I hope Mael Coluim would appreciate this one

[Mael Coluim]

Having showed you the curragh from the 1963 re-enactment now housed in the Nautical Museum in Derry, I thought I would show you some select photos of the curragh Colmcille that was sailed in the 1997 and 2003 Voyage re-enactments.

The curragh belongs to the Causeway Coast Heritage Group in Portrush, N. Ireland. It was made as a curragh of this size 39 feet long would have been in the 6th century with one big difference. The hull then would have been made from alternating layers of skins and pitch. Ours had canvas where there would be skins. A fourth layer was added for our trip.

These photos are from the 2003 voyage that I participated in.

The Colmcille was moved on trailer from its warehouse where it is stored to the Causeway Coast Heritage Group’s boat house. The boat house was once a sea rescue station.



In the boat house a display has been set up to honor the 1997 Voyage.

[Mael Coluim]

Here we have taken her from the trailer and turning her over on her keel to get her to the water.

[Mael Coluim]

Now we are taking her to the water on the rollers.











Launched!

[McELT]

Having only been to sea in a 560 foot long black tube and a 600 foot long gray floating bathtub, I'm amazed that anyone would actually go to sea in that.

Is there any protection from the weather? How many men and how long of a trip did these boats go on?

[Mael Coluim]

Some speculate to North America. The sea was just highway to these Celtic people. Our vessel would have been one of the larger ones with a length of 39 feet. We were a crew of 13 sailing. The curragh rode on top of the water not through it. The hull would flex as we rode over a wave. You could easily puncture the hull with a pen knife. We had to always walk on a wooden cross beams and not step on the hull.

[Mael Coluim]

We had one day of sea trials, and our skipper Robin, sailing her to Balleycastle for our crossing would complete our training.





We had support van that drove along the coast to our next port. Roddy Lightbody, the driver took these excellent photos off the coast at Fairhead.







My wife, Sharon calls the one above “the picture”. It does capture the spirit of the trip. We are off the Cause Way coast at Fairhead point. You can see Scotland in the background.

[Mael Coluim]

Donald McCallum the organizer of this voyage wanted the first landing in Scotland to be at Southend at the eastern tip of the Kintyre. The straight is considered one of the most treacherous areas to navigate.
A storm was coming and Robin thought it best to head for our second port of call, Machrihanish staying on the west of the Kintyre.

We caught high tide at 2:30 PM and departed on St. Columba’s day June 9th.

[Mael Coluim]

The good folks at Southend had postponed their St. Columba services for us. Now we were many miles away. Donald arranged for a bus to meet us on the mainland. We took the ferry over to it.

I’m taking an exemption to show photos of the curragh to show this one as there are kilts in it. Yes there is. They are under the capes.



That evening we slept in the church’s fellowship hall. As we slept the storm hit. Sometime in the night, Robin received word that a fisherman had found our curragh on the rocks. The the strong wind lhad broken the line . The fisherman took her to the soft sands of the beach.

We feared our voyage may be over.

Fortunately the repairs were minor. A few broken ribs repaired by our crewman, John Martin who was a joiner (carpenter) by trade and the islander who we bunked in at our arrival at Gigha. The tears were resewn.











We are underway headed for Crinan.

[Mael Coluim]

Under sail to Crinan. Here is our skipper, Robin Ruddock. Robin is a renown mariner in Ireland. We never doubted his abilities. The Colmcille’s flag is a expanded version of the Bantry Boat that is on a Celtic Cross in Bantry. The carving shows Celtic monks in a curragh.



Upon arrival we tied up to this wharf away from the town.


Later we would move to the lock and tie up for our time here.

[macwilkin]

Mael Coluim,

Could you tell us a bit more about the flag? Being an vexillogist, I love flags and the history behind them.

Regards,

Todd