Atlantic Circuit
Have you ever struggled to read, or more importantly comprehend , Einstein’s theory of relativity? If you are anything like me it starts well but…
After much scratching of heads and a lot of drilling of stainless (cue 6 broken drill bits and a teeny weeny loss of sense of humour!) the Monitor…
Let me start by saying that computers have revolutionised sailing. With their help we can access levels of accurate weather forecasting undreamt of…
Saturday dawned like any other . You perhaps dont know the drill - but for the last few weeks it has been glance at the weather , look at…
5/8/09 0900 - We are passing through the Chenal du Four in no wind . Yesterday was spent anchored off Carentec (of Oppie course fame) in the Bay…
1200 BST 6/8/09
Lat 46 22.0N Long 5 51.5 W
Greetings from the Bay of Biscay ! The wind is Northerly and has been gradually building from 8…
Unlike the song there was no gale and our stormy timbers are not rent - yet! In fact we had a delightful crossing of the Bay and scarcely touched a…
Update from Festina by text - "Rounded Cape Finisterre, anchored in one of the southern Rias - Muros. Fantastic passage, all very well…
After two days tucked up at anchor in the Ria Muros with 25 knots of Northerly whistling over our heads , the Azores high has sent a cousin to…
Festina is undergoing a metamorphosis from racer to cruiser - albeit with a few hiccoughs of the one step forward, two steps back kind . We have…
We have now spent a week pottering in the Rias Baixas - delightful sheltered waters and scenery reminiscant of a Scottish Loch, or perhaps Firth…
Well , both actually!
Last weekend was spent sailing from Bayonna to Lisbon . We set off in 20 knots and as evening fell it gradually…
Our 3 week shakedown has allowed us to find out which of our ideas and purchases work - and which dont.
Top of the tree is undoubtedly "Cruising…
From La Corunna
We're off again - heading south later this…
The Good
Its a bit dodgy having obsessions at my age . If I said that Lisbon appears to cater for my every need you would have every reason to be…
Our first real stop was the lagoon just South of Faro/Olhao. Its a strange place, rather like a very large Newtown Creek with a city at the each end.…
Actually the word "squeek" does not do justice to the sound - it was more like metal being torn apart by some huge force - magnified 100 fold and…
Today was just great!
We left the Lagoon of Faro/Olhao soon after dawn , after another couple of days anchored there. To begin with there was not…
Festina has turned her back on the sea. We are in fact some 25 NM inland , anchored in complete solitude . It is just before dawn and there is…
I am now on fairly good terms with my computer! There was a time when I never thought I would write that , but it would appear that our problem…
Over the last few days I have begun to undestand how it feels to be a swallow! There you are in a warm paradise , loads of juicy insects to feed on (…
We are in Spain again. Its obvious BECAUSE EVERYONE SHOUTS AND GESTICULATES LOADS MORE! Its all done very good naturedly , but it seems that…
Festinas crew have just treated themselves to 2 days in the mountains . The Sierra de Grazalema is a place of Eagles , Ibex and sore muscles for…
Strictly speaking Gibralter is out of our way now that we have decided not to go into the Med , but it seemed to be one of those places that you…
We left Gibraltar on Thursday morning . I expected to see an Armada of ARC Migrants coming with us , but apart from a Cat who joined us at Tarifa -…
Dawn on the 4th day of our passage brought several volcanic islands out of the mist. First came Porto Santo , 25 miles to the NE of Madeira and…
Its 3 days since we started to explore Madeira - and our first impression is that it is a classy place . For a start it is physically very impressive…
From Walking in Madeira
We have now spent 11 nights at a charming little place called Marina Quinto do Lorde. I never thought I would write a…
Last nights plan sounded good . The forecast was for light and variable winds, becoming light to moderate NE after about 12 hours. We would poke our…
There is an awful lot of night down in these parts - a little over 12 hours of it - but as long as the sailing isnt too challenging we each get a…
We have now been anchored off Playa Francesca at the SW corner of Graciosa for 3 days. The bay is overshadowed by a volcanic hill ( mountain would be…
From Graciosa
(click on the link for more photo albums!)
