Lossiemouth
May 16, 2021
Visited in Sep 2020 and sailed past in May 2021, Lossiemouth is a significant harbour for me, with a super friendly Harbour Manager, Amanda Chisholm, my 110th HM who sadly I never met!
In Sep 20 it was our "port of refuge" in some rough weather before we returned home, and Amanda was on holiday. In May 21 it was in lockdown so we could not visit.
The strangely shaped harbour (photo 3) was built in 1836 as a private trading port. Photo 4 shows construction work (at position A) with the sea at the entrance (photo 5 taken in Sep 20) being successfully kept at bay from the construction machinery.
Gradually, the principal use of the harbour changed to fishing and in 1879 a revolutionary boat was designed and built here by William 'Dad' Campbell. The "Zulu" herring boat (named after the war of that year) was significantly faster than any other boat of her period and within 4 years 3,500 had been registered in Scotland. By chance in 2020 I sailed with a Zulu (the St Vincent Photo 6) in Loch Linnhe, helmed by the Ullapool HM Kevin Peach, prior to restoration in his home port.
Busy Photo 7 was taken in 1950, showing boats with 1927 style white fish "seine nets" still in use, but by 1990, with fishing rights being traded to join the EU, fishing declined and Lossiemouth Marina was born, with safe pontoons built for leisure boats to visit from around the world.
Ian White (photo 9), who I did meet, was HM up to 2009. Amanda took over as H Manager in 2014, overseeing the busy marina, boat lift, dredging equipment and the 125 permanent berths. She was so welcoming to me and Good Dog, one of 250 visiting yachts each year and even though we never met I rank her right up there with the best Harbour Masters - thank you Amanda.
Geography footnote - Lossie has a beautiful but inaccessible beach! Falling down and now closed off, the 100 year old footbridge (photo 10 and position B) is legally owned by......nobody!
In Sep 20 it was our "port of refuge" in some rough weather before we returned home, and Amanda was on holiday. In May 21 it was in lockdown so we could not visit.
The strangely shaped harbour (photo 3) was built in 1836 as a private trading port. Photo 4 shows construction work (at position A) with the sea at the entrance (photo 5 taken in Sep 20) being successfully kept at bay from the construction machinery.
Gradually, the principal use of the harbour changed to fishing and in 1879 a revolutionary boat was designed and built here by William 'Dad' Campbell. The "Zulu" herring boat (named after the war of that year) was significantly faster than any other boat of her period and within 4 years 3,500 had been registered in Scotland. By chance in 2020 I sailed with a Zulu (the St Vincent Photo 6) in Loch Linnhe, helmed by the Ullapool HM Kevin Peach, prior to restoration in his home port.
Busy Photo 7 was taken in 1950, showing boats with 1927 style white fish "seine nets" still in use, but by 1990, with fishing rights being traded to join the EU, fishing declined and Lossiemouth Marina was born, with safe pontoons built for leisure boats to visit from around the world.
Ian White (photo 9), who I did meet, was HM up to 2009. Amanda took over as H Manager in 2014, overseeing the busy marina, boat lift, dredging equipment and the 125 permanent berths. She was so welcoming to me and Good Dog, one of 250 visiting yachts each year and even though we never met I rank her right up there with the best Harbour Masters - thank you Amanda.
Geography footnote - Lossie has a beautiful but inaccessible beach! Falling down and now closed off, the 100 year old footbridge (photo 10 and position B) is legally owned by......nobody!