRD2pb7o16ylmu-zFe-J9Q-lOankPsk9usjp3vk0PiUyVOCtmSwtvFWQSq9NuxDKMJ3iIhQ/w446-h640/IMG_1284.JPG" width="446" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading South, the legendary Harry Spencer aboard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m always thrilled to see her on her West coast excursions. Named after a bay beloved by her first owner she’s the prime example of the very best of Scottish ship craftsmanship, launched from Fairlie in 1923. She also my favourite Fife yacht by far, designed to take her folk anywhere they choose and weather the World’s worst storms.</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We were collected for breakfast and a good chat about the Middle Ages (of the Western World that is, not ourselves), then ferried back to the bay we’d made our base. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1acQp-LhIfF9onFLKXZGBgp_z8lkmX2eyH96wp9zsJancJHBpAM1do94b2-Er21efYK1i8s4oqHn5e0-bbBliiLROpk2Ay9TDREGmTzroNodhLVSoAj0INmk6BH_DF2E7a8-an19HhYvLT2UoCNVvd3uO3pJMPxXoHjQ9YVEKRfxmr5kPIXzSYXgDw/s4032/IMG_1468.HEIC" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1acQp-LhIfF9onFLKXZGBgp_z8lkmX2eyH96wp9zsJancJHBpAM1do94b2-Er21efYK1i8s4oqHn5e0-bbBliiLROpk2Ay9TDREGmTzroNodhLVSoAj0INmk6BH_DF2E7a8-an19HhYvLT2UoCNVvd3uO3pJMPxXoHjQ9YVEKRfxmr5kPIXzSYXgDw/w400-h300/IMG_1468.HEIC" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With no sign of wind the day was spent walking, reading and exploring the interesting bays along the North coast of Seil in the tender. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7yyMVtFiStupSwR4Pn9SW4CICuMsjwgdLr8tXrQZzgebaSYDK2vBQC5BB_80Ae1TSSsf97j3M86AcolcioF5puZecrAnlNJ32Ac9caxDiOUyaElVYYEFb5ase1_GGM3hjVgPTmu1xYZHTltIhltZg83N74s7uxL-SZogmlsNJbVWAuIRsdDoOVLhRQ/w400-h300/IMG_1492.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ardfad from the sea</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">I visited the ancient MacDougall stronghold of Ardfad, confiscated by King Robert the Bruce in January 1313 and given to the Campbells, about which you can read more here: <a href="https://scottishboating.blogspot.com/2013/01/700-years-ago-this-day.html" target="_blank">The Campbells</a></span></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aUW4nUl0KX3lEucW3ur7HwysrFCYiOUyyxwzQWK1ibadkAG-H6xm2GapoVyvXtRHREYXyOiTv6kU-okV0sJxCttSaYbfYJ8l4DInP3sVFxfue2yU2JR7TtoSgPyit8203L7DAsFzNTLWy3g5pFJRvpWHxjwQul_rKMdq5Qi3R8ETRakPHrZddfdHRA/w400-h300/IMG_1488.HEIC" width="400" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nsjMJpIONVqDK8skRqwvc7S1XI99BjdcLFimOdXJuk5dWkkz64KtdJguvLOcX7ytCcBY09WUvx8547gfuqJOldSuN2-6Vyz6-3CwizXi4oPE1E1Wdd00NAwGpyuM38nZCP7tuD-edtW2iK4qGcZ3hgWVN7jHIodwJ90qQFIYCAYIhBEtNmUbuPeyXA/w400-h300/IMG_1487.HEIC" width="400" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcvo1hvYnJbPYaaiFl3tFgTbCpYkKcNLdk-M61-UBUQCHjZbuebvzpen5I0y_tmPzNHqlPwQzS54B91H_An_ECA31MvVqC4dUIe8IHn-B3BH0MnEEl4SwlEZ_6C4elLmy1XvW1EfS-NHUv96YH-ByPj_I1Qo3VBFeoM03Id44B_arrPMlx0mRfsXzeQ/w400-h300/IMG_1485.HEIC" width="400" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxKge9ci2rtjU-CuA7Av3KsbiHrHS02sZa8l8pARcRhEQDH8f0qs1_TQb5ixIRkYy0DO20E9qx9wv822KjEIoEDl7D1m-dg2Hd23RTsviWXxqskf23Owb59dtPm9_3AZn-7WbiSBuyUPRUspt5yVMS-ozfsFFhhIPOL5PFGlVwbqYrMuaOI3QUVzFRQ/w400-h300/IMG_1484.HEIC" width="400" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Day Three started calm, plenty of time for breakfast, packing up to leave not a trace onshore, before our planned departure time of 1030, an hour before High Water. The anchor duly dekelped, we drifted round the rocky point and headed South into an extremely unpleasant and increasingly bumpy swell, rocking the minimal air from the sails and unsettling us physically and mentally.</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We decided to hold to seaward of Easdale, as to return through Cuan would have deprived us of the fun of the passage down the Sound of Luing. What fun it turned out to be. Just past the shelter of Insh a breeze sprang up and within five minutes had risen massively, accompanied by a strong Atlantic swell, ruling the idea of heaving to to tie in a reef safely. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuN8oBUUmSqd4A-yCE7UqJ-IKvnZ5YNWcVcAtWBUMdpMVfvtFsTpzY7ndCjvatbVMISkoJPLJylJWEDe4dJPCVGtkZzQsk36ZmR1M4RdWT72tjYq2u3IfYN70vw4bwSaJ-9dE63n9qvWBVQ9h9SyViSlhg2w7v5N0XIbhgQ7C6EnkWpnSN9ZFE2Qjjg/s957/Screenshot%202022-07-21%20at%2015.59.21.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="957" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuN8oBUUmSqd4A-yCE7UqJ-IKvnZ5YNWcVcAtWBUMdpMVfvtFsTpzY7ndCjvatbVMISkoJPLJylJWEDe4dJPCVGtkZzQsk36ZmR1M4RdWT72tjYq2u3IfYN70vw4bwSaJ-9dE63n9qvWBVQ9h9SyViSlhg2w7v5N0XIbhgQ7C6EnkWpnSN9ZFE2Qjjg/w400-h285/Screenshot%202022-07-21%20at%2015.59.21.png" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The clips give a better idea of what the next forty minutes were like. Under full sail Mariota flew, always under control, her buoyant ends coping perfectly with seas that were more blocks of water than definable waves. These were by far the most testing conditions I’ve been in with her since launching her in 2019.</span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwD-le2W5J2pNmrfhPFpF6M88u85nWgZMAF7bn-487Ausf8vedFJUXkCyWt8mkJmHlNXDKIU8DMjpjXUUAxuQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; text-align: left;">The seas flattened greatly past Fladda and the passage to Ard Luing seemed to take just a few minutes. We squared off for an interesting gybe; the CG took over the helm for the stretch down past Shuna and I settled down for a rest and a drink.</span></div></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFC4KwSdd-aPYFAxeotcGWu9dvm2CUw-aiXqvJKFlE4_ObXLnEsPXZNGEOLO6Qzm17wSN5ryjhNWwJ55JxCFBD2Q_CV0doJzzEL3tIGzPRiIup3zKoxDeHsWXeHHm7y595I3TTsSb6KH337cSqQaM-dB1YX6-swGV_zf0f2a0IXfv3T3E1Jqdrw-hZw/w400-h300/IMG_1495.HEIC" width="400" /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The fun wasn’t quite over. We decided to take in the first reef and while doing so noticed that the cap on the tender’s daggerboard had been lost in the turmoil, with the result that she was rapidly filling up. </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The FM and the CG took turns to bail her out and we reckoned we’d make it home before the problem returned. The CG then took us on a close reach down to Arduaine, followed by a half hour’s run back to the mooring.</span></span></div></div></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-37910343517282344182022-06-13T01:06:00.007-07:002022-06-13T01:06:34.049-07:00The Fife Regatta 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aXzM54Uuv1W3b4IqHN8pdWxdplSQIoeR_BqOe_H9O2IljOco6Hprb8BZB1Y7B8i-t9nSgpJRy7P6zprWDA0Fh2RZG5FOt9WpeQlG0crGBrHXBPU0JXk9Y4sPnF8AZPo-01n4flgfb6RmtWQhDBIyieFYGGI6LJxhjFnk9OsC2VAm4ZKCk_ISKlT7XA/s887/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2009.04.23.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="887" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aXzM54Uuv1W3b4IqHN8pdWxdplSQIoeR_BqOe_H9O2IljOco6Hprb8BZB1Y7B8i-t9nSgpJRy7P6zprWDA0Fh2RZG5FOt9WpeQlG0crGBrHXBPU0JXk9Y4sPnF8AZPo-01n4flgfb6RmtWQhDBIyieFYGGI6LJxhjFnk9OsC2VAm4ZKCk_ISKlT7XA/w400-h240/Screenshot%202022-06-13%20at%2009.04.23.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p>With the regatta back for the fifth time and the fleet in Rothesay it's timely to share the article I wrote about the "Other Fifes"!</p><p><a href="https://www.williamfifeyachts.com/ewan-kennedy-the-fifes-of-bute/" target="_blank">The Fifes of Bute</a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-90661085503072771792022-01-08T03:58:00.000-08:002022-01-08T03:58:02.808-08:00The Ferry to Leith<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioBEEmkyMBYdJxMVahfKiWTPjwp7zG6-nbZI1nPM0k6ZrUkKoL3QsvIVjy1PFH0nP0e6BVgGQzY6GS8HVjLod_3_CSpxJBlJbxE0tEdjs4AfZcpmLRY61mJMtuM8aFwqQ0EC-gu7_1IpsaDQ6QZ2iB6XzKsv_LvYbUZGVPMsk_zXdVkY149einug53eQ=s1012" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="From the Caledonian Mercury, 4th July 1814" border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="1012" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioBEEmkyMBYdJxMVahfKiWTPjwp7zG6-nbZI1nPM0k6ZrUkKoL3QsvIVjy1PFH0nP0e6BVgGQzY6GS8HVjLod_3_CSpxJBlJbxE0tEdjs4AfZcpmLRY61mJMtuM8aFwqQ0EC-gu7_1IpsaDQ6QZ2iB6XzKsv_LvYbUZGVPMsk_zXdVkY149einug53eQ=w400-h65" title="From the Caledonian Mercury, 4th July 1814" width="400" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>From the Caledonian Mercury, 4th July 1814</i></div></i><p></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc dati1w0a e5nlhep0" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_3ma" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As some people know, I’ve spent a lot of lockdown researching family history, with results which some day I may be brave enough to publish. It’s full of surprises, one of which was finding that my ancestors had a connection with Tulliallan, where Angus Kennedy and his wife Katherine had arrived around 1785. They had an enormous number of children, the eldest, John, born when she was about 22 and the last one, Alexander, when she was about 43. Angus died in 1811 and was buried there, but John kept the family home going until 1850. </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">From the early 1800s John was working as a cabinetmaker based in Nicolson Street in the Old Town of Edinburgh, which made me assume at first that he had moved there, but as we all know it was an extremely dangerous and unhealthy place, full of disease. There was no sanitation in the old tenements, which still relied on daily collections of waste. The stink and smoke would have been overwhelming and comparison with the clean air and open environment of Tulliallan compelling. I’m now reasonably sure that John was an early commuter, staying in his workshop during the week, which raised the question, how easy would that have been?</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Road transport would not have appealed at all. Tulliallan was a fair distance from the Old Town. From the earliest times there were numerous ferries across the Forth, including a cattle ferry from Kincardine for drovers heading to the Falkirk Tryst, but the Southern terminus at Higgins Neuk was about thirty miles from Edinburgh. The roads were extremely poor and there don’t seem to have been any established coaches. </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Until the arrival of the paddle steamers the preferred mode of transport was by way of a trading smack, or a yawl dedicated to passenger transport. There were several such vessels providing a service between Stirling and the Capital, with stops along the way at Alloa and Kincardine. The timetables would have taken advantage of the tidal streams up and down the Forth and the passage would have been relatively trouble free in reasonable weather. </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">There are indications that towards the end of the Century commuter traffic by way of these boats was increasing. Under the powers believed to have been granted to the Magistrates of Edinburgh under the “Golden Charter” of James VI they had traditionally levied landing dues from all vessels coming into the harbours of Leith and Newhaven, which by 1775 had entitled them to promulgate a table of charges providing that “all passage-boats, ferry-boats and pinnaces shall pay of beaconage and anchorage, each time they come into the harbour, two shillings Scots…” The Magistrates had this updated with new legislation in 1788, with rates expressed in Sterling, presumably to take advantage of the increase in traffic.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It’s interesting to note in passing that in the years that followed sailing ships plying out of the Forth were occasionally attacked by French privateers. The crews on the regular sailings of commuter vessels between Edinburgh and London were heavily armed and there were reports of them occasionally seeing off the enemy. That would have added a frisson to the weekly commute.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A few years later travel suddenly became more convenient and faster with the arrival of the paddle steamers. As we all know, the first seagoing steamer in the World was Bell’s Comet, launched, if we take the word of her engine builder John Robertson and her master Captain William Mackenzie, in July or August 1812. (It seems that Bell’s claimed date of 1811 was optimistic and related to the placing of the order at the shipyard.) We know for sure that in the early Summer of 1813 Bell took his new ship through the canal to the Forth on a promotional voyage to Leith. For a time that summer he ran excursions from Leith to Bo’ness at a fare of 7/6d (37.5p). This probably inspired the same John Robertson to build the Tay, specifically for service on the East coast, that year. </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In 1815 the Alloa Steamship Company was formed and commissioned the Morning Star of Alloa from Ralph Rae of Kincardine. Described as a “ferry excursion pleasure vessel”, she was a substantial ship, eighty one feet six inches in length overall and sixteen feet two inches beam, ninetyseven tons displacement. That’s about twice the overall length of the Comet and one and a half times the beam. As Joseph Colin Bain reports in his doctoral thesis:</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">“The introduction on the Forth, was the Morning Star. She was placed in service between Alloa and Newhaven, as the "Alloa and Kincardine Steamboat", from 14th August, 1815. She undertook a daily round trip, with departure times varying according to the tide. She seems to have generally gone up river in the morning, and back down in the afternoon, but completed two upstream trips on Saturdays, spent Sundays at Alloa, and made only a down river journey on Mondays. This vessel reportedly suffered a bizarre accidental stoppage in September, 1819. It was discovered that a salmon had blocked the condenser pipe.