| 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.
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.
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 |
