Muster 2015
The Festival's Muster attracted about 30 visiting boats from all along the Forth and further afield, with the trophy for Furthest Travelled Boat won by a boat from Hartlepool, and for Best Dressed Boat (boats at the Muster are festooned with flags and pennants) going to "Kellya" owned by Gary Watson of Pittenweem
Twelve boats took part in the Festival's Classic Boat Rally, including two beautifully restored 1940's fishing vessels from the North East Maritime Trust in Newcastle and a quartet of Fifie fishing luggers from Anstruther, Eyemouth and Dunbar. The winner of the Festival's Classic Boat of the Year Trophy went to fishing lugger "Rose Leaf" of Anstruther, skippered by Sean Dooley.The winner of the Festival's Oldest Boat Trophy for boats that had travelled to Anstruther went to fishing lugger "Marean" of Dunbar, skippered by Bob Clunas.
Despite showers on Friday evening, the 2015 Festival attracted big crowds for its Pipe Band Parade from Waid Academy and in the big marquee there was lots of audience participation for Dunedin Dancers Scottish Country Dance display and for the later ceilidh with local band Nackytoosh. Ceilidh enthusiasts travelled from as far as Aberdeen to attend the events.
The harbourfront events on Saturday drew a large crowd with the Merlesque Mermaids entertaining us with songs and stories of the sea, and with Fusion Performance Dance demonstrating their skills. In the big marquee the childrens crafts and amusements provided family entertainment to the accompaniment of jazz and folk/country bands. And the Saturday evening music event in the big marquee featured local Fence Collective musician Gummi Bako and blues/rock band Safehouse
All afternoon in the harbour the Rowing Regatta had eight skiffs from all around Fife competing in various fun races.The Interclub races were won by Newburgh and Fife respectively. The first ever Backwards Row Race was won by the home crew from Anstruther, and the Fancy Dress Relay Race, where the teams had to change Hawaiian themed costumes and lifejackets between races, was won by Newburgh
For full details of the Muster, see the Harbour Festival website http://www.anstrutherharbourfestival.co.uk/index.php
If you were Aff A Yatt at the Muster and have any good photographs of the boats en route to Anstruther, or of on-board social activities, can you please post them on our file-sharing site Flickr - http://www.flickr.com
Muster 2014
The 2014 Muster was combined with the Anstruther Harbour Festival, and was held from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 August. By popular demand the large marquee was back on the quayside for the Festival's music events
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The Festival started on Friday evening with a march by the City of St Andrews Pipe Band leading a procession from Waid down to the harbourfront. This was followed by a ceilidh in the Festival marquee - with lots of audience participation in response to the excellent local ceilidh band Nackytoosh See Photo Gallery of the Festival's events
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The Friday evening procession included Anstruther Lifeboat's inshore rescue boat, manned by some very young crewmembers | |
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Anstruther Harbour Festival’s events on Saturday got off to an early - and colourful - start. The Festival adapted the always-popular duck race held earlier in the year by Anstruther Improvements Association, so instead of bright yellow rubber ducks being let loose into the Dreel Burn, a multi-coloured cascade of more fitting rubber boats was launched. Tickets had been sold throughout the town in the lead up to the day and there were prizes for those corresponding to the first three boats across the finishing line, with £50 for first place, an Osprey boat ticket for second, and £10 fish and chip voucher for third |
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| Photo courtesy and © East Fife Mail | ||
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There was a good crowd for the craft and food stalls, childrens' activitries and street entertainers at the harbourfront Stalls on the Folly harbourfront included craft jewellry, hand-made chocolates, pirate artefacts, charity and emergency organisations, and a RNLI Cookout stall with burgers/kippers/bacon rolls. However strong winds on Saturday afternoon meant things closed early, and the afternoon Jazz Band and Sea Shanty music events and several kids' activities took place in the marquee rather than on the harbourfront. |
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The strong winds also limited the number of boats attending the Anstruther Muster - only 24 visitors compared to the 50 to 100 boats of previous years, and also cut short the Festival's East of Scotland Boat Jumble. See Photo Gallery of Classic Boats at the Festival |
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The Festival's Saturday evening music event in the marquee, featuring rock band Obsession, was well attended, and went on till late. Prizes for the Muster's sailing events were presented by Anstruther Fisher Lad & Lass, as photograph opposite. Prizes awarded were _ Best Classic Boat - to Bob Clunas for "Marean" . |
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The Festival's Grand Raffle was drawn in the marquee, with a lot of exceptionally valuable prizes donated by local businesses - see list of donors, prizes and prizewinners
The Scottish Submariners Association's memorial service for the Battle of May Island bravely went ahead on Saturday in spite of the wind
