Three Macleans in a Boat
"You don't know a thing about boats" was my wife's reaction - very true of course. Lt. Col. Donald Maclean had just invited me to join him on his yacht to cross the Atlantic, and he was very persuasive, - I would learn all I needed on the job! Robin Maclean, Laird of Ardgour, who had also been press-ganged, and I joined the yacht 'Corrie of Clyde' at Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and so the journey started.
Donald and his sailing partner Fergus Clarkson have been planning a three year cruise around the world for some time. They will stay on the boat, but a number of 'volunteers' will join the ship's company at various stages. The schedule is Westabout across the Atlantic to the West Indies. Following a couple of months cruising in the Caribbean the route continues via the Panama canal and several Pacific islands to New Zealand. After a haul-out in Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin will be visited, before crossing the Indian Ocean to South Africa. Finally 'Corrie' will return to the Clyde via St. Helena and the Azores.
Donald and Fergus had already sailed 'Corrie' from her home in the Clyde, via Gibraltar, to Radazul on Tenerife, when Robin and I joined them for the Atlantic crossing to Antigua. (With three MacLeans on board, this trip began to look like an unofficial sub-committee of the Association - certainly there were many discussions of Clan affairs!). Donald met us at the airport, and we were immediately put to work. An unbelievable amount of equipment and stores cluttered the deck, but by lunchtime the next day (16th Nov. '96) everything was stowed and secured. One moment we were enjoying a quiet lunchtime beer, the next, sail covers were removed and we were off!