Holy Loch Marina, Scotland

On Wednesday, October 1, less than an hour after sunset--something we did not actually experience in the bleak conditions of the Kyles of Bute--we dropped anchor in a sheltered bay on the north side of the Isle of Bute. Once again on this adventure, there was very little sailing. Even Peter was frustrated. Expecting to be able to raise the sails and cut the engine as soon as we rounded the tip of an island, we found that the wind speed and direction altered so that it was once again on the nose. Peter noted in the log: "Lochs are not for sailing!!" However, there are more sailboats than power boats on mooring balls and in marinas, so it must work some of the time.

We had been told that the trip around the north side of the Isle of Bute is very scenic. Certainly, the scenes around us were atmospheric. By this, I mean that we could see the atmosphere. 

Apparently typical weather for this time of year in the Kyles of Bute

In general, if gray and dark green are your favorite colors, then Western Scotland is the place for you. If you find unpredictable weather appealing, this is where you want to be. It will also please you if you prefer an annual mean temperature just below 10°C (50°F). Any time of year will work, but fall and winter may be best if you like chilliness and dampness. In October, the average HOURS of sunshine is 125 for the WHOLE MONTH! The total for the year ranges from approximately 900 to 1,300 hours (compared to 3,600 hours in Sacramento, with 280 days/year of sunshine that lasts all day). Also, October is the second rainiest month of the year here, averaging about 140 mm (or 5.5 inches). Let's not forget about another climatic factor, wind. The mean wind speed is never below 10 knots, or Force 4 on the Beaufort scale, and average gusts range from 50 to 85 knots. Frequent deep depressions (No, I am not referring to my mental state.) create strong sustained winds and higher gusts. 

We are now able to keep the chilliness out of the boat and usually have it heated to 20°C (68°F) or higher, and the air conditioner component of our heating and cooling system is able to REDUCE the amount of moisture in the air, but it is constantly damp. Every morning, we have to use towels to absorb the condensation on the windows and the hatches as well as drops of water clinging to the ceilings and upper walls. Mantra is a wonderful, strong and great sailing vessel, but she is in no way designed for the climate we have been in for the past three months. Unfortunately, she is not insulated, and without insulation, dehumidification cannot succeed, and in really cold water, such as we encountered in Newfoundland and Greenland, attempts at heating are akin to trying to warm up the inside of a refrigerator without turning the refrigerator off.

This is what I found when I pulled out the mattress from the upper bunk in the aft cabin--yuck!

We docked on Thursday, October 2, at Holy Loch Marina in Sandbank, just north of Dunoon and on the southern shore of this sea loch of the Firth of Clyde. In 1876, Alexander Robertson starting repairing and then building boats in Sandbank and became one of the area's foremost wooden boat builders. By the early 1900's, Alexander Robertson & Sons was specializing in racing yachts. The yard built boats for the Royal Navy before and during WWI. Switching back to racing yachts afterwards, they were busy even during the Great Depression as many wealthy businessmen developed a passion for yacht racing on the Clyde. During WWII, the yard devoted its efforts to Admiralty work. The focus returned to racing boats after this war, but the Robertson were forced by difficult business conditions to sell the yard in 1965, having built over 500 boats, many of which are still sailing. Production ceased in 1980.

The locals mainly talk about the years the U.S. Navy had a submarine base here, from 1961 to 1992. Until the end of the Cold War, the base was a vital part of the local economy, and the locals and military personnel and their children had a shared sense of community.

Although we normally prefer to be at anchor in strong winds, we needed to have shore access for various reasons, so we chose Holy Loch Marina even though we were anticipating the arrival of the first named storm of the season, Amy, with sustained winds of 30 knots and gusts predicted as high as 60. The Met Office (UK meteorologic agency) issued an amber warning (increased likelihood of various impacts from severe weather) starting on Friday and lasting through Saturday. In fact, the gusts were much more forceful, with 96 knots recorded in Western Scotland. We were tied up securely to the inner pontoon of the breakwater at Holy Loch and had all our fenders out. Fortunately, Mantra sustained no damage. (Many boats in the area were grounded or sunk.) One fender is squashed, probably beyond repair, but the big, round, red fender we picked up in Höfn in eastern Iceland has been invaluable. 

