All Hands to the Past

Have you ever wondered if time travel is possible? After an 8-day voyage aboard a century-old wooden trawler, I think it just might be. Just standing and looking up at the billowing red sails, I feel connected to the past sailors, in a way I hadn’t imagined. I had embarked at Dunstaffnage Marina near Oban to join eight strangers to sail around the West Coast of Scotland aboard a boat built in 1924. 

Provident is one of only six Brixham trawlers on the U.K. Register of National Historic Fleet and was one of the last fishing boats built to be powered by sail. After her fishing career ended, she was bought by an American, Captain R H Lagarde, and converted into a yacht. She then became a training vessel for Island Sailing Club and then Trinity Sailing Foundation back in the U.K., showing novice sailors the ropes. Provident Sailing now runs voyages of discovery, mainly off the West Coast of Scotland, taking small groups of visitors on yacht-based expeditions — in our case, visiting the Gulf of Corryvreckan whirlpool, and the Islands of Mull, Jura, Gigha, Islay, Lismore, and the Garvellachs, before ending the voyage in Fort William. 

A Sailor’s Life

The onboard berths have been cleverly converted out of the former fish hold, which also features an open-plan dining saloon with a galley. There is a mixture of nationalities and sailing abilities among the other guests; some of them have holidayed aboard historic ships before and others like me are complete novices. The canvas sails are raised by hauling ropes rhythmically, called “sweating” and gathering slack, called “tailing.” It is exhilarating to scud across the waves, hair flying, powered by wind. You can join in as much or as little as you want or you can sit back and watch, but once you pluck up the courage to get involved, you’ll be addicted.

We are in the safe hands of owners Steve Jones and his wife Morag Slesser, aided by other crew members. Gradually, by repetition, sailing starts to make sense. All this activity works up an appetite, so fortunately, Morag rustles up delicious feasts from the tiny galley kitchen. The bunks are comfortable but snug, and although it feels a bit strange on the first night to be bunking up with someone you have just met, that quickly fades as you’re gently rocked to sleep by the waves lapping on the hull.

Each day feels like the start of an adventure. One of our number, Samatha Barrett from Virginia came to Scotland to visit the land of her forefathers. What better way to visit Jura and learn how to sail the way it would have been done in the past aboard a wooden boat? Her family tree is filled with familiar surnames; Buie, Burns, Cunningham, and McLellan. She explains, “I was raised by my family with a strong appreciation for our Scottish heritage. My aunt and I have been researching them since I was 12.” They discovered the Buies originated from Jura and settled in eastern North Carolina in the early 1700s. She explains, “There is even a place in North Carolina called Buies Creek, and south of that are Cumberland, Robeson, and Scotland Counties where the majority of my ancestors lived. My fifth great-grandmother was a Buie who was born in 1807 in Robeson County, North Carolina. At some point, her family moved to South Carolina, where she married another Scot that came from either Islay or Jura.” 

Walking the Shore

Beneath the watchful gaze of the Paps of Jura, we waved goodbye as Provident weighed anchor and sailed away. We had not been abandoned, instead dropped ashore in Lowlandman’s Bay on Jura to rejoin the boat having walked along bramble-lined lanes to the village of Craighouse. On the way, we happened upon an idyllic bay called Corran Sands — unbelievably, the location for departing Scots emigrants leaving for a new life in the States and a spine-tingling coincidence for Samantha. 

Another day, we found ourselves under… 

By Cat Thomson

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