May Fife McCallum - Fast and Bonnie: History of William Fife and Son, Yachtbuilders

Fast
and
Bonnie

To the memory of
my mother and father

A History of
William Fife and Son
Yachtbuilders

MAY FIFE McCALLUM

This edition published in 2022 by
Origin, an imprint of
Birlinn Limited
West Newington House
10 Newington Road
Edinburgh EH9 1QS

www.birlinn.co.uk

First published in 1998 by
John Donald Publishers

Copyright May Fife McCallum 1998, 2002 and 2022

Illustrations and photographs courtesy of the author unless stated otherwise.

The right of May Fife McCallum to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical or photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN 978 178885 563 1

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Typesetting and origination by Geethik Technologies
Printed and bound by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow

CHAPTER ONE
The Beginning

CHAPTER TWO
Parker, the Proa Man

CHAPTER THREE
Uphill Struggle

CHAPTER FOUR
Establishment

CHAPTER FIVE
The Golden Age of Yachting

CHAPTER SIX
Friends and Rivals

CHAPTER SEVEN
New and Old Generations

CHAPTER EIGHT
Down Under

CHAPTER NINE
The Golden Age

CHAPTER TEN
The Auld Mug

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Clyde Matters

CHAPTER TWELVE
The Metre Classes

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The First World War and the Aftermath

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Six-Metre Class

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Balderston Fife

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cruising and Racing

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Twilight

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sunset

CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Craftsmen

CHAPTER TWENTY
The Fife Regatta

APPENDIX I
Types of Wood Used in the Building of Mariella

APPENDIX II
Labour Costs for Building Mariella, Yard No. 824 (1938)

APPENDIX III
Yardlist

Nearly forty years ago, while working on a floating restaurant on the Forth and Clyde Canal, I first met the author. Little then did I know of her enthusiasm for all things maritime, her family connections or her knowledge of Ayrshires most famous yacht builders. Now I am director of the Scottish Maritime Museum I appreciate all the work that she has undertaken to ensure a greater knowledge of maritime heritage and in particular of this famous Fairlie yacht builder.

The first and second editions of Fast and Bonnie have been used by every curator at the Scottish Maritime Museum and have been the main reference for countless exhibitions in Irvine, Scotland and around the world. This updated edition will be as equally valuable to coming generations of museum professionals, historians, sailors and enthusiasts alike. Over the last thirty years Mays work at the museum cataloguing and interpreting all things Fife has been invaluable. This book brings that knowledge and her family history together.

There are more Fife yachts restored to their original condition today, either sailing or on display in museums, acknowledging the enduring appreciation and enthusiasm for their superb design and build. There is also an increasing number of replicas being built, ensuring that the name of William Fife and Son will be enshrined in the history of Fairlie, Ayrshire and around the world.

David Mann

Director, Scottish Maritime Museum

February 2022

Sketch of Viola from Benoit Leman, Peintre Officiel du Yacht Club de Monaco.

My earliest recollections of yachting date back to one balmy summer day in 1938. While playing on the beach at Fairlie I became aware that a large number of sailing boats were drifting majestically down Fairlie Roads towards a buoy which marked the Tan, a channel between the islands of Little and Great Cumbrae. Like graceful swans, they seemed to fill my small horizon and left a lasting memory.

Of course I was aware that yachts were built on the street where I lived. I had seen them being launched but they were inanimate wooden hulls which slid or more often had to be helped into the water at high tide. I went to school with the children of the men who built these craft and my grandmother was a member of the family who designed them. At that time I did not realise that this was perhaps one of the last sights of a gathering of such large yachts.

As I grew up my interest in sailing and the Fife yard developed. A family of three generations of designers and builders had given the world some of its most beautiful yachts, yet no one had recorded its history. Countless tales circulated about the yard and the boats built there. Some of them were false. I felt the record had to be put straight, and the true story recorded, as a lasting tribute to the three Williams.

The story is told in a matter of fact way. The Fifes were down-to-earth practical men, and flowery descriptions have been left to the writers of articles for the yachting press.

I have endeavoured to check all available sources of information and hope that the resulting story will interest anyone who loves sailing, and in particular anyone who has sailed or owned a Fife yacht.

The gathering of information for this book has taken many years and I am indebted to the people who have taken the time and trouble to provide me with material.

I am indebted to Mrs Jan Howard, the late Miss Ruth Swann, Mr John Swann and Miss Elspeth Swann for information and family photographs, and to Mrs M. Crowthurst for reminiscences.

Grateful thanks are due to the many correspondents in the UK and further afield who have enlarged the picture, namely, Mr Norris Bryson USA, Daina Fletcher and Kevin Jones of the Australian Maritime Museum Sydney, John Bilsey of Wollongong NSW, Bruce Stannard Australia, Mr D. Geaves for information on Fiona, Les Amis de Noirmoutier, Mr Terry Needham Belfast, Mr David Loomas, Mr Christopher Temple, Adepar St Malo, Monica Krzyzanowski and Grant Willoughby for photograph of the Bute Fifes, Bill Hamilton for Bute Fife family history and Sarah Goldie of Largs Historical Society.

In the village of Fairlie thanks are due to the late James Boag senior, the late Duncan, John and Archibald McMillan. I am also grateful to Miss Kate McMillan, John McFie, Sandy Neilands and John French.

Much of the material was obtained from archives and libraries and I wish to thank the staff of the following institutions for their kind assistance: the director and staff of the Scottish Maritime Museum Irvine, members of the Largs Historical Society, Dr William Lindt and Duncan Winning of the Ballast Trust, staff at Custom House Greenock, staff at the Mitchell Library, City of Glasgow Council Libraries and Archives, staff at Glasgow University Business Archive, staff at the Scottish Record Office, staff at the Liverpool Picton and Brown Memorial Library, Ann Dennison at the Harris Library Preston, staff at the Northumberland County Council Registrars Office, Mrs Alison Roberts, archivist at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club, and former archivist Iain McAllister, the Earl of Glasgow for permission to examine archives of Kelburn Estate and to Mrs Irene Innes for assistance.