On Thursday night, having returned from a night out, we found at least 1,000 seagulls sheltering on the breakwater. They flew off in waves as we walked down the long pontoon, a thrilling sight. Back on the boat, Peter and I lay in bed awake for quite a while listening to the howling in the rigging of all the boats in the marina and feeling the boat heel over as the wind blasted against the starboard side. In the big gusts, I instinctively flinched as I held on to Peter. By Friday night, the storm had not abated. Last night, in the wee hours, Peter was awaken by the storm and discovered that the sustained wind was 50 knots for a brief time. Meanwhile, I slept soundly while he considered whether we should put on our cold water survival suits in case we broke loose or were hit by another boat or, in a worse case scenario, the breakwater began coming apart. Luckily, it did not get that bad. 

During the worst of the storm, even walking was difficult, and at one point we were stopped dead in our tracks on the dock by a 10-second gust. In the strong wind, we walked close together and holding hands, with our heads lowered to protect our faces. Even being so close, we could barely hear each other if we spoke. Today, it is calmer. Now the wind is 10-15 knots, with gusts only up to 30, and intermittent rain, which is the norm here. Not a speck of blue sky or sunshine, though!

The wind lifting water from the surface of the loch on Friday evening

Fenders with severely shredded covers

The last few days (after I cleaned the floors inside so that the varnished surface once again shines) I have spent many hours in the marina's laundry room, which has one washing machine and one dryer. I finally had to download the user manual for the dryer as it was very inconsistent, frequently stopping for no apparent reason. Having finally figured out the settings (I am not fluent in icons.). I am now down to five loads of drying and two loads of washing! I should be done this evening.  I have laundered all the towels, sheets and pillow cases, mattress covers, blankets, quilts, duvets and duvet covers plus one load of Peter's clothes, about a dozen loads in total. I will be packing in a couple days to return home, and I am not bothering with cleaning my clothes. When I get back, I will be washing and drying every single piece of clothing I brought to the boat, even if I have never worn it. (Very little of the summer clothing was ever worn; in retrospect, I packed too much for summer and barely enough for winter.) Nothing has escaped the dampness of Mantra!

Peter has been busy on the boat, planning our trip up the Clyde to Glasgow tomorrow, which involves contacting authorities in advance for bridge openings; catching up on email; and taking care of technical things. Our time here at Holy Loch  has not all been work and severe weather. Serendipitously, Peter's brother Rob and sister-in-law Susan from southern England are in this area at the same time as us, staying with their and our good friends Catherine and John at their estate a half-hour drive away in Glen Massan. It is the annual hunting weekend at the estate, and the weather did not deter the hunters from going out. The partridge shooting was successful for the humans on Friday morning, but no red deer were harmed on Saturday morning. 

Peter was invited but chose not to hunt partridge and stalk deer, but we were cordially invited to join them in the evenings, which we did three days in a row. The first day, John drove down from the glen to pick us up, and Susan picked us up yesterday, but the other times the trip there and back was by taxi, with David, a cheerful and interesting man, providing the rides in his high clearance vehicle, which was necessary due to mud slides, high water and downed tree limbs. We arrived each of the three days in time for champaign and hors d'ouevres and lively conversation, followed by superb dinners by Catherine for ten (and twelve on the second evening). In addition to a few of their friends, Catherine and John's son Richard and daughter Phoebe joined in the weekend activities.

These activities included not only hunting, walking, socializing, and eating scrumptious food but plunges into the pond in front to the large house, a beautifully renovated shepherd's cottage with an equal sized addition. Not everyone participated in the plunges. In fact, other than Phoebe, it was just the men. They were not deterred by the cold, rain or wind. Peter joined them on Saturday evening, jumping in twice. After the plunges, they all ran to the sauna in the house to warm up before dressing for dinner. 

Garth, Charles, Peter, Phoebe, Rob, Richard and John by the pond

Peter swam away from the shore

On Saturday, we arrived to join them in the mid-afternoon so that they could look at some of my photos of Greenland. Peter and I also had time to take a walk with Catherine, Susan, Phoebe and the dog Quince around a bit of the property. There was a break in the rain, and the atmospheric view varied as the atmosphere constantly drifted and rose and fell.

Catherine and Peter

Woods and hillside near the house

Catherine and John's Scottish home

View from the front of the house

It was great to spend time with Rob and Susan and Catherine and John, whom we had not anticipated seeing on this trip, and a great pleasure to get to know the friends who had joined them for the weekend. Now, I am spending today finishing the laundry, cleaning Mantra, using up fresh food that needs to be cooked, and getting organized both for Matthew's arrival tomorrow and my much anticipated departure from the boat and return to our dry home in California. Peter will be staying on board and moving the boat south as winter sets in on the western coast of the British Isles.