Frustrations

I am in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, which is an appropriate place to quote Robert Burns "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay" since that famous bard was born around here and spent his short life not far away. My plans are all up the spout and my ambitious plan of sailing around the UK looks increasingly doubtful. Why? Partly because progress northwards was frustrated by northerly winds but mostly because Christabel and Sheila's two sources of motive power, the sails and the engine have both failed me. This last week when I have sailed up from Northern Ireland to Scotland I have had some sort of problem every passage I have made which is very wearing. It makes me wonder why I don't take up some less stressful activity like crown green bowls.
However, after two days in this hospitable marina I now have two usable sails, thanks to a charming lady called Sally who runs the local sailmakers. I also THINK, after spending a whole day prostrate on top of my oily engine, that I have solved the problems with that. I have to give itanother trial run in the morning to be sure.
This is a delightful place to be stuck though. I suppose most people think of the Clyde as a place of derelict shipyards but it is in fact a huge and beautiful area designed to give endless pleasure to those who take to the water. I know that I will be tempted to stay here for the rest of my summer cruise but I will try to be more adventurous than that after I have had a couple of days to recover from all the effort and stress of the last few days.
My mother was born around here but moved to Glasgow when she was a very little girl. She had an aunt who farmed on Great Cumbrae Island, which is visible from where I sit pecking this keyboard. They used to have summer holidays there, getting to the island via steamer from Glasgow. Going "doon the watter" it was called. There is a survivor of that period, almost 100 years ago in the shape of a beautiful paddle steamer which still plies around these waters in the summer months.
Sorry no photos this time.