Over the last few months I have lost count of the number of interesting looking…
We left Graciosa on a blowy day , thrashing our way to windward through the straits between the island and the cliffs of Lanzarotte , before…
Arricife is I think the spanish word for reef, and we are anchored at the entrance to a complex and shallow passage between several reefs that…
I de Lobos ( named after the sea wolf - seal - rather than its land version ) sits just North of Fuertaventura and plum in the middle of the…
It is 2 weeks since we last tied up anywhere , so we headed for Marina Rubicon on the South coast of Lanzarotte. Just to the West of the entrance…
From Vela Latina
Vela Latina means literally, "latine sail" - but actually it stands for the organisation that runs races for traditional…
We think this island is pretty special . Pass swiftly through the holiday developments on the South and East coasts ( and in all honesty they are…
Its the same each time. If we tie up for more than 24 hours we start to put roots down. The boat turns into a caravan that couldnt possibly float and…
One of the few disadvantages of getting off the beaten path in Lanzarotte and Fuertaventurta is that every so often you come face to face with a…
Well our forecast was nearly spot on. And it's amazing how "nearly" makes such a difference. The wind came in 2 hours ahead of schedule - which in…
It's difficult to be bored in this harbour. Boats come and go, and there is a general air of preparation and expectation. Folk stagger by with can…
From Walking in La Gomera
La Gomera is very much like a small Madeira . The mountains are spectacular , the walking is great and best of all you…
Christmas comes but once a year - but this year might see us mid Atlantic with no freezer and far from the usual source of Christmas goodies. Thus…
Our week on the island of La Palma has flown by. The overall impression I have is of colour . First of all by Canarian standards it is gloriously…
It would be foolish to underestimate the sailing conditions in these islands as the massive volcanic mountains funnel the winds in so called…
It seems impossible but I have now been in Las Palmas for 10 days , and have scarcely been outside the marina. Lynda has flown home ,spent a manic 5…
Ben and Bryony arrived at Las Palmas and the weather looked grim - SW winds until South and East of the Cap Verdes 800 miles to windward and a huge…
The good news: We´re allowed to stay in La Gomera, by sweet-talking and doing everything short of outright bribery of the marina officials. We´ve…
We are still in Gomera , and the harbour is gradually returning to its normal state. The dark chocolate brown water ( due to the run off from the…
So , its time to have another crack at leaving. Bryony got on a plane in Tennerife this evening and all that we need is a text to say she is home…
The sun is shining , the wind is dead astern and we have been entertained by a posse of spotty dophins ( stenella atenuaris) so life is perfect…
What a dark night. The gibbous moon only appears at about 0400, and as it is cloudy much of the time the rest of the night is pitchy black. As…
Our arrival in the Cape Verdes was nothing if not dramatic ; racing down the imposing channel between Santo Antao and Sao Vicente in 35 knots under…
We left Mindelo at 1500 yesterday , squirting out between the islands and deliberatly taking the acceleration zone wind SW for some 50 miles before…
As predicted the last 24 hours has been very light , but to our delight we have still managed 120 miles - more if you include the current. I guess…
At 1030 this morning ( 0830 UT) we reached the 1500 mile to go mark , which we have designated as 1/4 of the way across. Im not sure how I feel about…
The wind has now veered and is from our Starboard quarter. Not quite far enough aft to go to twin headsails, but plenty far enough to get us rolling.…
We had another boisterous evening which gradually eased off through the night. There may be a pattern as there is a corresponding diurnal variation…
Another 24 hours under twin headsails . We reduced from the No 1 to the No 3 overnight after much umming and ah-ing , but mainly because Lynda was…
The last 24 hours have been quite fresh, up to 25 knots at times but usually around the 19-20 mark, and we havnt touched a sheet or sail for 36…
The forecast was for more wind again last night and so at dusk we snugged down to a trysail and No 3. Even though it never really got more than 25…
Todays report comes a little early as we need an updated grib to help us decide on the days course. Do we trundle on down the great circle route…
Im not sure what we have done to deserve this. The seas are (relatively) flat, the wind is sufficient, and we now have a moon at night that gives you…
Festina clocked 160 miles from 0600 to 0600 courtesy of hanging on to the kite longer than strictly prudent and a nice fresh wind overnight , but we…
Blimey - talk about a hard day ( and night ) at the office! Yesterdays wind was all over the shop , 8 to 24 knots and equally variable in direction…
Same wind , same waves , but a totally different day. We are rested , (relatively ) comfortable and have easily made up our sleep deficit and whats…
Arrived Bridgetown Barbados at 1700 local time . Cant raise the customs on the radio , but then nor can one of the cruise liners (!) so we anchored…
We still havnt properly arrived at Barbados , even though we have been hereabouts for 24 hours. You are supposed to clear in at the harbour , but…
The character of Barbados – or at least Bridgetown , was made clear within minutes of landing on the pure white beach in search of a celebratory…
We arrived in Rodney Bay Marina ,St Lucia after a fast overnight sail from Barbados It was noisy , hot and far from idyllic - but we cleaned and…
Martinique has an unbelievable number of yachts in its waters. That said , the anchorages are so roomy that it doesnt seem crowded , but it is a bit…
From St Lucia
From St Lucia
From St Lucia
Thanks to Peter Quentrall-Thomas for the…
From Yole Racing
Our original plan was to spend one night at anchor in Havre Robert on the coral bound East coast of…
With 2 days of Peter's stay to go we sailed the 15 miles from Rodney Bay at the North of St Lucia , to the Pitons – those astonishing iconic…
Festina continues her somewhat haphazard course through the Windward islands. Having explored Martinique with Peter, we returned to St Lucia to put…
Prickly Bay at the South end of Grenada to the Grenadines doesn’t look far on the chart – but unusually for the Caribbean it’s a beat ; a…
From Grenadine Medley
Of all the Grenadine islands , there is one that stands out as being completely different. Mustique has long been the haunt…
The Grenadines have been a naturalists paradise . Offshore we have seen the elegant Tropic Birds , and as we move closer in it has been fun to watch…