</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Only ten days after the introduction of Morning Star, the previously announced sister for the Stirling was introduced. She was the Lady of the Lake, and was noticeably faster than her partner, taking only five hours for the voyage, albeit at the higher fares of seven and five shillings for the best and second cabins respectively. Passengers were to be uplifted and put ashore by boat at the intermediate points of Alloa, Kincardine, Bo'ness and Queensferry. All three vessels appear to have not been exposed to the mid winter weather, but to have resumed in the springtime.” </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In March 1820 a Dr Lucas notes in his diary </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">“Two Steam boats continue to run betwixt Stirling and Leith viz the Lady of the Lake of Stirling and the Morning Star of Alloa.”</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Competition meant that the ferry companies vied to make passengers comfortable, with cabins and provisions. In his “Strange Letter of a Lunatic” James Hogg describes his character James Beatman taking “my seat on one of the sofas in the elegant cabin of the Morning Star” and being served ginger beer mixed with brandy. The Ettrick Shepherd was much taken with the ship and even wrote a poem dedicated to The Steamboat of Alloa: </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh blessed thing of calm delight, </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Art thou a phantom of the night …”</div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The journey would have taken about two hours and became quicker after The Morning Star was re-engined by Napier in 1818. Thereafter she continued in service on the Forth under various owners for at least another twenty years and was only broken up in 1855.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-76659593714042851472021-09-13T08:10:00.001-07:002021-09-20T07:52:18.382-07:00Rowing from Loch Linnhe to Kilchoan<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV236otc19Ii6DxgdpKb7uq_i7aKazlJsQDf-6-Qzi5409mxPmv78qmsH0PyLPBsF4WWqMwcELw8od2Djy6uE3zeJTf_hTSsmrkMkStxJM4_6-aD3lWJjtvYqndUWJRKNzxl31_PcWwUh/s1470/Leaving+Loch+Linnhe%252C+James%2527+photo.png" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1470" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivV236otc19Ii6DxgdpKb7uq_i7aKazlJsQDf-6-Qzi5409mxPmv78qmsH0PyLPBsF4WWqMwcELw8od2Djy6uE3zeJTf_hTSsmrkMkStxJM4_6-aD3lWJjtvYqndUWJRKNzxl31_PcWwUh/w405-h227/Leaving+Loch+Linnhe%252C+James%2527+photo.png" width="405" /></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I’ve been reflecting that I’ve just completed the longest sustained physical effort to date in my seventy three years on this planet, rowing for a continuous five hours, minus short breaks for a slug of water, against a wind of a good Force Three, perhaps Four at times, with some confused tidal rips added, on our passage from Lochaline to Tobermory on Saturday. My deepest respect and admiration go to our Convenor, who insisted on battling out the entire trip over three days from Loch Linnhe to Kilchoan.</span></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Robbie had created a very full and careful passage plan, incorporating our respectful consensus about the times of the tides, which were just off Springs and didn’t promise to be very helpful, with Low Water on the first day about 1500 and of course progressively later.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxwpMtcS5Vnhv8cp2mkJKxxc25yN0rhDZwwpLHE2e8vtV_z6ltMsYtbiMlz1cepH-ZJqiRH_j9wObMDmamjKewj4xZVB8DZp6iGSWiT1CIXGr_32CdGQM3J-KnQWb-B5xs1_6zbQKsUH8/s320/CCC+Tobermory+to+Glenborrodale.JPG" width="320" /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxwpMtcS5Vnhv8cp2mkJKxxc25yN0rhDZwwpLHE2e8vtV_z6ltMsYtbiMlz1cepH-ZJqiRH_j9wObMDmamjKewj4xZVB8DZp6iGSWiT1CIXGr_32CdGQM3J-KnQWb-B5xs1_6zbQKsUH8/s2048/CCC+Tobermory+to+Glenborrodale.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The crew assembled at the Linnhe moorings on Friday, where we were greeted very warmly by Paul and sent off in a dreich flat calm, coxed by Robbie down to our first wee stop in a lovely bay at the North West of Lismore. There I took over the coxing for the next hour or so of rapid travel with a big ebb tide, which seemed to follow us round the Morvern shore for another swap over, another slug and a bite of nourishment. We didn’t see much wildlife in the murk, (just one unidentified big thing made a splash behind us), but were glad of the ideal rowing conditions in what my Mother called a wetting rain. Distance travelled 21 Kilometres over four hours.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBeb0HrpcxHWfL8bULTxHyV80Q_0FzoT4pXgDT66pcZl2JeTAq4mg1dB_N_Wq4Y7ppvCSYLX-xenw41GWbdeDSyLjNKc9UUWSgaUoCxcVn4v22y8R0_mFjSPoebeep9i0fVM0HsvfMl1c/s1520/Arrival+at+Lochaline%252C+James%2527+photo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1520" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXBeb0HrpcxHWfL8bULTxHyV80Q_0FzoT4pXgDT66pcZl2JeTAq4mg1dB_N_Wq4Y7ppvCSYLX-xenw41GWbdeDSyLjNKc9UUWSgaUoCxcVn4v22y8R0_mFjSPoebeep9i0fVM0HsvfMl1c/w400-h225/Arrival+at+Lochaline%252C+James%2527+photo.png" width="400" /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A very pleasant evening was spent in Lochaline, dining rather well in the Nest, followed by cabadaich agus deoch in the social club, a fine establishment, a little Seventies in style, then a night in the bunkhouse.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDjVyFMoYaKmto2pDT7p1eWGlNcSQGa4jKr_g5Ae_HlEB-NefNZIfnilZf-bW8typ6NbuiC4-bP_wb0mWq2_K2nMvuPy7_F5V57tmX_5e-TSm0Wza813bV1oUHMsAqY5hjgPHEH_9Jp3E/s2048/Adam%252C+Steve+and+Sue+show+how+it%2527s+done.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDjVyFMoYaKmto2pDT7p1eWGlNcSQGa4jKr_g5Ae_HlEB-NefNZIfnilZf-bW8typ6NbuiC4-bP_wb0mWq2_K2nMvuPy7_F5V57tmX_5e-TSm0Wza813bV1oUHMsAqY5hjgPHEH_9Jp3E/w400-h300/Adam%252C+Steve+and+Sue+show+how+it%2527s+done.JPG" title="Taking the witches out" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As noted above, the second day was quite a challenge. After offering encouragement and support to the local Witches of Morvern we set off about midday and had a fast ebb for the first five hundred metres or so. For the next hour Sue, Adam, Steve and Robbie took on some pretty challenging conditions as I did my best to keep us clear of the worst of the tidal rips and bring us round inshore as far as possible, where we assumed the tide would be slacker. By the time of our first changeover I was glad of the chance to warm up, if apprehensive about the challenge to come. In fact as the day went on the waves became a bit more regular, but the Sound feels very long when you’re travelling up it at about thirty heaves per minute. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Wildlife on this section amounted to one big grey seal, who stuck his head up and no doubt would have scratched it in wonderment had his flippers been long enough. I don't count the hundreds of caged salmon that we passed at Fiunary, the fittest of them leaping incessantly on the surface, the property of the “Scottish” Sea Farms company, in reality like most of the industry foreign owned. Aquaculture Scotland tells me that the site was only stocked in May, but the fish looked mature and may have been shipped in from a problem site elsewhere. Mortalities are currently about four and a half tonnes per month, as we hit maximum sea temperatures and sea lice levels.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYoNQ0TTsSPutlwaIfyt4X0xBo9NX6IFNLfEpvZ65ObkBcOrqlUWqfUTHXVzLlaASsYmV_SuLisQcYE6EVaG00HytRP50W_To24dTHhZYNdkzXCl5lZegHOhebyhuEIp0L9cdv9vc1G1X/s2048/IMG_0982+%25281%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYoNQ0TTsSPutlwaIfyt4X0xBo9NX6IFNLfEpvZ65ObkBcOrqlUWqfUTHXVzLlaASsYmV_SuLisQcYE6EVaG00HytRP50W_To24dTHhZYNdkzXCl5lZegHOhebyhuEIp0L9cdv9vc1G1X/w400-h300/IMG_0982+%25281%2529.JPG" title="Fiunary fish "farm"" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We had expected to finish in style with the flood going North through the Diorlinn, but instead had to overcome an adverse stream. Inside we were met by our hosts for the evening, John and Lynne from the Isle of Mull club. Distance travelled 23 kilometres over six hours.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-I29ZPGEobNeVfT3yzMrSOH3opsYZLuJGX93ULd0vJkzUb-G9QUdNUHsyzbo-0G9X2r5VxtxJLEUAv_HnzcnweQ10tbeco3WzU2TyeP06IwMa8biXRvDPzwm61L6oUf-pj_bSBXmsGAS/s1139/Arrival+at+Tobermory%252C+Lynne%2527s+photo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1139" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-I29ZPGEobNeVfT3yzMrSOH3opsYZLuJGX93ULd0vJkzUb-G9QUdNUHsyzbo-0G9X2r5VxtxJLEUAv_HnzcnweQ10tbeco3WzU2TyeP06IwMa8biXRvDPzwm61L6oUf-pj_bSBXmsGAS/w400-h240/Arrival+at+Tobermory%252C+Lynne%2527s+photo.png" title="Arrival in Tobermory" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">After we secured at the pontoons and rediscovered some ability to walk we were whisked off for hot showers and a great dinner and deoch at Dervaig. Off to bed at nine and missed the tennis! </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Day Three was quiet once again. We left at nine, myself coxing again for the first half, accompanied by our hosts aboard their lovely Harrison Butler, surely one of the most practical ships ever designed. This final leg of about ten kilometres lasted just a couple of hours.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzhDDStT4tr-R5OMWAjDjz2JVRDWUkf2_wunhCygKQ1vw3UMZgFppQk9LlxLiYKSDhsqQT9xJUOxT6fj0-d_iH7cLY8DMXV4RvPGnqELWZpag5QchOH8Aoi-YuhuX_3yP3q2Z11GmL9ux/s1539/Job+Done%252C+Kilchoan%252C+James%2527+photo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1539" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzhDDStT4tr-R5OMWAjDjz2JVRDWUkf2_wunhCygKQ1vw3UMZgFppQk9LlxLiYKSDhsqQT9xJUOxT6fj0-d_iH7cLY8DMXV4RvPGnqELWZpag5QchOH8Aoi-YuhuX_3yP3q2Z11GmL9ux/w400-h229/Job+Done%252C+Kilchoan%252C+James%2527+photo.png" title="Destination Kilchoan achieved." width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotggeddn-xROKeRLbd5u-0JY95bfVCgZyO-5sfQdZTNCBng65tSzwSVReVallRFNHcTirhyB7bGP5D-hWJxTghL0hHRsfVu39W9F3pfqGv5cJ1FH6fC36Cjt7xvpeqielRY4aUMEQAvWn/s2048/Millers.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotggeddn-xROKeRLbd5u-0JY95bfVCgZyO-5sfQdZTNCBng65tSzwSVReVallRFNHcTirhyB7bGP5D-hWJxTghL0hHRsfVu39W9F3pfqGv5cJ1FH6fC36Cjt7xvpeqielRY4aUMEQAvWn/w400-h300/Millers.JPG" title="A well built East coast ferry" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">James then quickly rustled up some bacon rolls before driving me off to the ferry terminal. I was privately happy to travel back the long way (the van having only five seat belts). I had a chance to sample the delights of The Gallery, carrot and walnut cake and a good strong coffee, followed by Isle of Mull ice cream from the shop on the front, both signs of how Tobermory is increasingly attractive to visitors. The Mishnish still looks great, sadly the Macdonald Arms, once home to the legendary Bert Hall, not so good. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUWHK_gB_s7bm6niwlNJyEuDNqCWfSDkvDTBRbU46kDn1IvsXisaKcQZXAUbqwmlDq_4SPt5RAQff3bGT7rqbJqf5AcskYuHRwn-58cNrl9B9ohJ74ECE4Uxsgwj5ohu1u5BXojcXKyEM/s2048/Macdonald+Arms.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUWHK_gB_s7bm6niwlNJyEuDNqCWfSDkvDTBRbU46kDn1IvsXisaKcQZXAUbqwmlDq_4SPt5RAQff3bGT7rqbJqf5AcskYuHRwn-58cNrl9B9ohJ74ECE4Uxsgwj5ohu1u5BXojcXKyEM/w300-h400/Macdonald+Arms.JPG" title="Macdonald Arms" width="300" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3SzHwpJeHNDdtK41PSF9bnarMG5Pv0oR6vFVtOu-cTovkuTk4qhigWzmIFNWgd1mWe5Shg1iSNhzq9WV9TX8j4R-p7KwHvV7y0qT7vXKNrBpbHro9pFV0UgnvzuHVWVjkk5CxakNM9Sf/s2048/IMG_0995.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3SzHwpJeHNDdtK41PSF9bnarMG5Pv0oR6vFVtOu-cTovkuTk4qhigWzmIFNWgd1mWe5Shg1iSNhzq9WV9TX8j4R-p7KwHvV7y0qT7vXKNrBpbHro9pFV0UgnvzuHVWVjkk5CxakNM9Sf/w400-h300/IMG_0995.JPG" title="If you don't have glasses, take photo and enlarge" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then, with an hour or so to spare before the bus I found a nice American fellow over here with his father’s ashes, who seemed happy to listen to a few stories. The bus driver was a cheery man who started the chat by saying “I bring you up in the morning and take you back at night” and was a bit thrown when I told him I had arrived in a rowing boat. The bus was packed full, everyone masked up apart from a moustachioed BFB who spent a lot of the trip on his mobile. CallyMac made him mask up to get on the ferry, so he did actually have one.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwEqs63oSmVb21oG0uZaxVD3jpFnIkxeDvgvfNSGp8cgJJcW9FrF1ONahakHbzpxPqSIVACXooz_bS0Da_nIBSOkpbaG44Qa7zGRtVrVbiliY5fc1DvZQ1MKPCo2_ZWO6u-PCFUtFeNkC/s2048/Norwegian+Torture+Chamber.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwEqs63oSmVb21oG0uZaxVD3jpFnIkxeDvgvfNSGp8cgJJcW9FrF1ONahakHbzpxPqSIVACXooz_bS0Da_nIBSOkpbaG44Qa7zGRtVrVbiliY5fc1DvZQ1MKPCo2_ZWO6u-PCFUtFeNkC/w400-h300/Norwegian+Torture+Chamber.JPG" title="Norwegian torture chamber" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUK4lmgJizynfsvtEkzAS28aTVIi2aXgbiFFZmr712anHFsRPvFjKaxVSqXyBAKSoqHXQgAF8GNbyk-rx_onnFm3m6sEICUhIYEyGIKmoriM5oE6gLjrTsBCJw5GC5oZ0MxB10VgN_yCH/s2048/IMG_1002.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUK4lmgJizynfsvtEkzAS28aTVIi2aXgbiFFZmr712anHFsRPvFjKaxVSqXyBAKSoqHXQgAF8GNbyk-rx_onnFm3m6sEICUhIYEyGIKmoriM5oE6gLjrTsBCJw5GC5oZ0MxB10VgN_yCH/w400-h300/IMG_1002.JPG" title="Nearly home!" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Post script: We've made it into the Oban Times, fame at last!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2h8KmGJCSf_uvmtk4L_gdotfcGaFJtxwTIe1MvA5fDXZeCLIN9V1AoGFRHHpu69oGHu5t43gYUQHJ3kOMAMozPxdsOJf4Q2ENvB0sCq_9kQXionzzg3sLPXHjFrNZto2yH8Kr0c2KZ2m-/s2948/Row+Around+Oban+Times.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="2948" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2h8KmGJCSf_uvmtk4L_gdotfcGaFJtxwTIe1MvA5fDXZeCLIN9V1AoGFRHHpu69oGHu5t43gYUQHJ3kOMAMozPxdsOJf4Q2ENvB0sCq_9kQXionzzg3sLPXHjFrNZto2yH8Kr0c2KZ2m-/w536-h194/Row+Around+Oban+Times.JPG" width="536" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-45721482257174235732021-07-26T04:54:00.000-07:002021-07-26T04:54:16.014-07:00Mid Season with Mariota<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9sT3Fu0UwWdXeY3oE0h_O4TpYJAr2JSl3UBCKzopCaChOZgu6mV59EgeRCe6PM6g1ZiyaHRtupuE9y9off28ixkC92xeoF14dTMEvAYpsxy43dSY8Bh8tFrEDrhUYK__as2zDkrt23YL/s2048/P1080119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="2048" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9sT3Fu0UwWdXeY3oE0h_O4TpYJAr2JSl3UBCKzopCaChOZgu6mV59EgeRCe6PM6g1ZiyaHRtupuE9y9off28ixkC92xeoF14dTMEvAYpsxy43dSY8Bh8tFrEDrhUYK__as2zDkrt23YL/w400-h203/P1080119.