Taymara's £1 bid for North Carr lightship accepted
Officials from the seafaring charity Taymara are celebrating after they learned their £1 offer to buy the 250-ton North Carr lightship at Dundee harbour has been successful.
- By James Williamson
- Published in the Courier : 09.09.10
- Published online : 09.09.10 @ 07.11am
The craft — famously the subject of the attempted rescue which led to the death of eight men and the loss of the Broughty Ferry lifeboat Mona in a storm in December 1959 — has been rusting in the Victoria Dock since it was placed on the market last August.
Owners the Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS) then announced the ship was for sale, as they could not afford to maintain it.
Taymara lodged a bid a fortnight later, having earlier proposed £500,000 plans to make the ship a waterfront attraction and 50-seat function and conference venue.
It offers maritime training for enthusiasts and those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and low self-esteem.
They have been unable to hold classes on the lightship while legal wrangling over the sale rumbled on — but now hope that the group's work can again begin in earnest.
Trustee Bob Richmond said he was "incredibly relieved" that the long-hoped-for sale had finally gone through and that the North Carr could again be put to good use.
He said, "I'm now happy to confirm that we own the lightship — it's signed, sealed and delivered.
Preserve
"Now, the first step for us will be to preserve her and to stop her deteriorating any further."
He added, "We'll also use her for our Taymara clients and get the courses running again — because they had had to be put on hold."
The delay is understood to have been caused by the MVS establishing their own right to sell the vessel, after previous owners Forth Ports retained first refusal on any resale.
Mr Richmond warned that realisation of plans for the ship may be some way off, as Taymara would first look to relaunch the lightship's friends group and bring in other partners.
Drug users and depression sufferers have told of the benefits of working with the charity — it boosts their confidence, skills and chances of getting a job.
Photos courtesy of Stewart Lloyd-Jones.
Add a comment