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#1 2011-10-03 13:33:35

Ian_Johnston
Member
Registered: 2009-11-01
Posts: 62

Victoria 26 JUMBLIE

'Jumblie' is a Victoria 26 sloop that is now owned by Ian Johnston.

Ian lives to the north of Castle Douglas in Scotland and moors 'Jumblie' on the River Dee at Kirkcudbright, where he is a member of the Kirkcudbright Sailing Club.

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#2 2011-10-03 13:34:38

Ian_Johnston
Member
Registered: 2009-11-01
Posts: 62

Re: Victoria 26 JUMBLIE

E-mail from Ian received on 31/12/2009:

I have just spent a miserably wet day on Jumblie at Milford Haven Marina, where she is wintering. All seemed well, and I cheered myself up by provisioning her for her first voyage (with me) in the spring.

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#3 2011-10-03 13:35:31

Ian_Johnston
Member
Registered: 2009-11-01
Posts: 62

Re: Victoria 26 JUMBLIE

E-mail from Ian received on 07/01/2010:

I'm looking forward very much to some adventures in Jumblie. I don't expect that the delivery will be terribly exciting or protracted: since it's likely to be in late February or March the plan is to keep an eye open for a suitable window in the weather and so do the trip in one - it's only a couple of hundred miles so with anything reasonable from the south a couple of days should see it through. One of my likely crew, though, had Irish parents so we may have to stop off at Howth, Dublin or Dun Laoghaire for a day to let him revisit his heritage.

After that she'll be fitting out at Kirkcudbright for a few weeks then heading north to Crinan for the summer. The plan after that is to have summers in Crinan and winters in Kirkcudbright, but it's all fairly fluid at the moment. I shall certainly keep you informed and supply some pictures for the website.

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#4 2011-10-03 13:36:24

Ian_Johnston
Member
Registered: 2009-11-01
Posts: 62

Re: Victoria 26 JUMBLIE

E-mail from Ian received on 30/04/2010:

Jumblie has finally reached Scotland! I was never able to match up slots in the weather and slots in my diary for the trip north from Milford Haven, and as the full-season berthing rate there approached I decided to pay for the delivery instead. I was very fortunate to find a friendly delivery skipper, Roland Stockham, just a few berths along from me at the marina - it's always nice to give work to someone you like and trust and I was very happy to engage him for the job. As an added bonus, he had a mooring on which Jumblie sat at no cost until the trip began.

She arrived in Largs on Sunday 25th May and the next day I took her to Port Bannatyne - where I have been lent a mooring for a few weeks - with my extremely enthusiastic three-year-eleven-month-and-three-week-old son as crew. Do I have the only Victoria 26 with a "Thomas the Tank Engine" curtain between the main and fore cabins?

The only drama in the whole delivery was a shredded generator belt in the North Channel. I replaced it in Largs, but the engine died on me shortly after I emerged from the marina - backwards. Aren't long keels fun with wind over the quarter? The problem seems to be faulty alternator bearings stiffening and ultimately seizing as everything warms up. Having checked the price of a new Yanmar alternator and waited for my pulse to return to normal I have bought a pattern part from A Bloke On eBay for a much more sensible price.

Jumblie will be playing on the Clyde for another month or so and then, I hope, heading to Crinan for June, July and August before coming south to Kirkcudbright for the winter. I'd welcome the chance to meet up with any other Victoria (particularly Frances and Victoria 26) owners nearby - and The Boy would, I am sure, very much like to meet other sailing children.

Regards

Ian Johnston

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#5 2012-11-30 16:21:29

Ian_Johnston
Member
Registered: 2009-11-01
Posts: 62

Re: Victoria 26 JUMBLIE

A long overdue update. I never did leave Port Bannatyne, for three reasons. First, it's a great place to keep a boat, with good facilities, friendly boat yard and the security that comes from being on an island. Secondly, I learned to sail there so sentiment drew me back. Finally, I was able to buy a mooring outright for rather less than one month's mooring rental at Crinan. The bay is filling up a bit now, but there are still places and often moorings for sale, particularly for shallow boats like a V26, so if anyone is interested, please let me know.

For the last two years we've been confined by weather, ambition and the extreme youth of my crew to the Clyde, but there is plenty to do in the firsth and we'll get further afield eventually.

Jumblie has behaved impeccably, although I have had to wrestle in prayer and blasphemy with the engine a bit. I think that's dealt with now, after I fitted a new cylinder head. She snapped her 8mm anchor chain once (50kts in the Kyles of Butes) and I've run her aground once, in Loch Striven, but she takes it all in her stride.

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