how we found provident

We first heard Provident was for sale as we were crossing the Irish Sea in 2019.  It came with the sad news that Trinity sailing were selling all their ships.   Steve and I looked at each other.  Is it time to stop sailing for other people and buy our own boat? We always really wanted to…  Would Provident be the one?

Sailing and adventure is what we like to do best; Scotland is where we live and we have had years of pleasure sailing around her islands and coasts.  If we had our own boat we could take people to those places that only the locals know, go ashore and meet the seabirds, walk in remote landscapes, visit the local pubs and get a share in the fantastic local produce we know our island friends have to offer.  

We knew what we needed in a boat that would work in Scotland.  She needed to be big and sturdy, warm and comfortable with a place for drying clothes as well as lots of deck space for wildlife spotting in safety.   We wanted food to be important, so a good galley and saloon was essential.   Did we really want a wooden boat?  Steve had restored a small wooden folkboat so we knew how much work it would be….   Definitely not a wooden boat then!

If it was up to Steve the list would have stopped there – but Morag has been aware of countless women she knows who are tempted by the adventure but say… “will I get my own cabin?”  “what are the loos like?”; “can I get warm?” “do we sail if it’s raining?” “will we get to go ashore?”. “I don’t want to share with a lot of snoring men that I don’t know – it’s bad enough sharing with the one that I do”.  We also knew of others who would say “my partner wanted to come but wasn’t sure about sailing all the time – it’s the going ashore and the wildlife that they are keen on”.

So our boat needed cabins, central heating, a covered deck house, decent loos and showers and our trips needed to have a balance of sailing and exploring ashore. 

I think we seriously contemplated six boats – all 8 berths or more and crew.    They ranged from a 70 foot single-masted expedition boat (mast too big to go under the Skye bridge) to a Spanish gaff rig schooner.      Could they be made to fit our wish list?

One Friday night in December when it looked like yet again a possible boat wasn’t just right, Steve opened Classic Boat magazine.  Provident was still for sale.    Remember what we said about not buying a wooden boat?    Once we saw her we forgot all that.  She is so utterly charming and delightful, we had no option but to succumb.

And now we are the proud owners.    We knew she needed lots of work to turn her from a youth sailing vessel into a smart and comfortable cruising yacht.  So far we have worked on her systems, hull and rigging.  She will keep her classic rig and the joy of sailing her in  the traditional way will remain.    The internal refit will happen over the winter and then she will be ready for guests. 

Expect small but perfectly formed and warm cabins, comfortable saloon, smooth and wonderful sailing on an iconic ship and exploration of the delights and treasures of hidden Scotland.