LEYC has been on the site since 1950. Likewise, Stranraer Sailing Club is on the old RAF slipway there. Our historic Fairy keelboats have wintered in the Hangar for over 50 years, a major reason for their survival to centenary in 2006. In summer, they launch down a WW2 slipway to lie on flying boat moorings, while hoisting their 1906 gunter mainsails. Catalina service bays now hold the RNLI Station, LEYC’s BBQ and children’s dinghy racks. Rings that held Catalinas down in gales now secure catamarans. The refuelling jetty snugly berths a barge. Peace now, where once was war.
A second picture show Catalinas over RAF Killadeas about 1943, left foreground is the amphibian Catalina slipway under construction, with boats and aircraft in Gublusk Bay and around, and Devenish in the distance. A third shows Doreen, about 45 years later, moored by a chain to a clump on the bottom made for flying boats, her crew raising sail.
Lough Erne Yacht Club may be the oldest sailing yacht racing club in Ireland but it also takes pride in integrating its motor cruiser members. The sailing folk have a history, so also have the motor cruiser folk, and it goes back to the early days of steam. The new railway bridge across the Lagan in Belfast has been named Dargan Bridge and this is a reminder of William Dargan (1799-1867) the great Irish transport engineer. He built railways, canals and Belfast port, by digging the Victoria Channel, and Queens Island with the spoil.
However, for us at Lough Erne Yacht Club, his notable achievement was the first Lough Erne steam-boat, ancestor of today’s fleet of diesel motor cruisers.
The Ulster Canal joined Lough Neagh to the Erne at Wattlebridge. Lough Neagh had earlier been connected by the world’s first proper canal to Newry. William Dargan set out to completed this new trade route through to Enniskillen.. He brought the wooden paddle steamer Countess of Erne here, and in December 1842 she made the first ever voyage of a power driven boat on the Erne, Wattlebridge to Enniskillen. She went aground near Lisnaskea, so there was a double excuse for a celebration drink – actually they had several – when her cold crew finally landed at Enniskillen on Christmas Eve.
Should not Lough Erne Yacht Club, like Belfast, commemorating this great engineer?. He pioneered powered craft on Lough Erne. Is there a place in the programme for a competition among motor cruisers for a new Dargan trophy
