Kerrera, Scotland - 56° 25' 07" N 5° 29' 50" W

A good spot to spend the winter

Think back to your childhood.  Do you remember the painfully-slow march of the clock on Christmas Eve and the agonizing effort trying to sleep, of forcing the holly-draped minutes to quickly pass so you could get on with the joyous unwrapping frenzy that the morning would bring?

That is exactly what Kate and I are going through as we whittle away the NINE DAYS until Chinook is handed over.  

The splash was terribly fun to be present for, but once it happened we were told that we are not welcome to be around for the testing.  Personas non grata.  March 11th is when we need to be in Cherbourg for the signing of the documents, the official handover and then the training and any warranty work or changes that need to take place.  Until then, there is no reason for us to be in the European Union (with Kate burning through her allotted Schengen Zone days), so we have gone to visit some friends in Scotland.

Friends with a Garcia Exploration 45.  Hurrah!

Fiona and Bernie (the handsome Springer Spaniel) are hosting us on Away.
Fiona's hubby, Adrian, is in Australia.

The lovely Fiona and Bernie.

We also get to check out the town of Oban and the marina on the island of Kerrera.

The harbour at Oban

The modern town of Oban developed around the port and has a train station, making it a reasonably busy transit hub.  It is across the bay from the island of Kerrera, which is where Away has spent the winter and where we are now.  We are lucky to spend a week of living on an Exploration 45, listening to the sounds, pressing the buttons, looking in the cupboards (learning the clever tricks that Fiona and Adrian have already figured out), cooking in the galley and living life aboard.  The best part is that we get to do it with such a genuine and lovely person.

Kate snuggling in for the night in our guest cabin.

In a snug setup with a comfy bed and warm duvet. Sleeping in the guest cabin
with gentle sloshing sounds against the hull!

Bernie is completely unimpressed that we are poking around on his boat.

We also get to check out Kerrera and Oban as a possible wintering-over spot for Chinook.  Fiona decided to have Away hauled out and some maintenance done to the centerboard.  We were very lucky to be present for this, as we could see what the anodes looked like after 3 years (Away was launched in July of 2021), how the prop and bottom looked after a year in the water (Away was last hauled out 12 months ago) and the process of centerboard servicing.  We also now know that the Kerrera marina staff are a competent and careful crew and we would trust them to do the same work if we are in the neighborhood when the time comes for our servicing.

... aaaand out she comes!

Centerboard maintenance and a good bottom scrub
were the order of the day

We have learned that the island of Kerrera is also a friendly and interesting place to be.  The island has evidence of inhabitants as far back as 6,000 BCE and most prominently they have the ruins of an old castle at the south end of the island.  So, today's don't-obsess-about-your-own-boat objective became a meander to Gylen Castle.

The local notice board, seen shortly after you step off the ferry

a lovely, sunny day for a 14 km walk

The island is almost all farmland with a single road running the length.  There are several farms, some guest houses (open in the summer), a tea house and of course, a marina.

We were passing through many livestock gates.

Sheep!

Furry, cuddly-looking Highland cattle.

A dutch flat-bottomed sailboat that appears to be beached for the winter.

Finally!  Ruins in the distance.

A small bit of the original Gylen Castle remains on the hill.
It was built in 1582 by the Clan McDougall.  It was under seige in the 1600's
 and the wooden parts (floors, roof and innards) were burned
by the Clan Campbell when they raided the island. 

Inside the spiral staircase / turret

Down on the beach, below the castle

Time for a snack with Fiona, Bernie, Kate and Sean

looking down towards the beach.  No sunbathers today.

The jetty for the car ferry.

We were on our way back to the marina and could see Oban across the strait.

A great way to advertise for the Tea House by the castle.
Sadly, it was closed for the winter.

Back aboard Away, having some quiet time.

We are having a marvellous time and Fiona and Bernie are doing a great job at entertaining/distracting us.  They are going to get a great TripAdvisor rating.

We weren't summiting mountains today, but it was spectacular in its own way.
If this is what my life for the next ten years is going to be like,
it's going to be a blast!