Our skiff kit arrived in early October 2025 — just after we discovered we couldn’t build it in the location we’d originally planned.
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Cue a frantic couple of weeks, with several members searching high and low for a suitable build site. Luckily for us, Peter White of Swordfish Marine very kindly offered us some space in his workshop. We couldn’t believe our luck — the space was absolutely perfect. A huge thank you to Peter for his generosity and ongoing support.
Work got underway towards the end of October, with Ali Marshall and Peter McWhinnie leading the project, supported by Duncan Chalmers, Jim Maclean, Neil Stewart, Chris Bowen and Jim Hoey. By Christmas, the planking was well under way, and the team are now looking forward to the big milestone of lifting the hull from the frames and turning it upright.
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As of January 2026, we’ve raised around 25% of the estimated cost of the build. This has come from a mix of fundraising events and some very generous donations from Western Ferries, Alpkit, and from club members and friends. We’re hugely grateful for all the support so far.
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Any contribution towards the build would be very much appreciated. Donations can be made here:
https://webcollect.org.uk/holylochsc/subscription
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Further information on the St Ayles Skiff can be found at -
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https://scottishcoastalrowing.org/ and
https://www.staylesinternational.org/
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If you are still reading, then you may be keen to get involved, either as a rower, cox or volunteer . If so, then please drop a message to info@hlsc.co.uk.