Respect for Scottish sailors

dylanwinter

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Now that I no longer have a boat in scotland I would just like to tip my hat to the Scottish sailors

you are dead lucky that you sail in what is argueably - weather aside - the finest sailing ground in the world. The tides, the skies, the wildlife, the sheltered lochs, Kyles, Voes and Minns offer some absolutely glorious sailing.

Never seen anything like it.

Add to that the remoteness of some of these places and the fact that at any point a three day blow can come rampaging in when all you can do is to sit below and read good books. I have met some tough well read bastards up there.

I filmed a minute or two of this three day storm in Plockton on a mooring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BJJqljbnRc

there were about six other occupied boats - other people sitting it out patiently waiting for scotland to do this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5FiLtMPeNU

and when she does this there is really nothing like it

I hope I can go back - so much more to see, so much more to do, so much more to experience and film.
 

Mataji

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We are not really lucky, just willing to put in the hours to get up there. I have a 5 hour plus journey but once past Preston the roads are usually pretty quiet and the drive itself can be spectacular. A few years ago I met 3 guys from Southampton who shared a boat. They had sailed up for what was going to be a 3 week holiday but decided to leave the boat somewhere on the Clyde. I was told that they had a 10.5 hour drive but "it's worth it".
 

Minchsailor

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We are not really lucky, just willing to put in the hours to get up there. I have a 5 hour plus journey but once past Preston the roads are usually pretty quiet and the drive itself can be spectacular..

I catch a train from my home town (overlooking the English Channel, and with a big marina less than 3 miles away) at 19.15, travel on the overnight train to Scotland, get to my boat around midday. I make that something like 19 hours. Been doing it for the last 15 years.

It's worth it. Be even better if I had a better relationship with the midges......
 

{151760}

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Funny, nobody up here commutes hundreds of miles to a boat on the Solent...

Actually, I met a guesthouse owner in Inverness some years ago, who used to drive down to the Solent every weekend to race. He may well have been unique, though.
 

johnalison

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I always enjoy the Solent, and there are many attractive spots, but its chief attraction is that it remains one of the finest places for organised racing, and so will retain its position as Britain's premier sailing venue, in spite of a wee bit of jealousy from many of us.
 

ctva

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Whilst I appreciate what we have up here, others sailing areas always have an allure simply because they are different. I was at the Jolly Sailor on the Hamble last week and thought it would be lovely to sail to places like that at a weekend.

Grass and greener.
 

Topcat47

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Shame you couldn't have shown us Plockton on a good day, too. I reckon I could place your mooring there to within 5m. I like the Solent, largely because of it's proximity to my home and France and the Channel Islands. I just love sailing to another country. The Hebrides has always been on my to do list but it's a long way from home. So far I"ve made do with Calmac
 

dylanwinter

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Shame you couldn't have shown us Plockton on a good day, too. I reckon I could place your mooring there to within 5m. I like the Solent, largely because of it's proximity to my home and France and the Channel Islands. I just love sailing to another country. The Hebrides has always been on my to do list but it's a long way from home. So far I"ve made do with Calmac

I had a lovely time there on a mooring borrowed from another forumite. Then one evening the volunteer harbour mastermotored over to me, declined my offer of a scotch and told me that I am not welcome.
I will not be returning to Plockton. Too frightened now.
 
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Halo

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Funny, nobody up here commutes hundreds of miles to a boat on the Solent...

I did - to undertake the Fastnet and its qualifying races.
The Solent is a great cruising ground - as are many places right round the UK.
Dylan's appreciation of Scotland is shared by many English sailors including myself.
 

Topcat47

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I had a lovely time there on a mooring borrowed from another forumite. Then one evening the volunteer harbour master (and english blow in judging by his accent) motored over to me, declined my offer of a scotch and told me that I am not welcome. He said he wished that he had the power to untie my mooring line and let my boat drift away. He then proceeded to tell me the tragic story of another bloke who left his boat on a borrowed mooring - while he was away his boat broke free and ended up on the rocks.



I will not be returning to Plockton. Too frightened now.

What a snotty bugger. It's not as if it was his mooring, even. As I recall, most of the locals pay "ground rent" and supply their own tackle.
 
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