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.
The new boat cost about £160,000. About half the funding came from the Order of St John. There was a generous bequest from the late Peter Turnbull plus other donations.
The Trust considered where to have the boat built. No boat builders were close at hand and using a firm in the south would have required a lot of travelling to supervise the work.
The build was entrusted to Falkirk engineers A.L. Gordon who had previously built the Barr Seagull for the Trust.
Here the Chairman of the Trust Boats' Committe, Gordon Daly, inspects the work
Launch 15 June 2011, Union Canal, Redding, Falkirk
Afloat. David Hoskins can relax seated at the bow!
A problem! A blockage in the hydraulics.
A resort to traditional propulsion!
Naming by HRH the Princess Royal, Patron of Seagull Trust Cruises, 26 September 2011
The Name of the New Boat
Since the Order of St John was a major funder, they were invited to choose the name and settled on "St John Edinburgh".
St John Crusader II is usually referred to as just "Crusader" particularly in radio calls between boats. Some crews abbreviated the new boat to "St John" and some "Edinburgh". The preference has maybe now settled towards "Edinburgh". In writing it is often "SJE".
Mackay Carries On
Although St John Edinburgh was expected to replace Mackay, the demand for bookings in Ratho is such that she has continued in service. Three boats tend to be fully booked each morning during the season and in the afternoons at least two boats tend to be booked. This has required extra volunteer crew members to be recruited and skippers trained.