We had an excellent month-long stay at James Watt Dock Marina in Greenock, Scotland near Glasgow. The marina was convenient for making train trips to explore Glasgow, Edinburgh and the West Highlands, and was a secure place for Dirona while we returned to Seattle for a couple of weeks. We also took a few deliveries and got Spitifire his EU Pet Passport at the local vet.

Trip highlights from July 15th through August 12, 2017 follow. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps

7/15/2017

Greenock Arrival Position: -4 43.46, 55 56.56 We booked a berth at the James Watt Dock Marina in Greenock near Glasgow way back in February while we were still in Daytona, Florida. Five months and 4,500 miles later, we’re actually here. Read more …

7/16/2017

Glasgow Position: -4 14.10, 55 51.78 On a day-trip to Glasgow from Greenock, we toured the Glasgow Cathedral, took in the city views from the adjacent Necropolis, and spent several hours walking through the historic city of Glasgow with its notable architecture and modern murals. Read more …

7/17/2017

Valve Adjustment Position: -4 43.56, 55 56.57 James adjusting the valves on the generator. This is due every 1,000 hours and we now have 4,844 hours on the generator.

Pet Passport Position: -4 46.39, 55 56.55 Dr. Colin Greer of Abbey Vet Group filling out Spitfire’s EU Pet Passport using the USDA-endorsed EU Health Certificate we got in Newport, RI and the rabies vaccination certificate from Darwin, endorsed by the Australian Department of Agriculture. The Pet Passport will allow us to easily travel with Spitfire within the EU. Spitfire, hiding in his carry bag at right, continues to lead the pack in paperwork.

Sunset Position: -4 43.57, 55 56.57 Sunset looking over N55 Odyssey toward the James Watt Dock marina entrance.

7/18/2017

West Highland Line Position: -4 43.57, 55 56.57 From Greenock, we made an overnight trip on the West Highland Line, voted the world’s best train journey by Wanderlust Magazine. We traveled through the scenic Scottish highlands and across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, featured in the Harry Potter movies. Read more …

7/20/2017

Odyssey Position: -4 43.56, 55 56.57 Nordhavn 55 Odyssey leaving James Watt Dock Marina. They’re heading through the Scottish canals and on to Norway this summer, so we’re not sure when our paths might cross again.

Backing In Position: -4 43.57, 55 56.57 Shortly after Odyssey, the 257ft (78m) superyacht Amaryllis arrived at James Watt Dock. They spun the boat around and we thought at first they were going to dock against the pier outside the marina, but they instead backed in through the entry and onto the dock. It looked pretty tight.

Pilot Position: -4 43.56, 55 56.57 Pilot departing after bringing Amaryllis onto the dock.

Rabbit Position: -4 43.61, 55 56.71 A rabbit in the grass while we were taking a short walk around the marina area.

Serco Marine Position: -4 43.59, 55 56.75 Serco Marine (previously Serco Denholm) employs over 50,000 people world-wide and operates nearly 120 support vessels ranging from 100 to 25,000 tons for the UK and Royal Australian Navy, plus International Nuclear Services. Serco has been supporting the Royal Navy since taking over from the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (RMAS) in 1996. The 304ft (92m) SD Northern River, towering over the other vessels in the picture, is their largest ship.

Amaryllis Position: -4 43.77, 55 56.68 A view to superyacht Amaryllis at James Watt Dock Marina.

AET Position: -4 43.55, 55 56.64 Three very nice AET Transport Services trucks were parked just outside of Serco Marine, waiting to drop off a delivery to them tomorrow morning. We chatted with the drivers for a bit and they gave us a tour of one of the trucks.

7/21/2017

Tesco Position: -4 43.56, 55 56.57 We placed an order with Tesco to deliver an order of non-perishable groceries before we return to Seattle for a couple of weeks. We’ll be leaving on our cruise of the west and north coast of Scotland soon after we return, so want to get started early on stocking up.

7/23/2017

Return to Seattle Position: -122 20.56, 47 36.67 We left Dirona in Scotland, with Spitfire at “The Resort”, while we returned to Seattle for a couple of weeks. This mostly was a work trip for James, but we did find time to enjoy the city, make a day trip to Victoria, and receive and pack over 200 pounds of boat spares to bring back with us. Read more …

8/7/2017

Out With the Old Position: -4 43.56, 55 56.57 Four 20-liter four pails of oil that we’d ordered to the marina were waiting for us when we returned from Seattle. We stowed the new oil and swapped out the blue buckets full of waste oil for recycling.

Fuel Trucks Position: -4 43.57, 55 56.57 Two of the four trucks that arrived this afternoon to fuel superyacht Amaryllis moored behind us. Each truck at capacity carries 40,000 liters (10,500 gallons).

James Watt Dock Position: -4 44.15, 55 56.75 Looking back to James Watt Dock marina on an evening walk. Dirona is hidden behind superyacht Amaryllis, visible on the right below the big blue crane.

8/8/2017

Edinburgh Position: -3 11.81, 55 56.93 Edinburgh came into being beneath Castle Rock, a rocky crag overlooking the coastal route to central Scotland from northeast England. A fortification existed there since at least the 7th century, and a royal castle since the reign of King David I in the 12th century. Today Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland’s most popular tourist destinations, and is the backdrop for the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. From Greenock we made a two-night trip to Edinburgh and had an excellent time touring the historic city and taking in the Tattoo. Read more …

8/10/2017

Falkirk Wheel Position: -3 50.47, 55 59.99 The Falkirk Wheel was completed in 2002 to connect the restored Union and Forth & Clyde Canals, replacing 11 locks that once covered the 115ft difference in level. The wheel is a unique rotating boat lift that raises and lowers vessels between the two canals. We stopped off to visit the wheel and other nearby attractions on our return trip from Edinburgh. Read more …

8/12/2017

Fending Off Position: -4 43.57, 55 56.57 This boat bounced off several boats on both sides of the marina as they attempted to exit, the crew frantically fending off and shifting fenders between sides. It took nearly thirty minutes to find the marina exit. This is why we always put fenders on our exposed side, even if another boat won’t be moored beside us.

Tesco Position: -4 41.75, 55 56.15 At the well-stocked Tesco in Port Glasgow to stock up on meats and produce before our cruise to the Hebrides and the Orkneys.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise. On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps.