Afternoon of Saturday, April 7th – Boat Jumble at Islay Marine Centre. More details to follow on the website soon..

Islay Marine Centre staff are busy doing the pre-season checks on boats that have been in winter storage and getting them ready for launching. Our boatyard facilities comprise of a newly upgraded, secure compound which can provide on-shore, all year round storage for up to 60 boats. For more details on our boatyard facilities, including how to book winter storage and copies of our terms and conditions, click here visit our Boat Storage/Services page on our website.

The photo of the boat in the water, on the left hand side, is the first StormAngler for 2012 which will be fitted with a Yamaha 9.9 hp. The yellow boat in the photo to the right is the Tope Hunter 5.9, still under construction and which will be fitted with a NEW Yamaha 50 hp four stroke engine.

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FREEBIRD OF CADGWITH, one of our TOPE HUNTERS, can be seen being launched from the beach and motoring off in the opening shots of the first episode of a forthcoming TV series based around the fishing village of Cadgwith, South Cornwall. Steve Holyer, skipper of the Freebird of Cadgwith kindly emailed us to let us know of the appearance of his boat at the start of a six x 1 hour series, every week beginning on Wednesday 29th February at 8.00pm on BBC2. Thank you Steve! The series features Monty Halls as he learns how to fish on an inshore fishing boat. Although the series is based on the constraints and pressures facing the inshore fishing fleet, it also shows that in a tight knit community commercial fishing and angling can survive in harmony. For example it features Cadgwith's well known fortnightly single species boat competition where each competition targets a single pre-determined species. The series will show many of the commercial fishermen enjoying taking part in this very competitive event, (and helping to swell the prize money). Cadgwith also hold an annual fishing festival for charity which is for anglers only. Photos of typical catches from Cadgwith can be seen on www.hdsac.co.uk

A Job vacancy has arisen at StormCats for an exciting new 12 month project. The vacancy is for a recent graduate to lead on a marketing role for their new eco-friendly “Stormpod” prototype. StormCats has just designed and is in the process of construction of its first StormPod, a GRP made “pod” for holiday accommodation. The 12 month project will involve:
•Creating a production cost analysis of the pod, using different style pod designs. This will involve designing a costing system, including an employee time recording method and a cost structure template for the design and manufacture of “pods”.
•Producing a marketing plan for the “pods” and implementing it. This will include conducting extensive market research and producing a report on expected price, promotion methods, and prospective markets.
•New website design, enhancement and expansion.
For further information please Click Here

This post is part of the TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme and part funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and European Regional Development Fund.

There is 15% off all current stock this month at our Chandlery in Lagavulin, Islay!

Special bargains:
NEW Tohatsu 25 hp short shaft - was £2240, now £2,000
New Yamaha 5 hp short shaft - was £1,275, now £1,050
Honda 5 hp 2007 model £450
4.8 mtr inflatable in excellent order £500
Indispension coaster swing - was £1,340 now £1,200

New Stock Arriving this month for 2012:
2 x Yamaha 4hp long shaft
1 x 9.9 hp Yamaha electric start
2 x Yamaha 3.5 hp long shaft
2 x 50hp Yamaha four stroke.


The following items can be purchased from our NEW ONLINE CHANDLERY
Please order early if required in time for Christmas!

Icom - IC-M411 - Combined DSC/VHF Marine Transceiver
The IC-M411 is a compact, waterproof VHF/DSC radio that is ideal for small boats or where space is at a premium. This model features a large speaker grille, which gives excellent audio quality. The buttons and display have been designed to be easy to see in poor lighting conditions. Price: £166 CLICK HERE to order online.

Garmin GPSMAP-551
The GPSMAP 551 is a compact chartplotter that features an ultra-bright 5” QVGA colour display along with an improved high-speed digital design for increased map drawing and panning speeds.It’s ready to go with an easy-to-use interface and a built-in, satellite-enhanced basemap preloaded with marine charts for the UK and Ireland. £510 only! CLICK HERE to order online.

New McMurdo FASTFIND Satellite Personal Location Beacon (PLB).
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you fell over board and there was no-one to rescue you? The FASTFIND PLB provides confidence that when activated it will contact the world's professional search and rescue services directly. It does so by transmitting 2 signals simultaneously, one to the global 406 MHz satellite system and the other (121.5MHz) is a homing signal designed to speed up the local recovery response process. MAX RRP £349. STORMCATS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL £275. CLICK HERE to order online.

These photos show our boat hoisting and storage facilities in action. These facilities have been upgraded this year to provide a new boat hoist and an upgraded, secure compound which can provide all year round storage for up to 60 boats. To download a copy of our price list and terms and conditions, including a booking form, please click here

StormCats has been busy using its fibreglass skills to manufacture fibreglass roofs - which are perfect for the wet & windy Islay weather. This month, Gus and the team have fibreglassed three flat roofs, completed a tailor-made project for one of the distilleries and have another two projects on the go. StormCats team have attended a roof-it-all fibreglassing course to give them the expertise.

13-14th August 2011 saw the Annual Islay Tope Fishing Competition, starting from Bowmore Harbour. Unfortunately, due to adverse weather and the amount of freshwater in the loch, the Tope stayed away! Here are some pictures anyway.. Many thanks to all the competitors and sponsors of the event. Better luck next year!

A very successful Islay marine centre boat Jumble, Islay's first, and a beautiful day to go with it.
Many folk grabbed a bargain - we will do it again!