Irvine Harbourside Men s Shed members back at new base irvinetimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from irvinetimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Skylark could be centrepiece of new Dumbarton boat building attraction
The Dunkirk Little Ship is currently undergoing restoration, but could return to the area as part of a new boatbuilding museum and workshop.
Mary Burch, chair of the Skylark IX Recovery Trust at the launch of plans for a Boatbuilding Museum and Workshop in Dumbarton. (Image: Skylark IX Recovery Trust)
Join thousands of others in getting the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox.Invalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Subscribe
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Your information will be used in accordance with ourPrivacy Notice.
A SHIP that saved hundreds of lives in the Second World War, sank twice, was rescued from a watery grave and made thousands of holidaymakers happy on Loch Lomond is to have a new purpose, and a new home near Glasgow. Who remembers the Skylark IX? Skylark IX at Portobello Beach. She also served as a pleasure boat on Loch Lomond. Built as a pleasure boat in 1934, Skylark IX became one of the famous Dunkirk Little Ships in May 1940 when she served during Operation Dynamo, the mission to save 338,000 Allied soldiers from Dunkirk. (She is one of only two Operation Dynamo ships to survive today.)
Practical Boat Owner 0shares
From Victorian yachts to historic tugs, Will Lower looks at the lessons learned from famous boat restorations
A boat restoration is an emotive topic. Those who sail regularly develop a strong affection for their vessel. They might moan about her quirks and shortcomings but should anyone agree they’ll stoutly claim she’s the most well-built, dependable craft one could ever wish for! So when the scrap heap beckons, it’s easy to understand the desire to restore the boat to her former glory. But this is also the time when the head and heart spin off in opposite directions.
WHEN keen kayakers Jim, Angus, Bill and Peter found themselves storm-bound on an island off the west coast in 1978, they dreamt up a history-making plan. The four men, who had met while working as teachers in Glasgow, made a pact to embark on Scotland’s first major sea kayaking expedition together. This weekend, the Scottish Maritime Museum in irvine is marking the 41st anniversary of their magnificent adventure – which was also the first recorded sea kayak crossing of one of the world’s largest whirlpools - with a special exhibition. Into the Maelstrom: The Scottish Kayak Expedition to North West Norway 1980 charts the story of Jim Breen, Angus Mathieson, Bill Turnbull and Peter Wilson who paddled 394 miles (634 kilometres) as they circumnavigated the two island groups of Lofoten and Vesterålen, 200 miles within the Arctic Circle.