New venture gets harbour welcome

A NEW watersports and chandlery centre has opened at Wick hHarbour to capitalise on the increasing number of visitors to the local marina.

The venture, which has been started by local man Hugh Mackay, is believed to be the most northerly facility of its kind on the UK mainland.

MUT Watersports is based at the South Quay and is the newly-launched division of local training company Mackay Underwater Technology, which was set up in 2007.

Mr Mackay told the John O’Groat Journal yesterday the business will provide “a much-needed chandlery store designed to service the growing levels of business at Wick Marina”.

Willie Watt, the chairman of the Wick Harbour Authority, gave his backing to the new business.

“We very much welcome this venture. We wish MUT Watersports the best of fortune. This is the kind of service that will be needed as we go forward in the next five to 10 years,” said Mr Watt, who hopes that the port will attract other leisure and renewable energy businesses in the future.

The centre stocks marine safety equipment, electronics and navigational aids. It also caters for the local watersports community with scuba and snorkelling equipment as well as accessories for canoeists, windsurfers and boarders.

In addition, the centre has a workshop which can provide marine electronic repairs and installation and service scuba-diving equipment.

Training can also be provided on industrial health and safety courses along with introductory courses on specialist underwater technology.

The latter is being offered in parallel with the Invest Caithness Make the Right Connections programme.

Royal Yachting Association Sea Survival and VHF radio operator courses are also available.

“I have always had this plan at the back of my mind. At the moment the business is run by myself with help from my wife, Valerie, but we would hope to expand and next year would hope to start a leisure diving centre here,” said Mr Mackay.

“We have had great support from Wick Harbour Authority and as the boating season gears up and people discover we are here we will be looking forward to a busy time.”

Mr Mackay (47) trained as a marine electronics engineer. He worked for many years with Osprey Electronics at Wick (now Kongsberg Electronics) before he moved to work in Aberdeen.

Mr Mackay came back to Caithness six years ago and since then has worked as a freelance instructor at the T3UK training centre at Janetstown before setting up his own business.

He pointed out that volunteers from the Wick Society’s Isabella Fortuna crew were put through their paces recently during a sea survival course held at Wick Swimming Pool.

“The RYA Sea Survival course gives candidates the opportunity to learn essential sea-going skills related to emergency and abandonment procedures,” said Mr Mackay.

The event was organised by Mackay Underwater Technology as part of its ongoing programme of marine safety courses but was assisted by Wick Harbour Authority, Wick Swimming Pool and Findhorn Marina.

A ship chandler shop did previously operate at the harbour. It was run by J.S. Duncan and closed in 2008.

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