St John Edinburgh 2011

By 2010 the Ratho branch was busier than ever running morning, afternoon, weekend and sometimes evening cruises carrying up to 12000 passengers a year on one way trips.

David Hoskins had been the self trained branch boat engineer since 2002 volunteering 6 days a week to manage maintenance during the winter, skippering and crewing several days a week in the summer and running Saturday training sessions for new volunteers.

Mackay was feeling a bit old fashioned and cramped compared to St John Crusader II so it was decided to plan for a new boat with the expectation that Mackay would become a standby boat for the whole Trust.

David set about designing a new boat by essentially copying Crusader and modified unsatisfactory features of the original design. For example the design was reversed port to starboard to give better access to turn wheelchairs at the stern. The propeller drive would be hydraulic rather than direct coupling and the heating would be warm air rather than hot water radiators.

David's computer design skills were impressive. He created 3D drawings using software called "Sketchup". It was free software - David always tried to avoid spending money.

In many ways David's economies helped the branch accumulate some funds towards the cost of a new boat. Under his stewardship, maintenance costs very very low.