Clyde Trip

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davidb
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Clyde Trip

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Whitehaven, off to Tarbert East Early tomorrow.

Yesterday we set off from Glasson on what is intended to be a clyde trip . We left at 3 p.m. which meant that arrival at whitehaven was going to be in the dark.

The passage was incredibly smooth in fact the smoothest I've ever seen in the Irish sea. Loads of man-of-war jellyfish but hardly any other action.

The best bit was rounding St Bees head and there was still a glimmer of red light in the sky at midnight showing the silhouette of the cliff and lighthouse.

The bothering bit was entering between the whitehaven break waters wondering where on earth the lock gate was in the total black with no moon. It just looked like a solid towering black wall with the gates shut. Without the red & green nav lights it would have been a big problem in a blow.

However it all worked out in the end and we had an enjoyable day seeing the sights and topping up on the forgotten provisions. A pity we didn't check the diesel level as well.

There is a lot of history in this place for those interested in industry.

There is is a huge amount of industrial history to look at in whitehaven for those so interested
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davidb
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Little Ross

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"the best laid plans of mice and men"......

We have just spent a pleasant lazy 3 hours in the Lee of little Ross Island waiting for the tide to help us up to Kirkcudbright shortly.

We left Whitehaven at 4 a.m. and shortly after heard the words "force 6 later" in the forecast so altered course to starboard about 20 degrees.

The management policy this trip is to go go with favourable winds so who knows where we shall end up?

We have not been to Kirkcudbright since we went in the barge Toggenberg with about 6 or 8 glasson boats around us.

So far in in nearly 2 days of sailing we have only seen one leisure boat fairly close to, and they have just left the anchorage in a lull in firing from the military firing range.
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pj
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by pj »

Good job Glasson marina was not your next port of call, I think you need to give the dock 48 hours notice.
Watch out for the midges at Kirkudbright though perhaps not in a force 6 :lol:
jack sparrow
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by jack sparrow »

Hope you have took plenty of money! Last year when we were there it was more expensive than Whitehaven and they still have the old toilet block😫.
Good luck with your sail.
Mick
davidb
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by davidb »

Yes it is dear, £27, one night is more than enough here, we're off early in the morning again. Cheers David
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davidb
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Portpatrick

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A plot of our arrival in Portpatrick harbour . We were blowing around like a feather with no fenders or lines ready.

It was so rough outside the harbour that it would have been crazy to go out on deck in advance.

Very glad to be here and excellent exercise climbing ladders!
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davidb
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Girvan

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For years I have been been listening to Slippers on about his Clyde trips and Girvan nearly always gets a mention. I can see why now and we shall be calling here more often ourselves.

The new pontoons are very well thought out and immaculate. Everything apart from fuel is close to hand. Fuel is our next problem ,- we really have hammered the engine this morning to get here in time for the last of the tide and have not filled up since Glasson. The fuel gauge must have packed up early on unfortunately, so we'll have to keep topped up.
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davidb
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A surprise visit to Troon

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In order to save diesel yesterday's plan was to have a gentle downwind sail to Lamlash bay on Arran. Unfortunately we had to wait until late afternoon for the tide to rise to enable a safe crossing of the alleged sand bar outside Troon harbour.

Whilst we were waiting the wind had been rising to a 4 or 5 which was creating a good southerly swell and we met it as soon as we got out of the breakwaters at 4.30.

Sandpiper has a fairly shallow long keel and beautiful rounded bilges so enjoys a good old roll in a beam sea so really got into the swing of it!

But this was against the management policy for this trip and we put a stop to her nonsense and laid a course for Troon where we knew we could then get diesel and thus get our freedom back to choose the direction of travel.
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davidb
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Re: Brodick

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There are a good few sturdy looking visitors moorings here. A good destination for the wealthy who keep their boats in marinas on the mainland.

There were plenty available, so we took one, and after a good quiet night went ashore in our new dinghy.
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davidb
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Another Failed Visit to Lochranza

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After Brodick we had a very favourable wind to sail up Loch Fyne to Lochranza where we hoped to moor and go ashore for walks in the magnificent countryside.

All 12 visitors moorings were taken by 18.00 so we " borrowed" a private one whilst we had tea in a force 5 or 6 blow. The blow continued and we decided that the mooring was untenable in the shrieking wind and set off to arrive at Tarbert marina just before dark.

