The Yachties' Guiding Light

Modern technology has dispensed with the all night oil lamp. The Coll Hotel, however, continues to be the haven of wet and weary seafarers soon to be dry and steaming, in more ways than one, in the seductive snug at the back of the bar.

Also to be found there are 20 years of Sailing Log Books that record many a salty dog tribute to the hospitality of Coll's oldest hostelry. Alastair Oliphant started noting these nautical visitations in May '64 with a neat hand and factual accuracy. By 72 "the Yachties" themselves had started to put eloquent pen to paper and in '81 the first of many graphical embellishments appeared.

An entry, dated Sept. 2 '71 from "Binkie" RC.C. in Log Book No 2 sums up the prevailing wind of appreciation throughout these records. Crew were Mike McMillan, Mervyn Wheatly, Lizzie Goodeough, Mary-Anne (Cuddles!) Laughton. Mervyn Wheatly writes: "Yet another QUIET evening in the Coll Hotel. Alastair's accordion and ship's guitar playing, and everyone's singing increases in tone with liberal dozes of Laphroiag! Crew mutinous as usual, cook's still revolting and weather filthy. If we have to be gale bound, I simply cannot think of a place that I would rather be stuck. . . figuratively speaking, of course."

Oft repeated names were "Eldisa" (the steam puffer that brought in materials for the extension to the hotel), "Wendy Jane", "Iochair" and Boyd Keen's "797" of notorious fame. "797" and "Fairy Wanderer" have regular rendezvous comments throughout. 28th Aug. '71: "Nearly got that Goddam 'Fairy' tonight." 11th Sept. 72: "Missed our dram with F.W." (indicating a somewhat love hate relationship over the years).

"Stormalong 11", "Aerie Faerie", "One Over the Eight" and the Stevenson's (Old Tigh-na-Mara) "Look and See" are but a few of the evocative names to be found thro' the pages.

Several unknown artists are immortalized and our thanks to the ones reproduced here.

Last word, of course, has got to go to Henry, the parrot, late lamented, who suffered more than yachtsmen in his time.

Henry's comments on some landlubbers would be unprintable.

M.H.