You can email us on [email protected],
ring our captain; Fiona Guest on 07961 433274
ring our captain; Fiona Guest on 07961 433274
Although Montrose is bounded by water on three sides; the natural beauty of the Montrose Basin; the busy harbour in the South Esk river channel and the lovely coastline of the North Sea, most of us in this historically maritime community rarely have a chance to get out on the water, see our town from a different perspective and be part of an ongoing maritime tradition.
Coastal rowing, in a St Ayles Skiff, is a great way to do this. People from clubs around Scotland regularly row and race their ‘skiffies’ in crews of 5, ranging in ages from under 20s to over 60s. Some folk like the thrill of racing against other clubs’ boats, some folk just like the chance to go out for a row up and down the coast around their town. Whether they race or enjoy a wee expedition they do so in boats which are built by their own community.
On 19th September 2019 we launched Goose our newly built skiff on Montrose Basin.
She is number 191 on the Scottish St Ayles Craft Register!
Now we need rowers! Many 'skiffies' have never rowed before they have set foot in a St Ayles Skiff but have quickly grown to love rowing - either for an afternoon exploring the Angus and Mearns coastline or joining in with racing around Scotland with boats from other clubs.
Wee bit of background on ‘skiffies’ if you haven’t come across them yet...
Around 2009 a project based at the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Fife was launched to encourage boat building & rowing racing in Scottish coastal communities. Renowned boat designer Iain Oughtred came up with a design, based on a Fair Isle skiff, that wouldn’t cost too much, would be possible for 'reasonably handy amateurs' to build, could be crewed by a small group (5 folk), that would be safe and fast. And so the St Ayles Skiff was born. It’s a light, but very stable and robust rowing boat, built with a kit from Fife based Jordan Boats.
There are now over 100 skiffs registered worldwide over 80% of which are Scottish, built & raced by crews from coastal towns and villages from Girvan’s ‘Creag Ealasaid’, to the lovely ‘Loki’ in Ullapool, the fleet ‘Lily Rose’ of Achiltibuie, to the ‘Puffin’ of St Abbs.
Coastal rowing, in a St Ayles Skiff, is a great way to do this. People from clubs around Scotland regularly row and race their ‘skiffies’ in crews of 5, ranging in ages from under 20s to over 60s. Some folk like the thrill of racing against other clubs’ boats, some folk just like the chance to go out for a row up and down the coast around their town. Whether they race or enjoy a wee expedition they do so in boats which are built by their own community.
On 19th September 2019 we launched Goose our newly built skiff on Montrose Basin.
She is number 191 on the Scottish St Ayles Craft Register!
Now we need rowers! Many 'skiffies' have never rowed before they have set foot in a St Ayles Skiff but have quickly grown to love rowing - either for an afternoon exploring the Angus and Mearns coastline or joining in with racing around Scotland with boats from other clubs.
Wee bit of background on ‘skiffies’ if you haven’t come across them yet...
Around 2009 a project based at the Scottish Fisheries Museum in Fife was launched to encourage boat building & rowing racing in Scottish coastal communities. Renowned boat designer Iain Oughtred came up with a design, based on a Fair Isle skiff, that wouldn’t cost too much, would be possible for 'reasonably handy amateurs' to build, could be crewed by a small group (5 folk), that would be safe and fast. And so the St Ayles Skiff was born. It’s a light, but very stable and robust rowing boat, built with a kit from Fife based Jordan Boats.
There are now over 100 skiffs registered worldwide over 80% of which are Scottish, built & raced by crews from coastal towns and villages from Girvan’s ‘Creag Ealasaid’, to the lovely ‘Loki’ in Ullapool, the fleet ‘Lily Rose’ of Achiltibuie, to the ‘Puffin’ of St Abbs.
click on the links below to find out more about skiffies
Great video from Jordans Boats to wet your appetite for St Ayles skiffs
Scottish Coastal Rowing
St Ayles skiffs at Jordan Boats
Building a skiff in Catterline Building a skiff in Coigach Building a skiff in Ullapool
Building a skiff in Erie, Pennsylvania
Great video from Jordans Boats to wet your appetite for St Ayles skiffs
Scottish Coastal Rowing
St Ayles skiffs at Jordan Boats
Building a skiff in Catterline Building a skiff in Coigach Building a skiff in Ullapool
Building a skiff in Erie, Pennsylvania