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Skipper's Blog

Final blog

16 July 2012


We finished ….. last Friday ….. on programme ….. in fact, ten minutes early ….. in the rain! Yes, after a twelve-day delay at the start, the worst summer since records began (over 100 years ago), and so much rain that even one of the inshore waters forecasts mentioned the risk of flooding (think about it), we came alongside on E64 in Haslar  - Sentosa’s home berth  - at 1150 on Friday, to be gr... Read More

The final port

11 July 2012
Graham Solway and Graham Ferris pictured below on the 6th July 2012 at their triumphant return to Gosport after they completed their circumnavigation of the UK in some pretty horrendous weather conditions.

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Sailability's visit to Sentosa

05 July 2012
Click on the link below to review pictures from Dart Sailabilty's recent visit to the Sentosa as part of my round Britain trip.

https://picasaweb.google.com/relllim/Saila... Read More

More wind and rain!

05 July 2012
Well, since the weather forecasters seemed to be saying that this was to be just about our only half suitable day for going East we left at 07.30 in almost zero visibility (having waited two hours in vain for it to clear) thank heavens for chart - plotters and radar! We have motor sailed our way across Lyme Bay, past Portland Bill and then across Weymouth Bay, as I write this we are heading across... Read More

Mussels of Dartmouth

05 July 2012
When we first arrives at Darthaven marina, I noticed mussel shells scattered about the pontoons - I now know how they get there. One or two clever seagulls have learnt to pull mussels from the pontoon floats. They then flutter up to about 2m and drop the mussel onto the pontoon; they repeat this once or twice until the shell cracks, whereupon they use their bill to prise open the shell and eat the... Read More

Padstow and Land's End

27 June 2012
Padstow was a great success apart from the weather. On Thursday, we breakfasted at Rick Stein's cafe, then, in the evening, Nigel (he of the wobbly walk), Nick, Debbie and Philip arrived at the boat looking uncommonly like the proverbial drowned rats, unfortunately just as we were leaving to dine at Rick Stein's seaford resturant. We joined them briefly after dinner, and then, on Friday, after an ... Read More

Back in England!

21 June 2012
Well we're back in England for the first time in four weeks - and it's pouring with rain again and the wind, unbelievably, despite two fronts coming through from the south west, is again blowing from the east! Things can surely only get better; but then, we thought that at the beginning and were delayed by nearly two weeks!

Wales was quite an experience, thanks to the organisational powers of th... Read More

The wonders of Ireland and Wales

15 June 2012
The sail to Ardglass was wonderful, with sunshine and a westerly wind making for ideal conditions ..... until the last hour when, inexplicably, the sea became quite vicious and we were pitched and tossed around quite horribly.

Ardglass is a tiny marina, terrifyingly surrounded by rocks on all sides, but very pretty. The first evening we walked TWO MILES to a restaurant which advertised itself ve... Read More

The Perfect Storm - Campbeltown to Bangor

08 June 2012
The weather forecast we obtained in Campbeltown assured us that our passage to Bangor (N Ireland, not the one in Wales!) yesterday would be safe enough and, indeed, that is how it turned out, though we ended up in steady rain by the time we arrived, and it hasn't stopped since!  
We were very glad to get in, however, as the shipping forecasts were starting to threaten 'severe gale, force 9' (yes, ... Read More

Wick to Lochinver – Tom’s Blog

01 June 2012
Friday 25th May We arrived shattered in Wick after our 16 hour journey from London on an inappropriately named “sleeper” train to Inverness and a further slow train to Wick. We were met at the station by Iain and Bunty Gunn, the closest thing in Caithness as to royalty, and as their guests, we too were given the red carpet treatment and were soon on board the recently renovated 1800s ex-fishing b... Read More
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