At the South end of Martinique is a piece of Napoleonic history that , depending on your point of view might bring a patriotic tear to your eye or…
In Cadiz we met a nice Dutch couple who tried to dissuade us from coming to the Carribean as they had found it to be far too windy , and we would be…
Most of you will know that in their wisdom , the seafarers this side of the pond interpret red and green lights in completely the opposite way that…
We are back in English Harbour once more, having taking Ben and Steph on a nine day whistle stop tour of Barbuda and the wilder anchorages of…
Judging by the flowers and the nesting birds , Spring is coming to the Caribbean. For those of you that don’t know , the sailing season out here …
A gap year, whether taken as a youngster or, as in our case, near our dotage, should be an opportunity for learning new skills, broadening horizons,…
From barbuda again
The trades are blowing strongly again , and we are back in Barbuda , anchored once more in the lee of its stunning East…
Life has been very kind to us over the last few months , allowing us to spend our time in a huge variety of anchorages that provide a…
Thankfully , Bryony’s week with us did not quite live up to her billing as “the Droughtbuster”! It was a bit rainy to begin with –…
Festina is back in passage making mode for the first time in several months . We spent two completely windless days anchored out in the bay off…
From Anguila
How could we fail to fall in love with an island whose national sport is racing wildly overcanvassed wooden sailing sloops, and…
FAKE PALM TREES IN VIRGIN BOSS TROPICAL HIDEAWAY
From Necker Island
Not content with mother nature’s contribution to his…
I recently discovered that my mother , bless her cotton socks , had saved my very early school books. When I came upon them I found that the…
We are reaching in gradually decreasing SE wind, heading E of rhumb line to Bermuda to try to avoid a thundery low to our North and to get some…
We are hard on the wind. That probably sounds pretty macho , and perhaps by tomorrow it will be , but for the moment we are dribbling along at 3-4…
This is turning out to be a fascinating passage. First we had to avoid a thundery trough and then came the trying business of getting through it to…
Yesterday evening was spent gradually reducing sail in preparation for the blow and we finally selected our "night rig" as a trysail and No 3.…
Well the blow has come and gone and the sun is out - but pleasant now like an English summer rather than the tropical heat further south. It blew and…
The wind went ahead and fell below 5 knots yesterday at 1400, with the possibility of no more til Sunday , so there was much calculating and…
Last night I had to wear trousers! This may not seem strange to you but its the first time I have been seen without shorts or sarong since August of…
From St George Bermuda
We are at anchor off the town of St George , going over the steering system ( essentially good…
I am ashamed to say that I knew very little about Bermuda before arriving here , except perhaps that it was the setting for Shakespeare’s “…
From hamilton
The wind has gone and we are once more anchored out in Hamilton harbour. The forecasters and computer models talked of sustained…
Well , that was a quick Atlantic voyage! The short story is that we are now back at anchor in Bermuda. The longer version is that after the blow on…
St Georges harbour emptied again on Sunday as about 6 boats left for various destinations , but mainly the Azores. One boat turned back almost…
Its June 1st. This side of the pond that means today is the official start of the hurricane season and we are quite pleased to be heading NE. For…
As expected the wind died at 1300 yesterday and we settled down for a 12 hr chug , but it was not to be . A little breath came out of the SE after…
The problem for the next few days is how not to get engulfed in a high in front of us. We trundled along happily through the night dead downwind ,…
Our slow and gentle progress continues. We are casting a wary metaphorical glance astern as it looks like we will have some “weather “ in 3 or…
Saturday
The days roll on with little change , other than we are back in 1.4 knots of Westerly current with its accompanying chop and slowed up…
The last 24 hours have brought 2 major milestones ( can you have milestones on the sea ˆ they sound unlikely to float so maybe they should be…
Yesterday we broke all records with a noon to noon run of 188 miles! This was all the more remarkable as the last 6 hours were very light indeed ,…
Tuesday sees a shamefaced skipper and a boat without a kettle. This is their sorry tale.
The night was VERY slow , and what wind there was came…
The weather situation continues to be intriguing. It seems we have been travelling East at the same rate as the High pressure . As we slip back , so…
Thursdays Child has far to go –343 miles anyway, which at our present 3 knots is going to take – well, a long time yet. The wind has been…
A much nicer day today with sun and the kind of cumulus streets that I associate with a nice force 4 on a summers day. Except we don’t have the…
Well , Neptune has thrown down the gauntlet and directed the wind to blow direct from Horta. Just to prove a point he has thrown in a bit of leeward…
We are still engaged in our private battle of wits with Neptune. We decided the wind would veer ,so headed off on a long port tack , went on to…
Quick update - Festina arrived in Horta early this…
From Back across the atlantic
Our last day at sea was remarkably pleasant , going to windward in 10 to 12 knots on a lovely sunny day. With 30…
From Angra do Heroisma
It is now a week since we arrived in this Renaissance city in the middle of the Atlantic. Terceira ( literally…
On our return to Angra do Heroismo after Bryonys graduation we found that the crowds had dispersed and it was back to its slightly sleepy,…
Our delicious breeze ran out at 1500 yesterday , and we have been chugging over glassy seas all night. The indications are that we have crossed the…
Yesterdays wind arrived right on time, at noon , and we have been pottering downwind under kite ever since . The wind was initially WNW which gave…
Yesterdays pessimisms has so far proven to be unfounded. We did have the occasional shower but they were so light it was scarcely worth putting…
Festina continues to make good progress home with a gradually increasing SW wind ( currently averaging 22 knots) under her belt. There is a fair old…
We had a long debate last night whether we should change down to the trysail. The wind was only 22 knots and we were sailing along in splendid…
Close , but no cigar
Yesterdays challenge was to cross a ridge of high pressure into the Northerly winds on the other side that would take us…
Technical difficulties are preventing the regular updates from the good ship Festina.