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />This Summer has been good for getting to know the Mariota and discovering the extent to which age has diminished my ability to move about the deck on a small boat with confidence since I was last regularly sailing aboard Juni in 2016. Actually building a boat for two and a half years followed by going for government walks during the lockdowns has kept me reasonably fit.</span><p></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When we launched in 2019 I was quite nervous, but more about me than the boat. It’s well known that amateur builders always overbuild and I always remember that advice from one of the ancients that the time to worry about whether or not you used enough glue is not when you’re two miles offshore and it’s blowing a hoolie. Yes, the boat was strong enough, but I had become a bit chicken ashore, not helped by there being very little sailing last year.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The 2021 Season has started rather well and I’m liking the Kotik design more, the more I venture out. The basic hull shape is extremely sea-kindly, but being beamy and shallow she should be sailed flat, the total opposite of the Stroma, with a tonne and a half of lead beneath her. I've rigged up lots of string and can easily take in a reef in about five minutes without venturing on deck. Sailing on my own in Force 3 is very comfortable with one reef, a good, easily controllable spread. The expression for reefing in Gaelic, by the way, is “cuir ceann a steach”, bring the head in! And white horses are eich bhana! (eech vana) </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Last month my new mate the Professor and I went to a socially distanced meet up on an uninhabited island, where a group of suitably eccentric friends came together for the first time in ages. On the Saturday there was a pretty strong breeze from the South west, probably verging on a Force 4, which is a lot for wee boats. Most of us decided to go, as we operate on the flock principle, with the fastest boats herding the others and looking after each other. With two reefs down Mariota felt very safe and steady.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21drGKstA6OayGaYamI2VSKAmaGxIMaWCOSU4_ENow-S-RKn4u78zaXqx97aV2H6AZKsucbdW5V9RxaS_fxUNFwwpJtwI4hmg-IUq33Sr5WM8XV8aTHHoYvvj8WEZuN4HLUVf3zqaJzg2/s2000/Scotland+May+2021-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21drGKstA6OayGaYamI2VSKAmaGxIMaWCOSU4_ENow-S-RKn4u78zaXqx97aV2H6AZKsucbdW5V9RxaS_fxUNFwwpJtwI4hmg-IUq33Sr5WM8XV8aTHHoYvvj8WEZuN4HLUVf3zqaJzg2/w400-h225/Scotland+May+2021-19.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When the Tollesbury wizard was making the sails he announced that he was adding a third reef, as he was sure it would come in handy one day. While I hope not to need it, I’m very pleased that it’s there. I’ve also asked for a storm jib, which will be tacked down a little aft of the roller and hoisted on a separate halliard.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">On the Sunday we sailed round to the Castle of the Dogs on Torsa for a picnic, “Caisteal nan Coin” since you ask. Read more about that here: <a href="https://scottishboating.blogspot.com/2010/11/voyage-around-torsa.html" target="_blank">A Voyage Round Torsa</a></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then the heatwaves started and there have been some lovely days afloat in gentle breezes, most recently down to Eilean na Gamhna, the Island of the Stirks, where the pals took some lovely photos. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe_8sMDJGUPrAeD5likiDcGbJGZ7HMKXbpt3iSSsdIut32nZ335H_Srx2a9T245AWAwtkYZGUXTH05oOq0zFJIJgMc1YwFCfa_kTviTuoEv32vzgUoJzBRQXgDmxcHM2XlfBV7BxidC7_/s2048/IMG_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe_8sMDJGUPrAeD5likiDcGbJGZ7HMKXbpt3iSSsdIut32nZ335H_Srx2a9T245AWAwtkYZGUXTH05oOq0zFJIJgMc1YwFCfa_kTviTuoEv32vzgUoJzBRQXgDmxcHM2XlfBV7BxidC7_/w400-h300/IMG_0904.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgMcLHUWssXznMbjK4qyswwSspn9D3mqdvzvO2W6KBJSA1DlDKcxcEcmBb3G6ZKkuDIf4DbELP4okALRuCRWUEyj7rLWI4HCuPpfXKO1tjn15CN0AFezlU7YYRKmlm_nai3J_Q4SZIBG2/s2048/IMG_0906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgMcLHUWssXznMbjK4qyswwSspn9D3mqdvzvO2W6KBJSA1DlDKcxcEcmBb3G6ZKkuDIf4DbELP4okALRuCRWUEyj7rLWI4HCuPpfXKO1tjn15CN0AFezlU7YYRKmlm_nai3J_Q4SZIBG2/w400-h300/IMG_0906.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div dir="auto"></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Selkie is of course another of Iain Oughtred’s designs, the community skiff from the Isle of Seil, which I helped to build. My wee tender, the Peigi, is a Nutshell from the board of Joel White. My first build, from 1986. Meeting up with the fellow Selkies was a real bonus, with cuirm -chnuic air an traigh (picnic on the beach. My friend James Fenton took these shots.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXYJ-WjI2thMZ8D_h-9zqyOvH_pxIBUdiwjanUxS0oVbHIrFJGVapf5CVGXwU6NuLMxv6ZmZph8EaA79pEE7sXFqojtCgF4MIhiuI7oP15gkyM5aYfZ-xxUb3IWdpsZs3vltPnRyMUeNw/s3840/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXYJ-WjI2thMZ8D_h-9zqyOvH_pxIBUdiwjanUxS0oVbHIrFJGVapf5CVGXwU6NuLMxv6ZmZph8EaA79pEE7sXFqojtCgF4MIhiuI7oP15gkyM5aYfZ-xxUb3IWdpsZs3vltPnRyMUeNw/w400-h225/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%25285%2529.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30ESodKb1WKIbbpYGj2Ds6BDP91N0P7Q5cnI_T3eigr9OmxMcf9uRAicNsvS-oUwUYErtliFfg3RjblQInIi4ZG8hZmw_pQC9zbaOpzAIhQRT1YWhPwpem_Si0mFVTw3R0VivIOt0eG8V/s3840/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30ESodKb1WKIbbpYGj2Ds6BDP91N0P7Q5cnI_T3eigr9OmxMcf9uRAicNsvS-oUwUYErtliFfg3RjblQInIi4ZG8hZmw_pQC9zbaOpzAIhQRT1YWhPwpem_Si0mFVTw3R0VivIOt0eG8V/w400-h225/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%25287%2529.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE62VinyzfKCU49cg61dwyHBLrn3OBSqoEdH3gF-NEpVMxlbVTN18woSLUtTHROwk4g9r9HFxk2vdooD9lCFoaj67CD9YxQBdECIXGLjWyM1fWZTAsvfE09xCVcvq1HQiTYvXvgNVU8s9/s3840/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE62VinyzfKCU49cg61dwyHBLrn3OBSqoEdH3gF-NEpVMxlbVTN18woSLUtTHROwk4g9r9HFxk2vdooD9lCFoaj67CD9YxQBdECIXGLjWyM1fWZTAsvfE09xCVcvq1HQiTYvXvgNVU8s9/w400-h225/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%25288%2529.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u68OCgyvDiuT_LKduEInxLQJSH0jGwYX2Lf8sB29741mgSONP1jlllZJj8X46H7rIOJF_N-9UULVjTQbmTow46haOsaNBspcgM1aYLXaLjotFvx2h-vQsnOk5lUn0QEkYRzHE0DAqBch/s3840/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u68OCgyvDiuT_LKduEInxLQJSH0jGwYX2Lf8sB29741mgSONP1jlllZJj8X46H7rIOJF_N-9UULVjTQbmTow46haOsaNBspcgM1aYLXaLjotFvx2h-vQsnOk5lUn0QEkYRzHE0DAqBch/w400-h225/Eilean+Gamhna+-+July+2021+%252812%2529.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Anchored in our favourite spot and there was a huge dod of mud on it when it came up. Cue to use the canvas bucket, that Wilson Thom’s widow gave me thirty years ago when she decided to give up driving and had to clear her garage. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCyXil4mnithRA4ANKUjQ64L9XDLKrlnI3xqN24zo6DP570vUYrgxc4vt10SZ1Txp8Bc65J6STrto8ZYtgvH4xtnjlEUb6BU8Qc8y2JZowPgnb_rSj6IXXxpITxuaRBdxY8gcfszAd3sF/s2048/IMG_0910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCyXil4mnithRA4ANKUjQ64L9XDLKrlnI3xqN24zo6DP570vUYrgxc4vt10SZ1Txp8Bc65J6STrto8ZYtgvH4xtnjlEUb6BU8Qc8y2JZowPgnb_rSj6IXXxpITxuaRBdxY8gcfszAd3sF/w300-h400/IMG_0910.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTD5OGqoqYmkdqpIpYHXps_SToOtu63h3HTlyAiUOz-VbWaddQuhLg2Xn6Tfs4pb8-OX2encorG2J0FnWV_WdtLAtTQjLNj2CN5DmjlCM6naZJ_coXmCqdVbV06MLnfQP6V4gHEs3wvj1l/s2048/IMG_0911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTD5OGqoqYmkdqpIpYHXps_SToOtu63h3HTlyAiUOz-VbWaddQuhLg2Xn6Tfs4pb8-OX2encorG2J0FnWV_WdtLAtTQjLNj2CN5DmjlCM6naZJ_coXmCqdVbV06MLnfQP6V4gHEs3wvj1l/w300-h400/IMG_0911.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Wilson was one of Willie Russell’s crew in the Seawanhaka Cup races in the 1930s and taught me a lot about sailing nuair a bha mi og . A competitive fellow who exhorted me to overtake when I was learning to drive, shouting “justifiable risk”.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNZJvP5B6PVF46li8EYsZjRKxT3_bdxayy_KZ6XdQhC4xsFBiNfKjSoYR49zejbnGkh5Y0P_QyIIeFk7I3Kq_PwI4IWRLh2MhYsM7urAqKQ-HB57cZPZh895A34JylcbqikcRy7r6QU9R/s770/Kyla+in+Scotland%252C+Udy%252C+Wilson+Thom%252C+Willie%252C+Skipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img alt="Wilson standing next to Udy Russell, aboard Kyla on the Clyde" border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="770" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNZJvP5B6PVF46li8EYsZjRKxT3_bdxayy_KZ6XdQhC4xsFBiNfKjSoYR49zejbnGkh5Y0P_QyIIeFk7I3Kq_PwI4IWRLh2MhYsM7urAqKQ-HB57cZPZh895A34JylcbqikcRy7r6QU9R/w400-h226/Kyla+in+Scotland%252C+Udy%252C+Wilson+Thom%252C+Willie%252C+Skipper.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So the bucket could be any age. The great thing is that it doesn’t chip the paintwork, as a metal one would, and of course plastic ones just detach from the handle when full of water and add to marine pollution. Folds away to nothing and back under stern deck until the next time.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Top Image courtesy Richard Pierce aka the Luing Guru</span></i></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-71723941808544788982021-05-03T08:15:00.000-07:002021-05-03T08:15:12.959-07:00Building a Replacement for Stroma<p> </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_as" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa ht8s03o8 a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQirl8N_cuanexozeErrjC9FRQxUwPEV7u4oCGJ-u0X3nwF43lnkJCsNEuEMQLXLnNl0dzfu6fYnGvWgKqjp6MwfrOyrVWRQ4aC105hYggHqyZf4swsfQnPvqPzYsPgzLITZoXvYg8qkE/s2048/IMG_1063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQirl8N_cuanexozeErrjC9FRQxUwPEV7u4oCGJ-u0X3nwF43lnkJCsNEuEMQLXLnNl0dzfu6fYnGvWgKqjp6MwfrOyrVWRQ4aC105hYggHqyZf4swsfQnPvqPzYsPgzLITZoXvYg8qkE/w400-h225/IMG_1063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As my seventieth birthday approached I finally parted from Stroma, designed by Alfred Mylne and built by McGruers on the Clyde in 1929. We had looked after each other in all weather for over forty years. These old racing yachts sail beautifully but need a fit, young crew and after a few years on the market she had found ideal new custodians in a young couple of the same age I had been when I took her on. I’m hoping for an invitation to the hundredth birthday party in a few years time.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Over the years I’ve built several boats and have also acquired a number of good friends among some of the professional designers and builders who inhabit the traditional boating community, men and women whom I’ve found universally generous with their time and expertise and whose advice has saved me from potential blunders on projects such as the extensive restoration of Stroma, which took several years. That gave me the confidence to believe that I could safely take on the challenge of building my next cruising boat. The search was on for a suitable design.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The basic requirements were for a boat small enough to be sailed by one person, but with space for a couple of friends, the rig controlled as far as possible from the cockpit and seaworthy for inshore waters among the islands of Scotland’s West coast. Where I live, in mid-Argyll, we don't see big waves very often but our tides are fierce and can set up extremely nasty jabbles that sometimes can’t be avoided. The bonus is the ability to ride on top of a tide and vastly increase your cruising range if you’re prepared to set an alarm. One of our best ever trips on Stroma, about forty years ago, involved setting off from Ardminish on Gigha at about 4 am with a good strong Southwesterly and a flooding Spring tide, and reaching North at eight knots over the ground to moor up at Ardfern in time for breakfast in the old drovers inn.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">There were a couple of further considerations. First, auxiliary power. After the first few years I took the little two stroke Vire out of Stroma and sailed engineless from then on. This was for reasons of both practicality and vanity; small petrol engines don’t readily cope with life under a leaking cockpit sole and the weight of a diesel replacement would upset the trim, but also there’s nothing uglier than an outboard bolted on the side or over the stern of a lovely old yacht. What was to be done? Second, handling on shore. I wanted to be free from boatyard bills except if absolutely necessary. This indicated a hull that could be managed on a launching trolley and a mast that could be easily dropped.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Readers will be familiar with the countless discussions on yachting forums about designs and I would only say that there is no such thing as the ideal boat. The list boiled down to just two, Francois Vivier’s Beniguet and Iain Oughtred’s Wee Seal, both very elegant and practical. The former had the advantages of being a more modern concept, lighter and simpler to build, with just sufficient space below. The latter had more internal space and looked more like what the late David Ryder-Turner called a “floaty boat”, but also seemed to my eye too compressed, an awful lot of boat crammed into eighteen and a half feet. Then I heard about Kotik, the result of Mikhail Markov commissioning Iain to stretch the Wee Seal out to twenty one feet. The result was more generous space inside and to my eye a more aesthetic shape. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Over the years I’ve enjoyed studying boat plans. I’ve never regretted buying study plans and occasionally complete sets of drawings for boats that I’ve ended up not building. You learn a great deal from them and it helps today’s designers to keep going. I’ve kept the plans for the Beniguet and may build her some day; that would only be following Mikhail, who now has one of each!