Eight bells for boatbuilder Iain Oughtred
Tributes have been paid to renowned boatbuilder and designer Iain Oughtred, who passed away, aged 84, in hospital on the Isle of Skye on 21 February.
In addition to his popular Caledonia Yawl, Ness Yawl, Grebe, Tammie Norrie and the Acorn skiff designs, Iain, of Oughtred Boats, was well known for his St Ayles Skiff.
He grew up in Sydney and sailed, built and designed fast sailing dinghies from an early age. After moving to the UK, Iain learned about traditional boats and his designs for vessels of Scottish working boat descent were renowned for their beautiful detailing.
Author Nic Compton, who wrote, Iain Oughtred A Life in Wooden Boats, said: “Back in the 1980s, Iain pioneered the concept of building traditional boats in glued-clinker construction. His designs combine sweet lines with meticulous attention to detail and a delightful drawing style. He achieved a lasting legacy, but always remained modest about his achievements.”
A Scottish Coastal Rowing group spokesman said all St Ayles skiff rowers owed this “quietly spoken Australian boat designer a big debt of gratitude. He introduced thousands of people to the pleasures of building traditional boat designs in clinker construction, but the St Ayles is his most successful design with 400 built so far. For the last 23 years, Iain lived on the Isle of Skye, in the north-west of Scotland. Many of us have met him at St Ayles Skiff World Championships, Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival and Toberonochy Small Boat Muster. He was a good shanty singer and fond of poetry as well as a fine draftsman and a superb boatbuilder.”
A North Berwick Rowing Club spokesman added: “Iain will be sadly missed in the boating world both in the UK and abroad, but his distinctive designs will live on.”