Normal service will (hopefully) be restored tomorrow.
All are…
Meteorology is an inexact science with an almost infinite number of variables contributing to the final outcome. The classic apocryphal tale to…
It is now a week since we arrived in France from the Azores. Bryony has gone home and the weather is much nicer down here in South Brittany than it…
From last morbihan
For the last week or more the Azores high has sat serenely over NW France giving rise to the sort of summer weather we can…
Festinas progress home is somewhat erratic . Our sunny idyll in the Morbihan was eventually disturbed by rain ( a completely alien concept!) so we…
It was the forecast that decided us. If we left L’Aberwrach at tea time , we could take a gradually veering SW until just past Portland bill, drop…
The weather "back home" may not be a patch on last years journeying , but there is plenty here to keep us amused whilst it rains. One such event…
Last year was spent travelling from one island to another around the Atlantic, walking in the hinterlands and getting to grips with strange ( to us…
From Rowing on the Thames
The problem with coming home to reality is that there is too much to do. Every room in the house needs to be cleared…
(Except to windward!)
This summers plan is to see how we like the sea gipsy life in colder climes, and the last few weeks have been spent…
Our magical mystery tour is beginning to take shape. Much gazing at the tea leaves ( of the internet variety ) suggests we might have NE winds from…
Our idea this summer was to have no fixed idea of where we should go, other than a slight preference for Scotland or the West coast of Ireland. Mr…
From Baltimore to Mizzen Head is a little paradise of islands , intricate channels and sheltered anchorages . All of it is within easy sight of the…
Two days tucked up in Dingle was no hardship at all ( at all!) –it gave us a chance to do all the little jobs that inevitably arise ,restock both…
Imagine an archipelago with 365 islands to explore – one for each day of the year. To be ideal you would need several sheltered sounds with deep…
In the 16th century Grace O’Malley may have made regular trips from the West Coast of Ireland to the Hebrides to pick up ( or occaisionally beat…
Yesterday will stick in the memory for a long time. The sun shone ,the wild flowers covered the ground in a riot of colour and we climbed hills…
The last 7 days pottering along the E coast of the Outer Hebrides have been superb. Inevitably there has been the occasional day of wind and rain ,…
One thing that is has become obvious over the past few days is the continuing cultural links between Ireland and the Hebrides. The landscape (…
Summer has crept up on us . You don’t notice it at first , but the evidence is in little things like not objecting to a salad at lunchtime.…
From Views of the Hebrides
Its now over two weeks since we started exploring the inshore waters of NW Scotland and we would need another 6…
Our last week in Scotland was blessed with wonderful anticyclonic weather and the lightest of winds. Luckily we were heading down the Sounds of…
At the south-east end of the Irish sea is one of our favourite places – the islands of Skomer and Skokum. For the summer season they play host to…
From Lundy , Scilly and home
Our arrival back in the Solent and our last island , the Isle of Wight , was something of a culture shock. The…
Festina has been back from her Hebridean cruise for 9 days now – and the time has been spent flat out changing her from cruising to racing mode.…
It’s a relief to be on our way , albeit with the wind acting off script ( the mother of all sea breezes giving us 25 knots thro the Needles…
Well , we got our shift! The NW wind came in right on schedule and we scooted down the inside of Portland Bill to run slap bang into the enormous…
The whole fleet spent this morning heading SW in anticipation of a backing wind. When it came it wasn’t enough to clear the Lizard so we hung on…
Much excitement as we all converge on the corner, racing along on a tight reach. Rapscallion is inshore of us and despite tacking off earlier, seems…
Well , we had our blow. Nothing to boast about in the great scheme of things –but a solid 25 knots for 7 hours and a period of steady 30 will…
Our eagerly anticipated veer came in on the dot at 1300 hrs allowing us to tack through 60 degrees and thrash along at 6.6 knots just 10 degrees…
Its 0200 Wednesday morning and we are parked up off Cape Clear with no wind and the fair tide about to turn. The depth sounder reads 70 metres so…
The small piece of water between Cape Clear and the Rock got pretty crowded this morning as more and more boats joined the parking lot. Somehow we…
Usually when I see the Fastnet light, its iconic shape on the horizon like a two fingered red Indian salute -( How!) - brings a lump to the throat.…
Our 4th dawn at sea brought the Scillies in to view as we rounded the Bishop light and set off for the Lizard. The wind is NE and due to back N or…
We are no longer beating. Actually we are no longer doing very much apart from being thrown around by the left over waves which are coming direct…
Anybody looking at the tracker over the last few hours will have seen us make a radical move over to the North of the fleet, our course dictated by…
Did we have fun at the Lizard!
We took our NW wind most of the way to Mullion Cove and tacked up the back eddy whilst a line of boats parked up…
Did I say that the finish team would have problems as 50 boats came to the line? Surely that was the understatement of the year.
Team WAFL had…
To all WAFL followers ,
Many thanks for your support in securing the blog prize for us - it makes Chris's achievement in coming 4th in the…
If its mid September , it must be time for the Great River Race , that wonderful , eccentric festival of traditional rowing on the tidal Thames…
You would think that regaining control over an addiction should be something to celebrate, or at least give rise to a feeling of pride , but I find …
Its time to wander the seas again. We have run out of reasons to stay: the new hip is in place , racing obsessions are firmly under control,…
In the event , the fog at Ramsgate only delayed us by 12 hours. This is now an extremely busy port serving the wind farms which are spreading like a…
Over the years our sailing trips have seldom turned out in the way we originally envisaged . Bad weather, changing forecasts and a multitude of…
When we first visited Enkhuizen in 1975 , our boat ( Undine , a 32 ft plank on edge racing cutter from 1889) was little changed from vessels which…
It was the wind that did it. For the first time in a month it turned southerly and instead of the sharp cold bite that we have become used to, it…
We were up and off the moment the new calorifier passed its’ installation checks. What bliss! Not only did we have a perfect 12 knots of wind…
One of the most important factors about any port of call is where to find the internet. In the case of Harlingen we found a nice old bar where , for…
Neptune toyed with us on our passage to Norway. He boxed our ears in the shallow waters of the Friesian islands , gave us a welcome kick north as we…
As we make our way slowly North through the marvellous archipelago that cloaks most of Norway’s coast , it is hard not to dwell on how it was in…
We have enjoyed a spell of pleasant sunny weather for the last few days. This is all the more surprising as we have spent a couple of days in…
With a fresh SE wind and the threat of rain to come , we fled north through ever grander scenery to the little town of Floro to await our friends…
North from Stavanger the Norwegian coast consists of off lying islands
sheltering inner leads , and from time to time the mainland is penetrated…
Our last port of call in Norway was Bulandet , an extraordinary collection of tiny skerries stuck out in the Norwegian sea , mostly…
We have decided to stop here in Shetland and explore properly rather than rush on to the next place. It is a bit of a gamble in case the weather…
It is 3 weeks since we arrived in Shetland intending to do little other than pass through, but we have been entranced by the place and its people. It…
I am perhaps the only person I know who has never been to Edinburgh and would just like to gently enquire why none of you ever told me what gem…
Our trip South from Edinburgh was a real showcase for my belief that a cruising boat must sail well in light airs . Apart from a 6 hour period in…
It has been a satisfyingly unplanned sort of trip this year. We had a vague idea we might try and hook up with our Norwegian friends, but initially …
From GRR
The second half of August was spent in a blur of activity preparing for Ben and Steph’s wedding , and the possibly more difficult task of…
After the excitement of Ben and Steph’s wedding on the river bank , followed by the madness that is the Great River race , it was time to finish…
From rowing henley to richmond
Rowing the Thames is the easy bit . Finding a place to leave car and trailor , and travelling back to retrieve…
It's summer ( or at its mid May so it ought to be) ; time to go a wandering.
We had planned Mon 14th as our departure date , but much to our…
In these days of (relatively ) accurate weather forecasting , the art of sailing somewhere is to time the passage to when the winds are in your…
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From Amsterdam in the rain
It is somewhat ironic that the finest old merchants houses in the very centre of Amsterdam now…
From holland
The 30 odd mile trip north from Amsterdam to Eknhuizen certainly blew the city dust out of our hair . Beating into 25 knots is…
We are anchored in a lovely little pool in the skerries at the bottom of the east Swedish archipelago. It is completely calm , the sky to the east is…
Either we have been exceptionally lucky , or summer in the Swedish skerries is one of the better kept secrets in the sailing world. For the last week…
The bad weather we had expected turned out to be little more than a day of rain followed by a couple of windy days . The rainy day was spent in…
The Aland and Finnish archipelagos differ from those on the Swedish side in that the rocks are pink instead of grey, and cover a huge area rather…
Our decision to head for the centre of the Åland archipelago and try to get lost was even more successful than we had hoped. The pilot books talk of…
One day we shared the quay at Österskår with 4 other boats. It is a picturesque little place, the quay being backed by a sheer rock facing West,…
The Finnish and Aland archipelago’s were just up our street. They are wild , relatively deserted , and give an infinite choice of free anchorages.…
From Tallinn
One of the reasons for coming to this area of the world was to meet up with Helen Sumro , our young Estonian friend and erstwhile…
Jaap ,Fre and their two boys flew out to Tallinn to join us, and a return to the Finnish archipelago seemed the obvious place to introduce them to…
From Gotland and Visby
The 80 mile passage to Visby , the lovely old medieval city that is the capital of Gotland, was satisfyingly brisk. On our…
From Kalmar
Kalmar was all we had hoped for , a friendly and knowledgeable chandlery which stocked VHF cable and antennae ,and a charming…
From Christianso
Christianso lies some 10 miles to the North of Bornholm , and the 80 mile passage there from Utklippan was the stuff of dreams . …
From copenhagen
Our arrival in Copenhagen was preceded by a spectacular dawn as we passed by the equally spectacular Oresund bridge which soars…
From denmark
It has been feast or famine this last week as far as the weather goes. Progress from Copenhagen was slow to say the least , drifting…
Over the years I can safely say that our pootling around on Festina is usually pretty much risk free , but lately I there is little doubt we have…
Of all the waters we have sailed on this year , the North Friesian coast is the area that I have the greatest respect for . The passage along it has…
From Stad Amsterdam
We first crossed the North Sea in September 1974 , in Undine , a 90 year old racing cutter that was a bit hairy in a Solent…
This year’s plan is to go West and North and finally on Sunday, 3 weeks behind our original schedule, we were ready to go .
The first 100 miles…
It is 3 years since we last visited the Scillies and in that time the encroachment of “visitors moorings” into traditional anchorages has…
The trip along the SW coast of Ireland passes one of my absolute favourite stretches of water anywhere in the world. Skellig Michael is a craggy…
As you sail North from the Arran islands the scenery just gets grander and grander. In the background the mountains of Connemara gather the clouds…
With high pressure sitting just to the W of Ireland , we were faced with the prospect of a week with no wind , perfect weather for pottering, but far…
A major part of our sailing “style “ is the ability to get the boat to self
steer. It enables us to do long passages without getting tired (we…
The gentle weather of the past few weeks is a distant memory, and has been replaced by the more traditional “muscular” winds associated with…
It has been a very sad summer! In some ways the constant worry about Lynda’s brother has made it difficult to properly appreciate the fabulous…
For the last few years, we know its summer when I spend hours on end studying the weather , searching for that ideal forecast which will take us on…
I have often raved about the accuracy of modern forecasting, and indeed it plays an absolutely essential role in keeping our sea gypsy lifestyle safe…
From Back in the North
We are sitting moored to a buoy in the picturesque and wonderfully sheltered Tobermory Bay on the island of Mull. Outside…
On previous visits to the Scottish west coast we have used the Small Isles as a jumping off point for the Outer Hebrides , or at least stopped there…
The west coast of Harris and Lewis ( one island really , but geographically divided by deep lochs and high uninhabited hills ) is rather more…
By the time we got back from St Kilda , we had been out in the wilds for nearly 3 weeks , and even Lynda's amazing catering was struggling , so…
Our first proper day in the Faeroes was blessed with what a local lady jokingly referred to as “Faeroese sunshine” , ie it was pouring with rain!…
From More Faeroes
The “capital “ of the Faeroes is Torshavn on the island of Streymoy, and our passage there from Sandoy was once more…
From And so to Shetland
The weather in these northern latitudes this summer may have been cold and sunless , but we won’t complain about the…
Up to now all our longer passages have been swift but rough, but the trip to Norway promised at worst moderate seas and a fairly gentle following…
Our plan on returning to the boat in Stavanger was to head round to the South Norwegian coast where , in summer , the temperatures are higher and the…
From Svenner
Our progress along the South coast of Norway has been a gentle affair. When the the sea breeze has blown we have usually kept to…
From Bohuslan
Geographically Southern Norway merges imperceptibly with the NW coast of Sweden ( known as Bohuslan), but there are several clues…
From Festina and Vela go to Denmark
With Mike and Louise waiting for us in the Sound ( the narrows between Denmark and Sweden) , it was time to…
We said goodbye to Mike and Louise in the charming southern Danish town of Svendborg, leaving them with their Danish friends whilst we threaded our…
Ireland did I hear you say ? I thought you were going up the North Sea to Shetland?
Ah , so did we until the forecast changed . What had looked…
France has had almost constant rain and floods , the North sea has shivered under cold damp Northerly gales , but over here in Ireland it…
Sometimes I cannot believe our luck . Take this week for instance. The weather has been warm and sunny and the seas have been flat: ideal for…
The anchorage in the Blaskets between Inishvickilane and Inishabro has to be one of our all time favourites. It is the most Westerly anchorage in…
We first came this way in 1994 in Polly. Jamie Wilkinson and I sailed the boat to and from the Hamble, a racing crew came over for a…
We have been home for a week , leaving Festina in the capable hands of the Blackwells, tucked up in their gorgeous corner of Clew…
The area round Aranmore looks fun on the chart and in the pilot books. There are lots of choices of anchorages in picturesque settings ; purple…
Bad weather has its advantages. If we are forced to hole up we can catch up on our sleep and try and make inroads into the vast library of books…
Travelling North and east from Gola there are two headlands to round before crossing the border to Northern Ireland . Bloody Foreland was a doddle…
For our second “break” of the summer we left Festina at Coleraine , 5 miles or so up the river Bann. This is the heart of the “Ulster…
We returned to Coleraine after our week back home with no fixed plans , but the winds were from the South so , of course , North we went. Its only a…
Orkney to Edinburgh may just be 210 miles but it feels like 210 light years from the quiet and beautiful ( but currently stormy) islands to the…
Like most of our passage making this year , the trip to Lowestoft was in winds of F 5 to 6, but unlike further North , the seas were a doddle , and…
One thing we have learned over the years is that having to be somewhere specific by a certain time can generate an enormous amount of…
Our day off in Oostende had avoided the worst of the NE wind , and by dawn it had veered enough for us to just lay our course in a light to moderate…
Spring tides and Westerly winds are a dangerous mix on the North Friesian coast as you need to avoid any of the river entrances on the ebb.…
The wind for our passage from Helgoland into the Elbe was strong and we arrived at the entrance before the flood had really got going . The…
There was no wind next day so we moored in Holtenau harbour to catch up on sleep and see our friend Ingo who keeps his boat there. Its an…
It is not often I find myself agreeing with President Trump , but after NATO prevented Festina visiting the East coast of Bornholm I was , like him,…
Two days sail North of Karlskrona, and a thousand miles from Hamble, is a favourite place of ours. Kiddeholmen is a sort of mini archipelago , some…
The last week has been all about islands. Gazing in wonder at them, dribbling round them, flashing past them, and then when we have done enough of…
The island of Gubbø in the southern archipelago has a wonderful natural harbour with a rock shaped like a jetty. So sheer is the face and regular…
One of the highlights of a summer in Sweden is the wonderfully pagan festival on midsummers eve. Bryony was due to arrive in Stockholm on mid summers…
With a week to go until Bryony and Chris arrived we set out to explore the Stockholm archipelago. The wind was NW and due to stay that way so I…
Scandinavia was on its best behaviour for the visit of Simon and Roo . The locals in both Sweden and Finland were adamant that it was the coldest…
Return to Aspö
One of the challenges of sailing with guests is how to match what you do with what you think they would like. Some , like Bryony…
Having waved goodbye to Simon and Roo in Turku we had a fast and windy sail to Stenskär, a little lagoon formed by 4 or 5 islands back in the outer…
The morning of our departure from Finland we were up early and slipped out of the narrow entrance to Björkö Byvicken to be greeted by 8 knots of NE…
We now had a week to further explore the Stockholm archipelago before Jo and David arrived to join us ; no hardship here as despite it being high…
At first glance the weather for Jo and Davids week in the archipelago looked pretty grim, with lots of rain and wind forecast , but at least their…
After a summer spent pottering amongst the Scandinavian archipelagos, seldom sailing more than 20 miles a day, we had left ourselves 8 days to bring…
Our plan was to leave Festina in Copenhagen for two weeks and come home to enjoy the British summer , help Ben in the Impala championships and spend…
With last years sailing confined to three short trips within the Channel , both Lynda and I felt that it was more than time to get back to some wild…
The English channel and Western approaches had delivered a surprising amount of wildlife ; 3 species of dolphin including a pair of white beaked…
Our chosen anchorage of Cragaig bay looked ideal for the N to NE winds which were due for the next few days. It is sheltered from all winds except… EINSTEINS THEORY OF BOAT PREPARATION
Pontius Pilot, Britney (Steers), the Milk Monitor….?
On computers
We are off!
Email update: Chenal du Four
Email Update: Greetings from Biscay!
La Corunna – the trip is on!
Rounded Cape Finisterre
The rain in Spain falls mainly somewhere else!
On Fish and Fishing
Rolling down the Portuguese trades – or doing a rainy Wednesday night race at Hamble?
What works – and what doesnt!
Where to now?
Lisbon – The Good , the Bad and the Ugly
Algarve – sublime or ridiculous.
Squeeks and Leaks
Vila Real de Santo Antonio
The River Guardiana
More stuff that works , and some that doesnt.
Migration – a birds eye view
Cadiz
Mountains!
Gibraltar
Here be Hobgoblins!
Madeira – and an update on man vs hobgoblin.
The Ups and Downs of Madeira
Time to move on
Slow boat to Selvagem
Selvagem Grande
Graciosa
The Yanks ride to the rescue!
Different kinds of Migrants
Arricife
An attack of envy on I de Lobos
…………..and Guilt on Lanzarotte!
Vela Latina
Lanzarotte reconsidered
A Missed Opportunity in Gran Tarajal
Red Hot Hooters in the Canaries
Atlantic islands pilotage
Birds of Passage in La Gomera
Progress and parties on La Gomera
In search of Christmas Dinner
La Palma
All Sheeps
Manic Maintenance
Bugger…
Gripes in Gomera!
Here today , gone Gomera? …..er …Not yet!
Time to go
Atlantic issues….
Day 6
Searching for a Solution in Mindelo
Off again!
Day 3
Day 5 – 1/4 of the way there
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9 – over halfway!
Day 10
Day 11
3/4 of the way there!
Day 13 – rolling like a saturday drunk
Day 14- hard work at the office!
Day 15 – 30 miles to go…
Arrived!
Barbados – still arriving!
When in Barbados…. do as the Bajans do
Getting used to not being on watch!
Coral hopping on the East Coast
Festina photographed off St Lucia
Yole Racing
Just Cruising
The Grenadines at Speed
On Coral Reefs, Turtles and… Bookshops?!
Of whales and other tall stories
The Turtle, the Fish, the Pelly and me!
HMS Diamond Rock
How to keep your shirt dry in the ( not very) Windies.
Misleading Lights
Beware, Paradise has teeth!
Spring is sprung, its too dry for the grass to riz, but boats are gathering in Antigua
How to sit in a Sarong – and other mysteries
Wi-Fi in paradise
A Wild Night in English Harbour
Preparing for the Spring Migration
PARFUME FRANCAIS
The Pirates of Anguila
SCOOP
Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum
After 22 hours
Hard on the wind…
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6? – you’re kidding – weve stopped counting- its just what we do!
Men o’ War
Brrr-muda and the Portrugese Boys of War
First impressions of Bermuda
Green with Envy in Hamilton
Blown away on Bermuda day
Back at anchor
Monday at sea again
Tuesday at sea
Wednesday at sea
Thursday at sea
Friday at sea
Saturday – blimey the days are slipping by!
Sunday
Monday, week 2
Asleep on watch! Tuesday…
Wind-less Wednesday!
Thursday’s Child
Fridays child is noisy and slow!
Saturday’s child works hard for a living.
Wind shifts and salvage on the high seas
Arrived in Horta
Land Ho!
Angra do Heroisma
Homeward Bound
Greetings from a busy Atlantic
Pottering Home
Pessimism Unfounded
To Ushant and Scilly ’tis 250 Leagues
In praise of trysails
Homeward bound
Fear not!
Neptune rules the waves
Blob Blog
Festina Un-Blobbed
Dipping a Toe into History
Over and Out
The Great River Race
Exploring foreign lands
Two pensioners in a boat, but definitely no dog.
All furled up with nowhere to go
The Magical Mystery Tour
Mr Grib bowls a googly!
An Old Friend
The Wild West
Clew Bay – Shhhhhhhhhhhh , its a secret!
A Hebridean Meeting
Mid-summers day- warm and s-ticky.
The Hebrides
Envoie
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy
Vikings , Rocks and Hard Places
Islay
Neptune repays a debt
A Thousand Island Cruise
24 hours to go!
We’re off!
Dawn
A shift too far?
Lands End
80 miles to the Rock
Counting your chickens
Anyone seen the wind?
Bunfight at the Fastnet Coral
Homeward Bound
Beating to the Lizard
Don’t mention the K word!
Seabreeze – what seabreeze?
Reptilian delights
Slow boats to plymouth
To all WAFL followers…
GRR – we wuz robbed
Reflections on Getting Older
Meteorological Vacillations
Playing Chicken in the Thames Estuary
Plan 32 B
History Repeats Itself
Blow the Wind Southerly
Another Nice City
Oh to be old and foolish again!
Starting to Explore Norway
Misty Musings
Sunshine and Umbrellas
Eagles , a Horse and some Fish at last.
A Tourist Excursion and Viking Dreams
Falling in Love with Shetland
Still in Shetland
Fringe Benefits?
Edinburgh Rocks!
Not Waving but …………….
Improv Cruising
The Great River Race
2 Pensioners in a Boat ….Again!
Rowing the Thames
Summer is a Comin’ in – but no cuckoo yet !
Going Dutch
A Soggy Sojourn
Big Brother is watching – (Little Sister too)
In the Skerries
Hot Rocks and Grey Docs
Midsummer Madness
Getting Hot and Steamy in Finland
Lost in Paradise
The Nicest Island in Finland
A Finnish Summer.
Tallinn
Not Autumn Already?
Visby and Gotland
Getting high in Kalmar
Keeping ahead of the Swallows
Copenhagen
Feast or Famine in Denmark
Something is Dangerous in the State of Denmark
Donner und Blitzen
Return of the Gribaholic
Already Getting into Hot Water
Mr Grumpy goes to Ireland
The Magnificent West Coast of Ireland
Waiting for the Wind
Sunny Scotland !
First World Problems
On Anchors and Anchoring
A Sad Summer
Off Again
Weather
More than one kind of Warm
Slowing Down
St Kilda
The Island of Sheep
The Knitting Rock
A Day at the Races
A Speed Date with Shetland
Norwegian Islands
Summer at Last!
Norway turns up the Heat
Lets ROCK!
A British fleet in Copenhagen
The Time Capsule brings us Home
A Grand Welcome to Ireland
Caribbean Ireland
Wildlife Galore
An ambition almost achieved
Some things change – and some don’t.
Windy old weather, stormy old weather……
A history lesson
Gola
Yacht Racing on Rathlin Island
Derry/Londonderry
Northern Perambulations
Fringe Benefits
Circumnavigation by Mistake
A New Approach and a Foggy Start
Holland is Full
Fun on the Friesian Coast
Brunsbuttel – 24 hours to forget
The Battle of Bornholm
Sightseeing in Bornholm and Karlskrona
Kiddeholmen
You can’t get lost on an island…..Can you?
North to Stockholm
Midsummer at Skansen
Visitors
Sailing with the Woods
Return to Aspö
Farewell to Finland
The Long and the Short and the Tall
Between a Rock and a Soft Place
Mens Sauna (sic) in Corpore Sano
Man up Meakins!
The best laid plans …….
With Luck and a Following Wind- Again
In Search of Nature
Cragaig Bay