In the Fisheries Museum, the "Chefs at School" sessions got good audiences and the Model Boat Club exhibition had a good number of visitors
Sunday morning saw a full house in the marquee for an interdenominational "Service of the Sea" and the departure of most of the Muster's visiting boats
Thanks are due to Alaistair Ramsay and Robert Melville for the excellent photographs
If you woukld like to see larger scale images from Alaistair and Robert and from other contributors see flickr gallery
Sponsors
Sponsors for the 2014 Anstruther Harbour Festival include :
- Fife Council Strategic Events
- Anstruther Community Council
- Mainstream Renewable Power
- Spindrift Hotel
- Anstruther Fish Bar
- Intermarine Pontoon Design & Construction
- Pagan Osborne
- A9 Partnership Accountants
- Anstruther Community Kist
- Newburgh Signs
Local businesses that supported the Festival by donating prizes for the Festival's Raffle included Cellar Restaurant, Balgove Larder, Craig Millar Restaurant, Spindrift Hotel, Cocoa Tree Chocolate, Cambo Beer Festival, St Andrews Botanic Garden, Highland Chocolatier, Petite Epicerie, Morton of Pitmilly, Elie Deli, Crail Pottery, Crail Whole Smoked Food, Honeypot Tea Room, Scores Hotel, Chillilicious, Haven Restaurant
Muster 2013
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The 2013 Muster was held from Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 August 2013, as part of the Anstruther Harbour Festival. Over 50 visiting boats sailed to the Muster, which included
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For photos see Muster 2013 Photo Gallery and Classic Boat Rally Photo Gallery
The 2013 Muster saw some of the lowest tides in years - as this photo of Anstruther Wester harbour shows. It's surprising noboby ever thinks of berthing against the wall here - it's only 50 yards from the Dreel Tavern, you can cross the Dreel Burn to Anstruther Easter on stepping stones at Low Water, and there are no harbour dues !
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The Festival was opened on Thursday evening by a display of Scottish Country Dancing by Dunedin Dancers on the East Harbour quayside followed by an informal open-air ceilidh, then a march by the City of St Andrews Pipe Band along the front. On Friday evening there was a Festival Ceilidh in Anstruther Town Hall.
The Fisheries Musuem's "Reaper" 70' sailing drifter was open to the public at the quayside, the Museum's Model Boat held an exhibition, and Food from Fife put on a “Chefs at School” seafood cooking demonstration in the Museum itself
Anstruther lifeboat and onshore lifeboat were on display on shore, and Dunbar lifeboat paid a visit to the East Harbour, and the Scottish Submariners Assocation held their memorial service for the 1918 Battle of May Island at the East Harbour forecourt
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At the Festival music event in Anstruther Town Hall on Saturday evening , the following Muster trophies were awarded by Cairns Birrell, Commodore of Anstruther Sailing Club - Furthest Travelled Boat Cup : to Paul Blanchard in 27' Cornish Gaff Cutter "Hope" from Faversham in Kent ( as photo opposite) - Oldest Boat trophy to Sandy Aitken with his 65' Seine Net fishing boat "Britannia", dating from 1952 - Best Dressed Boat cup to Robert Smith of Anstruther - Smallest Boat Trophy : to Dave Kittrick of Dunbar in his 18' "Wee Beastie" ( shown sailing across from Dunbar in the photo below left) |
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- Best Classic Boat Shield - to Gordon Bell in his Colin Archer-design Kattegat Gaff Cutter "Fidelity" from St Monans Fidelity is the turquoise-hulled boat in the photo below, with the Furthest-Travelled Boat "Hope", itself a Classic Boat entrant, being the blue-hulled boat next to it |
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The photo right ahows some of the Classic Boats lined up against the middle pier, with the Festival's Walzer and Bouncy Castle in the background The Shield for the Best Classic Boat was donated by the Boathouse Bar & Bistro Anstruther And the Boathouse hosted a Classic Boat Lunch reception for skippers and crew of the Classic Boats, sponsored by Anstruther Harbour Festival See Photo Gallery of Classic Boats |
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In the Rowing Regatta held in the East Harbour, skiffs from the Anstruther, Pittenweem and Crail Coastal Rowing Clubs had an exciting afternoon's racing in front of an enthusiastic crowd of supporters and onlookers
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Muster 2012
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The 2012 Anstruther Muster took place from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 August and was reckoned by many participants to be the best ever A report on the 2012 Muater and photos are on the photo gallery section of the website, - click on Muster . |
The Muster featured a number of major events, including a Classic Boat Rally, a Food Fair in the marquee on Thursday and Friday, and a Rowing Regatta on Sunday
See photo gallery section of the website for reports and photos of each of these event
Muster 2011 photos
Click on this link for all the photos of the 2011 Muster - https://www.flickr.com/photos/136961567@N07/albums/72157663322122182
Muster 2010 photos - sorry we don't have any photos of the 2010 Muster
Muster 2009 photos
For all the photos of the 2009 Muster, click on this link - https://www.flickr.com/photos/136961567@N07/albums/72157661147665443