</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkAs64OScHn46kaaxmTjM6pWm3Pmt5R6meWoYoa6DTSiixFLrP_TSQqpWPRH7ekrH9Qd_cuLLttFWe_hxuywbEJfiDosyADAmYdUDOZw3lCW8Tjz3WTbXJ3PQ3jdI1lB5O-A2qYDZqxX_/s774/IMG_1050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkAs64OScHn46kaaxmTjM6pWm3Pmt5R6meWoYoa6DTSiixFLrP_TSQqpWPRH7ekrH9Qd_cuLLttFWe_hxuywbEJfiDosyADAmYdUDOZw3lCW8Tjz3WTbXJ3PQ3jdI1lB5O-A2qYDZqxX_/w396-h640/IMG_1050.JPG" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikhail's Beniguet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When the Kotik plans arrived I discovered that Iain had drawn a yawl rig option as well as the basic sloop. This gave me food for thought, because thirty years ago I built Sonas, a pretty, very slender gunter sloop designed by David Ryder-Turner and found that she would have been far happier as a yawl. With a large mainsail she proved a real handful at times and we were usually reefed unless it was pretty calm. The idea of dropping the main in a blow and getting home under jib and reefed mizzen became very attractive. Yawl rig, probably with a Bermudian main, would have worked fine, as that design had a counter stern and the rudder post forward in a tube. But the Kotik has an external rudder and I like the positive feel of a straight tiller. There was also the consideration that the stern deck doesn't have a lot of space for extra spars and bits of string, so I stayed with the sloop. Of the six Kotik designs built so far, I think that only one, Ian Milne’s in New Zealand, is a yawl.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A couple of other decisions had to be made. Iain had drawn options for both a self draining cockpit and a deep, traditional one. The former seem almost standard in small boats and they are, I understand, compulsory under safety regulations in some countries. I’ve never liked them and am not convinced that they’re helpful in normal inshore conditions. I believe that if a big wave did come over it would be safer for it to flood into the lowest part of the ship, from where we could pump it out, rather than to have it trapped higher up, which would surely make the ship vulnerable to the following one. I went for the deep cockpit, allowing the crew to sit in comfort well out of the wind. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kQwHlIfXxhD0h9GGAKXlcVcqsyVVOK0Vj7kAOvzIhsUzHzLnYcV1s7AVXE7uJdhU6AygALL7wsWkuzqO2T4u0UZ2-iF__uuMqx_WObno3RO5xugvKqj6D_WleUK_ARot5NcnwCH_WflU/s2048/IMG_4900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kQwHlIfXxhD0h9GGAKXlcVcqsyVVOK0Vj7kAOvzIhsUzHzLnYcV1s7AVXE7uJdhU6AygALL7wsWkuzqO2T4u0UZ2-iF__uuMqx_WObno3RO5xugvKqj6D_WleUK_ARot5NcnwCH_WflU/w640-h480/IMG_4900.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I also decided to keep the cabin dry with a bridge deck, which also provides extra seating in the cockpit and storage space inside the cabin.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Iain provided several alternative layout suggestions, fitting in up to four berths. I redesigned the space for just one, good sized, berth and the possibility of a second person sleeping under the foredeck. However, in coastal cruising I think it's better for any crew simply to bring a tent and sleep comfortably ashore, which we can do anywhere in Scotland. Here we don’t have a law of trespass and you can set up camp anywhere, as long as it’s not in someone’s garden.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I decided to offset the main hatch to starboard, leaving more space to port for a wide chart table, which has a drawer underneath. This relates well to the centreboard case, which is offset to port, avoiding the problems of casting a slot in the ballast keel.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As I started studying the drawings I also made a couple of changes to the design, in each case following a discussion with Iain, who was always very patient and open to new ideas. Please, never alter a design without the designer’s approval! </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">First, I increased the ballast somewhat, as Kotik was designed to sail with a crew, while I would be mainly single handed and our weather can change very quickly. I did so by deepening the casting and extending it forward a little, which thankfully hasn’t spoiled the trim. I changed the profile slightly, so that it will be ballast, rather than deadwood, that takes the bump if we ever meet a misbehaving skerry.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Second, I learned from Mikhail that his Kotik could sometimes be tricky to steer, a feature of long straight keels and canoe sterns, which necessitate a raked sternpost. On the theory that it’s easier to cut off than to add a bit of rudder blade later I increased the area and also made it widest below to make it more effective.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A further change came along much later, once I was in contact with the brilliant sailmaker Steven Hall of Tollesbury. He recommended increasing the angle between the yard and the mast, enabling the mainsail to be sewn with vertical panels and no battens. It also allowed more space for the halliard block and the wire span. Space here is a problem with all steep gaff and gunter rigs, leading to innovative solutions, including as a last resort, bringing the halliard through the mast with an internal sheeve.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The construction took two and a half years from late in 2016. I am fortunate to have a wonderful neighbour, who doesn’t use her garage, as a result of which I had a nice dry space over thirty feet long and about three feet wider than the maximum beam. There were no doors, which at least prevented any fumes from epoxy resin causing a problem. Fortunately that winter was mild here and I could work for at least an hour or two most days. The photographs tell the story better than I can, but I’ll mention a few decisions I made that may be of interest.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">First, a piece of advice that I got from Richard Pierce, formerly of Ferry Nab at Windermere and now based on the Isle of Luing, one of the historic Slate Islands near where I live, a man who has built more boats than anyone I know. Instead of lining up the building ladder by running a string through the moulds at a low level Richard rigs a tensioned garden wire directly above the centre line of the boat, from which he suspends plumb lines of varying lengths that can be slid along to provide accurate reference whenever needed. This proved its worth with the hull both inverted and upright, making it easy to ensure bulkheads etcetera were true.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To avoid any possibility of rot later I decided to use Accoya, a specially treated softwood that starts out mainly as Radiata Pine, for the stems, hog, floors and deadwood. It was easy to work with, if a little softer than I would have liked. For deckbeams and other parts I used mainly the tried and tested Douglas Fir, readily available and an old friend.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I had heard of Vendia Plank from Finland and decided to use it for the hull. It proved extremely hard, flexible in the right directions and I would recommend it if it could still be obtained. I saved several months by getting Alec Jordan to cut the hull planks and moulds for me, which he did most accurately. I suspect he was relieved when I told him that there had been no gaps anywhere. I cut the scarfs in the garage and then turned part of our house into a production shop in a dry, warm atmosphere which suited the epoxy resin. I would then walk the planks, up to twenty three feet long, along the road to the garage, provided it wasn’t too windy or raining. Robbins Super-Elite plywood was used for bulkheads and decking.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In my view there are no tricks to working with epoxy, just do frequent mixes of precisely the amount needed, measuring it on digital scales protected by clingfilm rather than using pumps. Treat it like the deadly poison it is, cleaning all spills as they happen. In cold weather I help it along with a hot air gun.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Under this system the hull went together very quickly, basically at the rate of a pair of planks every couple of days, held by the usual homemade giant clothes pegs. There followed several months of building up the deadwood, fairing it off, filleting everything and coating the exterior with three coats of epoxy until we were ready to turn over in May 2017.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfRoFwLzh0i7uHTcq7MGvtbj37wKYBxN6szRPHmnYsECQ9Uk5M3DAjUuFMJIYcPL2RxLmsuHOl44tnhHx7WkyxKvjZVFX_DVpj5RLNlPsPylLwVOm114vcpv-HuS_zwv4-qm_yQjDw2lP/s2048/IMG_0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfRoFwLzh0i7uHTcq7MGvtbj37wKYBxN6szRPHmnYsECQ9Uk5M3DAjUuFMJIYcPL2RxLmsuHOl44tnhHx7WkyxKvjZVFX_DVpj5RLNlPsPylLwVOm114vcpv-HuS_zwv4-qm_yQjDw2lP/w640-h480/IMG_0842.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start, Accoya for machining</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYybkzsIaibVw2kLIyiUNWaWZ6MTO8t-gRXsuZl1HXZC2xdka2Toaa1C2B3lPnNO7oK1JLWM1HtRHs2aECgq_Sf1grt92up_qVkOmiFJdr9UOejQ-dL2GcI_YQVs8kREKTskPP1mKjiIHI/s2048/IMG_1578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYybkzsIaibVw2kLIyiUNWaWZ6MTO8t-gRXsuZl1HXZC2xdka2Toaa1C2B3lPnNO7oK1JLWM1HtRHs2aECgq_Sf1grt92up_qVkOmiFJdr9UOejQ-dL2GcI_YQVs8kREKTskPP1mKjiIHI/w480-h640/IMG_1578.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What houses are good for</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzwlMpyMvMexxA5MaVmI2tDQOAcckz8rLjY3UCE1LvW8xWg4WHTKOAvd6-YHHYFVZ042ik2IPGM0pdnslUrIoDsqZJEEk1AKP4CH0clsuADrXNWlyBX0JitRtk8eanELjQ011Z-lJbAeP/s2048/IMG_2148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzwlMpyMvMexxA5MaVmI2tDQOAcckz8rLjY3UCE1LvW8xWg4WHTKOAvd6-YHHYFVZ042ik2IPGM0pdnslUrIoDsqZJEEk1AKP4CH0clsuADrXNWlyBX0JitRtk8eanELjQ011Z-lJbAeP/w480-h640/IMG_2148.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hull complete, three coats epoxy on</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4HbhNF_hiK409VhIn3Jkcgu5DhWxPaHZnBEPzDwkBx3-zUZlWQWR55Nm7U-7LMta_UM0xznvhIEvZKIYB-WVsUpNZr6fQtmvCyxSlXfzyJcpNQi4Ok72kWL7HTg3BjYW1iOJuP1NpnT_/s2048/IMG_2307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4HbhNF_hiK409VhIn3Jkcgu5DhWxPaHZnBEPzDwkBx3-zUZlWQWR55Nm7U-7LMta_UM0xznvhIEvZKIYB-WVsUpNZr6fQtmvCyxSlXfzyJcpNQi4Ok72kWL7HTg3BjYW1iOJuP1NpnT_/w640-h480/IMG_2307.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About 10 % of the build done!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As a fan of recycling and keen to keep some references to the past I was lucky to find enough old growth pitch pine to build the cockpit seating and flooring. It is lovely material, which used to be plentiful but is now endangered. It can be found in old buildings throughout my native city of Glasgow and was also used for hull planking in old yachts. The thrust post for the mast started out in life as part of the Ardrishaig Distillery, built in 1831, that my friend John the builder had rescued from the demolition thirty years ago, so part of my new boat came from a tree that would have been growing at the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The biggest worry was sourcing the ballast keel, which weighed about 400 kilograms by the time I had deepened it as described above. I wasn’t brave enough to cast it and decided that it would be an interesting challenge for Ballantines of Bo’ness, now into their third century. They must have done them in the past. The present managing director, Gavin Ballantine, was game if I provided the pattern. I would love to have seen the pour taking place; it's probably better that I didn’t. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQULha0K4PMqfgkVsMlVB-ggUsjM67enduRTNl1Qbf43pUqh1Tz6hH1bXubnCKE8Vmt5SjdtdL-HmLlLA-ipC3zWbUDBmG7gH7flL7HdoCKgWNd5VfXi0qsdOc9CXdhOrkdVIwfl6NwF_Q/s2048/IMG_3709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQULha0K4PMqfgkVsMlVB-ggUsjM67enduRTNl1Qbf43pUqh1Tz6hH1bXubnCKE8Vmt5SjdtdL-HmLlLA-ipC3zWbUDBmG7gH7flL7HdoCKgWNd5VfXi0qsdOc9CXdhOrkdVIwfl6NwF_Q/w640-h480/IMG_3709.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Designer and his Apprentice</td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For the spars I went with the traditional recommendations, Sitka Spruce for the mast, boom and yard and ash for the tiller, the latter made by my friend Pat as a present to the boat, using a piece from a local windfall tree. These parts were the only ones to be varnished, with lots of coats to prevent rot.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe6C8OKsrRnLZBK-o5vt8XV9pYaG6wLeG8zRlip4zjJKPnFgaEiDFOuKsBNMeRachfN_skYQyBezd0P_LfkrQ6hPi-yuf-g4QcTNZ1daBN6Vsm38pIzeobpXqzz_43n_BBNVJJV2e8IOt/s2048/IMG_4859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe6C8OKsrRnLZBK-o5vt8XV9pYaG6wLeG8zRlip4zjJKPnFgaEiDFOuKsBNMeRachfN_skYQyBezd0P_LfkrQ6hPi-yuf-g4QcTNZ1daBN6Vsm38pIzeobpXqzz_43n_BBNVJJV2e8IOt/w480-h640/IMG_4859.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat and the tiller</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">For standing rigging I decided to go with 4mm Dyneema, incredibly strong of course, but I get slightly spooked when I go forward, as on Stroma there was a comforting trio of galvanised stays to grasp and this stuff doesn’t feel the same.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">My intention regarding propulsion was to mount a two stroke outboard, bought years earlier but never used, in a well behind the cockpit rear bulkhead. Then I learned that this might be problematic, as an outboard in a well can choke on its own exhaust. I also learned about electric outboards, which I’m sure are the future. Sadly they swing a propellor too big for the internal well that I had built, so I now had the pleasure of removing it and reinstating the hole I had reluctantly cut in the bottom of the hull. External brackets exert a lot of torque in the wrong places, but Richard came up with a neat solution, a sturdy retractable beam that slides in a secure housing unseen behind the bulkhead.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBmeDVwWNS8-hIDtfo11upjUNwv1nadwbDlx-h00i9JSdiL21iJ81AAi4B5L2Q-Mspn7XowjAppMxdqIvWtmKUln5k9s3xGkD0p2ZU8fMUDP5uYCe1cAWClY5aijmraVOqVGo6cgDjjP8/s2048/IMG_6030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBmeDVwWNS8-hIDtfo11upjUNwv1nadwbDlx-h00i9JSdiL21iJ81AAi4B5L2Q-Mspn7XowjAppMxdqIvWtmKUln5k9s3xGkD0p2ZU8fMUDP5uYCe1cAWClY5aijmraVOqVGo6cgDjjP8/w640-h480/IMG_6030.