The Scottish Coastal Rowing Project

In case you weren’t already aware, BBC Landward sent one of their crews to cover the regatta on Saturday.

Landward Programme on BBC iPlayer until Fri 11th – Go to 10min30 for the Anstruther piece, repeated on Wed 9 June at 11am.

Saturday the 29^th May was for me the culmination of almost exactly a year’s work.  In the time since the serious discussions began with the Fisheries Museum regarding the student build I have had little time to myself, and few full days off from having something to do with the St Ayles Skiff.

My feelings about the project are best summed up in the words of David Tod, Chairman of the Steering Group, when he handed over to the Association on Saturday; he said “When the Museum took this on, we had no idea we were taking hold of a Tiger’s Tail”.

Re-invigorating coastal rowing around Scotland has been a dream of mine for many years; it took the confluence of ideas between myself and the Museum, and the happy coincidence that Robbie Wightman had the same idea at the same time that turned the idea into a reality.

While I thought that the idea would have traction over time, there is absolutely no way that eight months ago I would have honestly expected to have sold 21 kits by now.  The tiger has been the number of people who have thought the same way, and put their money on the table to create the success that we have so far.

I have never worked so hard for such a long period of time – including my time in the Army in my youth.  A week before the Regatta I was close to being a gibbering wreck but its success has made every bit of effort worthwhile.  It was as near a perfect day as I can remember.  Especially so that my crew won our event!

To everyone out there who has built a skiff, bought a skiff kit, or wants to row in one, I extend my heartfelt thanks for making my little dream a reality.

I am now able to take a few steps back from the project, and it will be hard to let go of many of the areas that I was involved in.  My commitment on a personal level is undimmed, and I intend to stay involved with Coastal Rowing  for a very long time yet.

This is a better place for me to record my thanks to many of the names who have helped in making the project so successful so far.  In no particular order: David Tod, Chris Perkins, Robbie Wightman, Robert Prescot, Shaun Anderson and Ernie Tolley of Methil SCC, Gavin Atkin, Pete Greenfield, Iain Oughtred, Cllr Arthur Robertson, Marilyn Livingston MSP and her staff, Simon Hayhow, Linda Fitzpatrick – for coming up with the name of the design, Brian Swan, Tam & Darren Christie, Ian and his team at CRC Autos for helping turn the prototype on numerous occasions and many other small favours, Norman Thomson, Johnny Johnson of Eyemouth and his team, Ian Clark, Andrew Leslie, Richard Pierce.  Most importantly, the Board of the Scottish Fisheries Museum without whose backing the project would have been a great deal slower to get off the ground.

In Organising the Regatta: Sheila Taylor, Kelly Scott, Barbara Elliott and Alan Waugh, Vicky Brown, Bill the Anstruther Harbourmaster, Anstruther RNLI, Neil MacFarlane and his umpiring team, plus others who have given assistance through these but whose names I do not know.  Most specially, I want to thank Gert Riemersma of Newhaven who had the job of Beachmaster all afternoon, and whose efforts kept the regatta on its schedule – something that no-one expected to happen.

There are many others who I have probably missed from both lists – it has been a whirlwind year, and I hope you will not feel offended if your name is not here.

Tomorrow morning I will be taking the prototype to the Beale Park Thames Boat Show near Pangbourne in Berkshire, where she will be displayed beside a Cornish Pilot Gig.  Hopefully our Skiff and its community involvement will catch the imagination of the visitors, and even if the English do not take on the St AYles Skiff design, they will take on the concept of community built boats and we will see the idea spreading around the whole of the British Isles – and beyond!

Alec Jordan

With probably the most experienced set of boat builders, Ullapool’s first boat has taken to the water at last.

Lots more pictures of the launching at http://ullcoastrow.wordpress.com/our-build/splash-day/

This is when the launchings start coming thick and fast – Coigach is due today, Portobello on Tuesday, and North Berwick on Wednesday or Thursday.

The ladies of Anstruther are featured on Marc Stephen’s item about the coastal rowing which can be listened to on iPlayer at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sgf9c.  The item is at 1:02:30 into the program.

Boatie Rows dressed overall is taken from workshop to launch.

Accompanied by a Piper and with a crowd of around 300 from Port Seton and Cockenzie, the first community built St Ayles Skiff was launched on Sat 8 May 2010.

Video on YouTube.

Build Team Leader Alec Weatherhead shows off the official Launch Artists's work.

The organiser of the build, Alec Weatherhead, is the grandson of the last boatbuilder in Port Seton.  Boatie Rows is the first boat to have been built at Port Seton for 45 years.

Port Seton’s second boat is now under construction.

The disease has spread to other parts of the Loch Broom coastline, and the 20th boat has been ordered by Ullapool Harbour to be built at Ullapool High School under Topher Dawson’s tutelage.

The order for the second boat at Portobello is also imminent with grant funding having been approved.