Name: Cachalot
Owners: Andy Skipton-Carter and Adrian Halstead
The only nobby to be built by the Limit Motor Boat Co., Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, being John Ingram and Fred Rollinson, father of Alex Rollinson, a retired Liverpool river pilot. She was built for John 'Jack' Mount of Green Street, Morecambe and launched in 1930. Jack had her for only four years before selling her to Bill Higgins of Heswall in 1934. Registered as CH10 [Chester].
Cachalot was handed down through the family until sold to Andy Williams in 1996. A seven-year rebuild followed and she now proves to be a fast sailer. In 2024 she was purchased by her new owners and moved to a new home port of Barmouth.
Clive Cambridge
Used to sit the tide out on Cachalot on the Dee when I was a lad.
Julie Helliwell (higgins)
My father, Sidney Higgins, owned the Cachelot until he died in the mid seventies. He was a boat builder based at his West Kirby boatyard. He did quite a lot of refurbishment on the boat... I can tell his shade of boat varnish anywhere!
I used to go with my sister to 'help' at the yard and we loved the boats and dinghies awaiting work, it was always busy and full of visitors. I remember a huge hull of a boat called El Higgins being fitted by my dad. It was the first fiberglass hull I'd ever seen. I would be about 6 or 7 years old and could be trusted with a paintbrush, but only for the dawbing of the first coat on fresh wood in areas not to be seen. I loved it.
The boat worked its way through the family; William (Bill) Higgins was Sidney's father. After my dad died, the boat became his older brother George's property. It was then sold by my aunt, Uncle George's wife, when he died in the 90's.
It is an unique and beautiful boat... long may Cachelot sail. Lovely to hear about her.
David Higgins
I have the fondest memories of playing on my grandfather's boat Cachalot as a young boy or watching him sail in from a day of shrimping. The boat was moored beside their home Tidesway on the Dee at the end of Manners Lane in Heswal. My father, Ralph immigrated his family to Canada in 1956.
Chris Teague
Cachalot is now in Barmouth apparently, having had a recent refit, the mast was put up a few days ago, and she looks fine..