LOCH NESS CHARITY SAIL

Guys and gals,

As preliminary organisation has now been made we, as a group ,can give details of an event that I have wanted to do for some years, but have not, until now, had likeminded nutters to join in and make a dream come true.

On Saturday 2nd July, 2011 Dave Forrester (aka Nunber 6) Russel Procter (aka 6705Russell) , Mike Pendlebury ( aka Gribeauvil) and myself neil (nhp651) plan to sail some "toy boats" the full length of Loch Ness [ 22.5 miles] in the Highlands of Scotland, from the south of the Loch to the northern end finishing at Langend. This decision was made because of the prevailing winds coming from the north and west, and as such the models that we are going to sail will be very well equipped to take any reasonable weather that the highlands in July could throw at us.

We will be sailing three specially built 1:12 scale models of the Clyde class lifeboats, and these measure 71" LOA. The build logs for 70- 001 and 70- 003 can be seen in the lifeboat section on this site,here http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=28564.msg281168;boardseen#new and here, http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=26813.0 Hopefully Dave will be bringing a large lifeboat that he is working on at the moment to make up the flotilla of four lifeboats......would make a nice sight.

We all have our own reasons for supporting our charities, and we four are no different. My life was saved from drowning as an 8 year old boy by a Fleetwood lifeboat man, and this is a debt that I can never repay, but I can but try.

We have now had written permission from the British Waterways Highland division to sail our models up Loch Ness ( usually a craft of 6' and over has to be licenced ) and have been offered and accepted the help from Ian Milne of the Loch Ness Sea Scouts who, for a very modest contribution to fuel, are attending with a 6.5 mtre RIB and their Loch cruiser for comfort breaks.

Also a very kind gentleman who owns a full size ex Rother Class lifeboat has said that he would be delighted to escort our flotilla up the loch if not working away on that date. His name is Alasdair McClean.

Scotland division RNLI based in Perth have said that they will lias with Loch Ness RNLI for their attendance on the day call outs permitting, and press coverage and hopefully local TV coverage of some sort, to the North west is also being negotiated.

Not only will we be braving each other's company for a weekend, being stuck on a small boat for 6 hours but also the chance of glaring looks from a disgruntled NESSIE and midges that tend to hang around like a bad smell at that time of year.........SO WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT, AND PLENTY OF IT PLEASE.

To support our cause you can either send a cheque made out to the RNLI and dated 2nd July 2011,[pm any member for their postal address] or pledge on line at Justgiving.com at this link.

Hopefully the page to the link will be up and running within the next couple of days.

May I point out at this juncture that we as a group and singularly,will be meeting ALL out of pocket expenses from our own personal funds, AND NOT from any pledges made. ALL money donated will 100% go to the RNLI


So if any of you are in the area of Loch Ness and would give half an hour of your time with an RNLI donation bucket at any of the well visited visitor centres around Loch Ness, then please get in touch....we sure could do with your collecting skills.

Cheers, on behalf of the team and thankyou for your support.

http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail

Neil.

HERE IS OUR POSTER

that's right mate.it's too big for me to handle on my own, too big to store anywhere andwould take up far too much room in my workshop, so it's for sale once the run is over, complete with all 14 sets of batteries, two receivers and 3 electronize speed controllers[ i have put extras in for back up on the loch]

there's a lot of kit and work gone into it so would want a decent price....or would swap for an old british motor cycle or a two seater soft top mx5/mg roadster etc.

if anyone fancies taking it on for perhaps a cross chaanel bash next year, lol

And here is anb invitation to all modellers, especially those who are close to Loch Ness to come and join us as we get to the finishing point at DOCHGARROCH.

You ARE all welcome.
neil.

Sorry Neil I accidently gave your post a negative vote please ignore it.

Mat

's salright matey,
on the last site before it was disabled rich had minus 143 led only by dickyd who had minus 155.

so i've a long way to go before i reach those sanguid lows,

Well chaps and chappesses,

Two weeks today we will hopefully be half way up Loch Ness.

The boats are all well prepared, batteries charged bilge pumps primed and tucker bags packed ready for our picknicks.

Russ will hopefully be sending back some photos on his i phone and if we have wi fi in the hotel, from his i pad so that anyone interested can keep in touch with what is going on.

We have confirmation that the Loch Ness Sea Scouts and RNLI will be in support of us, as well as Alasdair MacLean with his ex RNLI Rother class lifeboat and numerous press publications will be following our progress as long as they don't have bigger stories to carry at the time.

The RNLI are putting on two stalls at both start and finishing places ( Fort Augustus and Dochgarroch respectively ) and we have circulated the event with the help of the RNLI and Fort Augustus community council in the Inverness and Loch ness/ fort Augustus area, asking for both local and other support with a special request for model boaters in the area to come and join us in our arrival at Dochgarroch. So Please come and join us. Weather permitting we will also be crossing the loch to have a sail around the bay ar Dores, where there is a fine country pub...hopefully with a nice pint to set us on our way.

