Happy Christmas!

Well, Dear Reader(s), it's that time again.

With the boat snug (?) on the Firth of Clyde we can look forward to a cozy Christmas  ... just me, my beloved crew and first mate and, of course, Bonzo.

Bonzo was much better whilst on probation and hasn't been responsible for any very serious injuries to the public since the Summer, apart, of course, from the Council Dog Warden and his assistant*, and, to be fair to the wretched canine, it is their job anyway, isn't it?

Bonzo is especially excited at Christmas, I think he enjoys the opportunities that emanate from two postal deliveries each day, even if only for another week or so.

Happy Christmas.

* aka "The Assistant Council Dog Warden".

Next Year Beckons

I know how anxious you will all be, Dear Readers (Yes, both of you), to hear of next year’s plans.

As I am, once more in (part-time) gainful employment, the sailing season is reduced to a mere 3 or 4 months  .. but anyway:

Mid March 2013 (possibly 17^th)

depart from Troon to continue our exploration of the Western Isles, with a view to leaving the boat (probably) in Arisaig in mid April (perhaps 15^th) and returning home (to feed the dogs*).

 Arisaig is a very nice place, and easily accessible from Glasgow by train.

June (possibly 22^nd)

leave Arisaig heading north (approximately) with a view to arriving in the Orkney Islands !** after a 2 or 3 weeks.

 Stones on Orkney

July, August and September

Sail to and explore:

            The Isles of Orkney

            Fair Isle

            Shetland Isles

 Puffins in the Shetland Islands

 Then back via Orkney and the Pentland Firth, Wick, Inverness, The Caledonian Canal, Fort William and back down to Troon.

Somewhere on the Caledonian Canal

We will fly home once or twice (probably from Kirkwall on Orkney) during the trip (to feed the dogs, etc.)

So, Dear Reader(s) if you are interested in dog-free yachting in Scotland next year, please let us know!

Join us for a gentle Easter Cruise in the Western Isles around Easter

            ..or

Arisaig to Orkney in late June

            ..or

Orkney and Shetland in July / August

            ..or

North East Scotland and back down the Caledonian Canal in August / September.

           

* more about these later.

!   ** implies excitement.

Tarbert, Troon and home

We like Tarbert (population  1338).

We had a very good time cruising with Footloose, enjoying amongst many things

excellent company, good food,  intrepid mountain climbing, one slightly dangerous flubber trip, sailing and lovely scenery.

Footloose sailing

Friday:

We decided that it was time to go home ... well … back to Troon anyway.

We sailed from Tarbert to Troon. 

Whenever it was too windy we reefed and this had the effect of immediately making it not windy enough; we therefore un-reefed and ... you’ve guessed it.  

So we sailed back to Troon merrily pulling the sail up and down.

Troon, when we arrived was much the same as usual (and possibly nearly as exciting as Haywards Heath* )

We were directed to our “Winter Berth” only to find, at the last  moment, a mooring line stretched across it.  Luckily my brilliant co-skipper spotted this obstacle in the nick of time and saved the day.

Saturday:

We emptied “Albatross” into our trusty Skoda.

Sunday:

Home again.

 Home again.

Next year:

The Orkneys and Shetlands including Fair Isle in the company of Footloose!

* Saint Hayward's Heath is justly proud of its ground-breaking website.

Cuckfield to Portavadie to Troon to Lamlash to somewhere unpronounceable* at the top of the Kyles of Bute to East Loch Tarbert.

The plot so far … is entirely unimportant.

The new plot:

Our intrepid sailing couple slip silently away (before dawn) in an attempt to leave without waking Bonzo who, chained up in the garden, snores fitfully.

They drive to Portavadie (in Scotland).  This is a very very long way.

Next day, one of our intrepid team sails solo to Troon** (by sea), whilst the other drives (single-handed) to Troon (by road, obviously).

Troon was calm. The street dancers had gone home, the bars were silent. Not a roulette wheel spun. 
No dogs barked.

Next day:

Lamlash.

What more can I say?

We went there (by boat).

Soon Peter and Sara also arrived.

Peter and Sara arriving.

Tuesday:

We climbed the mountain.  Holy Island Mountain
.

Evidence of successful mountain climbing.

There was good view.

A good view.

Holy Island is a Buddhist Island and therefore entirely free of dogs. 

Holy Island has Sheep and Goats (these are not difficult to tell apart***). 

It also has some elaborate Buddhist art.

.

Green Tara

After checking out Holy Island, our intrepid foursome flubbered back to their boats.

It may be interesting, at this point, to realise that, such were the weather conditions that afternoon, the ferry had been cancelled and that only wet or silly people were at sea.    Jean avoided getting wetter on the journey back by (gracefully) lying down in the water before climbing into the flubber.

Wednesday:

We sailed to somewhere unpronounceable* at the top of the Kyles of Bute.

We all agreed that it was a “cracking good sail”.

(Import to note that, although it obviously wasn’t a race, Albatross arrived first.)

Our anchorage was surrounded by rocks.

Footloose cleverly avoiding a rock.

After supping together on Morrisons Chicken Pie, we slept.

Thursday:

To Tarbert  (East Loch Tarbert).

We motored most of the way, they sailed. 

Footloose sailing

It was windy (F5-F7)  and raining.

We got there first. 

It wasn’t a race.

Next week:

Find  out then.

*An Caladh

** Troon, City of Adventure.  See above or below.

***  The more discerning reader (John, Linda etc) may here sense the possibility of a joke.

Yachting, Mars, Curiosity and the role of dogs in the exploration of Space

It is important (to dogs) that the past and future roles of the Canine Species in the exploration of Mars (and Space in general) are never forgotten.

