... commenced life as a franchise of Portway Yacht Charters Ltd, an operation set up by Alan Porter who was an agent for Dufour yachts on the south coast of England. Franchises were established in the UK and in Europe and Turkey which in the early days had fleets comprised mostly of Dufour and Gib Sea yachts. Rhu Marina on the Clyde took an agency selling these yachts and when in 1998 they took a Portway Franchise, Tom Mowat joined them to manage the charter yachts.
The franchise business was wound up in 2001 when most of the companies involved continued to trade under different names but several, including the Clyde base, continued the name but not the Franchise. When in 2005 Rhu marina decided to sell the business it was purchased by Cameron Still and Tom Mowat who have since operated from Kip Marina on the Clyde and Craobh marina 20 miles south of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland..
With most charters now on the west coast Paul Mills and his wife Jill have joined Portway as associates and have brought with them their own yachts and an interest in the small marina at Ballachulish. They attend to most of the charter arrangements at Craobh and when necessary at Ballachulish. In 2011, Paul intends to establish an RYA base for sail training with a base also for power boat training at Ballachulish.
... the senior member of the team, has been sailing for about 50 years, mostly on the Clyde where he raced a variety of yachts, and on the west coast taking part in the Clyde Cruising Club events and in West Highland week, as well as cruising with his family and long suffering wife.
Over his sailing life Tom owned many yachts including Loch Longs, a Scottish Islander, an eight metre cruiser racer, and a succession of GRP yachts, many of them named Caitlin. Following on the tradition, Caitlin VI, belonging to Cameron Still, is one of the Portway charter yachts.
Tom had been involved with Charter yachts for about twenty five years and had run his own charter company at Kip Marina since 1993. Some of his first customers at Kip are still chartering with Portway today.
Cameron,Tom’s son-in-law, is now doing the things Tom did 30 years ago and is racing on the Clyde and South Coast. He owns a yacht which is one of our charter fleet.
Cameron has been sailing for 30 years, cutting his teeth as a student looking after a Swan 46 and has many years of International Yacht racing experience. He is currently the Honorary Sailing Secretary at Royal Gourock Yacht Club and in the process of resurrecting Yacht Racing on the West Patch of the Clyde. Cameron spends most of his time on the shores of many dinghy events supporting his youngest son Alex who is in the Scottish Laser Squad on an intense programme for the Youth Championships in Largs in 2012.
Paul has been sailing in dinghies and yachts since he was a small boy. From getting his first experience on a keel boat at age five to sailing in dinghies with the scouts through his teenage years and thereafter crewing in regattas such as the Scottish Series or Tomatin trophy, as it was then.
In the early 90’s Paul ran his own RYA sailing school from Onich in the West Highlands and now works for the MOD as a civil servant. Boring title with an adventurous flip side. Paul now trains all three services to become Mountain guides, Ski Instructors, Canoe and Kayak guides and instructors as well as lead expeditions in Europe and North America as well as further afield on occasion.
Paul holds most of the top level coaching and leadership awards in the UK for Mountaineering, Skiing and Canoe Sport and is passionate about coaching and helping people learn, achieve their peak performance and personal goals.
Sailing is a personal as well as a family pleasure which mixes adventure and relaxation with friends as well as giving new challenges. Paul enjoys yacht charter as it allows him to spend time with boats and give those with similar passions for sailing in Scotland the opportunities to enjoy the West Coast.
Paul is married to Jill has two children Erin 13 and Ruaridh 12 both in the RYA West of Scotland sailing squad, no doubt better than their parents already and destined for higher things!
Jill is currently working as a Principal Teacher in Lochaber High School in Fort William. She is Commodore of Glencoe Boat Club and runs the local Community Sailing project.
Jill enjoys skiing, sewing and sailing, spends most of her spare time doing all of these activities. She is an Assistant Dinghy Instructor and works alongside Glencoe club members to train, encourage and develop the sailing skills of the local community. Her own children now sail in the Scottish West Squad in fevas, toppers and optimists.
Along with friends and family, Jill has spent time over the last 6 years visiting the islands and coasts around the West of Scotland. As a family they have sailed to Ireland, as well as racing in West Highland Week, Round Mull and in the regattas in Oban, Glencoe and Lochaber. One summer saw the family with the Classic Malt Cruise visiting Islay, Skye and Jura to name a few places.
Jill sails with her family where she finds she is all of mum, wife, galley queen and sailor. She enjoys the whole experience but feels she is always on the lookout for others and now wants to enjoy her sailing for herself, without the worry of children or having non-sailing jobs to do! Jill wants to develop her own qualifications in a female only environment where she can be encouraged by like minded women.
