Excellence in Galvanizing
Scottish Galvanizers is making waves after lending a helping hand to a club looking to bring coastal rowing back to Scottish communities.
The Glasgow-based plant has galvanized steel used to build two trailers that have enabled St Ayles Rowing Club to play a leading role in a nationwide campaign to publicise coastal rowing.
The Anstruther-based group used the 15 by 4 ft trailers built by engineering firm Miller of Crail to transport their two St Ayles skiffs, Chris o’ Kanaird and St Ayles, around the country to take part in a series of regattas, fundraisers and events held as part of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project, an initiative which is backed by the Scottish Fisheries Museum.
Launched in November 2009, the project aims to bring back competitive rowing and boat building to Scottish coastal communities. Teams are able to purchase ready-to-assemble kits costing around £3,000, which enable them to build a 22 ft long St Ayles Skiff vessel, which holds four rowers and a coxswain, and is based on a design by Iain Oughtred.
Nearly 100 boats have already been sold throughout Scotland, with strong interest in the concept also coming from USA, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands.
Trisha Bone, Secretary of St Ayles Rowing Club, said: “We’d like to thank the team at Scottish Galvanizers for helping to finish our two trailers. They’ve enabled us to transport our boats up and down the country to a number of exciting events during the past few months, with regattas held not just here in Anstruther, but also in coastal towns such as South Queensferry, Dunbar, Greenock, Stornoway, and North Berwick.”
Paul Tait, Commercial Manager of Scottish Galvanizers, commented: “It’s been fascinating to learn about the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project and it’s great to see that it has proved such a hit with coastal communities. Some of the core principles behind the project, such as teamwork, friendship, and working together for the common good, transcend the sport of rowing and will have an extremely positive impact on the communities involved.”