Another one from the Archives

Here's another wartime photo of Chico circa 1943, unearthed from the Imperial War Museum collections. In 1940 she had twin Lewis guns mounted on the foredeck, later replaced with this much heavier machine gun.

Another Coronavirus Update

Here we are at the end of January with another lockdown Spring coming up.   I'm preparing Chico for cruising this summer in the expectation that limited social mixing will be allowed, as per last July, however the timing of any relaxation is still uncertain.

Please refer to the website booking calendar for availability if you'd like to book a cruise. Here's a little taste of a summer's day, lying at anchor last year in Loch Drumbuie off the Sound of Mull.

Coronavirus update

It's my understanding that I must wait for phase 3 of the Scottish Government's lockdown policy before I am able to run cruises, when members of different households may stay under the same roof.

The very earliest that this is likely to happen is mid July, if the next two three weekly reviews are favourable.

Please get in touch to register an interest if you would like to book a cruise and we can see how the situation develops.

Stay safe in the meantime

Gus

Coronavirus

Uncertain times for everyone, everywhere. Unsurprisingly this May's Dunkirk Little Ships event of a fleet crossing from Ramsgate to Dunkirk to celebrate the events of 1940 has been cancelled, with hopes to run it next year instead. Chico was due to take part before returning to the Clyde to act as mothership for an entrant in the Fife Regatta for classic yachts.    https://www.fiferegatta.com/
This event is still on at the time of writing, and provides a good opportunity to see them in action.

We have a number of other cruises booked through the summer which we expect to go ahead, taking individual groups to suitably remote places.

Northern Bottlenose Whale

Before going into our winter berth in Greenock we spent a couple of nights at anchor in Glenan Bay, Loch Fyne, and were surprised and delighted to be sharing it with a Northern Bottlenose Whale.

The Northern Bottlenose is a deep water species, usually found off the Continental Shelf in depths of 1000m feeding on squid, so we were concerned as to its health and whether it had become tangled in rope or net, but the next day we could see that it was free of any fouling as we witnessed displays of tail slapping and spectacular breaching.

An uncertain postscript is that on October 7th a Northern Bottlenose was sighted off Greenock, tail slapping and apparently 'lost',  it must be the same animal and I fear for its future.

p.s. nothing heard subsequently so it must have made its way back out to deep water.

Easdale and Bonawe

When you think of industrial heritage Argyll isn't the first place to spring to mind, but the slate quarries at Easdale and surrounding islands and the iron smelter at Bonawe on Loch Etive led the way two hundred years ago.

This is one of the flooded slate quarries on Easdale, and everywhere you walk there is debris of dressing chips from the millions of slates exported all over world.

Easdale has found new fame as the host of the World Stone Skimming Championships, held every September, using the endless supply of perfect skimming stones.

On a trip up to the spectacular head of Loch Etive, it's well worth calling in at the Bonawe Iron Furnace, the well-preserved but not over restored charcoal smelting site, which worked from 1753 to 1876.

Bookings for 2019

As the 2018 season finishes our thoughts are turning to 2019.  As per the last couple of years we intend to spend the bulk of the summer sailing out of Oban but we have an enquiry for a one way trip from Oban to Greenock, so if anyone fancies a cruise from Greenock back to Oban at the end of June they can look forward to this

The rock formation known locally as 'the dug's lugs' at the Mull of Kintyre.

To allow for weather conditions this would be a six day cruise, stopping off at some of the following; Arran, Campbeltown, Islay, Gigha, Jura and the lochs on the mainland side of the Sound of Jura.

Bookings taken before the end of December will be at 2018 prices, in this case £1084 per head for 6 people.

Chico 1942

In her war history it's recorded that she suffered some damage to her stern in a collision. This photo shows her in Whitstable Harbour with a new sternpost fitted. Some of the repair is still visible with cracked frames doubled up.

First trip for 2018

A hint of spring in the air coincided with a 3 day music festival at the SEC in the centre of Glasgow so we made use of one of the free pontoons run by Glasgow City Council.

The trip up the river is full of interest, but it's hard now to imagine how busy it would have been in its ship building heyday.

Oban - Mallaig - Oban

We ran some cruises between these two west coast boating hubs, and while the weather hasn't been the the best so far this summer, it does provide some dramatic light to complement the scenery.

Always hard to chose the best moment of a sunset but this view from Port Mor on Muck was special.

Evening view from Isle Ornsay towards Loch Hourn

Loch Hourn again, the anchorage at Arnisdale.

Loch Alsh, from Balmacara.

First trip for 2017

A birthday surprise for one member of the family, who was still in the dark as we walked along the pontoon.  After a few cracks about wetsuits and swimming trunks I think he was quite relieved to board Chico. The weather didn't look too promising early on but the sun came out as we turned up Loch Long on our way up to Loch Goil.