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pierce Bracket</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;">Final touches were a nice Harris tweed cushion for my bunk and a clock and barometer from Wempe of Hamburg; in a self build you can spend the money you save on nice things. Named Mariota, after the Queen of the Western Isles circa 1380, she was launched in the Summer of 2019.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHjRFNYJDN5ApU1n3YTgmdccHCvZJQz0Q4vFPoj4G-_MVL0O7ijuxhC6jKrLYmHPfIx9P_EiL7JnCXLrEfRV0-5DKjN5PyoOFkoxVyqIOuCjL3xCzQGjg8meBTZm5a5M12hINEYwed0z0/s2048/IMG_5096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHjRFNYJDN5ApU1n3YTgmdccHCvZJQz0Q4vFPoj4G-_MVL0O7ijuxhC6jKrLYmHPfIx9P_EiL7JnCXLrEfRV0-5DKjN5PyoOFkoxVyqIOuCjL3xCzQGjg8meBTZm5a5M12hINEYwed0z0/w640-h480/IMG_5096.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final Inspection</td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsUQJPer27KxgtBnGpz31U-3pYC4EGq8G9DMUiyQlGUQxGoRqqW2nuxj_svEyO9_dg3-dCD2mSacQnY7S77vYQSZ4EK8wvkeEFOLJeHR6_yN6gMeAn1XzrHYPv3JtU35flLNb9j0dPzMp/s1600/cc0e332c-0804-431b-9d5b-c0483032d227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsUQJPer27KxgtBnGpz31U-3pYC4EGq8G9DMUiyQlGUQxGoRqqW2nuxj_svEyO9_dg3-dCD2mSacQnY7S77vYQSZ4EK8wvkeEFOLJeHR6_yN6gMeAn1XzrHYPv3JtU35flLNb9j0dPzMp/w640-h480/cc0e332c-0804-431b-9d5b-c0483032d227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The launching crew</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR38QkJZ7GSK-dbRtBSM28_nUo1rbD3FztVf4uqE3MjUYHcwlFEMfxLuPDchaWgrbBUODMHalqbd4Sc9Yt3CW4lg5DV2nnZ5ds8_LfpgA-mEP6IySwYy3wCgBQNjdLg3AwZSHZkapjBGTr/s2048/IMG_5130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR38QkJZ7GSK-dbRtBSM28_nUo1rbD3FztVf4uqE3MjUYHcwlFEMfxLuPDchaWgrbBUODMHalqbd4Sc9Yt3CW4lg5DV2nnZ5ds8_LfpgA-mEP6IySwYy3wCgBQNjdLg3AwZSHZkapjBGTr/w640-h480/IMG_5130.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxsgPhirruoNzihpdlf5IuYm612y1biRmn-iJxFNF_41dRi4vmp_ufK7X1Q9ZUKjobY8t3toZIZGjY0n8ggHUu-by643ulrRleZDjkYLLSATKoYahLXPZSXgp8WaF__nYl287v_GqQqib/s2048/IMG_1064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxsgPhirruoNzihpdlf5IuYm612y1biRmn-iJxFNF_41dRi4vmp_ufK7X1Q9ZUKjobY8t3toZIZGjY0n8ggHUu-by643ulrRleZDjkYLLSATKoYahLXPZSXgp8WaF__nYl287v_GqQqib/w640-h360/IMG_1064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gAoHUs4ItBTm1vq2EVuKG4bkSgUQ4_UI8FjzGKv-I7KXPqG7wVjLYeZqLNZ4d0rHCeWO831CQreYxcFpELySfnVa1QElnSQn8B5J7EVpT99yy5dLVVUIJycLQKuQI6mRujum2nbpPWax/s2048/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gAoHUs4ItBTm1vq2EVuKG4bkSgUQ4_UI8FjzGKv-I7KXPqG7wVjLYeZqLNZ4d0rHCeWO831CQreYxcFpELySfnVa1QElnSQn8B5J7EVpT99yy5dLVVUIJycLQKuQI6mRujum2nbpPWax/w640-h360/IMG_1065.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbQNqfsclVOmgbNUPOmKD_JzkwDnTC5bAQG_jJiiLiCRxo2XnE2Xfzku_dSD7XZEbQtQNKBBEx-414CjvLK1CsHU2P_mPR5TS4I4fr8Nqj84_hulJPi8n3GteYQiyHkd6GhKK9iS2YpOz/s1600/IMG_5223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbQNqfsclVOmgbNUPOmKD_JzkwDnTC5bAQG_jJiiLiCRxo2XnE2Xfzku_dSD7XZEbQtQNKBBEx-414CjvLK1CsHU2P_mPR5TS4I4fr8Nqj84_hulJPi8n3GteYQiyHkd6GhKK9iS2YpOz/w640-h480/IMG_5223.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not content with making a lovely ash tiller, Pat turned up with a fine carving dedicated to Mariota, made from an ancient piece of Kerrera oak from a windfall tree.</div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJv_JlkCuTukF3HKUEshjlS0aF0wrRST5VVSJhA1aCCQgU90LPAhlyoZTyYicPepp-d2a3GAc_BN8AoOShqlJQ4pq6KQvgvjNI-NdE2A7XHwr6yk57g-FqCrERG03F-DRs1ZffEHPiHkI/s2048/IMG_5856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJv_JlkCuTukF3HKUEshjlS0aF0wrRST5VVSJhA1aCCQgU90LPAhlyoZTyYicPepp-d2a3GAc_BN8AoOShqlJQ4pq6KQvgvjNI-NdE2A7XHwr6yk57g-FqCrERG03F-DRs1ZffEHPiHkI/w480-h640/IMG_5856.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_at" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; padding-top: 500px; position: relative;"><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="font-family: inherit; inset: calc(66.6667% + 1.01px) calc(0% + 0px) calc(0% + 0px) calc(66.6667% + 1.01px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute;"><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"></div></div></div><div class="dati1w0a ihqw7lf3 hv4rvrfc discj3wi" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 16px;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="ue3kfks5 pw54ja7n uo3d90p7 l82x9zwi ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs ecm0bbzt ph5uu5jm b3onmgus ihqw7lf3 i94ygzvd" style="background-color: var(--card-background-flat); border-radius: 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding: 4px 4px 16px;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw i1fnvgqd bp9cbjyn owycx6da btwxx1t3 d1544ag0 tw6a2znq discj3wi b5q2rw42 lq239pai mysgfdmx hddg9phg" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px; padding-left: 12px; padding-right: 12px; padding-top: 16px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t pfnyh3mw d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz nqmvxvec p8fzw8mz pcp91wgn iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="align-self: flex-start; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; padding: 6px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="muag1w35" style="font-family: inherit; margin-top: -4px;"><div class="s45kfl79 emlxlaya bkmhp75w spb7xbtv bp9cbjyn rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv pq6dq46d taijpn5t l9j0dhe7 nfl8ryma tv7at329 thwo4zme" style="align-items: center; background-color: var(--base-blue); border-radius: 50%; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; height: 36px; justify-content: center; position: relative; width: 36px;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-18859039488472796752020-11-13T07:31:00.001-08:002020-11-23T08:15:17.000-08:00The Fyfes of Bute<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9aP_6zg4Bqd6J23ntYfJvw3eLxX0xA4Nf8ukrI1Jv80cQKcjj7oz0f8mLCdWCIjX8dN2W5IxAJAkZUCRlV6qVMALctWvo16oVdcry-QBM-tT3W5Z56ZnXfxS76k-ElbwMgqH1XWqnWhh/s408/Screenshot+2020-11-13+at+10.47.53.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="408" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9aP_6zg4Bqd6J23ntYfJvw3eLxX0xA4Nf8ukrI1Jv80cQKcjj7oz0f8mLCdWCIjX8dN2W5IxAJAkZUCRlV6qVMALctWvo16oVdcry-QBM-tT3W5Z56ZnXfxS76k-ElbwMgqH1XWqnWhh/w395-h329/Screenshot+2020-11-13+at+10.47.53.png" width="395" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_nk" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">On the front at Rothesay in June 2003 during the Fife Regatta I made the acquaintance of a delightful and well-informed lady, who turned out to be Miss Jean M Fife, perhaps the last surviving member of the Bute Fyfe family still in Scotland. I arranged to keep in touch with her and she later supplied me with much more information, with permission to publish it as I saw fit. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">While she was doing this I researched the old Census records in order to trace the family and their connections with the other Fifes on the mainland, not helped by their habit of changing the spelling of their surname from time to time. There was also a Scottish tradition of favouring just one or two first names, in this case John and William, also of reusing names for later children after earlier ones had died, which doesn't help the researcher. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">What follows is based on Miss Fife’s work in local libraries, conversations with local residents and so on, but not least her own memories of her family and a lifetime of holidays on Bute, plus my own efforts on <a href="www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk" target="_blank">Scotlands People</a></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The starting point for any Fife research is always "Fast and Bonnie", May Fife McCallum’s masterwork. She records that a John Fyfe was born in Kilbirnie in 1743 and moved to the Earl of Glasgow's Kelburn Estate to work as a wright in 1770. He and his wife Janet, nee Fyfe and probably a cousin, had at least six children of whom four sons, John, James, William and Allan followed their father's trade, William becoming the famous William Fife I. She goes on to record:-</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"It appears that John Fyfe Junior, the eldest son of John the wright on Kelburn estate was building fishing boats at the beginning of the 19th century. Old customs records list fishing boats built by him at Fairlie and registered at Irvine, the local port of registration at that time. As a youth William Fife, born in 1785, may have been attracted to his older brother John's business, and thus began his introduction to boat building."</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Later, relevant to our story, she narrates:-</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"A cousin [of William Fife I] John, who was a carpenter in Ardrossan, and his wife, both died about the same time, and an uncle in Ardrossan took care of their three sons. Apparently these orphaned boys were not happy in this household and walked from Ardrossan to Fairlie, a distance of about ten miles, to throw themselves on the mercy of their father's cousin. He took them under his wing and employed them as apprentices. On completion of their apprenticeship they crossed to the island of Bute where they set up a successful boat building business at Ardmaleish."</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Nothing more is said of this carpenter cousin John and I was intrigued to confirm that he was indeed the father of the three orphans, whose names I already knew, courtesy of Miss Fife, were John, James and Thomas. I discovered from the 1841 Census for Ardrossan, the following:</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><a aria-label="No photo description available." class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/Scottish-Boating-170310876364969/photos/pcb.3567875609941795/3567874739941882/?__cft__[0]=AZUlcGY1egf2c5n_p6FM6gT5aInT5lBtVEQ4YzEWjturx5EpQ6FqduAn_ujzDbgdKsxAgekHOpk1yXPQC-IAzki5zjq1XY57KbPpjcXQnMbjl5y5B4Liz641VdqqFG8rSnk&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; left: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; white-space: normal; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 165.672px; position: relative;"></div></div><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="font-family: inherit; height: 165.672px; left: -60.5469px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 286.781px;"><br /></div></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTOpTmfs7tMmgkbsantcXuy-yKs_BcV6vhdM4dWUMkTo7UBs5Lbea24jKm-JV1a3783BIDcfwVZq-7dfA80a2TK_hzIbA60Qz0KUJMzCoKbkd6TTaD-jRwENqIQD1yy9pviycTURTbHht/s412/Screenshot+2020-11-13+at+15.16.06.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="412" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTOpTmfs7tMmgkbsantcXuy-yKs_BcV6vhdM4dWUMkTo7UBs5Lbea24jKm-JV1a3783BIDcfwVZq-7dfA80a2TK_hzIbA60Qz0KUJMzCoKbkd6TTaD-jRwENqIQD1yy9pviycTURTbHht/w383-h221/Screenshot+2020-11-13+at+15.16.06.png" width="383" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">This John is almost certainly the father, but we can see that he was an established shipbuilder, not simply a carpenter. A further search showed that he died from jaundice on 14 May 1848. I couldn't find his wife's date of death and it seems the youngest, Daniel, died in childhood. Note that John's brother James is living in the house, so he is “the uncle in Ardrossan”.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A look at the 1851 Census, confirms that they’re still in Ardrossan, John a ship carpenter lodging at number 5 Harbour Street and James with his uncle James next door, still an apprentice. I haven't managed to trace younger brother Thomas, but it’s likely he was also lodging nearby.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk6OpF-EgbV6qqmCf6IjTU6qM1ZewlJV6_DPYv5x_pIVsfaASylyakjf2cGO4CRh_gxiRkpwvRvDhZQ2bk_tV4MQrMIsyqcQ7tzBqUNPiU0E7Aquy4iy894kOREvfUTdJlcTjSC0dXdMW/s638/Screenshot+2020-11-13+at+15.17.12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="638" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk6OpF-EgbV6qqmCf6IjTU6qM1ZewlJV6_DPYv5x_pIVsfaASylyakjf2cGO4CRh_gxiRkpwvRvDhZQ2bk_tV4MQrMIsyqcQ7tzBqUNPiU0E7Aquy4iy894kOREvfUTdJlcTjSC0dXdMW/w480-h198/Screenshot+2020-11-13+at+15.17.12.png" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">This seems to confirm that far from being helpless young orphans the brothers were useful, fully or at least partly trained ship carpenters by the time they moved back to their place of birth in Fairlie, sometime after 1851, and joined the workforce of William Fife I. Nor did they stay there long, for by 1856 a large wooden building had gone up on the shore at Rothesay, the Red Shed, probably not actually red in colour but named for the red rocks on which it stood. See Alexander Wilson's depiction of it:</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdR-9Sw1tIwBkNh44YNyZTnf01PQ2ZdPqZqY1mvUCAHGjsOIMJkby6r4asZ5pLk0uslurI4mnahVwF_N_Ftaa4eU2QNDfkXQJ1RpsAl2eKH1NAu4C3rFnt75lrPfGgHw-SqwIa2COD8-5/s2048/The+Red+Shed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="2048" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdR-9Sw1tIwBkNh44YNyZTnf01PQ2ZdPqZqY1mvUCAHGjsOIMJkby6r4asZ5pLk0uslurI4mnahVwF_N_Ftaa4eU2QNDfkXQJ1RpsAl2eKH1NAu4C3rFnt75lrPfGgHw-SqwIa2COD8-5/w577-h306/The+Red+Shed.JPG" width="577" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It seems that there were two James Fyfes building boats in Rothesay in the mid 1850s, described as Senior and Junior, but with only half a generation between them. This suggests that Uncle James (born about 1816) had moved from Ardrossan and nephews James (born 1832), John (born 1833) and Thomas (born 1838) had crossed from Fairlie to join him.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">These Bute Fyfes were an industrious bunch and built almost anything that could float, apart from yachts. In his "History of Rothesay and its People" Dr Lawson records:-</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"The Red Shed was below the level of the road. What is now the [New Rothesay, later St John's] manse garden was the ground on which the larger keels were laid of smacks of a goodly size. Smacks, fishing skiffs and rowing boats (also small boats with round sterns and one sail) were the craft built by Messrs Fyfe. There would be a number of new boats lined up on the ground on the margin of the roadway extending to the ladies' bathing place (now Isle of Bute Sailing Club). Behind the ladies' and gents' bathing places (the old bathing station) the land was lower than the roadway. This depression was used in winter time for the laying up and storing of small rowing boats."