Rathlin Island
Stewart Geddes
June 8, 2023
HM 226 Peaceful Rathlin Island.
Poor Stewart Geddes! Not only had I been told "You must meet Charlotte, the wonderful Harbour Master of Rathlin Island" by countless people but my crew managed to hit Stewart on the head with a rope as he took our lines on the pontoon at sunny Rathlin Island. As it turned out Stewart had just taken over from Charlotte and what a most charming and interesting man he was. He also had a tough head.
Together with Imelda McFaul who was born on the Island, Stewart does a job share as HM and he seemed very at ease with life. For most of his career he was Complex Special Needs consultant working all over the world, including some time working for the Dalai Lama. I think some of the magic of the Dalai Lama had rubbed off on Stewart. He told Richard and I about taking disabled climbers up Mount Kilimanjaro, devising ultrasound keyboards using "eye blink" technology and setting up the local charity Druim with his partner, giving people with disabilities and their carers respite on the island.
Like Stewart, Rathlin is peaceful. Only six miles long it is home to just 150 people. Robert the Bruce is reputed to have watched his influential spider here while he hid in a cave close by. In the harbour is a local design of rowing boat, a Currach, the design of which is reputed to be 5,000 years old.
The small harbour is also peaceful, with an occasional ferry arriving from Ballycastle and just a few yacht calls, the pace of life is gentle. After bidding farewell to Stewart (and being careful not to call him Charlotte) we sailed off west, and as conditions were very calm we tucked in right under Rathlin West Light and turned the engine off, to listen to some raucous seabirds. Had they not been told about keeping the peace?!
Afterwards I looked up Stewart's charity - https://www.druim.org/aboutus - and found out he was also a musician and an artist. What a privilege it was to meet him. The pink sign on the outboard motor installation says "Ní mótar é beo!" - No motor is alive!
Poor Stewart Geddes! Not only had I been told "You must meet Charlotte, the wonderful Harbour Master of Rathlin Island" by countless people but my crew managed to hit Stewart on the head with a rope as he took our lines on the pontoon at sunny Rathlin Island. As it turned out Stewart had just taken over from Charlotte and what a most charming and interesting man he was. He also had a tough head.
Together with Imelda McFaul who was born on the Island, Stewart does a job share as HM and he seemed very at ease with life. For most of his career he was Complex Special Needs consultant working all over the world, including some time working for the Dalai Lama. I think some of the magic of the Dalai Lama had rubbed off on Stewart. He told Richard and I about taking disabled climbers up Mount Kilimanjaro, devising ultrasound keyboards using "eye blink" technology and setting up the local charity Druim with his partner, giving people with disabilities and their carers respite on the island.
Like Stewart, Rathlin is peaceful. Only six miles long it is home to just 150 people. Robert the Bruce is reputed to have watched his influential spider here while he hid in a cave close by. In the harbour is a local design of rowing boat, a Currach, the design of which is reputed to be 5,000 years old.
The small harbour is also peaceful, with an occasional ferry arriving from Ballycastle and just a few yacht calls, the pace of life is gentle. After bidding farewell to Stewart (and being careful not to call him Charlotte) we sailed off west, and as conditions were very calm we tucked in right under Rathlin West Light and turned the engine off, to listen to some raucous seabirds. Had they not been told about keeping the peace?!
Afterwards I looked up Stewart's charity - https://www.druim.org/aboutus - and found out he was also a musician and an artist. What a privilege it was to meet him. The pink sign on the outboard motor installation says "Ní mótar é beo!" - No motor is alive!