Dunstaffnage report

I really like this place -

http://www.dunstaffnagemarina.co.uk/

it is clean, tidy, the pontoons are in good nick, the staff are nice, the lekkie works and the boat yard is interesting. I love to speculate about the reasonsd why the summer shore yachts are there - money, health, sentiment, fear of the water, stupidity - who can say

the best thing about the place is the bath

S2120045 bath

S2120048 bogs

S2130019 bogs S2130018 main building

S2120014 lily M S2130002 lily mn

 

S2130017 book exchange S2130015 trollies S2130023 mystique S2130024 yard S2130025 stern hole S2130027 gaunyersel S2130028 tender S2130031 jacobite S2130034 siobhan S2130035 clinker S2130037 ashore S2130039 ashore S2130041 shore

This is about Dylan Winter's Blog.

22 Responses to “Dunstaffnage report”

  1. 20 June, 2016 at 12:02 amRon G says:

    The BEST thing about the place is the bath!! Honestly?
    Obviously it’s the extending mirrors (and you can probably use the two of them in tandem to check for ear hair infestations).

  2. 20 June, 2016 at 7:04 amDavidR says:

    Scotland looks like an amazing cruising area. It would be fantastic to sail there one day.

    Having experienced Scottish weather on a cycle tour in August 1989, what I can’t quite understand is why every yacht doesn’t have a nicely heated wheelhouse…

  3. 20 June, 2016 at 11:29 amdylan winter says:

    I am beginning to think that a cabin would be a goood idea

    but those Motorsailors are really pricey

    I am thinking a Fisher 25 would be perfect for scotland

    but man are they expensive

  4. 20 June, 2016 at 11:30 amdylan winter says:

    it is the only marina I have come across which has one

    and when you are in the bath flicking the hot tap with your toe then it iis the BEST thing about the place

  5. 20 June, 2016 at 1:19 pmWarren says:

    The Fisher 25 certainly would do the job. I like the LM24 or LM27 which come with bilge keels more often but only slightly less cost. The fisher does have a solid door for the pilot house though great for heating ( or cooling).
    Another Josua slocum type steel Spray , this one looks 40’+ ( next to last photo) I wonder how many were and will be made?
    Warren

  6. 20 June, 2016 at 1:23 pmWarren says:

    You wrote.
    “I love to speculate about the reasonsd why the summer shore yachts are there ”
    If you ever figure it out let us know, everyone says the same thing about every boat in every marina
    “I never see these boats go any where , why?”
    Warren

  7. 20 June, 2016 at 1:59 pmdylan winter says:

    I think every boat has a different story – the ones here have the whiff of a big adventure postponed

  8. 20 June, 2016 at 3:07 pmRon G says:

    OK. I’ll concede on that one. Especially if you’ve got a beer resting on the edge and a steamed up copy of PBO to hand while you wrinkle up.
    Just don’t make us think about it ok….

  9. 20 June, 2016 at 3:18 pmDave Barker says:

    Is that alluding to the Scottish referendum, perhaps?

  10. 20 June, 2016 at 6:06 pmdylan winter says:

    I apologise for the image I created – hope it does not haunt you for too long

    – jill loves the bath there too….. hope that helps to ease the image problem

  11. 20 June, 2016 at 11:27 pmDavidR says:

    Sailing ability looks to be slightly compromised on the Fisher 25, but then every boat is a compromise.

  12. 20 June, 2016 at 11:28 pmdylan winter says:

    massively compromised I agree

    but warm sailing

    no tiller either

    D

  13. 21 June, 2016 at 8:37 amAquaplane says:

    Hunter 27 pilot comes with bilge keels, they were a bit dear when I was dreaming of swapping my Centaur though, about the same as a Konsort Duo. When I say about the same I mean £30k ish as opposed to £10k ish.

    I’ve compromised draught for comfort with my new boat, and it falls over, but you can’t have everything.

    Enjoying the posts, hurry back.

  14. 21 June, 2016 at 9:54 amdylan winter says:

    they are all way out of my price league

    at the moment Centaurs still offer the best value for money

    the only motorsailer I could buy for £6K would be a horrible thing

  15. 21 June, 2016 at 3:48 pmTed B. (Charging Rhino) says:

    I’ve been looking at a number of stern-cockpit boats with enclosures; but most are bulky, clumsy, with horrible windage-problems and weather-helm if you leave the enclosure up. I’ve been looking at 30-ft to 35-ft semi live-a-boards that I can single-hand on the Bays and along the Coast. I have no interest in serious offshore work, but I do want something large enough for several weeks at a time lazing about with AC/heat, refrigeration and autopilot/chart-plotter. I can work from the boat for some projects as long as I have intermittent WIFI-access and cell-phone service.

    While you are more-remote from the water, a center-cockpit with a nice Stratoglass and canvas enclosure makes it a redeeming-feature. And the stern-cabin and dedicated engine room makes the additional size (35-ft to 40-ft) and running-expenses more-palatable for serious multi-day or multi-week sailing….you just have to live with the deeper draft’s limitations.

  16. 21 June, 2016 at 8:24 pmdylan winter says:

    Ted,

    too big…. too much comfort…. too much stuff to break down… too much fixing and not ebougb sauiling

    D

  17. 21 June, 2016 at 8:28 pmRon G says:

    Wow. You’re all rich!

  18. 21 June, 2016 at 8:53 pmdylan winter says:

    26 feet seems so massive

    we are loving the space

    we have two rings, a table, a bedroom for jill to go to bed early

    loads of locker space

    it still feels luxuious

  19. 22 June, 2016 at 12:49 pmRon G says:

    I’ll make do with my 17ft, minimum wage, get on and go 1960’s Hurley. It only has an outside toilet and an outboard beer cooler but it DOES have a bath if you close the cockpit drain valves long enough.
    Hah! Now it’s your turn to have the haunting image.

  20. 22 June, 2016 at 1:44 pmTed B. (Charging Rhino) says:

    With the greatest of respect, Dylan’s phrase “…camping under the dining room table” sums-up most smaller boats in my area; lightly-built Chesapeake Bay weekend-sailers. I spent years in my youth and as a younger adult camping both rough, and with a series of VW Wesphalia campers. But being about Dylan’s age now I’d prefer something with a little self-sufficiency as I’m looking at it as a 3-1/2 season roaming second-home-with-sails and less VW campmobile.

  21. 23 June, 2016 at 12:27 pmTed B. (Charging Rhino) says:

    Update;
    The 30-ft full-keel boat that I really liked — and could afford — has was sold to someone else. So the quiet search continues…maybe next year in-the-water.

  22. 23 June, 2016 at 8:09 pmDave says:

    Our boats have a life cycle of their own, As the years pass they get launched later and later each season. We spend money and keep them very well equipped in many cases, ready for that big trip.
    The fact that every thing is ready gives us a sense of freedom, we don’t have to go. Then something comes up and we miss a year, its OK tho’ because next summer all will be fine.

    The yacht stands slowly going green, the owners son comes and checks every once in while.
    Dad can not bring himself to sell, we’ll pay the storage another year……………

    Boat yards in all corners of the world.

    The yacht changes hands and is regenerated by a young enthusiast and the cycle begins again!!

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