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Tanker "Overseas Sophie"

Exercise with B/F Lifeboat

Boat Maintenance April 2008

Hogmanay

22nd July 2007

General maintenance and cleaning work was carried on Marigot today.

Low tide at the boatyard

Update 20th July

The Ocean Majesty approaching Dundee at dawn this morning  (20th July)

Update 14th July 2007

Dolphins are back.

A pod of around 20 widely dispersed dolphins were seen today from Marigot, approaching the boat in groups of 3-5 at a time.

Most of the individuals who came close seemed to be quite young, being lighter in tone than the fully mature dolphins.

Teenagers

Difficult to tell size or age at this range, but who cares?

Young dolphin against a backdrop of two tugs returning to Leith after escorting a large tanker in and out of Dundee. The Dundee pilot boat is on extreme right.

Just in case you didn't notice the first jump....

A fine fat seal swimming high in the water, sleek as a wish.

On returning to Davy Anderson's boatyard we reckoned that the tide was running at 6 knots under the road bridge, due to it being a Spring tide with the added effect of all the recent rain. We were making all of 3.8 knots (over ground) flat out at the time and this vexed us.

6th July 2007

In Tidal Basin. Early morning mist swirls around in an atmospheric way.

Dennis feeding his family at Davy Andersons - Friday 08.00.

Dennis and his landing craft.

HMS Exeter leaves Dundee, sailing past Broughty Ferry, almost  silently, even as close as she was in the deep water channel.

Broughty Ferry RNLI inshore lifeboat practising with the helicopter off Tayport.

MVSTay Unit Barbecue Thus.28th June

The Unit barbecue on North Carr was another sober occasion, and the usual topics of conversation - Church, State and Morality were thoroughly discussed.

The trifle was, as ever, a magnet for anyone with a sweet tooth or a love of sherry

Once you've put all the trifle on your plate you can load it up with raspberries too, and if you're quick enough to hide what you're doing, nobody minds. Thanks Lucy.

On leaving North Carr after the barbecue, we suddenly noticed that all the upper portions of lettering on her port side had been painted. Not only painted, but painted extremely well - all of it. Have we been graced with a visitation of good spirits, or is there a more earthly explanation?

Swans

Don't try to tell us about "Ugly Ducklings"

This is mum starting to hiss at us. She knows fine well that we represent no threat, so we reckoned she was commenting on the absence of food, showing her disgust at our poor consideration and lack of social grace.

Hold thy head high, thou art no duckling.

Tay River Trips

Fairly consistent poor weather hasn't stopped the river trips on Marigot and Badger but it has quietened things down a bit. www.tayrivertrips.org got 104,714 hits last month though so we're feeling like this is the calm before the storm

The Vessels

Two replacement engines for Marigot are in store awaiting fitment later in the year (2x 250 turbocharged Volvos), as well as a marine generator. We have also now got sufficient funding for Badger's refittment with 2 new Perkins engines and control systems.

Marigot's replacement engines.

Sally Goble swim from Dundee to St. Andrews

We had a short practise with Sally, ie. she went in the water, we stayed in the boat....east of Broughty Castle on Saturday. She's quite happy to plop off a boat without a lifejacket, but we needed a bit of "untraining" in this respect. Anyway, she gave us every confidence that she will storm the distance between Dundee and St'Andrews. Her ability to exit freezing water with her sense of humour still intact and unwaterlogged impressed us hugely and this alone would provide the motivation to watch over her while she swims. Hopefully we can throw things at her when she's in the water and thus irritate her enough to make her swim her fastest time ever, in safety, if not in comfort.

Go for it girl. OK, we don't totally understand this but we're backing you anyway.

It just looks so bloody cold. It's Scotland.

While we accompanied Sally on her swim, one of our number decided to explore the ability of her lifejacket to turn itself inside out, as if by magic.

I said I'd take £5 not to put this photo on the MVS Tay website. No funding was forthcoming so here it is. I've got loads more pictures, guys.

MVS Tay Activities Archive-

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MVS Tay gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance of H. M. Revenue and Customs, The D. C. Thomson Charitable Trust, The Bell's Nautical Trust, Mrs. M. Robertson-Black, The Tay Charitable Trust, The St. Katherine's Fund, The Robertson Trust,  The Alexander Moncur Trust, Historic Scotland, Port of Dundee, Mr. David Clarke and the Tay Salmon Fishing Co. Ltd., Awards for All Scotland, The Mathew Trust, Mr. Clive McKeag