Boatman in tragic fall at Girvan harbour

Oct 30 2009 by Edwin Lawrence

A MAN who fell in love with Girvan harbour met his death there.

Paul Knight, 61, is believed to have slipped and fallen in.

Mr Knight had been drinking with friends in the nearby Harbour Bar.

And it is thought he fell in the water as he returned late in the evening to the boat that was his home.

One source in Girvan said shouts were heard from the harbour area around midnight.

But the person who heard them didn’t investigate.

It was only when friends didn’t see him the next day that a search began.

And his body was found in the water close to his boat, Brighter Hope.

A police spokesman said: “It has been a tragic accident, and there are no suspicious circumstances.

“Friends went looking for Mr Knight when they didn’t see him the next day.

“And he was found around 1pm.”

No one in Girvan has a bad word to say about Mr Knight.

One man said: “He was always a very pleasant man.

“He worked away on his boat, and enjoyed a drink in the Harbour Bar.

“He wouldn’t harm a soul, and it’s tragic that his life has ended like this.”

Mr Knight hailed from Preston in Lancashire, and it is understood his wife died around three years ago.

After her bereavement, Mr Knight decided he was going to buy a boat and sail round Britain.

He is understood to have bought his boat in the Oban area, from where he began his dream trip.

But he was experiencing engine problems with the 40ft former fishing boat as he headed south.

He took a liking to Girvan when his boat limped into the harbour.

And he decided to take a long-term berth and work on getting the boat in better shape.

This he had been doing, spending most of his time in Girvan, and only occasionally returning to his house in Preston.

No one the Post spoke to in Girvan is aware of Mr Knight’s funeral arrangements.

But he is understood to have two sons. And it appears more likely that his body will return to Preston.

Mr Knight is believed to have fallen into the harbour late last Tuesday or early on Wednesday, October 20 or 21.