Cruising Scottish style, bobble hats and Champagne. Well, it is April, it could easily have been snowing.

Another piece in the Chico jigsaw

Tracing a boat's history relies on chance and a slice of good luck.  An entry in Lloyds Log or the Registry of Ownership can give some details of names and dates, but old photos and reminiscences fill in the background.

 Out of the blue last year I was emailed by a lady, Joan, who, as a little girl, had spent time on Chico in the 1950's, and was able to tell me something of the owners, Garry and Beth Tennison from Glasgow.  They had spent a lot of time on board in their six years of ownership, and travelled widely.

Joan had recently been in contact with a distant cousin in Tasmania, also related to Garry and Beth, who was able to dig among old family albums and find the following photos.

 Chico at Bowling Basin, near Dumbarton, circa 1954

Bowling Basin 1954 again, but now with the saloon painted white.

Lying at anchor at Crinan, July 1954

Beth and Garry sitting on the locker in front of the wheelhouse

Since then Chico has been in the Baltic, the Med, Bristol, back at Crinan, Aberdeen, the South coast of England, the Thames, France, and who knows where else before we brought her back to the West of Scotland.  

We've anchored at the same spot off Crinan, sat on the same locker, and enjoyed the same feeling as Garry and Beth 63 years ago.  Chico's an old boat now, but in 1954 she was still 22 years old with at least 4 previous owners and 6 years of war.  It just goes to show that with old boats you don't really own them, you just look after them for future owners. 

Thank you, Joan, for googling "Chico" and filling in another piece of that jigsaw.

Loch Goil and Carrick Castle

We had a day out from Greenock to celebrate a recent wedding and cruised to the head of Loch Goil, stopping at Carrick Castle for lunch.

It wasn't the sunniest of days but the afternoon was brightened up by the appearance of PS Waverley on one of her autumn cruises from Glasgow.

It's hard to imagine now that she was nearly scrapped, but all credit to those who preserved her, tapping into the nostalgia market so successfully. Launched in 1947, she is very similar to the previous Waverley that was bombed and sunk in 1940 during the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Taking the long way home

Another season done and dusted but we weren't ready to go straight back to our winter berth in Greenock, so we met up with Peter and Jane Cumberlidge for a trip to Ireland. Peter was looking for material to write a feature on cruising in Ireland for Motor Boat and Yachting and we were only too happy to oblige. Late September tends to be unsettled and we duly had our share of fog, wind and sun. The Antrim coast is spectacular though.

The wide sweep of Red Bay, with views up the Antrim Glens.

Geology for beginners. The clearest example you could see of Limestone bedrock overrun with basalt lava flow about 60 million years ago.

Another highlight was taking Chico into the heart of Belfast to the yacht berth at Abercorn Basin.

Next to the Titanic Centre, the wings of which are represent the actual size of Titanic's bow

More swimmers

This time being ferried ashore to swim from the beach

Then in recovery mode with the help of our fur coats.

Intrepid swimmers

Warm sun, blue sea, let's jump off the boat!

 Well it seemed like a good idea up to this point.

But once you're in it's not so bad

West Highland Yachting Week 2016

We were involved once again in this much loved regatta, a fixture in the Scottish sailing season with a 69 year history. Starting at Craobh Marina, the slack conditions necessitated a follow my leader through the tidal gate of the Sound of Luing before the first start could be set.

Then it was all hands on deck for the racing

With 6 days of racing and passage races to Oban, Tobermory and back to Oban it's a busy week.

8 dayJuly cruise

We started from Corpach, by Fort William, and took the opportunity to visit Loch Eil before heading south. The view of Ben Nevis from the Annat Narrows is spectacular, with the summit rearing over the first shoulder.

Down the length of loch Linnhe and up the Sound of Mull via Tobermory, the next stop was the Treshnish Isles and Lunga with its Puffin colony. No apologies for another Puffin photo!

Folklore has it that a black rabbit is the minister reborn, his congregation paying suitable attention,

On to Ulva, Staffa, Iona, Colonsay, Jura, Islay and back to Oban, there's nothing more relaxing than sitting on the foredeck watching the scenery roll by.

Cruise round Morvern

Although mainland, Morvern is easiet seen by boat. From Strontian, at the head of Loch Sunart, down the Sound of Mull and up Loch Linnhe to Loch a Coire, the scenery is as varied as it is spectacular.

And the sun shone, sometimes

We made a detour to Castle Coeffin on Lismore, a 13th century MacDougall stronghold built on the site of an earlier Viking fortress but uninhabited for centuries.

Cruise round Mull

With keen nature watchers on board most of our time was spent like this

or this

but the rewards are plenty

The view isn't bad either

Is it safe to come out now?