</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">On 13 June 1857 The Buteman announced:-</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"On Wednesday last there was launched form the boat-building yard of Messrs. Fyfe a beautiful craft of the gigger rig, c. 20 tons, property of Mr Thorburn, Farmer, Isle of Muck. She was named "The Islander's Bride" by Miss Richmond, daughter of Mr Richmond, Temperance Hotel-keeper, Rothesay and is intended to carry produce of the isle of Muck to Tobermory, the nearest market port in that district, the owner being the lessee of that isle. She has a very faviurable appearance and, considering the cost she is built for, promises to be a swift sailing craft and a credit to her young and enterprising builders."</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">This would have been one of the first larger vessels built by the family, but they went on to greater things. In April 1858 the Buteman again:-</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"Launch! On Tuesday afternoon there was launched form the building yard of Messrs Fyfe a sloop of c. 70 tons burden, the property of Mr Kelso of Arran. The vessel was name "Catherine Kelso." The launch was conducted with systematic accuracy and the vessel glided down the ways gracefully. We hope soon again to witness the launch of as large, if not larger craft form the same yard."</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">By 1861 the Census described James as a Master Ship carpenter, John as a ship carpenter and Thomas as a mere journeyman. One can see that they all knew their station.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">With the coming of the railways and the Clyde steamers Rothesay entered its heighday as a holiday destination for all classes of society. Wealthier families could afford to build or rent villas along the front, while more ordinary ones went into lodgings for the annual Glasgow Fair. There was terrific business for boat hirers well into the Twentieth century, in fact right up to the arrival of cheap package holidays in the 1960s.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">After many years the road along the front at Rothesay was improved and the Red Shed was taken down. The Fyfes moved round to Ardmaleish, where they established their second yard on the site where there now stands a sea-food factory. Thomas (Miss Fife's great-grandfather) didn't join his brothers. Instead he concentrated on building rowing skiffs and in the 1881 Census is described as "boat-builder/hirer (17 boats)."</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The remaining Fyfes eventually concentrated on building fishing skiffs and three of James Fyfe's sons were working at Ardmaleish until the 1930s, by which time the boats were getting much bigger and designs were changing fast. Two of John Fyfe's sons were trained there, but George was drowned aged twenty in 1898 and John emigrated to Canada in 1906. Most of Miss Fyfe's surviving relatives are now in Canada and the United States.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="l9j0dhe7" id="jsc_c_nl" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; padding-top: 500px; position: relative;"><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="bottom: calc(33.3333% + 1.01px); font-family: inherit; left: calc(0% + 0px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute; right: calc(0% + 0px); top: calc(0% + 0px);"><a aria-label="No photo description available." class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/Scottish-Boating-170310876364969/photos/pcb.3567875609941795/3567874756608547/?__cft__[0]=AZUlcGY1egf2c5n_p6FM6gT5aInT5lBtVEQ4YzEWjturx5EpQ6FqduAn_ujzDbgdKsxAgekHOpk1yXPQC-IAzki5zjq1XY57KbPpjcXQnMbjl5y5B4Liz641VdqqFG8rSnk&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; 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left: -152.828px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 805.656px;"><br /></div></div><div class="hzruof5a opwvks06 linmgsc8 kr520xx4 j9ispegn pmk7jnqg n7fi1qx3 rq0escxv i09qtzwb" style="border-bottom: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px;"></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; bottom: 0px; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></div><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="bottom: calc(0% + 0px); font-family: inherit; left: calc(0% + 0px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute; right: calc(66.6667% + 1.01px); top: calc(66.6667% + 1.01px);"><a aria-label="No photo description available." class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/Scottish-Boating-170310876364969/photos/pcb.3567875609941795/3567874739941882/?__cft__[0]=AZUlcGY1egf2c5n_p6FM6gT5aInT5lBtVEQ4YzEWjturx5EpQ6FqduAn_ujzDbgdKsxAgekHOpk1yXPQC-IAzki5zjq1XY57KbPpjcXQnMbjl5y5B4Liz641VdqqFG8rSnk&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 165.672px; position: relative;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="font-family: inherit; height: 165.672px; left: -60.5469px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 286.781px;"><br /></div></div><div class="hzruof5a opwvks06 linmgsc8 kr520xx4 j9ispegn pmk7jnqg n7fi1qx3 rq0escxv i09qtzwb" style="border-bottom: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px;"></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; bottom: 0px; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></div><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="bottom: calc(0% + 0px); font-family: inherit; left: calc(33.3333% + 1.01px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute; right: calc(33.3333% + 1.01px); top: calc(66.6667% + 1.01px);"><a aria-label="Image may contain: ocean, sky, tree, outdoor and water" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/Scottish-Boating-170310876364969/photos/pcb.3567875609941795/3567874753275214/?__cft__[0]=AZUlcGY1egf2c5n_p6FM6gT5aInT5lBtVEQ4YzEWjturx5EpQ6FqduAn_ujzDbgdKsxAgekHOpk1yXPQC-IAzki5zjq1XY57KbPpjcXQnMbjl5y5B4Liz641VdqqFG8rSnk&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 164.656px; position: relative;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="font-family: inherit; height: 164.656px; left: -145.297px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 455.266px;"><br /></div></div><div class="hzruof5a opwvks06 linmgsc8 kr520xx4 j9ispegn pmk7jnqg n7fi1qx3 rq0escxv i09qtzwb" style="border-bottom: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px;"></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; bottom: 0px; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></div><div class="ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs pmk7jnqg" style="bottom: calc(0% + 0px); font-family: inherit; left: calc(66.6667% + 1.01px); overflow: hidden; position: absolute; right: calc(0% + 0px); top: calc(66.6667% + 1.01px);"><a aria-label="Image may contain: one or more people, text that says "The Fyfes of Bute"" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/Scottish-Boating-170310876364969/photos/pcb.3567875609941795/3567874879941868/?__cft__[0]=AZUlcGY1egf2c5n_p6FM6gT5aInT5lBtVEQ4YzEWjturx5EpQ6FqduAn_ujzDbgdKsxAgekHOpk1yXPQC-IAzki5zjq1XY57KbPpjcXQnMbjl5y5B4Liz641VdqqFG8rSnk&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; top: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 165.672px; position: relative;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="font-family: inherit; height: 165.672px; left: -16.2656px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 198.219px;"><br /></div></div><div class="hzruof5a opwvks06 linmgsc8 kr520xx4 j9ispegn pmk7jnqg n7fi1qx3 rq0escxv i09qtzwb" style="border-bottom: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); border-top: 1px solid var(--media-inner-border); bottom: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px;"></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; bottom: 0px; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"></div></div></div><div class="ecm0bbzt aglmviwh dati1w0a ihqw7lf3 def1xbws mkjtxrlb o9f14d3k hqeojc4l i1fnvgqd lhclo0ds btwxx1t3 j83agx80 l6v480f0 s1tcr66n bq4bzpyk" style="border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); border-top: 1px solid var(--divider); display: flex; flex-flow: row wrap; font-family: inherit; margin: -1px; padding: 4px 14px 16px 16px; place-content: flex-start space-between;"><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><div class="n8tt0mok n1l5q3vz" style="font-family: inherit; margin-top: 12px; padding-right: 2px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v lrazzd5p oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">0</span></div><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb mdeji52x e9vueds3 j5wam9gi knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.2308; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">People reached</span></div></div></div></div><div class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><div class="n8tt0mok n1l5q3vz" style="font-family: inherit; margin-top: 12px; padding-right: 2px;"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v lrazzd5p oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">0</span></div><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb mdeji52x e9vueds3 j5wam9gi knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" color="var(--primary-text)" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.2308; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Engagements</span></div></div></div></div><div class="bkfpd7mw j83agx80 n8tt0mok n1l5q3vz" style="display: flex; font-family: inherit; justify-content: flex-end; margin-top: 12px; padding-right: 2px;"><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><a aria-label="Boost post" class="oajrlxb2 s1i5eluu gcieejh5 bn081pho humdl8nn izx4hr6d rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 j83agx80 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys d1544ag0 qt6c0cv9 tw6a2znq i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l beltcj47 p86d2i9g aot14ch1 kzx2olss cbu4d94t taijpn5t ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs k4urcfbm tv7at329" href="https://www.facebook.com/ad_center/create/boostpost/?entry_point=new_timeline&page_id=170310876364969&target_id=3567875609941795&__cft__[0]=AZUlcGY1egf2c5n_p6FM6gT5aInT5lBtVEQ4YzEWjturx5EpQ6FqduAn_ujzDbgdKsxAgekHOpk1yXPQC-IAzki5zjq1XY57KbPpjcXQnMbjl5y5B4Liz641VdqqFG8rSnk&__tn__=*W-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-radius: 6px; border-style: none; border-width: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; height: 36px; justify-content: center; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 12px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; width: 101px;" tabindex="0"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw taijpn5t bp9cbjyn owycx6da btwxx1t3 c4xchbtz by2jbhx6" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: center; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz j83agx80 j5wkysh0 hytbnt81" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 3px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql oi732d6d ik7dh3pa fgxwclzu a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d9wwppkn fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v lrazzd5p bwm1u5wc" color="var(--primary-button-text)" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><span class="a8c37x1j ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7 ltmttdrg g0qnabr5" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; position: relative; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">Boost post</span></span></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: inherit; bottom: 0px; font-family: inherit; left: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; right: 0px; top: 0px; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></a></span></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4 l82x9zwi uo3d90p7 h905i5nu monazrh9" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="a8nywdso e5nlhep0 rz4wbd8a ecm0bbzt dhix69tm oygrvhab wkznzc2l kvgmc6g5 k7cz35w2 jq4qci2q j83agx80" style="display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; height: 32px; margin: 0px 16px; padding: 4px 0px;"><span class="_18vi" face="system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="align-items: center; background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; display: flex; flex: 1 0 0px; justify-content: center;"><div class="l9j0dhe7 k4urcfbm" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative; width: 139.328px;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div aria-label="Like" class="oajrlxb2 bp9cbjyn g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 j83agx80 mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso l9j0dhe7 i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr gokke00a du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l buofh1pr taijpn5t" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: center; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex: 1 0 auto; font-family: inherit; 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color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4clVEm1WNmXv_Uafj6E8ZSuoN50bC945Q12p1d9XBjKMEferjzO6nNK_zU1IHtH9ZFybHfy-Ba4jDdLO4HkKVand-Ok86CWOqe4JwQCow_DIL8T8gnC9kLgTjWMr97aG0jUewKEZwuPhi/s640/IMG_0412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4clVEm1WNmXv_Uafj6E8ZSuoN50bC945Q12p1d9XBjKMEferjzO6nNK_zU1IHtH9ZFybHfy-Ba4jDdLO4HkKVand-Ok86CWOqe4JwQCow_DIL8T8gnC9kLgTjWMr97aG0jUewKEZwuPhi/w335-h445/IMG_0412.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I have to share an utterly remarkable book that I have just received from Amazon. Being a sucker for all kinds of material on sailing and marine heritage it looked like something I had to have for my library, but can see now that it’s much more than that.