Tom McClean: The man who still dreams of crossing Atlantic in a whale

In the 1990s, adventurer Tom McClean wanted to sail a 62-tonne whale-shaped boat across the Atlantic. Almost 30 years later he still holds on to that dream.

"When I first took my idea of the boat to a marine architect in Helensburgh, he thought I wanted to build a whaler, said Tom, the Dublin-born, Lochaber-based 78-year-old.

After Tom explained he did not want a small leisure craft, but a vessel the same size and shape as a sperm whale the bemused architect replied: "That is going to be very technical."

From 1992 to 1995, Tom's dream gradually took physical form at engineering firm William Reid's fabrication yard in Forres in Moray.

The belly of the steel-framed craft was fitted out with cabins, providing living quarters for the 3,000-mile (4,828km) voyage.

The 20m (65ft) high beast was powered by two diesel engines and could even spout water.

Called Moby, the boat was launched at Burghead on the Moray Firth coast. Tom then began a tour of the British Isles, stopping off at 50 harbours to drum up support for his transatlantic adventure.

Tom was already at this time a veteran of five transatlantic solo crossings from North American to Europe.

He made his first crossing in 1969 at the age of 26. He had not long finished a nine-year career in the Army, serving with the Parachute Regiment and the elite SAS.

Tom completed his first solo row in 70 days.

In 1982, he set a record for sailing the smallest yacht across the Atlantic, making the trip in a craft just over 3m (9ft) long.

He reclaimed the record a year later after his original was beaten. Tom reduced the size of his yacht by taking a chainsaw to it, cutting off the back end before fitting a shorter one on.

Tom rowed the Atlantic again in 1987, this time completing the journey in 54 days.

Then in 1990, he sailed from New York to Falmouth in an 11m (37ft) long boat shaped like a bottle.

Tom said: "After the bottle boat I thought I could do the crossing in a boat of pretty much any shape.

"My nickname in the Paras was Moby Dick because I kept spouting off - talking - so I thought why not a whale?"

Moby the boat cost £100,000 to build and Tom needed sponsorship to fund his transatlantic expedition. His fundraising efforts included a publicity trip on Loch Ness.

"But the sponsorship was just not forthcoming," explained Tom.

Yet the idea of the transatlantic crossing never has never died, with Tom resurrecting the plan as recently as 2016, when he talked once again of making the voyage in the belly of his whale boat.

For years, Moby has mostly been beached on a shore of Loch Nevis at Ardintigh Bay on the North Morar peninsula where Tom and his wife Jill have their Highland Outdoor Centre.

After running the outdoor activities business for more than 50 years, the couple are selling up.

Tom said: "The whale might be sold along with the centre, or maybe someone will buy it separately to do something with themselves - or maybe involve me in.

"I'm almost 80, but still very active."