Mike Laity

Mike Laity, born and raised in St Ives, has had a keen interest in boating since birth, forty odd years ago. His father Norman Laity, was the original proprietor of the self-drive boats in St Ives, which were established in 1958. It was working alongside his father where Mike developed his love and passion for boating and the sea. Stripping and repairing outboard motors, making fibreglass repairs, showing customers the ropes, skippering the safety boat, mooring boats, all became second nature to Mike.

When his father sold the self-drive business, Mike decided to see the world and skippered luxury yachts in Europe and the Caribbean, gaining valuable ocean experience and obtaining his yachtmaster’s certification. He is proud to have made Trans-Atlantic crossings by sail on six occasions.

The Laity family has strong links with St Ives, stretching back at least five generations, all seafarers. It was inevitable that Mike was going to follow in their footsteps.

In 1994 Mike and family members built and launched the Cornish Lugger “Dolly Pentreath”, which has been run as a successful business making boat trips from St Ives ever since, though sold on in 2010.

Dolly Pentreath, was the last person to speak Cornish as their first language and Mike’s family are direct descendent’s of Dolly’s. Proud of this fact, Mikes daughter is named Dolly as well as his latest boat Dolly P

Greg Hill

Greg is the latest addition to the family of skippers at the helm of Dolly P.

Born and raised in the West Midlands, Greg and his family fell in love with St Ives and the surrounding areas, holidaying here annually since Greg was four years old.

Disillusioned with city life, coupled with the call of the sea and St Ives in particular, Greg moved to St Ives, to live permanently, nearly eight years ago. Initially working as an artist, exhibiting and selling paintings through art galleries.

Since then, Greg has immersed himself in social and sporting activities within the town, taking active roles in St Ives Rugby Club and St Ives Surf Life Saving Club.

Greg has also taken an active role in the business life of St Ives, forming his own business installing CCTV systems.

After buying his own boat and showing an aptitude for all matters nautical, Greg decided to study further and after qualifying to take passengers joined the crew of Dolly P, taking trips at weekends and for relief cover..

Greg has lately been taking our Wreck and Reef Fishing trips, after taking training from St Ives angling experts Jake Martin and Anthony McClary. Each and every Wreck and Reef Fishing trip that Greg has taken has been successful, with plenty of fish being caught.

Glenn Farrell

We at St Ives Boats are lucky to have the services of Glenn Farrell, who skippers our Wreck and Reef Fishing Trips, Hell’s Mouth and Godrevy Island Trips, as well as giving us assistance as and when required.

Born and raised in St Ives, Glenn has spent nearly all his 60 odd years at sea (apart from a short spell down the tin mines), mostly as a commercial fisherman, working from St Ives and other Cornish harbours.

Glenn’s knowledge of the sea is second to none and he is a well known character in St Ives, always ready and willing to impart his knowledge to both locals and visitors. He has an innate interest in the history of St Ives, the Atlantic Ocean and the local waters as well as the boats that sail them.

His family can trace their St Ives sea-going lineage, for several hundred years, which gives Glenn an exceptional expertise in seamanship and perhaps an element of truth to the rumours that he has salt water coursing through his arteries and veins.

Colin Curtis

Our fourth skipper is Colin Curtis, now in his thirties and also born and raised in St Ives from a long established St Ives family.

Unusually for a St Ives family, Colin’s immediate ancestors were involved in the production of piano ivories, The Curtis family owned one of the two factories in St Ives producing these wares. Before the ban on ivory products, Colin’s family produced ivories for 75% of new piano production, exporting their products around the world, to some of the most prestigious piano manufacturers.

Unable to follow in his family’s trade, Colin spent many years at sea on board the cruise ships plying their trade in the Caribbean Seas, where he gained invaluable experience .

Colin’s love of the sea and Cornwall, brought him home to St Ives, where after a career in joinery and carpentry, he decided to skipper our boat Dolly P , on mackerel fishing trips and boat trips to Seal Island. Colin has an encyclopedic knowledge of St Ives and is keen to impart his expertise about seals, fishing and history of the local area.