The Argus

The MV Argus is a 41 foot wooden vessel. She is of carvel construction, mahogany planks on oak frames with a steel keel. She was built in southern England in 1950, possibly as a naval tender.

The Argus:

• is fully licensed by the MCA with a Class V1 Certificate for 50 passengers
• carries a life raft for 65 persons and full safety equipment
• has DTI buoyancy aids and fire protection
• is powered by a 62bph BMC 498 engine
• has a toilet and total rain cover
• has a qualified local skipper

No smoking on the Argus, please!

When I started doing boat trips over 25 years ago for a few guests who stayed in the Plockton Hotel (which was owned by my mother-in-law at the time), it was with an old River Thames police launch that I bought for £30, and it was only to cruise around the loch. And also to go and see the Ninian Central oil rig (floating in outer Loch Carron) which I had helped to build along over 3,000 other men. It was the largest construction job in Britain at the time.

Seals at this time were the last thing on my mind as I had also just got married, until I came across a small group of seals, about twenty, I think. It was then that 'boat trips' changed to 'seal trips' and it was decided that a better boat was needed.

The first of my boats was bought from my very good friend Finlay Finlayson, who had been using the Rhibbin Og as a prawn fishing boat here in Plockton but had just moved her down to Fort William, and to take her back to Plockton was going to need a good crew. I gathered together what I thought could only be the best for such a dangerous and hazardous voyage back to Plockton (the Mishnish Hotel in Tobermorey had to be passed). Findlay Finlayson, Johnda Byrne, Colin MacAndrew, Dave McGhie were all invited to join me to sail the Rhibbin Og back home. This turned out to be one of the best weekends I have ever had.

The second boat was a 31 foot Yorkshire coble which was bought from my first cousin who lived in the village..

Boat number three was an Aquastar 27 called ‘Amanda C’. She came from Christchurch, Dorset.

All these boats were licensed only for 12 passengers. After the success of the BBC series Hamish Macbeth a larger boat was needed and a search all over Britain for boat number four was on.

After a wide-ranging search all over Britain, the ‘Argus’ was eventually bought from Mick Coe who also lived in the village and had been operating her from Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. I did know that she was up for sale but I thought she would be too big to operate from the small jetty at the end of Cooper Street . . . to be continued