We will also be calling in at Urquhart Bay under the gaize of the Ruins of Urquhart Castle for a "pit stop" two thirds the way up Loch Ness.

Lets all just hope for nice calm weather.

As it is getting close now we as a team would please ask you all to dig deep in your pockets and either donate on line to theis worthwhile event in aid of the RNLI at http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail or send a cheque to me made out to the RNLI ( please pm me for my home address ) and dated 02/07/2011. Please do not send cash to my address and let us make this a donation to help equippe the lads and lasses of the RNLI with much needed lifesaving gear.

one last thing.......... I shall be sailing on 40 meg, frequencies : 40.665 and/or 40.715 (Am taking spares as a continguency) and would be most appreciative if anyone coming to sail on the day would keep those two frequencies free.

many thanks for your support

On behalf of the team, neil.

Well, IT'S JUST NOT FAIR.............after all this effort and organisation these two guys ARE JUST NOT entering into the spirit of things......not a kilt nor a captains cap to be seen anywhere...and they arrived on my doorstep this morning wanting bacon butties and coffee...............I ASK YOU!!!!!

Anyway the boats are packed and theuy are on their way.

Mind you, Russ is pooooping his pants after I had told him that NESSIE had been sighted last sunday by two locals...perhaps she's taken a fancy to Russ's turkey drumstick legs in his shorts.

Oh well, lads, good luck and enjoy the trip......Wish I were there with you, ( that's another story for another day)


and off they go into the wilds of Highland Scotland.




























and off they go!

After all that work,your not going Neil?

yep....gutted.
last saturday 01.45 hours we were rushing my 14 year old daughter into hospital with a suspected asthma attack.she couldn't breath.
anyway, after tests, it was found that she was suffering anxiety panic attacks.... and has continued to suffer them nightly all this week.
when we all came down to it she finally let it all out that she was petrified that daddy wasn't coming back from loch ness and that she had been having nightmares for weeks about it all.
family and health come first, and after speaking with mike, russ and dave it was felt that dave could do just as good a job with my boat as i could, so he has taken it up there, and they'll keep in touch on the lap top.....they've been sat by the loch side in the last hour at flat calm water and wondering just what the **** i've got them in to. lol

Very sorry to hear that mate,my best wishes to you and the family and I hope that she gets well soon.

I can only add my best wishes to you and your family Neil and hope your daughter soon recovers.

To the lads at Loch Ness, don't worry Nessy is real friendly. sometimes

Mat

Cheers for your concern lads,

she seems to be getting over what ever caused the problem......they last for a shorter period every time, and ALWAYS happen in the middle of the night.
a cuddle and re assurance and she settles down well enough.the first one last saturday lasted 10 minutes or so, and she felt very frightened for the rest of thew night...last night it was over and done with in about 30 seconds........but i certainly couldn't have left her and for that matter my wife to cope with it on her own whilst i swanned around enjoying myself as though nothing was wrong, and the other lads appreciated that, i hope.
but at least i had had a hand in organising an unusual event, and just hope it raises a wodge of dosh for the RNLI.
IF ANYone still wants to donate.....please do it here. http://www.justgiving.com/lochnessscalesail
cheers, neil,

Neil,

Very sorry to hear about your daughter, I do hope that she continues her improvement and recovers fully soon. As you rightly say, family always come first. There will be other projects I am sure which you will be able to attend and enjoy. I sincerely wish all that take part at Loch Ness a very successful and safe time and thank you for all you do for the RNLI it is very much appreciated.

Chris.

Neil,

Sorry to hear about your daughters problem, but I am sure that she will make a full and speedy recovery, now that she knows you are in no danger.

As you so rightly say, family must come first, at all times.
I am sure that the other lads appreciate your position, and will bring the project to a successful conclusion.

All the best to everyone, and I hope that the weather holds good for the day.

Peter

Good on you Neil and I am sure that with the kind of support you are giving, your baby, cos that is what she is, will make a full recovery. Well done to you..

Best wishes to you and your family, Neil. I hope your daughter gets better soon.

To the guy's undertaking the adventure; I wish them ... 'Fair winds and a following sea' ...

here are the guys on the pontoon at the start of the slog up Loch ness..23 miles of it.

weather couldn't be better and a calm loch for a sail.
Russ and mike's boats already in the water, mine on the pontoon....they don't look so big now, lol

Nice pic neil,keep em coming matey

sadly chaps, after one hour into the sail my computor hard drive cracked up and i was in the dark except for text messages from the lads.
how ever the whole tail of "woe" hasa now been put onto mayhem for all to read.

however i can tell you all that even though it was loch ness 3 model lifeboats 0 i have today been totting up all that we have raised, and total actual raised is just over £2400 and pledges are just over £500 but these might change a little once all those sponsor forms i sent out, finally come it.

so many thanks to all who supported us, and if you still wish to, we still accept cheques or just giving donations..please contact me if you want to send anything.

thanksa to you all for supporting this "hairbrained" event as some annonimouis plonker once discribed it as, lol