About Us
The Team
Bells and Thunder
When I was a youngster sailing my model yacht, I often looked out to the river on hearing the thunder of large yachts tacking to windward as their sails shook and flapped before settling down on the new tack. These were the days of Egyptian cotton sailcloth, often a creamy colour, which on fresh days with the yachts well healed would be wet at the sail’s foot with spray. Then mainsails were large with long booms and headsails comparatively small and never to the masthead… Spinnakers too were comparatively small and seldom coloured. But my lasting memory is of the thunder of sails often heard before the yachts came into view. Now this noise is seldom heard from modern terylene sails which seem to flap less noisily and do not show whether they are wet or dry..
Another sound which accompanied the yachts tacking was the bell like ringing of the sheet winch ratchets as the slack of the jib sheets was taken in. I remember sitting with many other yachts in the Kyles in a flat calm on a Corinthian Tarbert race waiting for a breeze when suddenly at the other side of the Kyle a new breeze began to fill in accompanied by the ringing of sheet winches as boat after boat picked it up and began to heel and really slip along in calm water. Oh, the agony of waiting for the new breeze to fill across to us and the other leeward boats. Most of these winches were made by a company called Gibb and were indeed shaped like bells. Today winches are much more high tech with ball races and of course almost silent in operation.
These almost forgotten sounds of my youth contributed to the thrill of the sport which for me is the poorer with their passing.
Nicky Tam
Living the dream
When I was a boy, I was fascinated with the comings and goings of the yachts cruising and racing on the Clyde. My greatest dream and ambition was to sail myself, and eventually, when a teenager, I was thrilled to be asked to crew on a small gaff-rigged wooden boat.
This experience only increased my enthusiasm to sail as often as I could and to see the West Coast. Those who sailed there spoke of places with wonderful names which evoked times past and adventures to come.
Ten years were to pass before I acquired an elderly wooden sloop which took us, in Spartan conditions, to many of these places - and I was not disappointed.
The mountains, islands, lochs and harbours lived up to all I had heard and I began to realise that in a lifetime only a small part of the thousands of miles of indented coastline could be properly explored.
Admittedly it did rain sometimes, but memories of the wet days include the wonderful crystal-clear air when the shower had passed, sparkling water, blue skies, sandy bays and distant views.
Now I am privileged at Portway to help others to sail these magnificent waters, still largely undiscovered by most. The West of Scotland has the scenery, the sheltered waters and the space to sail. We at Portway have the yachts to help you on your way.
Live the dream... just come! - Tom Mowat
TOM MOWAT
... is the senior member of the team. Since 1998, Tom has been involved with the management of Portway while under the previous ownership of the Rhu Marina Group, and earlier ran his own charter boats and business out of Kip marina.
He has many years experience of yacht racing on the Clyde and the West Coast and cruising the western seaboard of Scotland.
CAMERON STILL
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 Cadet Convener at Royal Gourock Yacht Club and has attended the new RYA Keelboat Coaching course. “This course provided me with the RYA’s standards for coaching the cadets at the Club. It is really important for the future of yachting that we get the basics correct”
PAUL MILLS - RYA Yacht Master and RYA Senior Dinghy Instructor
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 MILLS
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.
