Launch of the ‘Wemyss Skiff’

Ullapool was privileged to be chosen by Alec Jordan  for the first launch of the prototype of Iain Oughtred’s latest design for Coastal Rowing, the ‘Weymss Skiff’. At 16ft x 4ft 9in she is a more comfortable size for building and storing on average domestic premises as well as having significant cost advantages. She is intended for a variable rower configuration – that it can be rowed just by one person, two, two with cox, or one rowing and one taking it easy in the stern. To enable this Alec has come up with a cunning design of oarlock pin capable of infinite adjustment along the gunwale and incorporated longitudinal buoyancy tanks which allow the thwarts position to be adjusted to suite. We think she is an ideal reserve craft for those times when the full crew is not available for ‘Ulla’ or when two or three more than the full crew want a row.

 A goodly number of Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club members turned out to see the Skiff christened and put through her paces for the first time. A miniature sister for the St Ayles Skiff she proved to be a delight, light and responsive and every bit as seaworthy as the St Ayles has shown herself to be. All the rowing members had a try in her and wore broad smiles when they came off the water. Mutterings were heard about how suitable she would be as an accompanying boat for ‘Ulla’. Unfortunately Alec was taking her further west so Iain Oughtred could cast his eye over her to finalise the production design so any ideas we may have had to relieve him of the burden of dragging her back to Fife were thwarted.

The image record below show just what a good-looking boat has been produced.

As usual click on the thumbnail for the bigger picture

And a few moving images of the event

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