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At 800 pages, including countless footnotes and references, it’s a massive contribution to the social history of the West of Scotland as well as a record of Scottish boat designing, building and sailing over the last two hundred years, with dives into earlier periods to give context. I don’t think it’s a book you would start reading at page one; the table of contents is so enticing that I had to dive into episodes that appealed and then found myself reading anecdotes almost at random. I’ll probably return later for a second, more conventional read.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I particularly enjoyed the detailed history of the early Scottish Navy. For years I’ve tried unsuccessfully to inform myself about the Great Michael and it looks as if everything we can know about this terrifying behemoth is here. There are tales of Clyde paddle steamers galore and a fascinating history of the Coats and Clark families and their incredible fleets of steam yachts and fast little racers.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It was also nice to see that this blog was mentioned a few times, with proper acknowledgment of the source, something that in my experience often doesn’t happen.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Euan Ross is to be congratulated on his massive effort, a wonderful, entertaining read, written in a fast moving, captivating style.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-18588443359515649832020-06-28T06:49:00.000-07:002020-06-28T06:49:17.731-07:00Happy Holidays on the Costa Clyde<p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 6px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">MacAllisters yard in the 1970s was a cheerful place to spend winter weekends. It was run by two men, I think brothers-in-law, Mr Buck and Mr Kinnear. It was rumoured that the family fortune had been made from manufacturing carbon paper and when photocopiers came along they had decided that the next growth industry was running boatyards.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">The yard was a sort of retreat for the various dreamers and escapists who inhabited the boating scene of those days and the two functioned as wardens. Discipline was maintained through the mechanism of Johnnie Buck’s Fourteen Day Clause, which nobody had ever read; the mere mention of it was enough, as most of the craft couldn’t have been shifted in a fortnight even if one could have found another home.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">The sheds contained a remarkable collection of yachts in various levels of disrepair, probably about half of which went to sea each summer. A few, such as the wonderful Solway Maid, seemed to have been there for decades, I think because Mrs Carr, the widow of the original owner, couldn’t bring herself to part from her.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">George Wolfe was one owner who did go to sea each year, in a lovely big motor cruiser, the Whigmaleerie, possibly a Laurent Giles design or a Fred Parker Fleur de Lys, but it pained him greatly to do so. Each winter every varnished surface was taken back to bare wood and redone, only to be subjected to salt spray and ultra violet all summer.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Young Alfred, Freddie Mylne, kept his Hillyard the Hillary there. He was very kind to me and gave me bits of gear when he found I was working on Stroma, his uncle’s design from 1929, in the adjoining shed.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">John and Billy Gardner were present each weekend to work on the Unity, thirsty work that invariably took them to the end of Woodyard Road, where we discussed Rippingille Stoves and other niceties from the Riddle of the Sands. Sadly that nice wee hostelry, like the Gardners themselves and many of the others I write about, isn't there any more.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAIvAZJ0oPGAxji5kss7GtviAAkQzwl27xiVyV4OWbixwNf_ihnSHod82RViGZ5WqgdTMHUI-3OiffWJmncUeULpxaz9GmvRSrI1ffHE-Nv4Pgwzv6As6PN1W5gOPVmFTfd5HhNhDbPz9/s3507/John+C+Gardner+Obituary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3507" data-original-width="2481" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAIvAZJ0oPGAxji5kss7GtviAAkQzwl27xiVyV4OWbixwNf_ihnSHod82RViGZ5WqgdTMHUI-3OiffWJmncUeULpxaz9GmvRSrI1ffHE-Nv4Pgwzv6As6PN1W5gOPVmFTfd5HhNhDbPz9/w354-h500/John+C+Gardner+Obituary.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">The doyenne was Mrs Keppie, a wonderful old solo sailor, who was privileged to be allowed a caravan in a corner of the yard, and kept a little cruising yacht in perfect condition.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Latterly the yard was managed by George Hulley, who has also died, just at the end of last year. He ran a chandlery business and had the sole agency for the epoxy glue that many of us were using. He refused to stock the slow hardener, because he claimed Scotland was too cold. When you used the fast stuff in hot weather it could go off in minutes with lots of waste, which perhaps helped sales.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">George was best known for his involvement with the Ardens, and that’s a good topic to end this essay.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Here is an advert from the Glasgow Herald of 25 May 1960:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>“Holiday Afloat for £30</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>The first motor charter cruiser service on the Clyde has been established at Helensburgh and on Sunday the eight ton cruiser Morning Sky is due to leave with the first party of six persons on a week’s cruise on the Firth of Clyde.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>The prototype motor cruiser was specially designed for hire work by the Glasgow naval architects Alfred Mylne & Co for the Arden Yacht Company, a new venture by two Glasgow business men John McNiven and Donald Crockett.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>The second boat is due to be launched by the end of the month. Chartering from Sunday to Saturday costs £30, and such has been the demand that the first boat is booked until mid September.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>The boat was designed to keep down the price both of construction and chartering, so that a high class yacht finish was not contemplated.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>Morning Sky is 28 foot 8 inches overall with a beam of 8ft 6in and a shallow draft of 2ft 6in. The air-cooled diesel engine of 13hp, driving a four bladed 18 inch propeller through a 2 to 1 reduction gear, gives a speed of seven knots and a cruising range of 150 miles.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>There are berths for six persons, more than 6 ft headroom in the cabin, and the boat is chartered fully fuelled and watered and complete with cooking stove and utensils, crockery cutlery and bedding. The firm will even put groceries on board if they are ordered in advance.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>The cruisers will be covered by insurance and for third party risks up to £25,000. Their cruising range has been limited to the Clyde above a line drawn West through the Little Cumbrae and the North of Arran, which leaves plenty of water to explore.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>The boat’s outfit includes the sailing directions of the Clyde Cruising Club, a set of charts with suitable anchorages marked, anchor, chain, warps, fenders and a ten foot dinghy."</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Thus was introduced Scotland’s first charter business, set up by two enterprising Glasgow businessmen and boating enthusiasts in premises in East King Street, Helensburgh. To build the boats they recruited the young George, a time-served boat builder who had been building Air-Sea Rescue craft in the RAF.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Years ago, John McNiven’s son Renwick sent me some nice memories of the early years of the business and a picture of the first of the “Skye Class” boats.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFa7ywnG1D_DMl-vWr8zqEtyjSkDJIWp_UcXozHHe1yf_5wU-FyC4rPewhB7WCEcPSq8ujLeAccudQvEZcrjJka60_6cFXn5vlix1WDgWcLX2FqWJWQhlPinee7K2oBBW80mzji3ZdQf7G/s402/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.55.31.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="402" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFa7ywnG1D_DMl-vWr8zqEtyjSkDJIWp_UcXozHHe1yf_5wU-FyC4rPewhB7WCEcPSq8ujLeAccudQvEZcrjJka60_6cFXn5vlix1WDgWcLX2FqWJWQhlPinee7K2oBBW80mzji3ZdQf7G/w500-h380/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.55.31.png" width="500" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">It would be interesting to know if either of the two survives. John wrote:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>“Charter operations started up from an abandoned wooden pier near the head of Loch Long, however it turned out to be abandoned for a reason and the council promptly condemned it and put up the barbed wire fencing shortly before the charter boats were due to return.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>One of the first charter parties turned up with a sea-going trunk fit for a passenger liner, this being too big to go in the cabin was left on the cockpit sole for the duration of the charter. However after this start the party phoned later to say that they were in ‘A-roach-er’ and after some language translation it was ‘Arrocher’ at the head of Loch Long, turns out that the point of the call was to say they needed a new anchor. The 30 fathoms of chain and anchor had gone runaway over the side in too much water depth in Loch Long breaking the securing strop.”</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">The motor cruisers were followed from 1963 by the very neat little Arden Fours,</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>“the concept being a ‘Folkboat with headroom’, sketched during a meal using napkins!”</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEg5dV7xfCyEuwzZENbLY6TkokKOmi7DnJ4tTdd5xLHSdJBtU1i06p0fxRZb8Sm3-orNIxlNEpluYjN9DqnWIjF11tD-tUimGQegWwYPQxAZfIY5VMpVdOWWPyA7JuW27k_imZAaxabqh/s325/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.55.15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="235" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEg5dV7xfCyEuwzZENbLY6TkokKOmi7DnJ4tTdd5xLHSdJBtU1i06p0fxRZb8Sm3-orNIxlNEpluYjN9DqnWIjF11tD-tUimGQegWwYPQxAZfIY5VMpVdOWWPyA7JuW27k_imZAaxabqh/w361-h500/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.55.15.png" width="361" /></a></div><i><br /></i><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Thirteen were built in wood, then another fifty five hulls were built in fibreglass in England and shipped to Helensburgh to be finished. A final two, to a slightly different design, were built in 1971/2.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><i>"The journey along Helensburgh’s promenade always had a large following, but then the tractor could only pull at a walking pace of 4 mph!"</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Lots of Arden 4s survive and do good service as tough, seaworthy little ships with no great pretensions. One of them, built as Dirlie for the Crockett family has arrived in Kilmelford.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KITs5hXkAZlfLIVH_JVcenmSjIFulAJLhJ1kkAENeHzxGQyzpuj1MmdcTws_8atnLC07g0wHxE4Y71_nfxEbHa6Rw6ywTqWlUaE_MhQIGSEioHjLfwAVt773kPPXuSOscBGhaz6PXJd9/s402/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.55.45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="402" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3KITs5hXkAZlfLIVH_JVcenmSjIFulAJLhJ1kkAENeHzxGQyzpuj1MmdcTws_8atnLC07g0wHxE4Y71_nfxEbHa6Rw6ywTqWlUaE_MhQIGSEioHjLfwAVt773kPPXuSOscBGhaz6PXJd9/w400-h303/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.55.45.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF9vkGkzRIOR1XDy6aTr4t3TVZfsbt9tTPPRmKqS2n92nrFfa4kax8mXpiHfLS7gE8NWMGv2jYE2mrNpI5UF77lPk7XFalZP0L7B3b3zB3GCB3jVThIvQKreUEz3JAQSLFemXLrrSD_oR/s389/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.56.04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="389" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqF9vkGkzRIOR1XDy6aTr4t3TVZfsbt9tTPPRmKqS2n92nrFfa4kax8mXpiHfLS7gE8NWMGv2jYE2mrNpI5UF77lPk7XFalZP0L7B3b3zB3GCB3jVThIvQKreUEz3JAQSLFemXLrrSD_oR/w400-h308/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.56.04.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3flnVAdeQuqOJhlt2eGDvZDFc-4NXmu1p9VxtZFviIPOW6jvwXyWEkl1r67RRZXXPtF3dOqc1g7qSssmEwcUeXbNKmO9IOwUMj05X4dwD1c-BnJEXi-8VpujgtxW0O5oZSHHX5akKy46I/s398/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.56.15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="298" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3flnVAdeQuqOJhlt2eGDvZDFc-4NXmu1p9VxtZFviIPOW6jvwXyWEkl1r67RRZXXPtF3dOqc1g7qSssmEwcUeXbNKmO9IOwUMj05X4dwD1c-BnJEXi-8VpujgtxW0O5oZSHHX5akKy46I/w300-h400/Screenshot+2020-06-28+at+11.56.15.png" width="300" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px;">Post script: I found online the following quote, which could be a transcript of our chatter in that wee pub at the end of Woodyard Road, as it makes as much sense.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 6px 0px 0px;"><i>"Dumbarton is never fun.<br />Fine, young man, it was fast… I found an old buy boat chin, and it has a photo of yore Ardennes forest zone tribe, she is generic can not see the keel - This is the same design? …the yore Ardennes forest zone 4 would have been to add wood and then later in the GRP…. im not sure if the george hulley is designer when time i being chatted designer he mentioned a certain extent, he suggested it was not his. He also told me that some arden 4s augmented england south.- georges hulley in the dunbarton in operating a candle maker enterprise.<br />In Hulley Dumbarton Now, I may be disturbed."</i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-1853034608254233752020-05-18T01:02:00.002-07:002020-05-18T01:02:30.560-07:00The Song of the Shieldhall<div class="_5pbx userContent _3576" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-testid="post_message" id="js_2" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 6px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Song of the Shieldhall</span></div>
