We are in the process of converting Fintry into an expedition yacht which will be based in Boston. When finished, she will be able to go anywhere in the world, although not at any time of year.
The story begins with her construction at Lewis Shipbuilders in Aberdeen, Sctoland in the early 70's. She was commissioned in 1972.
We don't know a lot about her service in the RMAS, but we have been told (thank you to Kathleen MacDonald)
that Jonny Wiseman was her skipper from 1972 until 1986 and then his son Donald until 1997.
All of this was at Kyle of Lochalsh, across Kyle Akin from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, carrying passengers and assisting at the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre.
Later, she spent some time in Greenock. While there, she was presented a Gideon Bible. She was converted to meet the MCA (British Coastguard)
rules for carrying passengers. She got an extended deckhouse forward, a new bulkhead splitting the engine room in two, and other modifications.
Her hatches were plated over and her holds were unused in this service. She was renamed "Eilidh M." She looks very smart in this photo, probably taken at Plymouth around 2000.
She was then sent to Plymouth. She's shown here, doing what she was built to do, go alongside frigates doing six knots.
The frigate is HMS Sutherland, F81, in Plymouth.
Tony Collins bought her in Plymouth in 2001, but his plans changed and he sold her to us in late 2002.
In January 2003, with the help of Dave Jones, who at the time owned Lamlash, and Neil Lockie, we moved her to Manor Marine, a yard with
a great deal of small ship experience, at Portland Harbour, Dorset.
Despite interruptions from war work for the MOD, by November 2003, the engine was out, many interior details had been done, and, as can be seen here,
the new light boxes were in place and the extension of the aft upper deck well under way.
By June, the wheelhouse was done and primed. The funnel has been taken off to replace the main engine muffler. The old fendering ("rubrail" in the USA) has been removed.
The yellow of the new Cat 3406 is barely visible here, hanging from the crane block overhead. For those thinking about replacing the engine, note that to get the Lister out in one piece we removed the access
plates on the upper deck and the starboard side, as well as cutting out the metal between them. Alternately, and maybe less work, since we had removed the funnel anyway, we could have unbolted the larger upper deck access plate
which includes the funnel area.
During July and August 2004, she was on and off the slip again. Here, in September, the paint is done up to the bulwark tops, the funnel's back on with the new muffler soft mounted inside, and a lot of the details are coming together.
The new fendering is all in place after a monumental effort.
The best thing is that she finally has her real name back again. There's nine tons of lead sitting nearby which will go in the forward ballast tank soon to bring the thruster under water.
You can't see the new fuel tanks in the #2 hold (total fuel now 19,000 liters) and freshwater tanks in the #1 hold (total freshwater now 4,000 liters).
In October, the most obvious changes are progress in the continuing effort to get the bow down, the removal of the fresh and saltwater header tanks from the upper deck
and the new mast aft. Inside, there was a lot of progress, with new floor plates and stairs in the engine room, enlargement of the battery box, and a new shelf for the shorepower transformers.
By late February, we had finished almost everything outside, so it was time to start painting the white (white paint and grinding steel don't
get along well.) We added another two tons of lead in the bow, so the thruster is finally under water. Inside, we're on the punch list -- the hydraulics are going in, essentially all the engine installation and plumbing is done, and we're down to the nitty gritty --
for example, the steering pump has a 1" shaft with a 3/8" keyway. The coupling for its new 240VAC motor is available only with a 1/4" keyway, so a little mill and file work is in order.
April 7: Finishing touches this week. Here's Chris painting the stern. The new aft gate, which Tony and Andy built last summer, shows well in this view.
The usual port side view shows the mast, lights, horn, SSB, two VHF, GPS, and Navtex antennas and lots of white paint. The decks and other paintwork are also
done. All major systems are working -- we've hoisted the anchor, run the bow thruster and the get home motor, checked out the lights, put seven hours on the aft genset and so forth. We didn't actually get away from the float because there was half a gale blowing (note the Stars and Stripes in the photo.)
Those with sharp eyes will see that we still have the after mast and radar post to paint, and the towing light to install aft. The little Koden radar (which came, not working, with the boat) is installed and working on its new mast bracket, but the big radar, probably a Furuno 2217, will have to go on the post in Boston -- I couldn't figure a way to convince American Airlines that the eight foot antenna was checked baggage and electronics in the UK is roughly twice the USA price.
Dee spent three days packing and loading the Birdseye Maple interior
from Shamrock V which we purchased last year at the Beaulieu Boat Jumble and two days scraping and painting the deck under the wheelhouse (the Fleet Tender wheelhouse floor is raised a foot above the steel deck
for better visibility from the wheel and a good wiring chase.)
Something's changed! The usual portside view is the starboard. Yes, she's been out twice under her own power, and while not everything was perfect,
the smoothness of the new Cat on soft mounts with the Python Drive is a joy...
Everything's painted (except, maybe, a red racing stripe on the wheelhouse.)
Our steadfast crew for the Atlantic Crossing.
Bill Hart, Larry Hennessy, and Chris Ware, shown on the quay in Horta. They put up with a bad weather night south of England (35 knots on the nose), and then much better, almost perfect conditions
crossing from the Azores to Boston. Thanks, guys.
We left Portland on June 14, 2005, spent the night of the 16th in Falmouth because of the weather and then left for the Azores.
We spent three days in Horta, in the Azores. Dee spent most of the time painting our calling
card, which joined hundreds, maybe thousands, left by boats visiting Horta.
We arrived in Boston July 8, 2005 Fintry's new home is Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina. We kept Sweetwater there for her refit before our circumnavigation
and it's a great place -- good people, good facilities, and a wonderful view of the Boston skyline.
Photos:
The first photo of Fintry is courtesy of the
2nd Gourock Boy's Brigade, to whom her spare
anchor was donated. The anchor is now on display at St. John's Church, Gourock.
The first two photos of her as Eilidh M. are courtesy of Dave Smith, Marine-Ops Manager for A&P Group in Falmouth,
who came aboard when we stopped in Falmouth in 2005. He's in the white shirt on her upper deck in the photo with HMS Sutherland.
The two photos at Horta are courtesy of Bill Hart.