It has been a quiet winter for Spellbinder after the 4,500 nautical miles she covered last year. There was some maintenance to do: the sails came off in October and went for laundry and repair; the stack pack got a new, oversized zip; I exchanged all her batteries, replaced a solar panel and she got a new cooker.

Replacing batteries these days is more complicated than yesteryear. There are new, lightweight lithium ones on the market, which bring other advantages but which require careful installation and new chargers and in some places cabling. They are much more expensive, and the sums didn’t add up for me. Nor did Absorbed Glass Matting (AGM) and other types. On the basis that the previous ones had served faultlessly for 7 years, I went for the same Rolls wet lead cell type, exchanging them one for one.

Different colour, but same type. They are Canadian, reassuringly expensive, and good quality. I’ve never needed a generator in my travels: I have enough solar panels, 2 alternators and a towed generator for my needs. Exchanging them was a preventative measure; they were fine, and working well, but were reaching the end of their lives.

The solar panel on the foredeck had disintegrated, so Mike from Ocean Electronics replaced it with a bigger, better one with a new Victron controller, which allows Bluetooth access so I can see what precious amps are going in.

The new galley was a bit of a treat; Jonty and I got convinced by the GN Espace sales blurb at the Southampton Boat Show. The old one was fine, but a bit slow and uneven in its cooking. The new one is far superior, with 3 burners, and I hope it will bring the gastronomic standards of the galley up still further!

With all these repairs and improvements done, Jonty and I set off for the annual trip to Bosham, drying Spellbinder out against the Quay and washing her off, cleaning and maintaining her prop and changing her anodes. It was good to see sailing friends Lionel for lunch and Merrick and Emma for supper in the Anchor Bleu.

We managed to put the mainsail on too – a bit of a pig of a job, as you need to slide it in together with the stack pack.

We headed back at the next High Water back to Gosport, getting in at 0200. A few days later Sue and I had our first proper sail of the season – anchoring in Osborne Bay then heading to Cowes for some shopping, with Tom and Ambre as very able crew.

We’ll be sailing locally in April and May, then plan to head to Ireland and Scotland over June, July, August and early September. Let’s hope it’s a better summer weather-wise than in 2023…

Sue had departed from Oslo, leaving me a couple of days to do some boat jobs and to prepare Spellbinder for her final leg of this season’s cruise. I had fine weather and got the jobs and the shopping done in good time. The shopping was disconcertingly expensive – coming home to UK things seem cheap by comparison.

With a day spare, I hopped on a ferry and visited two of the three museums which are on a small peninsula in Oslo fjord. The Maritime Museum was of some interest, but nothing compared to the the Fram Museum, dedicated to the history of Norwegian polar exploration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Roald Amundsen features heavily, and the ship in which most of the exploration was done and launched from, the Fram, is centre stage.

Crew for this final leg were Jonty, Alan (veteran of the 2019 Bermuda to Azores crossing, amongst other trips) and Rupert, who all arrived with precious resupplies of duty free. We had a slightly soggy sail out of Oslo fjord, before finding a bit of wind and heading west along the coast, putting in at a little village called Kjerringvik.

The following morning we progressed along the coast, enjoying some good sailing but getting caught out by a squall which sadly put a rip in the cruising chute. We just didn’t see it coming, and the wind rose from 11-13 knots to 26, causing us to broach. It was all over very quickly, and these things happen, but it was a timely reminder to keep an eye out behind. We put into Lillesand after an otherwise great sail, filling up with fuel, doing some last minute shopping and listening to Norwegian partygoers in a local bar until 0200 in the morning.

Slightly jaded, we headed out into the North Sea the next morning, finding some decent wind which propelled us south along the west Danish coast. I deployed the Hydrovane self-steering gear, to re-acquaint myself on it and to save wear on the electronic autopilot. We had a good crossing south, taking 3 days to reach Den Helder, where we made it in time to have dinner in the rather smart naval club there.

We left early the next morning to catch the tide, hoping to miss the rain. We thought we had, but were treated to a couple of hours of breezy, squally downpours and seas which got up into moderate to rough conditions. We found that the gas locker drain had blocked, causing gas bottles to rise to the top and float around – all a bit disconcerting.

We made it down and into Scheveningen, where I had stopped last year. The weather window to head back down to UK was a couple of days away though, so we enjoyed The Hague, visiting museums, beaches and generally enjoying the place.

At my request we were visited by two Dutch immigration police, who stamped our passports to allow us to leave Schengen. It was a very pleasant experience, and they were both very amiable.

The next morning we awoke to fog, which had been forecast. With AIS and radar it is not too much of a problem in known waters, as you can see hazards coming and we were following a previous track. With the forecast for it to lift, we headed out and had a good sail down the continental coast, reaching Calais during the night and heading at right angles to the Traffic Separation Scheme and coming into Dover.

Rupert left us in Dover to meet family commitments, and after a few hours of recuperation Jonty, Alan and myself headed out into a fabulous and consistent NE breeze, which allowed us to sail all the way to Portsmouth without recourse to motor. It was an excellent way to finish the cruise, and was made more so by Saharan sand in the atmosphere, making for some fine sunsets and sunrises.

Thank you to Alan, Jonty and Rupert for making this part of the summer cruise so enjoyable. It was full of variety, incident, culture and gastronomy, with some excellent sailing.

And so the 2023 cruise has come to an end. I can’t quite believe I started in Lisbon in April and since then have taken Spellbinder to Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and Oslo. We seem to have logged 4500 miles. Once I have had time to reflect on what has been a memorable summer, I’ll try and sum it all up. But I could not have done it without my friends and family – to them, a very big thank you.

After our very interesting and enjoyable crossing of Sweden via the canal system, the next stage of Spellbinder’s summer was to leave Göteborg and head north up the west coast towards Norway. This region, much of which is termed the Bohuslän Coast, is a wonderful mixture of granite islands, forested mainland and old fishing villages. It is a delight to cruise, as most of the way up you are in sheltered channels and there are any number of places to moor and visit. On the whole Sue and I had fine weather, and we took our time, enjoying some splendid walks and scenery.

First stop was Marstrand, a rather upmarket place to where the great and good of Göteborg have repaired and built nice houses. While we were there we walked around the island and its castle, and enjoyed the shops and bars and general feel of the place.

We really enjoyed Marstrand. There were various reenactments going on of late nineteenth century times, with people in period costumes and the odd vintage motor car, which stood out as the island is normally car-free.

We headed up the next day, stopping for a short while at Skärhamn and visiting a slightly disappointing art museum. Our next berth was on a local quay at Kyrkesund, a beautiful passage with houses on each side, and where the locals wished for payment either by cash or local Swedish bank transfer. Having neither to hand (Sweden, like the other Nordic countries, is becoming increasingly cash-free) we smiled and exchanged pleasantries with them, and they let us stay for free. There was not a great deal there, but we walked above the Sound and enjoyed the views.

Continuing our passage north, the next step was Gullholmen, a delightful village which comprises a densely-packed island which had over the years benefited from various booms – herring, and oil from mackerel in particular. We found a wonderful old museum which was a sort of time-capsule of a skipper’s family house from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, kept intact for future generations to see.

After Gullholmen we headed over to Spellbinder’s birth place, Ellös. She was built here in 2005/6 and it is the first time that she has been back. We moored up in the Hallberg Rassy yard, and visited the spare parts shop – a real gold mine of bits and pieces, and I bought a few things which are quite difficult to find in UK, avoiding Swedish postage rates and post-Brexit charges.

After the delights of this shop we headed on, stopping in Fiskäbacksil for the night before heading to Smögen, another picturesque place. Like Marstrand, it has attracted investment and visitations from wealthy Swedes, but the architecture of the place has been kept very much in alignment with tradition.

We walked around the immediate vicinity and in the morning, in damp and windy weather, took a short ferry across to the beautiful island of Hållö, enjoying a fresh walk around. The island has a great lighthouse and some interesting geology.

We enjoyed Smögen and Hållö immensely. As we sailed north we took in a couple of quiet nights at anchor, to make a change, dropping the hook near Längö island and in Alvikken, Lammön. We also passed through the narrow Sote Canal.

We stopped for lunch at Fjällbacka, known for its association with Ingrid Bergman, who had a holiday house on a nearby island, and who frequented the place.

Our final place in Sweden was the beautiful Kosten islands, where we took a berth and explored by bike. They are wonderfully unspoilt holiday islands, with many quiet spots to walk, swim and hide out. We could have spent a week there. As it was we explored just the south island, and Sue followed a snorkel trail.

The next day we were into Norwegian waters, and enjoyed a long sail up into the mouth of Oslo Fjord, stopping after a recommendation by some Norwegian sailors at the fortress at Oscarsborg.

It was a bit rainy, and we enjoyed the sight of slightly damp Norwegian opera-goers attending a concert in the fortress. The next day we enjoyed a walk around the island in slightly better conditions, and visited the military museum, before sailing north into Oslo itself, taking a berth in the city centre marina at Akker Brygge.

We have enjoyed Oslo in the short time we have been here, and yesterday Sue and I enjoyed the Munch museum, Ekeberg sculpture park and riding around the city centre on electric scooters.

I have a couple more days to enjoy Oslo, and to get Spellbinder ready before new crew arrive and we endeavour to sail back to UK. This most recent cruise has been wonderful though, and I need to say a big thank you to Sue for accompanying me on it.

Over the last couple of weeks Spellbinder and her crew have crossed Sweden via the Göta and Trollhätte canals, which were originally built in the 19th century to allow shipping to pass from Gothenburg to Stockholm and vice-versa. They are wonders of the industrial engineering of the era. These days while parts of them are still used for commercial purposes, they now mainly benefit the leisure and tourist industries. They are a wonderful way of seeing some of Sweden’s interior, and we much enjoyed our passage across.

The journey started at Nynäshamn, where Sue and I were joined by new crew Neil and Clare, veterans of many of Spellbinder’s past voyages. I wanted to show them a little of the archipelago south of Stockholm before we entered the canal, so we headed back to Ringson for a spot of traditional stern anchoring, mooring to rocks action.

The next day we arranged to meet fellow RCC cruisers Nick and Margie. We rafted up together, had lunch and walked on one of the islands (Sackholmen), generally enjoying the tranquility and nature of the place.

We then headed to the wonderfully-named island of Broken, where we found walks, incinerating loos, saunas and swimming. Our final stop before Göta was Arkösund, where we enjoyed forest walks and the company of some Australian sailors, who had bought a Dutch motor boat and were enjoying NW Europe in it.

The entrance to the Göta canal on the east side was Mem, where we moored up, paid our dues, received our electronic cards and ticket to place on our bow. It’s quite expensive but all the mooring and facilities are included in the single price you pay.

Heading west, the first half of the canal is upwards, so you have to drop of a crew member approaching a lock and they place a bow and stern line around rings at the top, allowing you to control the ascent. This is sometimes quite lively. Clare took on this role with great efficiency.

Our first stop was Söderköping, where we walked above the cliffs looking down on the canal, and had some ice creams which are renowned nationally.

We progressed through the locks and various bridges which opened as we arrived, and across various inland lakes which formed part of the transit. The first of these were small ones – Asplangen and Roxen. Of note, we spent a night at Berg, which has a flight of locks very similar to Neptune’s staircase at the west end of the Caledonian Canal, which Spellbinder traversed in 2022. Sir Thomas Telford, who was the architect of the Caledonian, was called up by the Swedes to advise on the Göta.

We were making good progress, and at times the crew walked, ran or cycled to get some exercise as we continued our journey.

We headed through Lake Boren to Motala, and onto perhaps one of the most beautiful parts of the journey, Lake Vättern. We saw plenty of birdlife, including sea eagles and divers, and some part of the route were very narrow. The highlight of Vättern was undoubtedly Vadstena, where we entered a narrow canal and parked in the moat of the castle there.

At Vadstena we also visited the cathedral, and wandered around the cobbled streets. It’s a truly remarkable lakeside town, with much religious history.

We visited an old industrial museum at Forsvik, and entered Lake Viken, which was also very enchanting.

By now we had reached the top of the canal, and we then began our descent, which was much easier and rather more gentle all round in the locks. From Viken we went through the narrow Berg canal to Töreboda, stopping at Jonsboda for the night just before. This part of the canal resembled parts of France, and were were treated to a beautiful sunset.

We were now approaching the end of the canal, and the weather was beginning to deteriorate. We locked out after a soggy day in Sjötorp, where we had had the solace of finding a fresh fish and chip restaurant (I’ve never had perch and chips before).

We then had a lovely sail down what is Europe’s third biggest inland lake, Lake Vänern. We felt we had stolen a day – the forecast had been pretty dire, but we had sun, a fine broad reach in part under cruising chute, and another castle in front of which to moor.

Time was getting on, and we entered the bottom of the lake at dusk, after sailing 60 nautical miles. Our port for the night was Vannesborg, which also served as the entrance to the Trollhätte Canal, which would lead us to Gothenburg.

The rain persisted, but we entered the Trollhätte with the bimini up to keep some of the rain off. The locks are much bigger, with significant vertical drops, and still take considerable amounts of commercial traffic.

We stayed the night at Trollhattan, visiting the canal museum and with the crew enjoying a damp walk around the remains of the old lock systems, which have been enlarged over the years to accommodate ever greater amounts of commercial traffic.

Once through the big locks we wended our way down the Gota Av, the long winding river which flows down to Gothenburg. We found a spot in the City Marina, where I bumped into a friend of a friend. Once in, we were able to take a tram into the city to enjoy a good night out, enjoying the Haga district in particular.

Thank you, Neil and Clare, for being such good company and able crew. It was a great fun mini cruise, full of variety and interest. Sue and I now plan to sail up the west coast of Sweden to Oslo, to make the most of what remains of the cruising summer.

I wrote in my previous post that I thought that cruising the Stockholm archipelago was amongst the very best of my sailing experiences aboard Spellbinder. I now need to revise this statement – the archipelago west of Helsinki, where I have spent most of the last fortnight, is better still.

After a couple of weeks back in UK, regaining a measure of control of the garden and generally catching up with the real world, I flew back to Stockholm with son Jonty and new crew Bash. On arrival back at Saltsjöbaden, however, it quickly became apparent that Spellbinder had got herself into trouble with a Swedish bird, and things had got messy.

We cleaned her (Spellbinder) up, went shopping, and headed out in some quite breezy conditions north into the Stockholm archipelago, stern anchoring and tying up to rocks at Ostholmen.

We had a bit of a walk around, giving Jonty and Bash a glimpse of a different type of cruising, where you moor with stern anchor out, tying up to rocks, where there is plenty of space, free mooring, saunas-a-plenty and composting loos in the woods.

Our main destination was Finland, however, and we sailed north across the bottom end of the Gulf of Bothnia to Mariehamn, capital of the Swedish-speaking autonomous province of Åland, which technically belongs to Finland but which has its own very distinctive identity. It even requires its own courtesy flag. The main aim of going into Mariehamn was to pick up a key and burgee which would give us access to some outstations belonging to the Nyländska Jaktklubben, or NJK. The NJK is the oldest Finnish yacht club, and has an arrangement with the Royal Cruising Club, of which I am a member, allowing us access to them. Possession of this burgee, and the authorisation that comes with it, was to transform our experience.

We had a night at Mariehamn, which was nothing special, being dominated by a large cruise ship terminal which brought hoards of tourists taking advantage of some tax-free concessions. We then began a lovely cruise towards Helsinki, passing via Sandvik (Kokar Hamno), Ramsskär, Hanko (where we picked up my eldest son Tom) and Högholmen, before berthing at the old NJK headquarters at Blekholmen, which lies with its magnificent club house in Helsinki city centre.

Having picked up Tom from the port of Hanko, we enjoyed Högholmen for its sauna and nearby swimming, getting the hang of a wood burning sauna and the booking in and out process of the NJK outstations.

On arrival at Helsinki, we were impressed to see the appropriate flag raised, and enjoyed our short stay in the immaculate surroundings of the former NJK headquarters. Sammy, the harbourmaster, was outstanding.

It was time to say goodbye to Bash, who took us out for a wonderful lunch in the city centre, where we enjoyed eating reindeer meat and other delights.

Later that day our new crew Crispin and Ann arrived into Helsinki, and we enjoyed drinks and dinner in the clubhouse with William and Susannah of Hero, with whom Spellbinder has very enjoyably shared many of this year’s best cruising moments.

The next day we headed back out into the archipelago, re-visiting Högholmen and Ramsskär but also taking in the NJK outstations of Munckshamn, Långholmen, Bodö and Kräkskär.

These outstations are wonderful. They are generally quite remote, always seem to have room, and are very well curated, with a club member responsible for their upkeep. Firewood and gas canisters are delivered by boat at the beginning of the season, and each place generally has a lodge with basic kitchen facilities, a BBQ, a wood-fired sauna (you book your slot) and a composting loo or two, of the ‘long drop’ or ‘Thunderbox’ variety. It is enormous fun, as I hope the photos show.

Crispin enjoyed some great wild swims, and a run with Tom, where they made a very Finnish friend.

After experiencing these wonderful NJK outstations, we rather reluctantly headed back west to Sweden, having a lively but increasingly enjoyable sail across the open water between the two countries. We arrived at Arholm at the northern tip of the Stockholm archipelago, where we were treated to a magnificent sunset, and enjoyed a stroll around the island after a long day’s passage.

The wind had been fairly friendly up to now, but the final two days were characterised by quite strong southerlies, which entailed some motoring, using the islands for shelter where we could. We tied to rocks at Hasselö and anchored more traditionally at Ornö Kolnäsviken, before arriving at Nynashamn, where Spellbinder awaits our return later this month, when we hope to cross Sweden from east to west, using the Göta canal.

It has been a superb fortnight, and I was smitten by the Finnish islands. I’m really grateful to the NJK, who made most of it possible, but also to my crew – Tom and Jonty of course, but also Bash, Crispin and Ann. Thank you all for making it all so enjoyable – all very relaxing!

The last ten days comprised some of the very best cruising I have had in Spellbinder. Not only was the weather superb, but I came to discover somewhere which, had I wanted to design a cruising area ab initio, would have been very close to a perfect model.

The Stockholm archipelago has some 30,000 islands, islets, skerries and rocks just outside Sweden’s capital. Once amongst them, the opportunities are endless, and you can lose yourself for weeks. Not months, for the season is short, and we were lucky to tour them in the first part of June, when most Swedes are not yet in holiday mode. We had them virtually to ourselves – it was a very well designed cruise in company with other RYS members. Crew for this part were Johnny and Lucy, who joined me just in time for welcome drinks and a dinner at the Grand Hotel in Saltsjöbaden, where we smartened up a bit. 

For the purposes of this blog post I won’t recount in detail every place we went to, but I do want to note the islands and places visited, for the record, and in case anyone knows them: Utö, Bullerön Hemviken, Lökholmen / Sandhamn, Furusund, Arholma Österhamn, Rödlöga, Finnhamn/Paradiset, Gällnö Hemfladen and Stockholm Wasahamnen.

There was an real variety of ways of mooring, including throwing out a stern anchor and attaching to trees or rocks, and picking up stern buoys when mooring bow to a pontoon or staging. With no tides, these things are possible.

The islands generally have houses on them, as most Stockholm dwellers seem to have some place in the archipelago, or know someone who has. Most are coloured reddy-brown, and have pontoons or landing arrangements to allow you to arrive by boat.

We enjoyed some great walks and nature trails: most of the bigger islands have them, together with composting loos and recycling facilities. It is all so well organised and encourages good behaviour. There are windmills, churches and small villages, but a lot was just open part-time, awaiting the arrival of the Swedish hordes, who come to party at midsummer, a huge event locally.

We enjoyed some great sailing too, in light airs, with much use of the cruising chute, in little or no swell.

We had a very sociable time, with a BBQ organised by the Swedish royal yacht club (KSSS) who were a source of great information, and who assisted us hugely in our planning. We also relaxed and enjoyed the wonderful weather, which held throughout and enabled us to wear shorts for most of the period.

We enjoyed some great raft-up parties, some unplanned, and I flew the drone to try and capture the scenes.

I used a rather novel boat scrubber in Furusund which removed some of the weed accumulated since leaving Portugal in March.

We generally stopped for lunch and anchored somewhere for a bite to eat, independent of the fleet.

Many of the RYS Members had chartered, but the hard core of 5 of us who had sailed our own yachts up had a final party together as the charterers returned to their bases. The following morning we steamed in convoy up to Stockholm.

We had time to visit the Royal Palace and to learn more about Sweden’s history and royal family, before attending a final tour and dinner in the renowned Vasa museum, which showcases the Swedish ‘Mary Rose’.

In all, an extraordinary 10 days. Thank you, Johnny and Lucy, for your great company and able crewing!

Spellbinder and her crew have been blessed with fine weather over the last few days, and it seems set to stay with us. Having put Sue on a train in Karlskrona, old sailing friend Julian arrived and together we set off to head around the bottom of the Swedish mainland and up the east coast, towards the famous archipelagos which are found off the coast of Stockholm.

We motored out of the slightly uninspiring Karlskrona, then had a brief sail before we dropped anchor in a nature reserve just south east of the city. It was the first time anchoring for a while – it has been marinas, ports and little docks so far, but this is now changing as we explore the slightly wilder areas of this magnificent Scandinavian coast.

It was a very peaceful night, and the next morning, as we rounded the south east tip of Sweden, we started to get a steadily building following wind. It was too good not to make use of, and original plans to visit the old city of Kalmar were set aside in the interest of 25 extra, easy miles. We goose winged Spellbinder, putting a reef in each sail, and sped by with 20-25 knots right behind us.

Our destination was Borgholm on the island of Öland, where we arrived quite late, but still in bright sunshine. A stroll around the town took us past an American car enthusiasts’ party, where Chevrolets and Pontiacs roamed around, with unfeasibly lowered suspension, booming out loud music. We also had a drink in the one lively bar in town, bringing down the average age by a substantial margin.

The next morning we sailed up the Öland coast to the impossibly-named Byxelkrok, where we had a pleasant lunch before taking advantage of a building NE breeze to sail across to the southern archipelago to get a first taste of the islands. We were blown away once in them – some intricate pilotage is required, but the buoyage and charts are excellent. We passed through a narrow passage between islands to find a lagoon, completely protected on all sides, where we anchored for the night.

We had another quiet evening, enjoying the bird song, and eating and sleeping well.

Motoring out in the calm of the next morning, we enjoyed more narrow channels and intricate pilotage, and ended up at a similar anchorage off the island of Ringsö. By now the islands were merging into one beautiful and seamless experience, more than whetting our appetites for this stunning region.

The next day saw a brief visit to refuel, re-water, dispose of rubbish (the Swedes are heavily into recycling) and a nice lunch at Nynäshamn, a slightly ugly town and ferry port which served its purpose, but in which we didn’t linger. Our destination was Ornö, the largest island in the southern part of the Stockholm archipelago, and a little dock at the end of a small fjord. It was pretty deserted, but we tied up and explored a bit. We may have been in Montana. Just a chap with a boiler suit and a workshop, everything open, and nobody to pay.

It was a delightful little place which we rather enjoyed.

Our final destination was the RV for the RYS 2023 Summer Rally – Saltsjöbaden near Stockholm, home of the Swedish yacht club KSSS, which is hosting us. Julian and I accomplished our first stern buoy mooring without too much difficulty, and settled into a more social atmosphere with some fellow Members. I am delighted to get here as planned after a month of cruising, and really look forward to exploring the Stockholm archipelago in the next 10 days.

Thank you Julian, for being such fine crew and helping me on this last leg.

Sue arrived in Copenhagen by plane then train, and Paul and I met her at one of the metro stations. We enjoyed a great night out together, being treated by Paul to dinner at one of the tourist hotspots, but with surprisingly good food and service amongst the throng of tourists. The following morning, after Paul departed, Sue and I hired an electric bike, I jumped on my sturdy old Brompton, and we explored the city a bit more.

We enjoyed our bike tour, then headed off out of Copenhagen towards Ystad in Sweden. This requires sailing past the extraordinary bridge which links Denmark (Copenhagen) with Sweden (Malmo) and was the setting for a Skandi detective series some might know as ‘The Bridge’.

We then went through a small mile-long canal called the Falsterbokanal, which was reputed to open on the hour but in fact proved to do so every two, so we had to wait a while. It was just a bridge to pass through, and once over the other side we had a pleasant evening sail into the nice medieval town of Ystad. I did have one scare though – when I cross over a power cable my autopilot has a mind of its own, and we very nearly came to blows with a buoy…marking a power cable. One lives and learns.

We enjoyed Ystad for its old buildings, and walks in the woods beside the beach. It had a magnificent old chandlery too, smelling as chandlers ought, of coal tar and hemp.

Our next destination was actually back in Denmark – the island of Bornholm. Others in the RYS ‘feeder’ fleet heading to Stockholm had raved about it, and we sailed across to the northern tip of the island to a place called Hammerhavn. It was absolutely delightful, and we enjoyed a magnificent walk around the northern part of the island the next day. The terrain was very varied, and at times we might have been in the Channel Islands, Cornwall or even Cyprus. The photos below try and give a feel to it:

We ate well at a seafood restaurant, having a bit of a smorgasbord, before jumping on a bus and going to a village by the sea called Gudhjem, which was delightful – a bit like Polperro, but with slightly different architecture. While there, we went to the Oluf Host museum – Host was a well-known Danish expressionist artist, and his house and gardens display some of his works. It was a great tour.

Another bus dropped us off at Hammershus, a very large ruined castle which overlooked the marina. It was a very fitting way to finish a brief tour of some of this wonderful island.

The next day we had a bit of a brisk, and quite long sail over to the small island of Hanö, back in Sweden. It too proved to be a delight, and we enjoyed an evening walk around the island over varied terrain, taking in an English cemetery containing the remains of sailors from HMS Victory, which was based at the island in 1810.

Hanö was a lovely island, and a great stop. Time moved on though, and after an early start the next day we headed into Karlskrona for a crew change. The home of the Swedish Navy, it is not the prettiest of towns – Soviet-style blocks have been allowed to spring up beside beautiful buildings from a foregone era – but it has a fine naval museum, which we enjoyed. We had a good night out, before Sue took a train to Copenhagen airport and as I type I await the arrival of my next crew, Julian. The next few days should take us north towards Stockholm.

Thank you Sue for all your patience (!) and help 🙂

Having arrived in Kiel with Rupert, Paul was my next crew, arriving a few hours after the former had departed. Our aim was to spend a week heading north out of the Kiel Fjord and exploring a few Danish islands en route to Copenhagen.

We managed to extricate ourselves out of the long Baltic box mooring into which we had been placed, and had a good day’s sail north and east, heading to the island of Aerø and in particular a little town called Aerøskøping. Although it rained while we were there, Paul and I enjoyed the sail – his first since our Hebridean and Orcadian adventures of 2021. We also enjoyed a town which has been preserved in its architecture and heritage, and looks much like it did 200 years ago.

Arriving just before the rain, we found the only place open was an Italian restaurant, and some delightful Italians looked after us with some fine pizzas. So much for our introduction to Danish culture! The next morning we took a free bus to the main town Marstal, where little was happening slowly, and waited for the front to pass, the wind to veer and the sun to come out. This it duly did, and we had a very breezy (3 reefs in the main) reach up a narrow channel and across to the old town of Svendborg, where we moored against the town quay. It’s a pleasant town, with a great maritime history, and it attracts tall ships from all around the Baltic region.

We strolled around the town, enjoying its heritage, before eating on board and getting an early night.

Sailing out of Svendborg Sound the following morning was a delight. There was not much wind, but the scenery was almost American, with large houses with lawns leading down to the water’s edge, and private pontoons with large yachts moored for the owners to look at.

Our destination was Femø, an island known for its jazz and women’s festivals, neither of which were taking place when we arrived, sadly. It was our first taste of a small harbour, with enough room, but only just. Parking a yacht is like parking a car in these places – you just pitch up and find a space. Payment is taken on an honesty basis using an app, and as we arrived we saw a very well stocked grocery store just 30 yards from our mooring. We also noted that the one restaurant on the island ran a free taxi service to and from the dock, and we made good use of it, dining in an agreeable old hotel overlooking the northern sound.

After Femø, we had a good long, downwind run under a couple of major road bridges and down and around various channels, ending up at a place called Klintholm on the island of Møn.

Klintholm was another delightful spot, where Paul and I practised our box mooring technique. It was a great pity that the only restaurant was putting on a 7 course gourmet tasting menu, with wines, and that there were a couple of tables unreserved. Paul and I didn’t demur, given that burgers and sausages had been taken out of the freezer for the alternative, on-board option. Highlights were garfish, chicken hearts and nasturtium flowers, white asparagus, crab and some delightful little puddings. The photos tell some of the tale. The chef had won ‘best Danish chef’ before, and we were rewarded by a fine meal with excellent and very friendly service.

Suitably fortified, we headed off early the next day, knowing we had a fair distance to cover to get to Copenhagen, and some head winds. It took a while, and we experienced quite a contrary current, but we managed to find a spot right in the centre of this fine city, in a little quay at Nyhavn. It is bustling as I write – a bank holiday (Whitsun), a carnival atmosphere, and fine weather.

On the way in, we dipped our ensign to the Danish royal yacht; the compliment was rapidly returned.

Thank you Paul, for being such excellent crew. It’s always good to sail with a pilot! Please come aboard again soon.

We loved the Danish islands we visited – all very laid-back, well run, well resourced and informally managed. We were the only Brits seen. Next stop – Sweden!

In 2003 Griff Rhys Jones wrote a book entitled ‘To The Baltic With Bob’, a story of adventure and plenty of misadventure as he sailed his yacht with a difficult crew to the Baltic. I have had this book on board, together with a few others like it, as Spellbinder and I have made our way over the last week to Kiel, from where I write.

After our enjoyable return in April from Lisbon and the Biscay crossing, it was clear that Spellbinder needed a bit of work to fix a few things which had broken. Over three weeks I managed to replace the bent anchor (I now have a 20kg Rocna), replace my main halyard with a new Dyneema one (reassuringly expensive), replace the gas strut in my vang, reseal a leaky hatch and clean up some corroded fittings on my calorifier, as well as sundry other repairs and improvements, including a nice new bin and some very sharp kitchen knives. I won’t go on, but Spellbinder has had some tlc and appears very grateful for it.

I also spent a bit of time attending several events in the Solent – a Hallberg Rassy Owners’ meet at Yarmouth, the Camrose weekend at the RYS, an Ocean Cruising Club Rally in Beaulieu, and the Coronation weekend and Anchoring Meet back at the Castle in Cowes. All three were great fun, and I owe a big thank you to Charles and Caroline for their help and company at the two events in Cowes.

It was nice to be back in the Solent in the early season and we had some fine sailing. The time came, however, to start heading up to the Baltic, and Charles remained on board as we undertook the first leg to Ramsgate, which comprised a motor and occasional sail in light winds.

Charles and I arrived just after dawn at Ramsgate, and I spent a day shopping and readying Spellbinder for her forthcoming trip across the North Sea. I quite liked Ramsgate – it had been a few years since I had last looked in, and although a little shabby and down at heel in places, I detected signs of revival. Smashed avocado has come to town! I also had a drink at the Royal Temple Yacht Club, which has great views over the harbour, and a fine history. I met some of the cruising members and enjoyed chatting to them.

My next crew was Rupert, and he joined me for our North Sea crossing. We left fairly sharply at 0630 to catch the north-going tide, into a lumpy sea which quickly flattened as the wind dropped. It turned into a long motor over a smooth sea – preferable to a bumpy ride in many ways, as the North Sea produced a cold and heavy wind. We negotiated the many obstacles – Traffic Separation Schemes, wind farms (of which there are many) and gas and oil platforms. It has all got quite complicated. After 28 hours we arrived safely in Den Helder, going into a small marina in a Dutch naval base.

We did, of course, have to check in with the authorities and the harbourmaster phoned the immigration police, who came and politely and professionally checked our credentials, stamping our passports. I have yet to get used to this new madness.

After hunkering down for the rest of the day, we were invited on board Hero, one of the other Squadron yachts heading up for the June rally in the Swedish Archipelago. Thank you, William and Susannah, for your hospitality on this and subsequent occasions.

Once the bad weather had passed over, and after a morning stroll around Den Helder, Rupert and I headed out and round to catch the flooding tide to Oost Vlieland. We had a great sail in good winds, and a bit of a bumpy sea, along the Friesian Islands, deep into the country so well described by Erskine Childers in Riddle of the Sands. I have always felt a connection to Childers, as he was much spoken of at school, being the only old boy known to have been shot for treason (by his own country, the Irish Free State). The book is wonderful though, and describes very well the tortuous land and seascapes, with swirling tides, shallow and muddy waters, and treacherous sand banks at the eve of the First World War.

After a good night’s sleep, Rupert and I headed out into German waters, having a good sail in still quite lumpy waves. It was a long day, culminating in a night entry into Norderney, which wasn’t straightforward with quite a sea running over the shallows, rolling Spellbinder about as we came in, and with some of the channel markers unlit. Hero, which had gone in a couple of hours ahead of us, had had quite a challenging time of it. We came in at high water, when things were rather better, but it was still testing.

We slept well (again) and mid morning the next day started another long passage to Cuxhaven, aiming to get into the Elbe estuary as the flood started. It is a long way in, with shallows to the south and a considerable distance to sail before you have a semblance of a river forming. Again, we got in at dusk, and I had a whisky on Hero to discuss the day’s sail and plans for next day. Transiting the Kiel canal was the objective, and we motored out down the Elbe for 15 miles or so and waited for the lock at Brunsbüttel to open. The locks are huge, originally designed to take WWI Dreadnought battleships, and now quite large container ships and tankers.

Once in, it was all very efficient, with little noticeable change in water level, and we were soon on our way up this 98 km canal, with no further locks except those at the other end at Holtenau.

The canal is an impressive feat of engineering, and was completed in the late 19th century, well before the Panama . It was all very easy, if a bit monotonous at times, and we pulled in overnight at Rendsburg.

Rendsburg was very quiet – it was a German bank holiday, and unlike in the UK people weren’t out drinking and eating, We ate well at a marina restaurant and completed our canal transit the next day, arriving at Kiel.

Spellbinder is now moored at Kiel Yacht Club, in a box mooring (not an easy way of mooring, especially in a cross wind) and we met up with the crews of Hero and Atlantis and had a good evening together.

The plan now is to head into Denmark, and explore some Danish islands before heading to Copenhagen to meet Sue next weekend. My new crew Paul arrives imminently.

Thank you, Rupert, for being such good company and crew, being my cultural guide to Germany, and for buying supplies of Baumkuchen and Berliner.

As a slight addendum, and if you are very keen and are still reading this, you may be interested to hear that I was recently awarded the RYS Camrose trophy for the log of my 2022 cruise from Ijmuiden down and around Biscay to Porto. It’s a great honour, and I faced some very stiff competition, but I’d just like to thank all those who came with me along the way, without whom I would not have been able to make it happen.

I much enjoyed keeping Spellbinder in warmer climes this winter – Porto initially, then in Oeiras Marina, Lisbon. It gave us the opportunity to discover both cities and escape the UK weather at a time when it is good to get away. The plan was always to come back to the UK in April, however, and I made plans to sail back, hoping that conditions in Biscay would allow me to do so.

For this trip I was joined by younger son Jonty and by Bruce. Jonty and I arrived ahead to buy food and to prepare Spellbinder, and once Bruce arrived we dined locally at the excellent Charkoal restaurant at the marina. The next day we headed up river to Algés Boatyard, where we lifted out by prearrangement. The boatyard team was very efficient, and there was not much fouling, so after a quick wash off, a change of anodes and a scrub of the propeller we were off again.

We were back in the water at 1130, so motored out of the Tagus river estuary, headed north and found some gentle winds to propel us up the coast. Orca attacks had been a concern, but luckily at this stage of the year the activity is in warmer waters around Gibraltar, and concerns lessened as we headed north.

Our first destination was Peniche, a fishing harbour with a small number of pontoons where we found a berth. It was a relatively short sail and we got used to being aboard again, ensuring everything was working on board. There was not much in town, but Bruce and I had a stroll and a coffee the following morning before we set off again.

Nazaré was our next stop, where I had called in with Charles back in December, coming in at night to take on fuel. We had a good sail up, and arrived with time to explore the town and to eat out very well at a restaurant called Mario do Mar, where the fish was very fresh and expertly cooked and presented. This trip was already proving gastronomic, a feature of most of Spellbinder’s voyages, as the cognoscenti will know.

Nazaré is known for its surf conditions, and we ventured out with caution the next day as the Atlantic swell was predicted to be up to 4 or 5 metres in height. In the end we found a delightful sea, with a fair wind and we progressed up the coast, bypassing Porto and heading overnight and into the next day.

The wind eventually died, and at this stage we had our first real challenge – the main halyard had chafed at the top, bringing down the mainsail. Chafe is an ever-present challenge to the yachtsman, but I suspect that the masthead sheaves have worn, causing undue friction.

We decided to put into Baiona and try and effect repairs. Despite our best efforts raising Jonty to the top of the mast, and dropping a mousing line weighted with some bicycle chain, we couldn’t get a line through, so opted instead to use the topping lift (which normally supports the boom weight) as an alternative. This diversion to Baiona did allow us to enjoy a good night out though, with more excellent seafood.

The next morning brought blue skies, and we sailed out and through the islands of this part of the Spanish rias.

We picked a spot to anchor for lunch, then sailed up through the rocks and around into the Ria Muros, where we found an anchorage for the night at the Enseada de San Francisco.

I had thought that the anchor had bit quite abruptly the night before, and on retrieving it the following morning to start our Biscay crossing, we found ourselves very stuck. Eventually, after attaching a rope via a rolling hitch to a cleat, to stop undue pressure being put on the windlass, we managed to free the anchor, which came up rather bent, sadly.

This slightly inauspicious start to our Biscay crossing was followed by a gentle motor up past the hauntingly-named Costa da Morte, and Cape Finisterre, before heading into Biscay and finding some quite strong easterly winds coming off the bottom of a high pressure system. This gave us some bumpy and wet sailing for a while, with the Hydrovane doing the steering, but allowing us to make great progress.

Lighter winds followed, we dried out, and enjoyed a sail most of the way to Ile d’Ouessant (Ushant) where we came in at night to Lampoul in slightly testing tidal conditions, and a welcoming drizzle, at 0400 in the morning, and picked up a buoy. The crossing of Biscay had taken just over 3 days.

With Biscay behind us, we had to respect the Brexit obligations of checking out of Schengen, so made for Roscoff in some excellent sailing conditions, sailing off our buoy, gybing out and heading east under cruising chute with the tide, making rapid progress.

We motorsailed through the channel south of the Ile de Batz and came into port in time to have a very agreeable supper in one of the marina restaurants, before turning in for the night, somewhat tired after our Biscay adventures.

The following morning, after a hearty breakfast in the same restaurant, we headed over to the Police Aux Frontières to check out. It remains a great pain to get one’s passport stamped, and very old tech, and I await the arrival of a promised electronic version with a fair amount of impatience!

We had time for a final lunch in Roscoff, and to buy more supplies, before we headed out across the Channel for a fabulous reaching sail through the night, arriving at the Needles in time to motor through and ride the tide to Cowes.

After a celebratory Easter breakfast in the Castle at Cowes we headed back to Gosport, to Spellbinder’s berth.

I’m delighted to be home, and now have a couple of weeks to fix various things before Spellbinder’s next adventures, planned for France and the Baltic. It was an excellent 984 nautical mile cruise, all complete by Easter, and in great company – thank you Jonty and Bruce for much intelligent exchange, generous invitations at restaurants, gargantuan amounts of washing up, and such able, calm and willing crewing. It was an adventure to remember, bringing its own challenges, but all the more memorable for them.

At the beginning of the year I planned to sail to Amsterdam, then follow the Continental coast down to Lisbon. The last stage has been rather delayed – the weather through October and November has seen a succession of depressions cross the Iberian peninsula, with little chance of coinciding crew and the right conditions. It’s not just about the wind and the weather – ocean swell plays a big part when heading down this coast, occasionally closing ports for days, and sometimes weeks.

Luckily a short window became available at the end of November, and friend Charles, fresh from an Atlantic circuit of his own, was able to come and join me. We got away from Porto fairly sharply in the morning after our arrival, and immediately the residual swell from a previous depression made itself obvious, with 3-4 metre waves crashing into the harbour walls as we left. Once out beyond the immediate coastline, however, conditions became more stable and we had a good passage down to Nazaré, arriving in the middle of the night and mooring on the fuel pontoon to await its opening. We had not been able to take on fuel in Porto, as the conditions were decidedly heavy at the harbour entrance.

The fuel pontoon was attached to a Shell garage, which opened promptly the following morning, allowing us to refuel and head off into the swell again at dawn. Nazaré is known for its extraordinary surfing, and a big undersea canyon greatly accentuates the waves. The effects were very obvious.

We then headed further south, with conditions becoming calmer. Rounding Cabo da Roca, we headed into the mouth of the river Targus and into the one marina which had offered me a space for the winter (the others were full up).

The Portuguese were very efficient, friendly and easy to deal with, and once formalities were completed Charles and I celebrated this quite challenging 170 NM short passage by eating out very well in one of the marina restaurants. We were also able to give the engine its annual service the next day, and fix an electrical problem which had meant the domestic batteries were not charging properly under engine. Spellbinder is now well settled in a nice marina, and Lisbon – which I have not yet properly visited – awaits us. Thank you, Charles, for making time to come and help me achieve this year’s final sail. Despite some concern, we have also fully transited ‘orca alley’ and escaped any interaction or damage. We were lucky – many yachts have suffered this year.

I had already gained a sense of the Spanish rías when Neil, Clare and myself looked into several on the north coast, east of A Coruña. Some of the best known, though, are on the north west tip of Galicia, and they became the focus of the final part of this summer’s cruise.

Having been back in UK for a couple of weeks generally catching up, Jonty and I returned to Sada marina near A Coruña to find Spellbinder sitting waiting for us, unharmed by the quite swelly conditions to which the marina is prone. Having done a big shop, we headed out to anchor for the night off Ares – a small town with a beach, which gave us a swell-free night and a stroll along the beach and into town.

The next morning we headed into A Coruña itself, berthing in the Real Club Nautico. From there it was a short walk across into town. We wanted to visit the grave of Sir John Moore, a British general who had died while commanding British troops retreating from there in 1809. Sadly the gardens where he lies were shut.

Alastair and Caspar arrived that evening, and we enjoyed some fine tapas in the back streets of A Coruña, before setting off westwards the next morning, into an increasing wind which allowed us to sail at first. We anchored for a brief lunch at the Sisargas islands.

The wind turned on our nose and increased, heralding some expected poor weather, and after a few hours of bumpy motor sailing we came into the Ría de Camiñaras, finding a delightful anchorage just near Muxia marina, where we hunkered down for the night. The following morning we strolled into town in the drizzle, meeting some young people who had walked from France on the Camino de Santiago, arriving at Santiago de Compostela but wanting to finish their walk by the ocean, visiting the chapel which dominates the entrance to the ría.

In the afternoon, with clearing weather, we toured a couple of anchorages in this very unspoilt ría, which in many ways was my favourite.

That evening we headed into Camariñas marina, a slightly dilapidated place. We enjoyed wandering along the quay to see the fishermen unload sardines, and then ate some nice food in town.

Next was Muros. We had a pleasant sail around into this nice ría, passing Cape Finisterre (Cabo Finisterre), a somewhat notorious headland on the tip of NW Spain. We were still getting reports of orca attacks in the vicinity, but stayed quite close to shore and mercifully were not approached.

Pedro, the delightfully efficient harbourmaster at Muros checked us in. We then enjoyed a stroll around the old town and harbour front in the evening and the following morning.

The next ría south, Arousa, was noticeably more built up: this became increasingly the case as we headed down the coast. We had a great sail down, accompanied by dolphins as we approached downwind, then tacking gently into the ría to find an isolated anchorage for the night in its upper reaches. That night we had a fine BBQ.

After a night at anchor we left downwind and threaded our way past off lying islands (Ons and Cíes) towards Baiona, enjoying light airs but finally motoring. We had a brief stop to anchor and swim off the beach at Panjón before heading into the Real Club Baiona, to be met by two very smart uniformed marinieros. It is a fabulously situated club, sitting below a citadel and commanding great views. We strolled around the battlements and into town before heading to the club for one of their famous G&Ts.

We had anticipated eating at the Club but sadly found the service so poor that we headed into town. It’s a pity, as the club has a good reputation. In my experience the one at Gijon was far, far nicer and better run.

We slipped Baiona early the next morning for the long passage down to Porto, having occasionally excellent periods of reaching in offshore winds, but finally motoring in calm seas.

It was a long day sail, ending in a few hours of motoring as the wind died. Our destination was Leixões, the main industrial harbour for Porto and a couple of miles north of the mouth of the river Douro. I chose it as the marina in the Douro is notorious for swell, being more open, and I wanted to find somewhere more secure to leave Spellbinder for a few weeks. We arrived in the early evening, settling down for the night on the reception pontoon.

The main event the next day, sadly, was to watch the Queen’s state funeral. I had been wearing my ensign at half mast for the previous few days, following protocol, so it was all very much on our minds. We set up the laptop and watched the extraordinary event on the BBC, not without emotion.

Once the Westminster part of the occasion was over, we needed a change of scene and so grabbed a taxi into Porto, walking up and down its streets, hiking up to the cathedral at the top and generally taking in the views. I had never been before and found the place intriguing; the river cuts through and the city is built in a ravine.

Back on board, Jonty cooked us mussels before we retired for the night. The next day was about admin: cleaning up Spellbinder, carrying out some minor repairs, and doing a deal with the marina to keep Spellbinder there until the end of next month. They were most amenable and keen to do business.

We took a break from all of this to take Spellbinder round into the Douro to see Porto from the river, which is the best way really.

We had booked a port tasting at Cockburn’s wine lodge in the cool of the evening, and headed there when our work on Spellbinder was complete. We much enjoyed the tour, learning a great deal about the history of port wine making, the way the wine was transported great distances down the Douro river, and how Porto as a city thrived as a result, as well as the English influence.

After the tasting, which was most refreshing, we headed down into Porto and enjoyed the city by night, eating at a good meat restaurant and enjoying the sights and sounds.

And so ended the summer cruise. I have logged 2397 miles this season, and the changing continental coastline has been a pleasure to sail down. I have much enjoyed the contrasts between five countries: the Dutch canals, the bleak Belgian coastline, the beautiful faces of Normandy and North and South Brittany, the Vendée and Gascony, the brutal but stunning north coast of Spain, the wonderful rías of Galicia and finally northern Portugal. Thank you, this time, to Alastair, Caspar and Jonty for accompanying me on this last bit, but more broadly a heartfelt thanks to all my other friends and family who have crewed for me this year. It has been great fun.

Having had a few days meeting up with friends in Armagnac and Cognac country (thank you François and Bérénice, and Neil and Linda for your fine hospitality), and having stocked up accordingly, I dropped my hire car off at Bordeaux airport and met my new crew, Neil and Clare. We returned to Port Médoc by travelling up the marvellous railway line which takes you up the left bank, past stations like Margaux and Pauillac, and got ready for a 24 hour overnight passage to the French – Spanish border.

I had originally planned to cut the corner of Biscay to Gijon, but a strong westerly airflow meant that we had to head pretty much due south, leaving the likes of Bayonne and Biarritz to port. We had a good passage, in brisk winds, close reaching all the way with a fine, moonlit night.

With the Pyrenees appearing in the dawn mist, we arrived at Hondarribia, situated on a river which is shared with the French town Hendaye. I love France, but having spent a fair few weeks reacquainting myself with it, I opted to go to the Spanish side. It is also in the Basque semi-autonomous region, with the locals keen to express their sense of independence, and Basque flags flying everywhere.

Unlike French marinas, Spanish ones always insist on seeing your ship’s documents, insurance details and crew passports. Such formalities complete, we took a well-earned siesta, having just sailed through the night and being a little short of sleep. Adapting to Spanish cultural rhythm was easy – get up late, do something, enjoy a good lunch, have a siesta, do something else, then don’t think about going out until at least 9 or 10pm.

We enjoyed a fabulous first evening, sitting on the main drag of the old town, watching the Spanish promenade up and down and enjoying tapas.

Next stop was San Sebastián. Everybody had told us to go there, and we weren’t disappointed. It’s a magnificent old town, with a big scallop-shaped beach rightly called La Concha and a large statue of Jesus overlooking everything from the top of a castle, perched on the hill above. It is also well known for its gastronomy, which we enjoyed hugely. We had to sit out a couple of days of bad weather here, but what a great place to do so. It was also festival time, which meant nightly fireworks and loud music, which went on late – until 7am, then restarting for breakfast. We didn’t sleep particularly well, but somehow it didn’t matter.

We strolled around the town, took in the cultural activities, visited museums and did some boat jobs and laundry while we waited for the weather to pass. We were squeezed into a tiny berth in a little harbour and felt very snug as it poured with rain, with near gale force winds.

Once the weather had passed over, we left San Sebastián rather reluctantly, having enjoyed it hugely. Heading out into some considerable swell, our next destination was Castro Urdiales, a beautiful town with a church and castle which overlooks the harbour. We arrived at the same time as a yacht race, and anchored in the harbour. A very efficient water taxi service took us to the yacht club, where we checked in and explored the town.

Castro Urdiales was a lovely stop – a vibrant town with a lively yacht club. We would probably have spent an extra day there, but given that we had lost a day decided to head on to Santander.

The coast of northern Spain is not that easy from a yachtsman’s perspective, as it is subject to northerly swell with many of the harbours of refuge having quite narrow entrances. There are also not that many anchorages. One exception is Santander, which is wide and straightforward, with a choice of anchorages which enable you to visit the city (the marina is some distance from it). We initially anchored off a beach, then headed further upriver to anchor off the city centre and its cathedral and to buy supplies.

We headed back to the beach anchorage for an evening walk and a quiet evening. Our walk took us past a sea life park, with penguins, sea lions and seals held captive beside the sea – a slightly sorry and somewhat old-fashioned sight, to be honest.

Ribadesella, our next stop, was challenging. The coastline was changing though, and we were beginning to see the Picos De Europa, a small but beautiful chain of mountains which dominate the skyline. Ribadesella involved coming in between breakers and a beach to starboard, and a harbour wall to port. We negotiated it without difficulty, thankfully, and tied up in the marina to enjoy the views.

After a fruity swim amongst the breakers, we enjoyed the town and its buildings, and had a slightly indifferent meal out, with Neil and Clare somewhat regretting their copious bean stew, and me my voluminous veal steak, having tried to go with local recommendations. The following morning we had to wait for the tide to depart, and I had a plumbing job to fix (poor water pressure). While I changed the fresh water pump and filter, Neil and Clare enjoyed a walk which brought them some great views.

The next morning we headed out and round to continue our journey west. We wanted to visit Ria de Villaviciosa, as it was well reported, and found a narrow entrance with considerable swell on one side, and rocks on the other. It was slightly unnerving but once in, we anchored in a deep pool and had lunch and watched the world go by. There was not much world going by.

Gijon was our destination, a large port and town with a sizeable marina. We arrived quite late, but wandered into town and had a wonderful drink at the yacht club, which overlooks the town. It took a little while to get admitted but in the end our credentials were deemed sufficient and we were allowed in. It’s a great club, full of tradition and with excellent service. The main area outside is shaded by wonderful old tamarisk trees.

After Gijon we left on our journey, aiming for Puerto Cudillero for lunch. It was another narrow entrance, which turns sharply to starboard, but by now the swell had attenuated and it posed no problems. There was a slightly odd buoy arrangement, which we never really worked out, but we attached ourselves for the purposes of lunch and enjoyed the sight of a vertiginous town tumbling down to the harbour. We wished we had more time to explore.

Ribadeo was our destination for the night – a wide river entrance, where you come in under a tall bridge and moor up in the marina. We arrived quite late again, but had time to stroll up the steep streets into the town for a drink. We enjoyed it, but felt perhaps that it was more a means to an end.

The winds were light the next day, and clouds and drizzle had arrived. This part of Spain is very green, and quite unlike the rest of the country. We could see why. We nudged into Viviero, a grand ria which is apparently quite impressive to enter, but we saw little of it in the mist. The pilot book and guides rather big it up – perhaps with reason – but as we anchored off the beach for lunch, and explored the entrance to the marina, we were less than impressed. I will need to go back another time.

Cedeira, on the other hand, we enjoyed. A big wide ria, it narrows then widens again, revealing a large anchorage and a pleasant town, which we enjoyed taking the dinghy into. We found a great bar, met some locals, and even came across another British yacht – the first since La Rochelle! Perhaps it was a bit late in the season; perhaps it’s a consequence of Brexit; perhaps it’s too challenging a coast to cruise.

Our final leg was to A Coruna. After a bit of a lie-in, and a proper cooked breakfast (we needed to use up food) we departed into a light following wind, which was a bit tedious, but in a while we had a better angle on the wind, which had increased. We then had one of our best sails of this leg, with the added bonus of lots of dolphins accompanying us.

On arrival at A Coruna, we berthed with some difficulty in breezy conditions, and then prepared to leave Spellbinder, cleaning up a bit. We strolled locally and I chatted to a French sailor who had had both his rudders chewed off by orcas. This has become a real problem on this coast, only materialising over the last couple of years. Several dozen yachts have suffered damage, and one has been sunk. I hesitate to say that they were ‘attacked’, as it is thought (a view shared by the French sailor) that these are playful ‘interactions’, albeit with harmful consequences. There is debate and argument about precautionary and deterrent measures – they are a protected species – but the advice to lower sails and do nothing clearly doesn’t work. Spellbinder, if approached, will try and take a more proactive approach, while not harming the animals.

Our last evening was an enjoyable one in a local restaurant. Thank you, Neil and Clare, for being such great sailing companions. It was a memorable cruise.

I plan to return to Spellbinder in September, for a trip towards Portugal. Orcas willing.

The mini refit behind us, it was time for Jonty and I to take Spellbinder on the next stage of her travels – down to the south-west Atlantic coast of France. We had a steady start, anchoring in Newtown Creek on the Isle of Wight for the night before taking the tide across the Channel to Guernsey, where we anchored behind the Castle in Havelet Bay (so much less faff than going into the marina) and picked up some more fuel, at a most amenable price, from the fuel pontoon in St Peter Port. The crossing had been the first proper outing for the new cruising chute, which has been a joy to use; it is cut a bit higher, improving visibility and performance on a close reach.

After Guernsey we had a quiet sail over to Roscoff, where we checked in with the authorities (a European electronic visa system needs to come soon, as it will make life so much easier for British yachtsmen) and picked up Belle, who had come over on the ferry from Plymouth, and who was to accompany us for the next week or so. We strolled around Roscoff, and had a fine lunch, listening to the local Breton singers.

We left on the tide, aiming to head west towards the tip of north-west France. We negotiated the narrow channel between Roscoff and the Ile de Batz before heading out along the coast. Belle had a bit of a severe introduction to yachting, as we found ourselves motor sailing into quite a swell and it was all quite a roller coaster of a ride. She remained very stoic though, and a few hours later we arrived in L’Aber Wrac’h, a river well known to British yachtsmen as it is a useful staging post. We picked up a buoy to recover and waited a day or so to let the swell die down, before heading round to another river, L’Aber Benoît, for the night.

It was a dawn start the next day to head down through the notorious Chenal du Four and Raz de Sein – notorious in the sense that in poor conditions, or when tides are misjudged, they can be very dangerous. The weather had abated though, and we had a relatively easy passage through, even stopping for a couple of hours to have lunch at anchor off the Ile de Sein, a beautiful island which I had not had time to visit on previous trips.

Once through the Raz de Sein we made for Audierne, where getting to the marina involves heading up a fairly narrow river which is subject to the tides and can present a challenge depth-wise. Once in, however, you are right in the centre of town, where there is an excellent poissonerie and patisserie adjacent to each other all of 50 yards from your berth. We took advantage of both.

The following morning we headed round the Pointe de Penmarc’h, south of which it always seems to me that southern Brittany starts, and better weather begins. After passing the Pointe, we benefited from lovely northerly winds, propelling us gently down the French coast, all the way to the Gironde, much of it under cruising chute.

Our initial destination was Port La Forêt, where Sue arrived from Paris by train. It was lovely to meet up with old friends Yves and Claire, who helped by picking Sue up from the station and by treating us to a fine dinner at their house.

The following morning we left early while we still had tide, anchoring off in the bay before heading to Port Manec’h, another place I had not been to. We explored the Belon River (known for its peculiar oysters and restaurant ‘Chez Jacky’) before anchoring off Manec’h, strolling along the coast and meeting up with friends Peter and Janet in their very similar Hallberg Rassy.

The next morning we had another rendezvous with yacht-owning friends, this time off Doëlan, where Jeremy and Debbie rafted alongside us for an enjoyable lunch. Their new Amel 50 Swyn y Mor is superb, and they have equipped and prepared her beautifully for what they hope is a circumnavigation. As I write this they are well on their way from Brest to Madeira.

After Doëlan we went island hopping – Houat, Ile d’Yeu and Ile de Ré. They are all lovely in their own way. Houat has a lovely beach to anchor off, and is small and accessible to walk around. We met up with RCC friends David and Jill, and Peter and Sandy, who were anchored near us. Yeu is a bit bigger than Houat, but can be easily cycled around in a day. It is wild in places, with lovely beaches and forests. We went into Port Joinville for a couple of nights, meeting more RCC friends William and Susannah on their Hylas 46 Hero, and we biked and walked, spending a final night at anchor off the beach at Anse des Vieilles on the south side. At Yeu we said goodbye to Belle and Jonty.

After a brief stop at Les Sablons d’Olonne, where we picked up Tom, we headed to Ile de Ré. It is larger still, with some amazing and beautiful harbours and villages, Italianate and Mediterranean in parts, and at this time of year heaving with Parisians, as it is joined to the mainland by a bridge. We enjoyed each island in different ways, and I’ll let the photos do the talking.

If you have young children, and want to turn them into French ones, just come here

After Ré we sailed under the bridge linking the island to the mainland, heading into La Rochelle. I had wanted to berth in the Vieux Port, but it was a bit crowded when we went in, so we opted for the huge Minimes marina, taking the solar-powered vedettes up the river and back. We also met our French friends Arnaud and Géraldine, who came with two of their sons for a cup of tea.

We had an early start from La Rochelle, to catch the tide down past the Ile d’Oléron and into the Gironde estuary. It was a fantastic eight hour sail, using a variety of sail combinations and using the engine just at the beginning and end. We found our way into Port Médoc, just at the mouth of the estuary, where Spellbinder will remain for a few days, as Sue and Tom fly back, and before Neil and Clare arrive. Here we have been royally looked after by old French friends Christophe and Virginie, and their daughter and grandchildren.

It was a great passage down the French west coast. Now for Spain…

The last time Spellbinder was lifted out of the water was in 2017 – 5 years ago. Since then, I have regularly dried her out between tides to clean her hull with a pressure washer, to change the prop anodes and service the prop – all that has been required, given I have Coppercoat long-lasting epoxy anti foul applied. There have been a number of small jobs accumulating though, and I took the opportunity in July – when boatyards are usually at their quietest – to get them done. I did this at Hornet Services Sailing Club, using the services of the excellent shipwright Barry. This is a bit of a yacht owner’s post, and less about my travels, but please forgive the indulgence!

The first job was to change the anchor chain. Over time, it loses its galvanised surface and as it lies in an invariably wet and salty locker can begin to corrode. Mine was original (2006) and had seen a lot of action, and it was probably ok, but the part which spends most of its life at the bottom of the locker was getting distinctly rusty. I spend a lot of time at anchor and so didn’t want to trust my and Spellbinder’s existence to it, so after some research I found a 75m lot of new 8mm chain which I used to replace the old, with new shackles duly moused on (this means securing the shackle pin with wire to stop it unscrewing), and the chain marked at 10m intervals with luminous para cord.

Next Barry started to repair some minor scratches and dents in the gel coat, which had accumulated over the years and which needed attention. First the bow, where occasionaly the anchor had swung down and nicked the hull. Once the gel coat was repaired, 5 new layers of Coppercoat were applied – it starts its life copper brown, but in contact with seawater gradually turns green.

Next was the keel. Crew members Alan and Neil will remember a sandbank in Martinique which Spellbinder settled on for a while, owing to her skipper’s momentary navigational ineptitude. While it was not a serious grounding, we did scrape off some of the Coppercoat while getting off the sandbank, and there has as a consequence always been a bit more fouling there. Barry fared off the bottom of the keel, made repairs and reapplied the anti foul.

Next was the rudder. Crew David, Johnny and Lucy may recall a wall in Nelson’s dockyard Antigua, to which we were moored stern to in 2018. There was a lip which crunched a small bit of the rudder – nothing serious, but a small repair was needed.

The next job for Barry was a bit of the toe rail, which I managed to bash in windy conditions at the sea lock at IJmuiden earlier this summer. It was a bit unsightly but this was small task for the traditional shipwright, gluing in a small teak off cut and faring it to blend in with the remaining toe rail. He did a beautiful job.

The final one for Barry was to replace the stern seal. This is a rubber flange which prevents water ingress where the prop shaft leaves the hull. Mine was several years old, and in theory – particularly if your engine prop is slightly misaligned – they can wear and need replacement. I did have a spare on board from the previous owner’s time, but we discovered it was the wrong size and so a new one was bought and installed.

Once done. it was time for the lift back, and Spellbinder’s onward travels.

While this work was going on, I had set in place two new items for replacement. Firstly, Kemps sailmakers have made me a replacement cruising chute to replace my old one. Using the old furler, they made it in bright orange, which is great for other vessels to see from far off, and also gives the teak a pleasing glow in sunlight, which I had not expected. We trialed it crossing the Channel this week, and it is excellent. Slightly higher cut than its predecessor, it handles easily and is a joy to sail with.

I have also treated myself to new cockpit cushions. The old ones rubbed against the wheel, and were grubby and losing their springiness. Comfort Afloat in Gosport made me new ones, with cut outs for the wheel and piped in grey against dark blue. I’m pleased with them. I have also purchased two seats, inspired by my ocean-crossing mentees Charles and Caroline, who have them in their yacht Caris. My crew should be more comfortable henceforth. Eagle-eyed regular crew will also spot that I have finally solved my mug-holding dilemma, and have found just the thing on Amazon for the compass pedestal.

Spellbinder is now on Phase 2 of her summer travels, heading to Southern Brittany and a leisurely cruise down to La Rochelle, Bordeaux and the Spanish coast.

In the last couple of weeks I have been lucky enough to take part in my yacht club’s cruise of Northern Brittany, from Trébeurden to Saint Malo. We had about 90 members spread across about 25 yachts, and had some very good sailing and a very sociable time. Crew for this period were Johnny and Lucy, and we were joined by François for a couple of days in the middle, and son Jonty at the end.

After welcome drinks and a dinner at Trébeurden, we lost a day of exploring the local islands to bad weather, but made the most of it by walking in the surrounding hills and hiring electric bikes, some of us getting a bit wet. Once the poor weather had passed, we headed out to a quiet anchorage in calm weather in Lannion Bay.

The next day we sailed to Tréguier, enjoying a fine beat along the coast, nipping back out from time to time into the Channel to avoid the rocks, until we entered the long river which winds its way down inland. It is a pretty tidal place, and you ideally need to arrive at slack water to make mooring easier.

Once moored, we explored the beautiful town with its Cathedral and market square, and went on organised visits of the local Kerdalo gardens and beautiful Chateau de Roche Jagu, where we had a drinks party.

After Tréguier we headed out to the Ile de Bréhat, anchoring for lunch at the north west end of the island (La Corderie) before heading down the Kerpont Channel to La Chambre, on the south side, from where we enjoyed a long walk around the beautiful island.

We much enjoyed strolling around the island on what was a beautiful day. Like Sark, it has no cars and so is peaceful and seemingly far removed from the mainland.

The next day we undertook a timed passage to Fort la Latte, aiming to win on handicap. Sadly, like many of the competitors, we left too late, having aimed to make the most of stronger winds and fairer tides forecast for later in the morning, with the former not appearing. We arrived 15 minutes after the cut off time, but anchored briefly below the castle to drop off François before heading into Saint Cast. We had planned a group picnic in the castle grounds but sadly the conditions to anchor became untenable.

After a breezy and somewhat bumpy night on the outside visitors’ pontoon of Saint Cast, we headed over to the Ile de Hébihens for a generous party at the house of one of our French Members. The views were delightful, and we were royally hosted, as I hope the photographs show.

The final part of the cruise took us to Saint Malo, where we dressed overall to mark the end of the French part of the cruise, and headed out to another French Member’s house to drinks, then a final dinner in a local restaurant.

Jonty came on the ferry from Portsmouth for the final festivities, and Johnny and Lucy left on the morning ferry after them. We had a final invitation to take up from other French friends who invited us to their house overlooking the Rance to play boules, which ended up being very competitive!

Having checked out with the French border police the previous day, Jonty and I headed through the Saint Malo lock the next morning, flying the Parasailor in light tail winds all the way to Guernsey, where we had a final dinner with Members for heading back to UK.

We had a fine time in Southern Brittany. Thank you Johnny and Lucy, and François for being such delightful crew and for coping with various plumbing issues which rendered life a bit complicated at times! Spellbinder is now having some work done to her, and getting a new cruising chute and cockpit cushions before heading off to Southern Brittany later in July.

The last couple of weeks has seen Spellbinder go from one rally to another, progressing down the Continental coast from Belgium to Brittany.

The first rally was that of the Hallberg Rassy Owners’ Association (HROA), of which I have the honour of being Vice-Commodore. The HROA fleet had left a few days before, and I motored round from Vlissingen to Zeebrugge to meet them as they arrived. We were almost 20 yachts, of various sizes, and while I was sorry not to join them for the their onward rally up the Dutch canals (whence I had come) I had an enjoyable 48 hours with them, hosting a pontoon party along with the Dutch and Belgian equivalent organisation (HR Connectie) and then partaking in the welcome dinner at the Royal Belgian Sailing Club.

An early morning start was then called for to catch the tide down to Dunkirk, where I was to meet my next crew Crispin. It was a bit bumpy, but I was leaving the port at around 5am when the sun rose.

It was a bit of a motor, but a few hours later I entered Dunkirk – another first for me. Having changed my courtesy flag from Belgium to France I tied up at the Yacht Club Mer du Nord, and started to re-acquaint myself with French food.

Crispin arrived later that evening, having taken the Eurostar to Lille and a local train, and we set off to have dinner and to explore Dunkirk. It clearly suffered during the war but some key buildings survived or were re-built. It is not the prettiest of places though, and had the sense to me of a bit of a French outpost.

A rather splendid depiction of this year’s Tour de France route

We ate well, and retired early as we had a 30 hour passage ahead of ourselves, crossing the Baie de Seine to Cherbourg. Up at 0400, we had a good sail initially past Calais and Boulogne but the wind died, as predicted, and we had a long and very sunny motor across some very calm seas.

It was time for a couple of boat jobs, and I re-ordered my courtesy flags and found some useful steps (Sue has long complained that it can be a bit of a step up to climb aboard) before Crispin and I headed out into town in order to find somewhere to eat.

Alas my two favourite restaurants, Le Pommier and Au Tir Bouchon had closed in the four years since I had been to Cherbourg but we found the long standing Café de Paris to be wholly up to the job.

The following morning we awaited the tide to go round to Guernsey, enjoying the sights of the dinghy classes and fishing boats coming in and out.

To get to Guernsey means crossing the Alderney Race, which sends you sideways at 8-10 knots, meaning you have to crab across in order to stay on course. Even with modern chart plotters it is quite a challenge. We did however achieve it reasonably easily, coming into Guernsey in the early evening, having managed a bit of a sail under cruising chute, until alas it ripped and gave up the ghost for a final time. A new one is on order.

We had an early night, as our neighbours were leaving at 5am and we needed to be up to see them off.

We filled up with diesel before sailing out in company with fellow Squadron yacht Speedwell of Cremyl, heading to Trébeurden to join the Royal Yacht Squadron Brittany cruise. Tides are all important along this stretch of the coast, and with a tidal difference of 9 metres we had to time our arrival and entrance quite carefully. Once achieved, we wandered around this lovely port and awaited the arrival of the remaining fleet. Thank you, Crispin, for accompanying me on this long delivery passage.

Sue and I had an excellent couple of days exploring Amsterdam on foot and bike, including memorable visits to the Rijksmuseum and Tulip museum, and some great people watching while eating and drinking beside the canals. We then departed to take the Standing Mast Route (SMR) south from the city. The SMR, as its name indicates, allows a yacht to pass through the canal system without having to lower her mast. There are a series of lifting bridges and locks which allow one to do this.

After returning to the Nordseekanal we headed first west then south, aiming to spend the first night in Haarlem. We soon got used to the routine – most bridges are ‘on demand’, and when they see you come (or when you call them) the lights change to red and green, indicating that they have seen you and will open shortly. There is then typically a bell, the traffic is stopped, and the bridge opens. It is all done very efficiently. Some only open at certain times of day (particularly if they are part of a motorway or mainline railway) or shut during rush hour, so some degree of planning and waiting is required.

Haarlem was lovely. We arrived in the early evening, and managed to find a slot very near to the town centre. The beauty of Dutch towns is in some way directly related to the degree to which they suffered at the hands of the Luftwaffe – Haarlem and Leiden, in particular, were largely spared, like Amsterdam. The architecture is splendid – small brick construction, beautiful asymmetry in roof lines, neat gardens and flower pots everywhere, and cobbled streets and large and ornate old buildings.

After an evening stroll around beautiful Haarlem, we retired for the night and in the morning headed to Leiden, another stunningly beautiful town, in which again we were lucky enough to find a mooring right in the centre.

We strolled around the Botanic gardens, which were a sort of mini Kew, full of tropical plants in greenhouses and interesting garden designs. Leiden is a university and very multicultural town, and we heard much English spoken.

The next day we were lucky enough to meet up with Sue’s old friend Bijan, who lives in The Hague. He took us to his house, and we enjoyed a day on bikes, having lunch by the sea and enjoying The Hague’s cobbled streets and administrative buildings. It was fascinating and enjoyable – thank you Bijan. We learnt a great deal.

After two great days at Leiden we continued our journey south, stopping for the night just north of Dordrecht at a small marina at a place called Alblasserdam. This was nearest to the Kinderdijk, a UNESCO site renowned for its old windmills. We were able to hire a bike and had an enjoyable morning touring the old mills, which are beautifully aligned along a dyke. Some are thatched and inhabited.

Sue enjoying the sights

Continuing our journey, we had a bridge to wait for in Dordrecht, so we found a small pontoon right in the centre to go and have an ice cream and explore.

After Dordrecht we crossed over to Willemstad, a beautiful old fortified village, with two marinas which nestle in the marshes below the ramparts. We enjoyed a great walk around the latter, and the ambiance of the place, where we were to leave Spellbinder for a few days to head back to the UK to sup up the atmosphere of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

I returned to Rotterdam after the weekend to take Spellbinder down to Vlissingen, and on to Zeebrugge where I was to attend a rally. This part of the voyage took me via Middelburg, another beautiful town where I was able to moor in the middle of town. I had a very rainy day to get there though, passing through massive sea locks and bridges.

In the morning I climbed the 205 steps of the Lange Jan (Long John) tower of the Koorkerk at Middelburg, which was good exercise and afforded great views of the countryside around, and of the remainder of the canal trip south. The town is interesting – it was partially destroyed in the war, but rebuilt using modern materials, but in a traditional style.

The final bit of the journey was south to Vlissingen, or to give it its traditional British name, Flushing. To do this you join a ‘blue wave’ of yachts all going at the same time at predetermined intervals, enabling the bridges to have synchronised openings. In practice it was Spellbinder and Frenchman in a small boat, and we had to wait a while. On arrival I hired a bike again and explored Vlissingen – an industrial port, with a fishing and ship building industry, but with a beautiful old centre. I had heard of Flushing, like many British schoolchildren, because that is where the children ended up in Arthur Ransome’s We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea.

And so ended Spellbinder’s Dutch adventures for the year. It has been hugely enjoyable. The Netherlands works – we saw nothing but integrated infrastructure, immaculate streets and gardens, and people who seem healthy, happy and anglophile. We didn’t see it all, of course, but what we saw was fabulous. Next stop – Normandy and Brittany, more familiar cruising grounds.

Having got to my mid fifties I consider myself to be well travelled, having spent time in many corners of the globe. Rather embarrassingly though I have yet to set foot in three major European cities – Venice, Amsterdam and Dublin. I had hoped to change the situation with the latter during my cruise last year, but the Irish were still imposing a Covid-related quarantine. This year, for various reasons, I decided to start my summer cruise by turning left out of Portsmouth and heading up the European North Sea coast to IJmuiden, with the express intention of visiting Amsterdam.

Crew for the passage were the duo with whom I crossed the Atlantic in 2018 – Alan and Neil. We were joined by friend Sean, gathering at Itchenor in Chichester Harbour where Spellbinder had been at a rally. Once gathered, we anchored out and got an early night, anticipating several days of sailing ahead, with quite brisk following winds.

First stop was Eastbourne Harbour, which we arrived at after a fairly uneventful downwind leg with light winds at first, allowing us to fly the cruising chute.

Once safely in, we plotted our next day’s route along the coast, planning to turn south before Dover to cross the busy shipping lanes at right angles and going into Calais. Sadly events meant a change to our plans, as Alan received news about a bereavement in his family and we headed to Dover to drop him off. Dover is currently closed to yachts for marina renovations, but they were understanding and allowed us to do a quick in and drop off, at the very pontoon where in calmer conditions asylum seekers are routinely landed, having been intercepted trying to cross from the French coast.

Once Alan had been dropped off we had a short and quite bumpy crossing to the French side in that worse of all sea states – residual swell and little wind. We got into Calais at last light, thinking that we might have to spend the night on a buoy outside the marina, but the bridge opened (automatically we think) letting us into the marina for the night.

Brexit has complicated matters for us yachtsmen, as in common with other travelers with UK passports we now require a stamp to start a clock which limits us to a 90 days stay in every 180 days. Calais didn’t seem in that much of a hurry to help us, and since we hadn’t left the environs of the marina we decided to immigrate at the next destination, Zeebrugge.

It was a fairly quick passage up the French coast, past Dunkirk and Ostend, with strong following winds which we were glad to gain shelter from as we rounded the big entrance.

Having arrived safely we phoned immigration and they promptly arrived at our pontoon to stamp passports and ask us various questions. I didn’t sense they were impressed with this new workload imposed by Brexit. We were able to head out and enjoy an excellent dinner at a nearby fish restaurant but didn’t have time for an extensive tour. I am returning there in a couple of weeks’ time, and hope to go through a bridge which takes one to Bruges, a few miles inland.

The final leg was up to IJmuiden, some 81 miles, but we decided to cut it a bit short by heading into Scheveningen, a small port adjacent to The Hague. It was blustery again, as I hope the photos below show, and we were pleased to get into what proved to be a very crowded little marina, raising our third courtesy flag of the trip (after the French and Belgian ones).

IJmuiden, and the entrance we wanted into the Netherlands inland waterways, was 24 miles north, and we had a boisterous 3 hour fast beam reach up the coast the next day, leaving a crew member or two slightly green. Once into IJmuiden we headed straight for the small lock (there are several big ones) which allows entry into the Nordseekanal, the canal which leads to Amsterdam.

It is a busy 24km into Amsterdam, and you have to monitor VHF traffic carefully. We met lots of different types of craft, including huge container ships and several other yachts. Once into Amsterdam though we found a berth at the main marina, from where we have been able to explore the city.

The plan is to head south now through the Standing Mast Route over the coming few days. I leave you with a few photos of this beautiful city and some of its cultural attractions and interests.

I am delighted to announce that the 2023 CA Imray Almanac will feature Spellbinder at anchor in Tinker’s Hole last summer.

