Glasgow.

 

Friday July 07 2017.

Had a long pause there while I did the dishes and poured a drink.

I left off with Sally not being able to talk. Well she still can’t.

We left Rothesnay at 0930 and motored up to Greenock and called Clyde control on the vhf radio to see if we could proceed up stream. No bother was what I could understand of the reply so up we went at a steady vroom rate of 1900rpm controlled by a bungy cord as the friction in the control cable leaves a might to be desired. Anyway at a steady 6 knots except for stray currents( not currants because they are berries) and we motored past instead of sailed past which would have been the preferred mode of travel as it’s free kind of and motoring no matter what is not free unless you’re the government. All what remains of the Clyde ship building legacy. Which is not much. Most of the yards etc have been converted to housing with no remains of any previous activities. BAE seems to be the only operation left. Lots of scrap yards recycling everything including I think my 1957 rambler.

The reason for coming up here was a free pontoon! With a Tall Ship (The Glenlee), The transportation Museum and Glasgow city also A good spot for Dianne to find us.(so I thought).

Anyhow we motored up the river and eventually could see the masts of the Glenlee in the distance.We rounded a couple of curves and there she was in all her Glory. But. OhOH the pontoon is full! %^$#^&*(!@#%$ words not suitable for anyone under 100). We passed by the GlenLee and waved at a lot of people who took our picture. The next thing I see in the not too far distance is the Waverly.(The last and only River Clyde Steamer) We motored up and passed her took some pictures were stopped by a bridge and turned around.

Then we  spotted another pontoon just upstream from the Glenlee and the Museum. We hustled(means hurried)over and secured along side at 1520.

We secured Kalinka1 tidyed up had a drink and then tried to get off the pontoon. A Locked Gate with an email address to check in. Hustled back to the boat fired up the computer no internet connection!! OH MY. Fired up the dongle.

Have I told you about the dongle? Anyway it’s device that in theory should connect you to a wifi network no matter where you are. It doesn’t work that way. We bought it in Wexford Republic of Ireland not the other part that is part of the UK. For the express purpose of getting wifi when there was no other available.(it’s not fun around here not being able to get the weather.) But. When we crossed to the UK all bets were off even though the company is active in both.

The badboy eventually locked on to a site and I was able to send an email to the powers to be to get the secret code to get back in once we have left the pontoon. Phooey 1655 Fri afternoon What’s the chance of any Government employee picking up the phone or checking emails when the go home at 1700? Your right El Zippo. Then,,,,, Two(2) lads came down to the pontoon and to their newly purchased Matilda ? sailboat that they were going to go up the canal to Edenborough .  they had the secret code! Hoozzaw 1507 and it works if you push and hold the button in until you hear the sound. (Glad Sally is with me). We’re now free to do what we want. Except the world closes at 1700(5pm). We go for a short walk over to the Tall ship and back. Have dinner watch a movie and slummberland.

Saturday July 08 2017

0730 up. Who else gets up at 0 whatever on their holidays? Up tea then off to visit the Tall Ship before the crowds arrive. Neat. Built in the 1890’s survived two wars converted to a Spanish training hip rescued  from a fate of razor blades or a honda towed back to her place of birth and restored.

We hung around the boat because our new crew Dianne was scheduled to join us today. 1430 she arrived. We had a short visit she was tired we left her on the boat with the secret code and Sally and I went for a walk along the river. We managed 4 cache’s. Returned to the boat had dinner and then beddy by’s.

Sunday July 09 2017.

0800 Up and you know the drill. 1030 Campbell arrived. (Campbell is Elsbeth’s cousin) (Elsbeth is a dear friend from Shellbacks). He is a volunteer guide at the transportation museum. He arrived with a bottle of 10 year old Laiphroi single malt.( He is my friend forever! ) We all follow him like sheeps and we have a grand tour of the museum. Facinating! We start at 11is and he has to go 130ish seems like we only had 5 minutes.All kinds of neat stuff. Steam tractors Steam locomotives. Early street cars or trams horse drawn hursts bicycles (including the oldest one in the whole world) Motor cycles(even found a matchless!) on a wall and cars hung on the wall to plus a whole bunch of ship models. A fascinating museum. Then had lunch on board Kalinka1 then off to the hop on hop off bus tour thingy. Rode down town got off near the station for walk about. Found a wait for it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Tim Horton’s) Of course we couldn’t resist but the wouldn’t comp Canadians so we had to pay for our small and sticky bun. Alass no Cinnammon buns. Just like home. Sort of. During walk about we managed another 4 caches1 A record 4 two days in a road! Spilling rain so back on the old two decker and back to the good ship Kalinka1. Bed.