In July of 1973 Marianne Beerman-Kok joined as crew on board the Frederick Shepherd design OWL on a sailing trip from Tobermory to the Hebrides. There were 8 on board from Scotland, England, France and the Netherlands.
A 55′ gaff ketch built in 1909 by the White Bros. of Southampton she was owned and run by David Burnett for many years following the 2nd World War. She was stolen in 1961 only to be rediscovered some years later in New Caledonia with a broken mast. Burnett had her restored and continued to take her sailing. This cruise would have been one of the last trips David Burnett completed before he sold her to a Frenchman in 1974.
“I was 23 and we had a wooden Nordic Folkboat built by Kroes (Kampen), we sailed from Zierikzee, Zeeland. My dream was to join a big yacht as crew but girls were not often asked. So I went to Edinburgh -my first flight- train to Oban, ferry to Mull, coach to Tobermory and there she was: Owl”.
“This has been a fantastic journey, fortnight! Good to know that OWL is still sailing around.” Marianne Beerman-Kok
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