Orkney Image Library

The Jenny Lee was brought to Orkney from the Isle of Wight in 1978/79 by Billy Sinclair and Davie Pottinger who bought her in partnership. They operated cruises out of Kirkwall in the summer time with a scheduled service to Shapinsay on Sundays. She was also regularily used to transport passengers from the cruise ships anchored in Kirkwall Bay.
My father Davie Pottinger became the sole owner a number of years later and continues to do charters from Kirkwall to the north isles. He sold the Jenny Lee a number of years ago to a chap in Longhope who sold it on again to a chap from Caithness. She lay in Longhope for a period waiting to be moved across the firth but sunk at Longhope Pier during this time. She looks now to be in a poor condition. The old Gardner engine will be ballast now after sinking. But yes the Jenny Lee was a regular site in Kirkwall Harbour in the summer months and usually ashore in Smith Foubister's yard in the winter.
Lots of fun I had as a young fella on the Jenny Lee and summer holidays passed all too quickly.

Theres a picture of it in the Kirkwall basin just under this, it's in the left hand corner

First taken to Orkney by Capt D Pottinger and Capt W Sinclair. Then sold to Longhope. By coincidence she appears in the next pic to be submitted, picture #19016

She came to Longhope quite a few year ago, I dont remember who bought her on the Island, she was sold to someone in Peterhead. She was at Hatston and belonged to the Pottingers. A couple of years ago something jammed in the toilet valve and she sank at the Longhope pier, then I take it she went to Thurso.

I think she may have been in Longhope at some time prior to going across the firth

I think it lay in Longhope harbour for an year or two and was then towed across the firth to Thurso by the Guiding Light.I might be wrong in saying that but I' ll likely be put right.

She is falling apart now, there is no engine in her and a huge chunk of hull is missing on the starboard side. Shame, I remember seeing this boat doing charters in Kirkwall.

This boat was built in the sooth o England and fitted with a Gardener engine that engine was still in her when she was in Longhope . She rode up onto the pier with a very high tide and it nearly wore a hole in her on her port side ,such a shame as the Pottanger family kept her like a piece of furniture.