The Journey

The allure of Scotland's waterways has grown irresistible for two hearty canal boat skippers, Bev Schofield and Jimmy MacFarlane.  In spring of 2012 they'll set sail on a three month excursion taking in all the canals of Scotland, via the west coast.  This blog will follow their progress, from their preparations through to their journey's end.  Along the way we'll discover what motivates Bev and Jimmy, we’ll meet the canal system’s colourful characters and passengers, we'll explore its history as a vital transport and trade route, and we'll encounter the natural beauty, industrial landscapes and sense of freedom that are particular to this nearly bygone means of travel.
 
Peccadillo is a delightful steel barge that has seen 18 years of happy boating on Scotland's lowland canals, offering an unusual perspective for viewing the urban and rural landmarks of the central belt.  She’s the only commercial barge in use west of Falkirk.  Bev is Peccadillo's owner, skipper, administrator and mechanic. Originally from Zimbabwe, she's a seafaring writer with an enduring passion for Scotland's waterways, and for the meandering lifestyle of the 'livaboard.' With Bev at the helm, Peccadillo will take in all five of Scotland’s canals in one journey, as well as gathering waters from 16 lochs, 13 rivers, 5 firths and 2 seas.

Archie Rennie, Davie Waterson, Jimmy McFarlane

The Wee Spark is a working diesel replica of a Scottish 'puffer', scaled down to one-third size.  Jimmy is Wee Spark's 72 year old owner, builder and skipper. A Glesga heating engineer by trade, Jimmy’s true calling is boatbuilding, and he’s spent all of his life learning the craft.  He and his wife lived on a canal boat at Bowling for their first 7 years of marriage, moving into a house on land only when their first child was born.  They named him Peter, after the puffer captain in The Tales of Para Handy by Neil Munro.

Jimmy himself could have stepped straight off the pages of these much loved stories, with his own fathomless repertoire of anecdotes from that ephemeral place known as Doon the Watter.  No doubt we’ll hear many of them as the journey proceeds, over a dram or two of the finest from Jimmy’s onboard supply. And his ageing crew of fellow die-hard waterway buffs will likely offer up their own fond renditions of some classic canal shanties along the way.  But there are some concessions to modernity.  Wee Spark being diesel-powered, Jimmy gets his puff by burning the odd sock in a coal stove.
       
Peccadillo will set off from Edinburgh to sail along the Lowland Canals: Forth & Clyde, Union and Glasgow Arm.  With the Wee Spark she’ll strike out from Bowling to cross the Firth of Clyde.  At Greenock, Wee Spark will stay behind, not having the horsepower (or insurance!) for the open sea.  Peccadillo will carry on past the Kyles of Bute to  the Crinan Canal, and make her way north among the western isles.  All being well she’ll reach the Caledonian Canal at Fort William via Neptune’s Staircase.  From here she’ll take the stunning journey to finish in Inverness.

Preparations have taken years, with considerable work still under way to make Peccadillo seaworthy.  Navigating canal boats on the open sea is no small feat, and the rough waters off the west coast could prove particularly challenging.  Bev has taken a Day Skipper course and left breathing room in the schedule to wait for the acceptable weather, but Peccadillo will be at the mercy of the elements, manoeuvring through tricky currents for this penultimate leg of the trip.
         
The essence of this odyssey is the journey for journey’s sake, reviving a past way of life.  A century ago, Edinburgh’s well-to-do would spend weeks going west along the Forth & Clyde canal, up the River Leven to Loch Lomond, coaching across to the Tay and sailing down the east coast back to Auld Reekie.  A fleet of Glasgow steamers ferried day trippers to beauty spots such as Craigmarloch to enjoy tea and scones canalside. Thousands lined the quays at Greenock to watch the paddle steamers race headlong towards the pier, each crew trying to get their line ashore first, to pick up their load of Rothesay holiday makers.  Puffers and barges crowded the canal system and Scotland’s coastal waters, transporting everything from coal to cattle.


The waterways have played a major role in Scotland’s identity, culture and industry, yet they are surprisingly under-used today.  The lowland canals have been open for 10 years but relatively few boats move on them, and the further reaches of the Firth of Clyde, the full splendour of the West Coast, are enjoyed by yachts and select gin palaces. Jimmy and Bev hope to inspire other sailors to lift anchor. Indeed, they’re confident more vessels will join them at various stages of their journey, particularly the sail across the Firth of Clyde.


For Jimmy, the trip is the kind of adventure that every 72 year old young-at-heart sailor dreams about, but he’s actually doing it. The journey is also a fitting tribute to his late friend Archie Rennie, who helped build the Wee Spark. Jimmy wants to pass his design and construction skills on to younger boaters, and wants to see more scaled-down puffers built for Scotland’s canals, to ensure this charming tradition does not fade away forever.

For Bev, the challenges and pleasures of navigating unfamiliar routes are heightened by her determination to live life to the full after a serious illness. Thrown overboard by late stage ovarian cancer in 2007, in her somewhat miraculous recovery Bev’s appetite for the pure magic of being alive has come to the fore, and become infectious. A family of enthusiasts, The Peccadillo People, are getting stuck in with fundraising, repairs and crewing.  Peccadillo has become Bev’s lifeboat.

Some Links:
Peccadillo’s website
Article about Wee Spark, Jimmy and Archie
Wee Spark on The Forth & Clyde Canal (4 minute video)
Peccadillo & Wee Spark returning to Bowling from Tall Ships 2011 (2.5 minute video)