Chico

Looking across Kilchoan Bay this morning we saw this boat at anchor with the houses along Pier Road in the background. She's what is called a 'motor yacht', a forerunner of some of the motor superyachts we see pass through the Sound in summer.

It wasn't until much later in the morning that she left the bay, coming close enough....

....for us to see her name. She's the Chico, a 'gentleman's motor yacht' and also one of the Dunkirk little ships. Built in 1932 by J.N. Miller & Son Ltd in their Fife yard, she had a copper-sheathed wooden hull and was designed to carry ten guests along with her crew. In 1940 she was involved in the Dunkirk evacuation, ferrying almost a thousand troops from the shore to larger ships. She continued to do great service during the early part of the war before being laid up and, later, restored. She is now available for charter on the west coast of Scotland, carrying six guests along with her crew.

Details of her war service are here, and her website is here.