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Glasgow Corporation had two fine ships taking sewage sludge from the population, then of a million or so, down the river. All of our major cities commissioned similar vessels, which operated until such an activity ceased to be permissible. The Captains of the Shieldhall and the Dalmarnock had to endure daily signals from passing ships along the lines of "Where are you bound? What is your cargo?" in the days before the city ceased to be a great port.</div>
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The trips were a great boon for the pensioners of the city, who could get a free trip, a cup of tea and dancing to live music. Many a geriatric romance must have started on board, especially for those without a sense of smell.</div>
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Many years ago the Brother and I went to the Deep South on a last visit to our Auntie, who was having her hundredth birthday. We came across the Shieldhall trying to earn her living as an excursion boat on the Solent, a nice legacy from my native city. I resolved to do something for her, not sending money of course but providing her with a shanty, the royalties from which could perhaps secure her future.</div>
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From this project I have learned about the difficulties faced by the budding songwriter/singer. You don't just write the thing and sit back to await fame. Writing it was the easiest part, certainly a lot easier than persuading my musical wife Anne to provide a tune.</div>
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A group of local women were in the habit of singing in a cowshed on Thursday evenings, but by the time I approached them they had disbanded. Months went by without the song being heard, delaying the anticipated revenue stream endlessly.</div>
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The world premiere eventually took place at that centre of the universe, Toberonochy. The song was duly performed by a male voice choir, Charlie, Ken, Bill, John and self, before an invited audience to ecstatic applause. Sadly the event wasn't recorded as Richard, who had the camera, had fallen asleep.</div>
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I tried again years later, giving live solo renderings at the Cullipool Ceilidh and later in a shed on the shores of Loch Tummel, but so far I haven’t been invited onto BGT.</div>
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The Song of the Shieldhall</div>
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The Shieldhall was a sludgeboat and she sailed upon the sea<br />Her keel was laid at Renfrew in Nineteen fifty three<br />To Ailsa Craig she'd go, in sunshine and in snow<br />dropping off her cargo in the deep blue sea</div>
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Chorus:</div>
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To Ailsa Craig she'd go, in sunshine and in snow<br />dropping off her cargo in the deep blue sea</div>
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The Shieldhall was the finest ship that I have ever seen<br />Her captain wore a jacket of Corporation green<br />Her hull was painted grey, she chugged along all day<br />While the sailors scrubbed the decks and kept them clean, kept them clean</div>
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Chorus:</div>
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Her hull was painted grey, she chugged along all day<br />While the sailors scrubbed the decks and kept them clean, kept them clean</div>
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Now some ships sail to India and some sail to Tiree<br />Some sailors meet with sharks and whales and some just see the sea<br />Those sights are pretty rare, but the best thing I declare<br />On the Shieldhall you were always home for tea, home for tea</div>
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Chorus:</div>
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Those sights are pretty rare, but the best thing I declare<br />On the Shieldhall you were always home for tea, home for tea</div>
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From Whiteinch and from Partick and from Yoker to this boat<br />All had in mind a purpose, to get themselves afloat<br />And if they did incline, to drink a little wine<br />Making sure they had a bottle in their coat, in their coat</div>
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Chorus:</div>
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And if they did incline, to drink a little wine<br />Making sure they had a bottle in their coat, in their coat</div>
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For many years the Shieldhall did sail upon the sea<br />delighting all, who got a cup of tea<br />but the finest thing to tell, never mind the rain and smell<br />for pensioners the trip's completely free, all for free</div>
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Chorus:</div>
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but the finest thing to tell, never mind the rain and smell<br />for pensioners the trip's completely free, all for free</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-39580499226725164832020-05-17T06:57:00.001-07:002020-05-17T06:57:07.974-07:00Cold Return to Normality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Today the weather is absolutely dire, low visibility, constant rain, strong wind. Although I’m glad the boat is ashore I’m reminded that such conditions have resulted in some of the most memorable trips.</span><br />
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This is the first time this Century when a group of small boat lunatics hasn’t assembled at Toberonochy on the Isle of Luing, thanks to the Johnson Plague. That weekend is incredibly special, with overtones of return to childhood, challenging trips in small open boats, most of which we have built ourselves, and most of all an extraordinary bunch of people from incredibly diverse backgrounds united by an interest in traditional boat types.</div>
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My yellow boat, the Kelpie, was built by me in 2006 specifically for the muster. I wanted something primarily seaworthy that could carry up to four but also be easy to single hand, with an interesting, safe rig and lots of bits of string to keep the crew busy. She’s an open boat, fifteen feet long, with a lot of displacement which makes her stable but a hard pull if you have to row her.</div>
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The design is based on an old New England salmon wherry, drawn by Walt Simmonds of Duck Trap Boatworks in Maine. I’ve changed quite a lot, including the rig, which is a sprit sail cut for me in 1988 by the late Gayle Heard of Tollesbury, one of very few with the ability to do it. He’d made it for another New England boat I’d built before, a Swampscott racing dory that had proved to be just too racy. Here's a photo of her under her original rig; the sprit sail tamed her but when the boat went to Angus, seen here, I kept the sail.</div>
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Decades later it still sets perfectly. At first the wherry wouldn’t sail properly to windward, something my designer friend Richard Pierce sorted by advising me to move the centreboard forward. Perhaps New Englanders usually sail in reaching winds. Richard also donated a jib, which helps greatly going into the wind.</div>
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At the end of the event in 2012 my crew had to go home promptly, leaving me with a single handed trip. The forecast on the previous evening was dire, offering a strong cold North-easterly building up during the day with rain arriving from mid-day. I decided to set off, because if things became impossible that wind would blow me back to where I’d started from and I’d be no worse off. With an escape route available you should always go.</div>
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My friend Brice took some photos of my departure, see below. I got the jib up at the start, but it soon had to come back down as the wind freshened. As a result progress was slow, with the Kelpie slamming a lot in the nasty short chop, then the waves gradually got bigger and she really got into her groove, charging along with her rail a couple of inches clear, luffing in the puffs and eating up the distance to windward. In the squalls bathfuls of water would come in over the side and it was tricky pumping it out, a bit like wrestling with an eel while still steering and keeping control of the sail.</div>
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After a couple of hours Kelpie and I were well into Loch Melfort when the rig fell down. The sail is tensioned by a long, bendy spar, the sprit, held in place by a line curiously, for Glaswegians anyway, termed the snotter. This had parted during a squall, leaving the rig accidentally scandalised and flapping like mad, quite useless for further windward progress. It would be easy to fix, provided I could make it safely to land to do so.</div>
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There was no possibility of rowing up to windward to the safe, North side of Loch Melfort. The South side was quite close, but a dangerous lee shore with waves breaking on the rocks. The exception was one little inlet with a bit of shelter, but I saw at once that it was inaccessible, being barred by the lines of black buoys of the mussel farm, fastened with steel wires along the surface stretching for several hundred metres.</div>
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Mussels have never been successfully cultivated there, due to the prevalence of seasquirts, but the Swiss company who “own” this bit of Scotland’s seabed keep the floats there in order to preserve the value of their planning permission. This is exactly the sort of problem some of us have tried time and again to bring to the attention of the authorities who license these things, to absolutely no avail. The general public have the inalienable right to use the surface of the sea for the purposes inter alia of navigation and recreation, but the Crown Estate, who hold the seabed in trust for us, ignore these rights and make money by granting leases of the seabed. Surely the Swiss, with no seas of their own, should stick to tax dodging, cuckoo clocks and occasional sorties into the America's Cup?</div>
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Downwind from the mussel farm was another nasty lee shore with waves breaking on sharp boulders. The only course was to run downwind to the shelter of the point at Arduaine, losing over a mile of hard won distance to windward, passing close inshore inside the reef, where there's a deep narrow passage before beaching on a nice sheltered sandy bay, completely out of the wind. There I had something to eat, fixed the problem and tied in a reef to reduce the sail for the return to the fray.</div>
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I relaunched and there now followed a hard beat of about three hours into a really cold North-easterly with occasional squalls of sleet, each tack bringing us closer to home and a hot shower.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875762894527152234.post-6137308964993789502020-05-10T04:04:00.002-07:002020-05-10T04:04:41.445-07:00The strange habits of the Seilachs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;">“It's a kind of black market activity, kept under the radar to avoid accidents with inexperienced people sailing boats with no built in buoyancy or side decks, and all the more delectable for the illicit flavour.”</span></b></h2>
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The above quote is from Professor Pedro H Watson, the well known mathematician, naturalist, traditional boat builder, green guru and plague survivor, on hearing that the simple islanders of Seil had put up a sail on their skiff.</div>
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We can’t get too angry with those wre<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">tched islanders. No state of the art bridge for them, equipped with devices to remove ice, electric signs to warn of escaped wildlife, these primitive folk have to traverse one of the oldest bridges in the World. Not only that, it crosses an ocean, so mostly they stay at home.</span></div>
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They exist in small hovels along the shore, eking out an existence by the manufacture of scarecrows and the staging of strange shows. At times they can be heard singing curious songs composed by one of a family famous for boating songs. From a distance they sound like happy seals.</div>
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In the days of sailing ships these islanders were namely for rowing out to vessels in distress looking for plunder. Nowadays, sadly, modern navigational systems have deprived them of this simple pleasure.</div>
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In mitigation of their crime we can only say that having seen those ships and their modern equivalent, the sailing yacht, temptation got the better of them when they came across a neat little mast, a sprit sail and a tiny jib. It took them just minutes to make a hole in the forward thwart and off they went.</div>
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Through the Cuan Sound they went, admittedly under oars, then up went that sail and North they flew before the breeze.</div>
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They had heard of Oban and its world famous tower which jealous folk and jesters have been heard to call a folly. When, ahead, they saw a magnificent stone pile atop a cliff they promptly made landfall, thirsting for strong drink, but found instead a castle that had lain abandoned for several hundred years. Fortunately they also found nearby an extremely nice cafe, where they had a cream tea before returning home. To their delight they found that the skiff went well to windward under those tiny sails.</div>
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In conclusion we must stress that although innocent of the ways of the world those islanders were by no means inexperienced in sailing small open boats on the sea. Indeed they had among their number a fine navigator with a curious resemblance to Professor Watson.</div>
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