Orkney Image Library

Where the hell did that name come from. And what does it mean? is it Welsh? I can mind her in the bay when I wiz a boy, would she have been used by Capt John Hourie and Capt John Grey as a Pilot boat perhaps? I do mind her aroond, here at times- can onyane, mind?

I believe she wiz used tae take coal tae some o the Light Hooses,Will some owld buddie who wiz aroond at that time fill in the blanks Please,!!.
Fred or Alan!! help.

Yes John she used to carry supplies to the light houses ( Sule Skerry etc.). She was also used as a relief South Isles ferry when the "Hoy Head" and later the "Orcadia" were away for annual survey.
No idea where the name came from though.

Its the Zulu word for bird. She started life as a rowing training boat for petty officers I'm told

The name is a Zulu word John, meaning bird or songbird. Common in place names etc in SA.
Perhaps a colonial or merchant navy connection with SA?

Inyoni is Zulu for birdsong.

One day when I was going round the isles with the Rural Cinema I was picked up at Hoy pier by the Inyoni as the Orcadia was going direct from Stromness to Longhope for the regatta. There was no seating on deck so I had to sit along with the only other passenger on the mail bags. We went from Hoy pier to Longhope then Flotta before going on to Stromness. Half way round the Flow Capt. John brought us out a mug of tea, and I mean a mug, none of your fine bone china, which was very welcome. I should have a photo some where in the house but after several flittings I can't find it at the moment.
Ian Cameron

Don,t know about the name, but I remember seeing a photo at the Lighthouse Depot of the Inyoni discharging coal for Copinsay Lighthouse.

Could be from Inyoni in the Western Cape South Africa.

Looking up Inyoni on Google gives a lot of hits for places in South Africa.

Wikipedia has this to say: "The Impundulu (or izulu, inyoni yezulu) is a mythological creature in the folklore of the tribes of Southern Africa including the Pondo, the Zulu and the Xhosa. The impundulu (which translates as "lightning bird") takes the form of a black and white bird, the size of a human, which is said to summon thunder and lightning with its wings and talons."

I was waiting for Allan Besant to write a bit about Issac Wilson.
I remember the Inyoni when Issac had it. What fun we had going out on her to meet the Pioneer Valley. The captain of this naval ship was called Captain Fred Lane. A fine man, as broad as he was long. I think it was in 1973. Dad, William John Jolly was the agent for the naval ship and so the whole family was invited out for lunch on board. Issac took us out on the Inyoni. She made a chugging sound as we went along. Issac manoeuvered her so well. We had to clamber up the side of the naval ship on an old rope ladder from the Inyoni. The crew chucked down a big bucket so that mum could get on board for lunch and they hauled her up that way as it was very difficult to get up with the ladder which swung about at every movement. The late Magnus Ritch, the chemistry teacher from KGS was with us too. He never forgot mum being in a bucket!
To me, Issac and the Inyoni were one. He used her to take the pilot, the agent and the customs out to ships in the flow before we had pilot boats. Those were the days. Days that I’ll never forget thanks to Isaac and the Inyoni. Thank you for this photo and to the OIL. It brings back great memories.

The Inyoni was used to deliver cargo to Graemsay as, at high water, she could make a landing at Sandside pier. I remember on one occasion when the crew were turning the vessel round for the return journey to Stromness, she got caught on rocks and was stranded until the next high tide.