This unending windy stuff

During Ann and Martin's visit, we had the joy of just over a week of strong winds. then a lovely sunny one day lull that we used to head to Troon. After that, a full week of strong windy stuff but as we were out and about by hire car getting culture, it wasn't a big deal. When the third week in succession of nasty stuff was forecast, we were less amused: 

The warning was right. A typical day:

They were not all as wet but 40 mph gusts of wind were typical and the white horses in the bay didn't tempt us out to sea at all. Our original thinking had been to head to Bangor, then either Dun Laoghaire or Peel (Isle of Man) for a week before returning to Wales. The way the weather was going, we might have to park all those ideas. We used the train a bit, initially to head to Irvine which is a full 7 minute trip up the coast. Why go there - the Scottish maritime museum of course. An amazing building (an engine shed from Clydebank that was dismantled and rebuilt here) and plenty of exhibits from the glory days of local shipbuilding. Very interesting place. They also have the last remaining Scottish built Puffer outside:

with a long history:

The train was pressed into service again for a day in Glasgow. A good, if blowy walk around and time in the Museum of modern art. Some things that were thought provoking, some that were "oh yes" but plenty of  "The Emperor's new clothes" to our untrained and cynical old eyes..

Closer to home, we discovered a bad place.  Bloom in Troon (see Bloom website ) has excellent coffee and great cake served in huge slices. Luckily it is closed on Sunday and Monday and was full on the Saturday so our arteries had a break. Unlike the mooring ropes that continued to contend with rubbish like this:

40 plus MPH gusts and generally miserable. A good excuse to hunker down and do very little but that wasn't always what we wanted to get up to. Somehow Bloom cake made up for it and as we had a couple of pretty dry days, the little Brompton bikes got exhumed from the lazarette, the tyres pumped up and they took us south to Prestwick and also north to Irvine where we needed to replace the calories we had burned at GRO (see GRO weblink ). They have a great outside courtyard, some of it covered, plenty of space for two folded Bromptons, great brunch offerings and the ride there goes through a wooded wildlife park area too. All in all pretty good. We just need to give the bikes a good clean now. Sometime.

Maintenance News:

On the very active Nordhavn Owners group, there had been lots of emails about the shaft coupling for wing engines - folks reporting loose bolts and in one case a key dropping out from the keyway in the shaft. That was enough to prompt the captain to remove the guard and check all the bolts involved. Ours were nice and tight we are pleased to report:

It was still good to check it, to help the sleeping at night thing! If the keyway did come out thanks to loose bolts, then there would be no drive just when you needed it and the possibility of the shaft just dropping back a few centimeters until the anode clamped on the shaft outside the boat hits the P bracket. Not at all ideal.

On a particularly wet and windy afternoon, the Seagull water filter in the galley was replaced, a slightly overdue job. Then the challenge of the rather loose loo seat in the guest cabin was tackled on a similar day. A way less enjoyable job though, as you have to move the entire toilet assembly. It is now much better fixed for our guests. We doubt they appreciate just how much messing about was involved in that little repair of course.