50 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com APRIL 2016
A BOOK AT BUNK TIME
The Log of the
Blue Dragon,
1892-1904 was
written by
C C Lynam and
published by AH
Bullen, London
in 1907. Second
hand copies are
available onlineA crew finds their yacht
holed and sunk in port
Charles Lynam’s yawl Blue Dragon is holed while her skipper is away walking on the isle of Skye
the starboard leg had been
forced up and a great hole
made in the top and second
planks. Skipper baled her
out whilst the bosun tried to
repair damage; but it was an
awkward job as the gunwale
was under water in the pool.
Then we waited till the tide
began to fl ow. Soon we saw
that the repairs were of little
use. The water poured in, the
night was dark, our lantern
was unfi xable, and for two
long hours we toiled. First one
and then the other baled with
the bucket, standing up to
our knees in the water, baling
out fl oating candles, cigars,
biscuits, leaves of books, etc.
The yacht being right on her
beam ends, the pump would
not work until the water had
risen a great height inside,
then one pumped whilst the
other baled. The skipper was
almost done, but the bosun
did double spells with the
bucket. The water still gained.
It was frantic, back-breaking,
heart-breaking work fi lling
the bucket in the angles and
corners of the cabin top, listing
it high overhead and chucking
its contents over the side; at
last, almost at the end of ourW
e stayed a day
stormbound
at Broadford.
Then ran
to Pabba,
landed, and got specimens
of the lias fossils, and then,
after an exciting effort to run
through the rocks, we got
round into Croulin Harbour.
Here we stayed two whole
days stormbound, and then
sailed off for Loch Sligachan.
Anchored at the head of
the loch in the shallow
water and got out the legs.
Skipper walked up to the
hotel to send telegrams
and prospect, found that
much mountaineering was
going on. The great mass of
Glamaig looked frowningly
through the mist, which
hid Ben Cailleach. Finding
the Blue Dragon with some
diffi culty we turned in,
taking the ground nicely.
Next morning we
determined on a long
expedition and started
at about 10.30, taking
luncheon, sketching book
and geological implements.
We tramped through
squashy quagmire for two or
three miles and then foundstrength, though the bosun’s
efforts were gigantic, the
skipper gave a great shout,
‘She’s rising!’ and slowly
the gunwale lifted and she
rested on an even keel, but
still she was full to the top
of the cabin hatch, and it
took another hour to get
her dry, but the pump now
was in full work, the leak
was above water-line, and
at last we were able, as the
day began to break, to sail
her off into deep water, get
into the dinghy, and trudge
back to the hotel. We slept
from 4.30 till 11 and then
sailed her with a fair breeze
back to Kyle Akin, where
the mate left us and Dugald
Macleod patched her up.
We got all the charts, and
bedding, and clothes spread
out on the beach, wired to
Oban for fresh bedding,
and for two days cleared
up as far as possible. Clock,
watches, aneroids, camera,
books, bags, sketches and
sketching materials, all
ruined. At the hotel we met
Colin Hunter, R.A., and Sir
James Farrer, and every
one was kind to the wrecked
mariners. Wa rough track, walked on to
Drumhain, then turned up
north into Harta Corrie.
On our return we were met
by the news that our ship
was under water! Tired as we
were we hastened to where
we had left the dinghy, and
sure enough nothing but the
burgee of the Blue Dragonwas visible above the water.
Our clothes (we had nothing
whatever but what we stood
in) were soaked. We fed at the
hotel and talked to the visitors
till midnight; then skipper and
bosun went off to board the
Blue Dragon.
It was now low water and
she was high and dry. We
dragged and carried the
dinghy for half-a-mile to
where she lay – found her full
of water. She had taken the
ground on the edge of a pool,‘It was frantic,
back-breaking,
heart-breaking
work fi lling
the bucket’
CC Lynam (1858-1938) was the fi rst
of three Lynams to be headmaster of
the Dragon School in Oxford. He ran
the school with a nautical theme and
was called ‘Skipper’ by his pupils.
He had what were, at the time,
unconventional views that children
should enjoy their education and be
allowed free time.Charles Cotterell Lynam
His yacht, Blue Dragon, was
an engineless 25ft clinker-built,
centreplate yawl, built in Oxford to
Lynam’s own design. She was then
sailed down the Thames, around
Land’s End and up to Scotland, where
he cruised in the school holidays.
He was dismissive of contemporary
sailing guides and was proud that he
‘never had a paid hand on board, and
never but once signalled for a pilot.’There’s always a good read hidden on a sailor’s shelves. Tell us your favourite. EMAIL [email protected]
PAINTING: CC LYNAM