BLUEMOMENT

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Late again I'm afraid. Worse than that, you will probably have to shift a load of icons as the only sensible place for the calendar was top left


Looking for new action pix from contributors for the coming months . . .

Beautiful boat. Pardon my ignorance, but [envy]what is she?[/envy]

I think that she is a Cruiser 8 - an 8m cruiser racer built on the Clyde.

You youngsters!

She's Inismara built, as the majority of 8m Cruiser Racers were, by McGruers.

In the days when there was a Clyde Week, regattas every Saturday and before Kip was a gravel pit, about 10 of these raced as a class. But then nearly all the Scottish Islands (all 11 of them) were out with around 40+ Loch Longs, Garelochs, Pleides and all the handicap classes. Wipes tear from eye, mumbles about the good old days, and wanders off into the desert!

How old is old? My first keelboat trip was in an LL called "sirocco" which was subsequently torpedoed by a test misfire en route to Hunter's Quay from Kilkeggan in the late 50's.
I remember sleeping on the beach at Ardgowan a couple of times between Rhu and Millport in an enterprise, before they started all this marina stuff. At least in those days (before GPS etc.) they put the name of the town on a big blue and white sign on the pier, so we knew where we were.
"Sceptre" (1958 Americas Cup contender locally built) is in Troon at the moment, IIRC, Prince Phillip came up to the Clyde around that time with Uffa Fox in Bluebottle.
One of my schoolmates had LL #7 specially allowed across to Largs for the occasion. Nearest I got was in a hired "Phutt-boat".
And then there were the paddle-steamers...

Many, many years ago (1960s) I sailed on a Cr8 called "Debbie"
I think she was kept on the Clyde at McGruers.
She had a white hull then.

Anyone know anything about her?

Ocklepoint wrote:Many, many years ago (1960s) I sailed on a Cr8 called "Debbie"
I think she was kept on the Clyde at McGruers.
She had a white hull then.

Anyone know anything about her?

Yeah, she was called "Debbie"

Clever.................and helpful, thanks

In Reply to Ocklepoint. Re Debbie.
Debbie is now in Sydney Australia (now named Arbella).I owned her from 1985 to about 1992.I did extensive work on her and had her in magnificent condition.When I last saw her 12 months ago she was not well looked after.I have a large framed photo on my wall of her at her peak.If you send me your email I can send a photo of when I had her.I beleive she was build at Clynder and was the last CR8 built.Sails beautifully,I had her in The Whitsundays and sailed her between there and Sydney a number of times.I beleive I was the 3rd owner.The second was an American who sailed her in the Bahamas,then sailed her to Australia where I purchased her in a pretty tired state(but still in a good seaworthy condition).Would love to hear from you to find out her early history.
Regards Geoff D.

Hi Geoff

Thanks for the reply.

What a story, what a well travelled boat.

I perhaps can fill in part of the story. I sailed on Debbie when I was six so that was in 1960.

At that time she belonged to Ninian Sanderson. Ninian is mainly remembered for driving a Jaguar to victory at the Le Mans 24 hour raace as part of the Ecurie Ecosse racing team. He was also a partner of my late father's in a Glasgow motor company called Bell Brothers.

I seem remember going aboard Debbie at Clynder where Ninian kept her. He had lent her to my father for a week or so, we got as far as Tarbert. At that time Debbie was white with a light blue coach top.

Somewhere in the family, I suspect with my sister in the south there are photos of that trip. I'll see if I can find them.

Cheers

Isn't the internet wonderful?

How about linking the pic here Geoff so we can all admire?

Geoff, a previous owner of "Debbie" has emailed me this photo of her, taken in Nara Inlet,Whitsunday Island about 1987.




Geoff also said of Debbie

The story how I found your site is absolutely amazing as I am not too computer savvy.Over the past few weeks my wife & I have been considering buying another wooden boat as having recently sold my Bavaria 42 Cruiser,have been looking at a John Alden designed Malabar 11 for sale here,but keep talking about our favourite boat, Arbella ,of many we have had in 40 plus years of sailing.As we ran into the current owner of Debbie (Arbella) as he was refuelling in Pittwater about 18 months ago,She really needs a good tidy up as he has had her about 15 years,he purchased her from the chap who purchased off me.So last night at about 2AM I went into Google and put in McGruers CR8 and nearly fell over when the name of Debbie came up.So I joined your web site and sent off a reply.If that is not esp or fate I don't know.She is now on a swinging mooring in Church Point,Pittwater, Broken Bay Sydney,a beautiful part of the world for sailing.(almost on a par with The Whitsundays.)

The American guy sold her after his Aust. wife refused to do any more ocean sailing after they were dismasted coming from US to Australia via New Zealand.The boat was then transported by ship from NZ to Aust.He had to choose the wife or the boat,I bet he has thought about that decision a few times.He told me he lived & sailed the boat in the Bahamas for about 10 years.

The currently owner I hope still has all the Plans & documents I handed over re the build which shows the original name of Debbie. My good friend in Sydney who has sailed on her with me many times has always called her Debbie (his wife is Debbie) so the Debbie name has always stuck and we sometimes call her both names

Regards Geoff D.


Many thanks to Geoff for all this information and welcome to Bluemoment