Category Archives: film

Sensuous and mental joys

It’s pleasing to hear about yacht designer, surveyor, sailmaker, yachtsman, paragon of octogenarian health and prolific author of really useful yachting books, Ian Nicolson, rubbing shoulders with fellow media and literary ‘heavyweights’, Sally Magnusson, James Robertson and Kirsty Wark, at … Continue reading

Posted in boatbuilders, boatyards, book, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., gift, Glasgow, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, sailmakers, Uncategorized, yacht clubs, yacht design, yacht designer, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Fife dynasty – first family of yacht design

It was our pleasure last year to assist CNN Mainsail’s Richard Simmonds and double Olympic gold medalist, Shirley Robertson, with their superb coverage of The Fife Regatta 2013, now up at YouTube. Their desire for accuracy and attention to detail … Continue reading

Posted in America's Cup, archives, art, boatyards, book, Clyde yachting, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, Glasgow, journalists, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Return to the Hebrides

Hard to believe it’s over a year since we last met the long lived G.L. Watson-designed west highlands and islands of Scotland cargo vessel S.S. Hebrides (1898). And incomprehensible that we’ve been watching the “Ealing Comedy” The Maggie (USA: High … Continue reading

Posted in Captains, film, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., gift, Glasgow, humour, River Clyde | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Float your boat

Martin Black’s biography of Scottish yacht designer G.L. Watson pays homage to the side of his work that, reading between the lines, he found most worthwhile: improving the design of rescue lifeboats.* Both the design of lifeboats and their deployment … Continue reading

Posted in film, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson clients, Lifeboat, Martin Black, object of desire, RNLI, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

… Watson, I presume

The pot of gold is secured: the Rainbow II replica project is official, and spectacular. Naval architecture is by Dykstra Naval Achitects, with launching and completion set for 2016. Holland Jachtbouw of Zaandam, Netherlands, has secured the project contract, with … Continue reading

Posted in Baltic Germany, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, Clyde yachting, film, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., Glasgow, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, replica, shipyards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wind of fortune

  Snippets of news slipping out online more than strongly suggest that one of the most exciting of classic yacht replica projects is well underway: a reincarnation of G.L. Watson’s design for the fabulous and fast schooner Rainbow, later Hamburg, … Continue reading

Posted in archives, Baltic Germany, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, Captains, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson & Co. Ltd., G.L. Watson clients, gift, Glasgow, leather-bound, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, photography, replica, River Clyde, sailmakers, shipbuilding, shipyards, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Britannia behind the scenes

We’ve been spoiled rotten of late by wonderful footage of G.L. Watson’s masterpiece, Britannia, from the recently fully released Pathe archive. This, from 1931, is particularly fine – and rare because she’s in passagemaking mode: the galley stove pipe and … Continue reading

Posted in archives, art, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, book, Britannia, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., Glasgow, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, replica, River Clyde, shipbuilding, shipyards, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Speed, grace and beauty – The Clyde Fortnight 1923

For 13 tantalising seconds in the newly released Pathe archive newsreel above, we are treated to the full broadsides beauty of King George V’s G.L. Watson-designed cutter, Britannia: the special one; probably the most famous racing yacht there will ever be; … Continue reading

Posted in archives, Big Class, boatbuilders, boatyards, book, Britannia, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., gift, Glasgow, Irish yachting, leather-bound, limited edition, Martin Black, naval architect, object of desire, other yacht designers, yacht design, yacht designer, yacht racing, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Club Steamer – PS Duchess of Hamilton

During the 1890s and early 1900s heyday of the Clyde Fortnight regattas, the Caledonian Steam Packet Company’s elegant paddle steamer, Duchess of Hamilton – launched this day in history, 1890 by William Denny & Bros, Dumbarton – was a popular … Continue reading

Posted in book, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, gift, Glasgow, Martin Black, object of desire, River Clyde, shipbuilding, shipyards, Steam Yacht, yacht design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pride of Portree

They said it themselves: “one of the most hare-brained projects Skye has seen for some time.” We would add: beautifully hare-brained. This summer, an intrepid team from the Isle of Skye will raise funds for the RNLI and Young Carers … Continue reading

Posted in America's Cup, art, boatbuilders, boatyards, Clyde yachting, Clydebuilt, film, Firth of Clyde, G.L. Watson, G.L. Watson & Co., G.L. Watson clients, object of desire, rowing, Sail and oar, Steam Yacht, yacht design, yacht designer, yachting history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments