All the work on Spellbinder contained in recent posts had an aim, and I can now announce that I am planning to conduct an Atlantic circuit in Spellbinder.  I will be leaving in July for Madeira, leaving her there after a summer holiday and then returning in October to continue south and then cross to the Caribbean to arrive in early December.  The plan is then to cruise the Windward, Leeward and Virgin Islands before returning to UK via Bermuda and the Azores for summer 2019.

I have contacted a number of close friends and previous crew and have had great responses, and a number of the legs are now booked up. However, there remain crewing opportunities and if anyone is interested, please contact me as soon as possible.  For the ocean legs, I am keen to have relatively experienced sailors with whom I have already sailed.

I have a number of sailing days planned in April, May and June (see the home page) during which I will be conducting sea trials and making final preparations.  I am busy reading and thinking a lot, and will be sitting a Long Range Certificate exam in May which will qualify me to use the SSB radio installed in the Autumn. UK trips have seen multiple Amazon, Ebay and Chandlery purchases landing on door mats along with odd things ranging from yoghurt makers, tuna lures and a mobile printer. On board, I will commission the satellite systems and watermaker in May / June,  and hopefully Spellbinder will be ready!