During lockdown, we’re giving you the chance to meet some of our hugely valued volunteers with our daily spotlight, ‘Meet the OYTS volunteers.’
Today’s volunteer: Alan McLachlan
⛵ Q: How long have you been a volunteer with OYTS and what is your role as a volunteer?
A: I have been a volunteer with OYTS since 2014 as a watch leader, not as often as I would like.
⛵ Q: What and with whom was your first sailing experience and what made you come back for more?
A: Geography Teacher from Cumnock Academy took us out in his yacht moored in Troon Harbour in the early 1970’s (long before marinas)and then sailed with the Ocean Youth Club Scotland on Taikoo. Always loved the buzz of sailing, took up dinghy sailing at Strathclyde Park when I got my first job in the 1982.
⛵ Q: Proudest or most memorable sailing moment?
A: I did a delivery sail from Greece to Croatia in April 1999, after booking the trip the area became a war zone in Kosovo, we sailed through the NATO Members Fleet and could see bombing in the mountains, scariest time was when during the night Italian ferries seamed to be heading straight for us!
⛵ Q: What made you start volunteering with OYT Scotland?
A: I had managed a youth project in Renfrew in the late 80’s/early 90’s and through the project I had become a volunteer mate on the East End Endeavor. I had seen OYT Challenge Yachts at the Tall Ships Race in Greenock and decided to volunteer to help young people to get the same chance that I did.
⛵ Q: If you were a boat, what kind of boat would you be and why?
A: I would be a Cutlas 27, low tech, solid, easy to jump off onto a pontoon, sea kindly, but not very easy to steer in reverse.