The Chartroom at Kip Marina has recently become the proud hosts of the infamous ‘Boat Picture’. The history of the ‘Boat Picture’ encapsulates the spirit of Inverkip Marina and a love for the water.
In 1992/93 Angus McFarlane was in his usual hangout, Troon Cruising Club, when an acquaintance of his arrived at the club from a house clearing with an item that caught Angus’s eye in his arms. After admiring the painting, Angus asked if he could take the picture off his hands. This is where the story of the Boats Picture truly begins.
Angus and his wife Nan were loyal members of the Prestwick Sailing Club in the 70’s. In the early 80’s they branched out and joined Troon Cruising Club and bought a Colt 45 which they fondly named Potemkin, after the Russian battleship which was the subject of mutiny over food and because of the female sailors they had on board. This was so fitting as the couple had four daughters and Angus always felt ‘mutinied’ at home. In the late 80’s the couple went on to buy a Westerly Griffon which they called Solas, this boat was the boat of Angus’s dreams and the couple sailed her to victory in many great races.
Despite participating in the events Nan didn’t quite have the same passion for sailing as her husband and when Angus arrived home with said Boat Picture in hand, she wasn’t overly thrilled to have it. Angus insisted it was a beautiful piece and the best place to display it would be in the dining room. This decision came with some minor furniture readjustments to accommodate it, much to Nan’s annoyance.
As the house changed and expanded Angus always ensured that the picture would have adequate hanging space and be in the perfect location to be admired. His love for the painting continued to grow as time passed, Nan’s new found hatred for the picture grew more, despite this the picture remained and was admired by Angus’s sailing friends when visiting.
Angus continued sailing throughout his life and his love for the water never faltered. He had many friends who shared his love of sailing, one of the most notable being Peter Evans. Peter and Angus often used the Kip Marina as one of their key stops for a pint and some great steak and chips. Angus enjoyed showing the Kip off and took his former work colleagues for a sail there calling it a ‘lads day out’. Angus’s love for the Kip Marina became so fond as he and Nan would use the Kip as their favourite berthing point when they sailed to the Cumbrae isles or were heading further west.
In 2016 Angus turned 80 and had to retire his sea legs and very reluctantly sold Solas. Sola’s new owners have remained good friends with him and Nan and still keep in touch about their adventures on the boat. Angus suffered ill health from his early 50’s but due to his strong spirit and great medical research and treatments his degenerative heart disease didn’t hold him back. Sadly he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2021 and his final wish was to reach his 90th birthday which he of course did. When Angus set his mind to something, nothing could stop him. His birthday was a huge celebration with all his sailing friends, family and a good few sea shanties.
Angus passed away peacefully on 28th March 2022 and his beautiful wife Nan suddenly passed just 4 weeks later. Even in ill health, he still cared dearly for the Boat Picture and asked his daughters to look after it. Angus’s daughters do not share his sea legs and unfortunately had no place for their dad’s beloved painting to hang. In his death, they decided to offer the painting to their father’s two favourite places, the Kip Marina and the Maritime Museum. The girls reached out to the Maritime Museum in the first instance as they weren’t sure of the historical value of the painting, sadly the museum could find no record of who painted the piece and therefore couldn’t display it. The Boat Painting was then offered to the Kip Marina and they had the very same reaction to the piece as Angus had. The piece was to be hung in the Chartroom Kip Marina, very fitting, giving it previously hung proudly in the McFarlane Dining room. The painting exchanged hands and as requested a donation to the British Heart Foundation was made in memory of Angus. The family are so comforted knowing their father’s beloved painting will now hang in his memory in one of his favourite places.
