# The Loch Ness Dash.....a Charity Sail In Aid Of The Rnli



## 6639

Guys and gals,

As preliminary organisation has now been made we, as a group ,can give details of an event that I have wanted to do for some years, but have not, until now, had likeminded nutters to join in and make a dream come true.

On *Saturday 2nd July, 2011 * Dave Forrester (aka Nunber 6) Russel Procter (aka 6705Russell) , Mike Pendlebury ( aka Gribeauvil) and myself neil (nhp651) plan to sail some "toy boats" the full length of Loch Ness [ 22.5 miles] in the Highlands of Scotland, from the south of the Loch to the northern end finishing at Langend. This decision was made because of the prevailing winds coming from the north and west, and as such the models that we are going to sail will be very well equipped to take any reasonable weather that the highlands in July could throw at us.

We will be sailing three specially built 1:12 scale models of the Clyde class lifeboats, and these measure 71" LOA. The build logs for 70- 001 and 70- 003 can be seen in the lifeboat section on this site,here http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=28564.msg281168;boardseen#new and here, http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=26813.0 and mine, should anyone be intersted can be seen here. http://www.radiocontrolmodelboats.com/t721-clyde-class-70-lifeboat-build Hopefully Dave will be bringing a large lifeboat that he is working on at the moment to make up the flotilla of four lifeboats......would make a nice sight. 

We all have our own reasons for supporting our charities, and we four are no different. My life was saved from drowning as an 8 year old boy by a Fleetwood lifeboat man, and this is a debt that I can never repay, but I can but try.

We have now had written permission from the British Waterways Highland division to sail our models up Loch Ness ( usually a craft of 6' and over has to be licenced ) and have been offered and accepted the help from Ian Milne of the Loch Ness Sea Scouts who, for a very modest contribution to fuel, are attending with a 6.5 mtre RIB and their Loch cruiser for comfort breaks.

Also a very kind gentleman who owns a full size ex Rother Class lifeboat has said that he would be delighted to escort our flotilla up the loch if not working away on that date. His name is Alasdair McClean. 

Scotland division RNLI based in Perth have said that they will lias with Loch Ness RNLI for their attendance on the day call outs permitting, and press coverage and hopefully local TV coverage of some sort, to the North west is also being negotiated.

Not only will we be braving each other's company for a weekend, being stuck on a small boat for 6 hours but also the chance of glaring looks from a disgruntled NESSIE and midges that tend to hang around like a bad smell at that time of year.........SO WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT, AND PLENTY OF IT PLEASE.

To support our cause you can either send a cheque made out to the RNLI and dated 2nd July 2011,[pm any member for their postal address] or pledge on line at Justgiving.com at this link. 

*http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail*



May I point out at this juncture that we as a group and singularly,will be meeting ALL out of pocket expenses from our own personal funds, AND NOT from any pledges made. ALL money donated will 100% go to the RNLI


So if any of you are in the area of Loch Ness and would give half an hour of your time with an RNLI donation bucket at any of the well visited visitor centres around Loch Ness, then please get in touch....we sure could do with your collecting skills.

Cheers, on behalf of the team and thankyou for your support.


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## Derek Roger

A great project . I will see if my brother and nephew who both have well found boats in Inverness may wish to participate in one form or another . For my part I am not scheduled for a trip at that time but who knows ?



Regards Derek


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## 6639

thanks Derek.......we just hope that once we get the just giving site set up, we shall have our efforts come to fruition.

neil.


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## 6639

nhp651 said:


> thanks Derek.......we just hope that once we get the just giving site set up, we shall have our efforts come to fruition.
> 
> neil.


we have now added the link to the justy giving site, so please don't be shy friends....just dig deep and support a very worthy cause.
thanks. neil.


* http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail*


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## captain61

Hi Neil I have passed your details on to friends in the Bolton area
Good luck with your fundraising

Stephen


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## 6639

Thanks Stephen.

http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail/


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## 6639

*A Sincere Well Wisher*

I received this anonymous unsigned letter this morning, post marked West Midlands.

I do hope that they soon feel better, lol


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## 6639

Well chaps and chappesses,

Two weeks today we will hopefully be half way up Loch Ness.