I don't know for sure, but imagine that Lochranza, being in a very steep valley, is subject to catabatic gusts.
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davidb
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Tarbert Harbour

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It is now probably 20 years since I spent a night in this place onboard Oneiro.
Perhaps it is just the right weather and the time of year but it seems to have changed out of all recognition.
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The marina is probably four times the size as it was and the facilities are first class. Underfloor heated washrooms absolutely immaculate - best shower ever anywhere!

It will be interesting to see what the bill comes to because we are here for a few nights. Even the Wi-Fi is working well so I'll try and get a few pictures up.
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dr.syn
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by dr.syn »

What's the geared mechanism Dave?
I spent most of my money on Booze, Women and Boats. The rest I wasted.
We're born naked, wet and hungry - then things get worse
slippers
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by slippers »

I don't know what the gears are for but it's a double helical gear similar to Andre Citroën design for car differential s, to avoid side thrust.
jack sparrow
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by jack sparrow »

Hi
Yes there was a plaque on it when me and slippers were up there last with are families 2018, I have looked for what the plaque said but can't find the photo.
I do remember it was when the wife's jumped ship as the weather was not good, and the price was the same for the marina £32:00 plus a night but that was 3 years ago so maybe the price as dropped :).
Maybe Dave has more info on the plaque!
Enjoy
Mick
davidb
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Winch

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It used to be a mooring winch off a steamship that got scrapped somewhere local I think.

They had it at the top of a slipway for pulling fishing boats out. They converted it to electric drive with a dirty great motor on it, and when they were using it the lights in the village went dim!

I have a feeling that the square stone work in the middle of the harbour was for a big windlass that they pulled boats in with but I'm not sure about that.
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dr.syn
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by dr.syn »

Being in gearing design for 25yrs you stay interested. It is a winch and capstan, found the photo on the net. Double helical first reduction the rest are spurs 14.5° pressure angle, same as on the Ark😉
I spent most of my money on Booze, Women and Boats. The rest I wasted.
We're born naked, wet and hungry - then things get worse
davidb
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Weather bound

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We are having very different weather here than in Lancashire apparently. A good South wind blew up as we were sailing round to our intentended anchorage on the west of Bute, so we diverted to the lee of Great Cumbrae instead

We took a mooring in Millport bay knowing that it wasn't sheltered from southerlies, but that it was well sheltered from the West and the wind was forecast to veer later.

However teatime came and went and we were getting hungry so......

We started watching a video down below and at half time i got up to have a look at things ...
The wind had dropped considerably but the swell was horrendous and we were rolling to it with the fresh southwest wind.

We decided it wasn't tenable anymore. We took the plunge, let go of the mooring and motored down wind into Largs marina.

There were a few other boats already moored in there.......
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A comedian with a jet ski came out to take our lines but he admitted he was a novice and an hour later he was in the life boat with his craft in tow!
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davidb
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Lamlash

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Lamlash "harbour" on a swinging mooring, I was last here with John Smith ( brother in law) and Dave Griffin about 20-years ago on board Oneiro. It might be calm enough to go ashore in the tender in the morning. Then we shall be heading for home again.
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davidb
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Givan (again)

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A quiet day in Girvan and just across the water is a curious lump of granite.

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davidb
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Dunksey Castle

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I never imagined we would find anything like this when we went for an afternoon walk at Port Patrick on our way home.
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https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see- ... le-p255821
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It's getting busy now, at 10 pm, 5 visiting yachts here.
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onewaygeorge
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Re: Clyde Trip

Unread post by onewaygeorge »

I wonder who does the mapping for historic Scotland?
davidb
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Whitehaven

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Back in the marina for a quick stop, and off again at 10am for home, hoping to recover tonight. Another quick inshore passage round the Mull yesterday afternoon, but failed to meet up with Norrie again.
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davidb
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Back on Trailer

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Thanks to Gilly, Norman and John hollows the boat is back on its trailer just at the edge of dark.

We had a dream cruise around Morecambe bay this evening just to kill a bit of time In order to get here at high water.

The joys of Morecambe bay sailing.
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"People who can breathe underwater when knocked unconscious dont need life jackets"
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