With mixed
reports of the weather forecast the volunteer fundraisers, volunteer crew and
Port staff pulled out all the stops to ensure it was going to be a day to
remember whatever the weather threw at us.

With a 6am start,
the tents and the infrastructure for the day began to take shape with the mist
rolling in, and the iconic Caribbean Princess only a slight outline figure
close by.

With lots to do
for all the family, the Sun made a very welcome appearance and remained on
station all day! 

The day kicked
off with RNLI mascot Stormy Stan leading the Ardross Pipeband down from
Invergordon High-street to the Shore road venue, with a fine medley of tunes.

The Ardross
Pipeband played down the centre of the Craft Market to officially open the Open
Day which attracted many to listen to the tunes that the band produced.

A fantastic Craft
Market offered displays and goods on sale from very talented crafters like
Gemporia Crafts, Linda’s Patchwork, Shin Horn, Beckmor Crafts, The RVS, Wee
Grey Stag, Fancy Dancy Felt, Tweedie Flowers, Tamara Ferguson, Little Miss
Tweenie and Rab Lights. It was a popular venue for locals and visitors alike,
with many from the visiting cruise ship spending the day at the Port and
enjoying the sunshine and the craic.

With the crowds
continuing to gather and the weather holding up, the famous RNLI BBQ was in
full flow, with queues all day long. 
Visitors were then able to quickly cool down at the Ice Cream van in a
convenient location nearby.

There were lots
of things to see and do: at Paco’s Pet Show all shapes and sizes of dogs and
even snakes competed for a prize in the various categories.  Best in Show was awarded to Franko the Pug
& Jess the Scotty Dog.  (A full list
of winners are found below.) Tours around the Service Base enabled visitors to
see the iconic jack-up and semisubmersible rigs up close, including the brand
new Maersk Highlander rig currently alongside the quay. The Port welcomed a
breath taking Sailing Ship called ‘Thalassa’ whose Captain kindly offered to
berth in the West Harbour and open the ship for tours around the deck.

In between the
events, the musicians kept the atmosphere alive by belting out the tunes and an
excellent display of Highland Dancing from the Ann Noble School of Dance, and
the Colouring Competition where Joanna Duncan (aged 10) coloured away to win
the Remote Control Model Lifeboat that was up for grabs! 

At 1pm teams
gathered in fancy dress to pick out the best looking raft of the bunch (if they
hadn’t already selected and decorated it). They then made their way to the
beach shoreline and waited anxiously for the siren to sound before frantically
paddling around the set out course, trying their best to outdo each other and
scoop the RNLI Winners Shield. With ideal paddling conditions and the watchful
eyes of the safety boats, the rafts took off and battled against the tide and
wind with the Howdens Team from Invergordon winning the race and ILM Highland
coming runner up. The Fancy Dress was awarded to The Marine Hotel who dressed
as convincing Pirates.

The Open Water
Wild Swim was another crowd puller on the day with 14 open water swimmers
taking to the Cromarty Firth to take on the 1 ¾ mile challenge, albeit not a
race but the crowd were very keen to know who completed it the quickest.  The swimmers did not disappoint, with Port of
Cromarty Firth member of staff and experienced wild swimmer Colin MacKinnon
romping home with a ten minute lead from the group in a staggering 41
minutes.  Behind Colin was Terry Gallagher;
tearing up the firth in 52 minutes. The times are listed below for swimmers.

The big finale
was a mock rescue display from the Invergordon & Kessock Lifeboats and
Coastguard Helicopter 951 from Inverness. 
It wowed the crowds with winching operations, man overboard, sea
recoveries, smoke flares and the sheer power these SAR units produce and how
seamlessly they all work together.

Overall the
Invergordon RNLI and Port of Cromarty Firth Open Day was hailed a fantastic day
all round by many throughout the day. 
The crowds enjoyed excellent music played in the open air by Black Rock
Ceilidh Band, Feis Chataibh Ceilidh and the local Ardross Pipeband. The day had
something for everyone, and helped visitors understand the vital work of both
the RNLI and the Port.

Lifeboat
Spokesman Michael MacDonald said “The Lifeboat Open day this year was
excellent, with everyone having fun from the Bouncy Castle to the Raft
Race.  The crowds were amazing, everyone
was happy, and we raised an overwhelming £6000 for the RNLI which will go
towards continuing to help save lives at sea. We would like to thank everyone
who came along on Saturday and helped make it a day to remember.”

Chief Executive
of the Port of Cromarty Firth, Bob Buskie also commented on the day “Thank you
to everyone who supported the Open Day, from the staff and volunteers at the
Port and the RNLI to the visitors, passengers and crew who came along, and to
all who took part in the competitions. It was a resounding success and we’re
delighted to have helped our local RNLI raise so much money to support their
critical work. The Port and RNLI Open Day is always a highlight in our calendar
and this year was no exception”.

Raft Race Winners:

1^st
Place        – Howdens Joinery (Invergordon)

Runner Up    – ILM Highland (Alness)

Fancy Dress – The Marine Hotel (Invergordon)

Wild Swim Timings:

1^st
Place        – Colin Mackinnon   (41.00)

2^nd
Place        – Terry Gallagher     (52.04)

3^rd
Place        – Rick Wells               (54.08)

Pet Show Placings

Best in Show            – Franko The Pug / Jess MacKinnon

Reserve Champion – Cosmic Woodhead

Best Coat                  – Lucy Mackenzie

Wagiest Tail              – Roxy Mitchell

Junior Handler         – Lucy

Loveliest Lady          – Fluffty

Fabulous Fella         – Jaffa The Beagle

Over a Year              – Shakira & Fergus Grant

Best Baby                  – Finn