The boats are all well prepared, batteries charged bilge pumps primed and tucker bags packed ready for our picknicks.

Russ will hopefully be sending back some photos on his i phone and if we have wi fi in the hotel, from his i pad so that anyone interested can keep in touch with what is going on.

We have confirmation that the Loch Ness Sea Scouts and RNLI will be in support of us, as well as Alasdair MacLean with his ex RNLI Rother class lifeboat and numerous press publications will be following our progress as long as they don't have bigger stories to carry at the time.

The RNLI are putting on two stalls at both start and finishing places ( Fort Augustus and Dochgarroch respectively ) and we have circulated the event with the help of the RNLI and Fort Augustus community council in the Inverness and Loch ness/ fort Augustus area, asking for both local and other support with a special request for model boaters in the area to come and join us in our arrival at Dochgarroch. So Please come and join us. Weather permitting we will also be crossing the loch to have a sail around the bay ar Dores, where there is a fine country pub...hopefully with a nice pint to set us on our way.

We will also be calling in at Urquhart Bay under the gaize of the Ruins of Urquhart Castle for a "pit stop" two thirds the way up Loch Ness.

Lets all just hope for nice calm weather.

As it is getting close now we as a team would please ask you all to dig deep in your pockets and either donate on line to theis worthwhile event in aid of the RNLI at http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail or send a cheque to me made out to the RNLI ( please pm me for my home address ) and dated 02/07/2011. Please do not send cash to my address and let us make this a donation to help equippe the lads and lasses of the RNLI with much needed lifesaving gear.

one last thing.......... I shall be sailing on 40 meg, frequencies : 40.665 and/or 40.715 (Am taking spares as a continguency) and would be most appreciative if anyone coming to sail on the day would keep those two frequencies free.

many thanks for your support

On behalf of the team, neil.


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## gaelsail

Do you have a departure time?


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## gribeauval51

gaelsail said:


> Do you have a departure time?


We should be leaving Fort Augustus at about 09:30 on Saturday 2nd July.


Mike (Helmsman for 70-003) (Thumb)


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## 6639

sadly chaps, after one hour into the sail my computor hard drive cracked up and i was in the dark except for text messages from the lads.
how ever the whole tale has now been put onto mayhem for all to read.

however i can tell you all that even though it was loch ness 3 model lifeboats 0 i have today been totting up all that we have raised, and total actual raised is just over £2400 and pledges are just over £500 but these might change a little once all those sponsor forms i sent out, finally come it.

so many thanks to all who supported us, and if you still wish to, we still accept cheques or just giving donations..please contact me if you want to send anything.

thanks to you all for supporting this "hairbrained" event as some anonimous plonker once discribed it as, lol


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## captain61

Well done lads, would you do it again..???....B\)

I would love to have found out who sent you the letter..TOTAL GOBSH1TE.

Stephen


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## 6639

captain61 said:


> Well done lads, would you do it again..???....B\)
> 
> 
> Stephen


wouldn't mind doing something closer to home, like Lake Windermere or Coniston Water or the most beautiful water of all, Ulleswater ,but knowing what the team had to go through, i think NESS was a "loch too far"


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## captain61

Dont give up...English Lakes Challenge 2012..sounds good...B\)

Stephen


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## Bevis

Neil, a suggestion:

A good site may be a sea going canal, the public can see the boats easily from the towpath and the Gloucester and Sharpness canal for example has lots of organised public areas that are used to maritime functions to include promotions and cash collectors. You could start at Gloucester Docks, with other large public areas at Saul (Cotswold Canals Centre etc), Slimbridge (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust & Pubs), Purton (Hulks) and finish at Sharpness Docks. In all about 16 miles of sea going broad and deep canal. 

Plus you can have our 2 early Liverpool Class lifeboats and other local lifeboats as support as we are well versed in collecting for the RNLI. Plus Craig has his Liverpool Class models too.

The downside could be dealing with British Waterways!

Then as another suggestion there is the Bristol Harbour Festival where we are always looking at good ideas to raise RNLI funds and also raise the historic boats profile!

Finally, well done to all on the Loch Ness collection - great work!

Bevis


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