Perseverance Pays Off

Based on an interview with Roy Barrie

Roy and Elaine Barrie are the proud owners of Coll's first licensed chartered vessel. What started off as their desire to simply upgrade their own personal boat developed into a project that would see Roy taking 5 weeks of courses at the Firth of Lorne Sea School, travelling to the Southampton Boat Show, and more form filling than you thought possible. As Roy said, it was a "more complicated and long drawn out process than I ever imagined".

The boat itself, named MV Perseverance originated in Seattle, America. Weighing in at 2.5 tonnes and measuring 22 feet in length, it cost a cool £40,000. Roy was happy to receive the support of Argyll and Islands Enterprise to the tune of £13,000. With its 3.7 litre Yamaha Turbo Diesel engine, the boat can speed along at up to 26 knots and is licensed to carry 5 passengers. MV Perseverance also boasts a hydraulic stabiliser system. By Roy's description, this means that "when you all rush to one side of the boat to look at a whale, I can compensate at the touch of a button".

After final surveys and certification by the Department of Transport and the Maritime Coastguard Agency, at the end of July MV Perseverance set out to the Cairns of Coll on its maiden chartered voyage.

Available for anything from sea angling, mini-cruises or use as a water taxi to Tiree, most folk are keen to spend their time on board watching for whales, dolphins and seals. Last summer Roy hosted family fishing competitions, a picnic for two, and an RSPB film crew on the look out for basking sharks at Gunna Sound.

While out on the water, skipper Roy is in constant contact with the coastguard, and also regularly communicates with local fishing boats and other vessels, such as the Alpha Beta (the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust's boat) to exchange information on cetacean sitings. This level of co-operation is mirrored on the shore. On one extreme low tide last year Roy sought the assistance of Coll's piermaster, John Wheeler James, to lower the ramp at the new pier to allow a seafaring OAP to disembark safely.

Whether you want to see your first Minke Whale, spot a pod of porpoises or just get up close and personal with some seals, MV Perseverance is a great asset to the visitors and boatless inhabitants of Coll.