City Breaks
Belfast skyline.
We had checked the weather, confirmed the tides would be in our favor and paid the Rathlin island marina fee. We were all set to head down through the North Channel toward Belfast the following day. Then we got an email; “we would love to meet you at the weekend when we will be on the boat around the Isle of Arran”. Well, when the chance to meet up with sailing friends and family present themselves, one has to be flexible. We left Rathlin on the fair morning tide and pointed our bow north toward Scotland. Instead of riding with the tide, we were now crossing it. Helacious crabbed at 20° to make the course overground to round the Mull of Kintyre.
We tucked into Campbeltown Loch and tied up to the pontoon. Campbeltown is a gritty town, its money was made in the whisky industry, both the product and manufacture of the copper stills. Now three main distilleries remain, Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia. In walking around the town we stumbled upon the Linda McCartney memorial garden. It was near here that Linda and Paul retreated to raise their family away from the glare of publicity.
The following day we left and used the light winds to slowly sail north, up the western side of the Isle of Arran. We sailed past Saddell House, a Landmark Trust property that brought back fond memories of an extended family holiday we had there many years ago. At that time we watched the sailboats passing by, never dreaming one day we would be on our own boat, sailing these waters. The beach was used in the music video for the WIngs hit, “Mull of Kintyre”.
Saddell House.
On the sail up we suddenly noticed our much beloved Code Zero sail was flapping in the breeze. It had torn along the leach, close to the clew. An over 6ft tear in the fabric, in two directions. We quickly took it down before it could get any worse. We will get in touch with our sail maker to determine what next. Is it repairable or not? We have a sewing machine onboard, good for minor repairs. However it seemed like the fabric was possibly sun damaged, despite taking great care and storing it under covers.
Lochranza
On the north western tip of Arran, Lochranza is a popular sailing destination in these waters. There is little room for anchoring as the bay shelves steeply from the shallows, and what space is available is full of moorings. A number were visitors moorings, so we easily found a spot and secured the boat.
It is easy to understand Lochranza’s popularity.
The following day we went ashore for a walk around the coast. We learned that a significant geological discovery was inspired by the rock formations along this shore. In 1787 James Hutton was walking and observed the two directions of rock strata laying on top of each other. His theory of “Unconformity” and the true timescale of geological change was the result, making him the father of modern geology.
The explanation.
We think these are the inspirational rocks, although it was not that obvious to be honest. The rest of the walk was very pleasant.
It was time to meet up with our friends, we had a rendezvous on the other side of Arran, anchoring off Brodick Castle in Brodick Bay. We met up with Charlie and Tomoko on their new boat Hakuba for a lovely dinner. Thank you both so much for the splendid evening.
The following day we went to visit the marvelous gardens in the grounds of Brodick Castle. It is another example of the surprising microclimates that allow many tropical plants and trees to thrive.
A fortress has been on the site since 5th century, after a tumultuous history the current castle was built in 1844.
The gardens overlook the bay.
Goatfell rises behind Brodick Castle and gardens.
The next morning we left and crossed the 12 miles to Ardrossan to leave the boat while we made a short trip into Glasgow to have a few days with Justine and Philip, enjoying their hospitality and the bounty of their garden.
We went on a city tour of Glasgow. The buildings in Glasgow are so solid, built in grand times where ornamentation was relished and used with abandon.
The moody architecture is what makes it a popular location for shooting movies. While we were there, the streets were covered in fake snow, there were piles of garbage bags on the street corners and a lot of American police cruisers and motorbikes parked. It was Gotham City!
A quick trip to Costco (thanks Justine) and we were back on the boat and ready to head south. We fueled up and left Ardrossan in the morning, stopping overnight in a rather exposed anchorage near Stranraer. As we dropped the anchor I heard Brian say “Uh oh, thats not good”. The windlass was misbehaving and the chain would not run out. To add to the joy, it began to rain, hard. Oh, and then the ferry arrived in the bay as we were drifting around. It was quite stressful for a while, but Brian managed to dismantle the windlass, clean the insides and put it back together again, hopefully better than new. At least it worked and we anchored safely that night, and managed to pull up the anchor the next morning.
We left with the tide and sailed across the North Channel to Belfast. It was a long ride into the center of the city. We called port control on the radio for permission to enter the narrow channel into the docks, and were asked to slow down to allow the fast ferry to pass us. The marina is not big, but situated very close to the center of Belfast, in the Titanic district. This area was were the Titanic was built. The boatbuilding yards, which have recently been gentrified, has a wonderful museum about the Titanic.
That afternoon, making the most of the brief sunny weather we went into the city. We walked around the Cathedral district; narrow alleyways, bars, shops and the Cathedral. We also discovered how colorful Belfast is with murals seemingly around every corner.
The following day we visited the Titanic museum, a dramatic building with very well planned displays.
The Nomadic was a tender to the Titanic, and was in the dry dock nearby. It was built at the same time as Titanic and had the same 1st-3rd passenger class system onboard, so seeing the embellishments in the first class area gave some idea of the luxuries seen onboard Titanic. The third class area was little more than benches.
The museum was very well done and is highly recommended to anyone visiting Belfast. The history of the boatyards and the Titanic build, the short maiden voyage and grisly end. The subsequent investigations and new maritime laws instituted based on lessons learned.
That afternoon we met up with OCC members, David and Lesley, in a wonderful Victorian pubic house, The Crown, complete with the original gas lighting. The “snugs” where ladies could enjoy a private drink and no doubt many business deals were struck, the ornate glass and tilework. What a treasure.
More walking around the city and a visit to the Sunday market.
The Botanical gardens were a treat, the glass house was beautiful.
Belfast Botanical garden.
The Rose Garden was at its peak, so many different blooms.
The weather presented an opportunity to move on, so we untied the dock lines and, after asking permission to leave the marina and enter the channel, we made our way out into the bay. In a last minute decision, we set the sails and made for the Isle of Man instead of remaining in Northern Ireland. We had enjoyed our city breaks, but it was time to relax and enjoy the countryside for a while.