The first intelligent life form (I use the word "intelligent" loosely) to travel into Space was, of course, a dog.
A Russian cosmobitch called "Laika".
This specially-trained 3 year old stray,  hurtled into Space in Sputnik II on 3rd November 1957 and died very quickly.
Unfortunately, Sputnik II had the ability to go into orbit but lacked the ability to come out of it again.

Laika did however, had a special stamp published in her honour

Laika the Space Dog

Now, Dear Readers, you will be asking "what has this to do with Yachting in Scotland ?"

No idea, almost certainly nothing.  But for Bonzo, and dogs everywhere, it is of great significance in this exciting week when Curiosity landed on Mars.  

Why, some may ask did they send a complex, nuclear powered, six wheeled, titanium clad, semi-intelligent robot when they  could have sent a dog?    After all (and this is the key point of this posting)  if they'd sent a dog, there would have been life on Mars, albeit quite briefly.

Curiosity talking to a couple of Martians

Next week, back to Sailing in Troon and something on Haute Cuisine for Yotties.

Something about dogs and mobile devices.

We thought that Bonzo should have a smart phone (an oxymoron?).

After  considerable research we opted for the new 3G iBone from Canine Warehouse.

The iBone, of course, has a bite sensitive screen and comes in a variety of  canine fragrances.

We considered getting him the new iDog instead but  felt this was somewhat upmarket for a hound like our Bonzo.

Canine networking is vital for the modern dog.

The most popular are  “lick” and “sniff” but we opted for “woofer” for  Bonzo as he’s generally quite an aural canine.

We hope he’ll be happy to be so well connected. 

Oban to Crinan to Portavadie to Home

I think this leg legitimately constituted  "An Epic". 

The trip from Oban to The Crinan Canal  involves “passage planning”. 
For those that don’t really understand the intricacies of yotting (me, you (Dear Reader), Bonzo  etc.), “passage planning” can be a challenge. 
However, in essence, this is what it is about:
1.  The tide tends to flow the way you don’t want to go, and (in addition), 
2.  When the tide flows rapidly over an uneven rocky channel (all of Scotland) the sea may get very rough.

Oban to Crinan is basically like this. 
Anyway … having worked it out 3 times, we agreed that the best time to set off was 1255.
We set off at 1240. 
The route took us through the Sound of Luing, past (but not through) the infamous Gulf of Corryvreckan, through Dorus Mor and on down to  the sea lock at Crinan .. to start our “transit of the canal”.

Anyway (again), despite being fearsome, our trip to Crinan went swimmingly (I may regret using this adverb). Having carefully done as much of the difficult part of the route at slack waters and as near neaps as possible, we hit only 3 knots of tide in Dorus Mor.

Clouds over The Gulf of Corryveckan 

John and Ann met us at Crinan.

We were the last boat to get into Canal that night. 
We motored through a couple of locks and settled down for the night. 
It is important, Dear Reader, to remember to look out for bridges ahead when motoring along canals. Our boat (mast height 16.5 metres) will not easily fit under a closed road bridge (height 2 metres).

 

A nice stop on the Crinan Canal

Next day was sunny and hot  but then became windy.
The Crinan Canal was built about  200 years ago  so that ships could get from the Clyde to Oban without going around the Mull of Kintyre (thus avoiding endless renditions of  Paul McCartney’s little ditty****…which, of course, at the time, had not been written).  Unfortunately because Sir Paul was not born 200 years ago *, the canal served little use until recent years when yotties re-discovered it.

Anyway … Wednesday 15^th August 2012
We locked our way, first up and then  down the Crinan Canal from Crinan to Ardrisaig.

John and Ann were wonderful, opening and closing gates, catching ropes and providing cake.

Jean helps John close a lock.

Locking with another boat

We teamed up with another boat which accompanied us through most of the  locks.  This was good thing because they knew what they were doing.
Towards the end of the day the wind got a bit nasty (F6) and this made locking quite a challenge **.

Wednesday night was too windy for further progress so we rafted up to “Adela” ably assisted by her charming, helpful and altogether very nice skipper ***

We said “Goodbye” to John and Ann and settled down to worrying about the weather.

Thursday 16^th August.
After a prolonged period of dithering and worrying about the weather, we eventually decided “to go for it” and left the canal at about 1300 hours in F5 and motored to Portavadie Marina.

Portavadie Marina has hair straighteners in the men’s showers.
For a man with as much hair as I have, this is obviously of crucial importance.

Portavadie Marina

As I understand it, Portavadie Marina  was constructed in a basin excavated 20 or 30 years ago to create a harbour for the maintenance of oil rigs.  
Portavadie is on the West Coast of Scotland. 
The oil was on the East Coast. 
They didn’t get a lot (any?) business. 
The oil rig harbour was therefore converted into a Marina (with hair straighteners in the loos, obviously).

Friday 17^th August.
We went home.
Portavadie to Glasgow Airport isn’t difficult  (2 buses, one ferry, one train, a shuttle bus … and you’re there!)

The house felt strangely empty without Bonzo.
I hadn’t realised that dogs could be held on remand and then bailed, but perhaps our modest contribution to the Retired Dog Warden Benevolent Fund helped a little. Anyway, our tame psychopathic canine is home again, at least for now.



* Note to Author  ..  I need to check this
** Yottie term meaning “very difficult”
*** name withheld for security reasons
**** "Mull of Kintyre"