I can’t recall whether it was I who took the photo, or my then crew Crispin, but I entered the photo in a competition as I liked it. Clearly others did so too! It certainly brings good memories of a fine cruise up in Scotland last year. Spellbinder is the yacht in the foreground, but we got to know the crews of the others too, and shared much merriment.

Spellbinder is in good shape after the winter and just needs a hull scrub before being ready for the season. I took her to Cowes last weekend and all seems fine. Apart from servicing the engine and undertaking some minor repairs I have not done much to her, other than to replace her carpets. A local firm (non yacht industry and therefore reasonable in price) copied her old ones and I am very pleased with the result – the blue seems to suit her.

Plans for the 2022 season are coming on well. I’ll be sailing locally in April and May, but plan to head to IJmuiden in late May to spend time in Amsterdam and the canals. The rest of the summer sees a gentle cruise down the French coast to Northern Brittany, a return to UK for some maintenance, then Southern Brittany and the Spanish rias beckon later on.

I have crew in place for the legs but there some berths available for those with whom I’ve sailed and who have not yet been able to commit.

Spellbinder is put away for the season – still in the water, but with a heater and dehumidifier keeping her warm and dry. If we get a period of mild and calm weather I do not exclude taking her out, but having been regularly wet and cold in my professional life, I now limit the numbers of occasions when I impose it on myself! After returning from her main cruise, she sailed locally, including down to Weymouth and back under parasailor, which was memorable.

I have just written up the 2021 season and reviewed the statistics for my log book: 2755 nautical miles, and 79 days on board. Not bad, given that at the turn of the year we were in lockdown and I was wondering if we’d get any sailing at all. My old log book, which records a first entry in 1995, also reveals that I have sailed 35821 miles and spent 855 days of my life (2.3 years) sailing! This is clearly not enough…

My main cruise of this year, which I have entitled ‘Picts, Celts and Manx: a Tour of the Four Nations’ was immensely enjoyable. It was good to get up to the Outer Hebrides and Orkney, to transit the Caledonian Canal and to spend time revisiting Northern Ireland and exploring the wonderful Pembrokeshire coast. Lundy and Padstow, new to me, were fitting places to pass through on the way back. I also found it fascinating to see how different parts of UK viewed Brexit, and how each of the devolved governments were dealing with Covid. For those interested, I have written an abridged account of the cruise, which includes the best photos, here:

Plans for 2022 are coming together. I expect to sail locally in April and May, perhaps hopping over to Cherbourg if conditions (meteorological and pandemical) allow. Around 23rd May I intend to sail to the Netherlands, joining a Hallberg Rassy Owners’ Rally, before sailing down the Continental coast to join another rally in Northern Brittany in late June. I then plan to head back to UK, lift out for a couple of weeks for some maintenance and repair (a new cutlass bearing and sea cock, some touching up of the Coppercoat and a small rudder repair) then head back to France, probably to Southern Brittany. I have wanted to explore the Spanish Rias and overwinter in Porto or Lisbon for the last couple of years, so perhaps 2022/3 will afford me that opportunity.

I will be emailing regular crew in the coming weeks, but if any other reader would like to be involved, do please contact me.

Recent days have seen Spellbinder negotiate some well known and notorious passages between the Welsh mainland and outlying islands – namely The Swellies, and Bardsey, Ramsey and Jack Sounds. I recounted our passage through the first in the last blog post, and having left Caernarfon and negotiated its bar, Bardsey Sound was the next. Thankfully these passages rarely present a problem in calm conditions (strong wind against tide being the real danger) but even so Bardsey kicked up some broken water and pushed us through rapidly, with 5 or 6 knots of tide helping us.

One of the advantages to writing this blog is that every now and again someone gets in touch and says ‘I’m around where you are – let’s meet’. And so it was I got a message from Ian, who invited me to call by on the way down. Once through Bardsey Sound, we paused at anchor for a cup of tea in Aberdaron Bay, before taking up Ian’s invitation to meet him and his family at Abersoch, known locally as ‘Cheshire on Sea’. We sailed past an island now owned by Bear Grylls, and the harbourmaster allocated us a buoy. Ian picked us up in his RIB and we had a couple of drinks at the welcoming South Carmarthenshire Yacht Club before having a delightful pierrade / raclette at the family house. Thank you Ian and your family for such a welcome and for all your advice.

The next morning was an early one, as we needed to get cross Cardigan Bay and get to Ramsey Sound with a fair tide. This summer, apart from the initial delivery trip, Spellbinder hasn’t sailed at night, and we have kept to quite civilised schedules, but this time we had no choice. It was a nice sail across, and once in Ramsey Sound we hit the tide at the right time, recording 12.8 knots Speed over Ground (SOG), as the chart plotter records below.

Our destination was Solva, a delightful inlet and drying harbour not far from St David’s. We anchored outside in the calm northerly breeze, and went ashore by dinghy to explore one of the nicest corners of Wales I have been to.

After a slightly rolly night (the wind had got up in the night) we sailed away and through the next tidal gate – Jack Sound, which separates Skomer Island from the mainland. Again, conditions were benign and we were able to pass through without much difficulty.

Destination this time was Lundy, and we had a fair breeze once clear of the Milford Haven peninsula, and a cracking sail across. As the winds were in the east, we used the lesser-known but rather spectacular anchorage at Jenny’s Cove, on the west side. This brought us shelter and relative calm, but shore access is described in the pilot book as ‘difficult’. Undeterred, we rowed ashore, dragged the dinghy up the rock face to above the high water mark, and clambered up the cliffs and heather to attain the level of the plateau, from where we walked south down to the main settlement on Lundy.

We had a look at the eastern anchorage (which was deserted) and church, and had supper in the pub, the Marisco Tavern.

The walk back brought us further fine views as the sun set against a clear blue sky in the west.

We clambered back down the cliffs, found our dinghy and paddled back as it was getting dark. Waking in the morning to more swell, we headed away south east, aiming for Padstow and taking advantage of the morning ebb.

Arriving too early to cross the Doom Bar in the River Camel, we anchored off Polzeath Beach, which was seething with humanity in the fine weather, with RNLI lifeguards issuing regular tellings off and advice over their loud tannoys, reminding me of how I would most not like to spend my holidays.

At High Water minus 2.5 hours we weighed anchor, and headed with the flood tide over the famous bar and into Padstow Harbour, which opened shortly after our arrival. We were allocated a space on the wall, and chatted to the harbourmaster who decried the people thronging around, who ‘would normally be in Benidorm’. It was certainly busy, and I couldn’t help noticing that even Rick Stein’s café was closed for want of staff.

We left the next morning, having had a quiet night when the crowds had dispersed. There then followed a long motor around Cornwall, passing Land’s End and Lizard in calm conditions, before arriving in Falmouth to anchor in the town anchorage at dusk, after 14 hours.

Spellbinder is in Falmouth for an Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) meet, and I will leave her here here next week while I wait for the easterly wind to abate. It brings fine weather, but is not conducive to heading back up the English Channel…

Having enjoyed the Clyde, I headed home for a while before returning to take Spellbinder to the Isle of Man, single-handing. I am a sociable sailor by nature, but I do enjoy the odd spot of single-handing from time to time, as I get time to think and organise things. It is also a good challenge which requires one to think ahead and get everything ready, particularly for the first and last 200 metres of any passage, which are often the hardest. It also requires one to be scrupulous about personal safety – I always wear a life jacket which carries a Personal Locator Beacon.

It has also been a tough week for those of us who have served in the Armed Forces. The news coming out of Afghanistan is truly dreadful for those who have been involved in the country, and particularly for those traumatised by their experience there. I was pondering all this while listening to England folding against India on the last day of the fine test match at Lords; it was not a good day.

I was glad to be aboard though, and had a good sail from Ardrossan to Loch Ryan, where I arrived at dusk and passed a quiet night at anchor. I thought I was going to be the only yacht there, but two arrived just after. It’s a classic passage anchorage, albeit one which suffers wash from the ferries heading to the island of Ireland. I left just after dawn, catching the early southerly back eddy which runs down the Mull of Galloway, which spat me out nicely in the direction of the Isle of Man as a good sailing wind built. I arrived in Douglas without incident, being placed on the quarantine pontoon while my credentials were checked. I had had to email proof of double vaccination beforehand, and gain various reference numbers and permissions.

Thankfully the berth was an easy one to access, and I tucked in without difficulty. It had been a long day; single-handing, at least in coastal waters, is far more tiring, as you never really get a break.

I had a couple of days to explore the Isle of Man, of which I knew little other than its constitutional status, tax efficient arrangements and TT race. On the first day I took a steam train from Douglas to Port Erin over on the west side of the island, which was an enjoyable trip washed down with a pint and a pie in a local pub.

The next day I hired a car from the airport, and drove around the island in a clockwise direction, some of it on the TT circuit (but at somewhat more modest speeds). Below are a selection of places I visited.

I enjoyed my tour of the island, but had a sense – as one gets in the Channel Islands at times – of stepping back in time a little. I would not describe the island as very obviously flourishing, and I did wonder quite how much of its apparent wealth trickles down to the general public good.

My departure was timed for a fine northwesterly breeze which set me on course for Whitehaven, where I was to meet Sue and pick up Jonty, with is crewing for me as we return Spellbinder down south.

I had a good fast sail, broad reaching in a force 4/5 over six hours, and Sue helped me lock in and get a berth. Joined by Jonty a couple of days later, we locked out and headed for Anglesey, and had a long 13 hour motorsail, through wind farms and past gas drilling rigs.

We made it into the Menai Strait past Puffin Island, just as dusk was falling, and we picked up a buoy at Beaumaris. A rainy but otherwise quiet night followed, before we tackled the notorious Swellies.

With The Swellies behind us, we continued down the Strait to Caernarfon, where we went into the Victoria Dock marina and explored the town with its Edward I castle.

Spellbinder’s journey south continues, and I hope in the next week to visit various points on the Welsh coast and also Lundy and Padstow, before getting to Falmouth at the end of the month.

The last few days have seen us explore the relatively sheltered waters of the Clyde, in some fine weather. When the waters west and north of the Mull of Kintyre can be rough and tidally constrained, the Clyde, benefiting from the Mull and the various mainland peninsulas, is often calm by comparison. In recent years marinas and buoys have proliferated, which has made life easier in some respects, but there are still many places where you can get away from it all and anchor. Compared to the waters of southern England, there are far fewer yachts.

Sue and I were joined by Johnny and Lucy, and together we set off from Ardrossan and anchored for the night off the island of Little Cumbrae by its castle. After a calm night, not far from a seal colony, we headed over its sister island Great Cumbrae and moored at Millport for a stroll around the island.

After a cup of tea with the crew of another Squadron yacht we headed up East Kyle, one of the passages around the Isle of Bute. We passed through the very beautiful Burnt Islands before anchoring in behind Eilean Dubh, in Caladh Harbour.

The next morning the girls went for a walk, and Johnny and I sailed down West Kyle and joined them in the purpose-built Portavadie, where we had a celebratory birthday lunch for Sue.

We then decided to head up Loch Fyne, one of the typically long sea lochs which stretch right up into the mainland. Passing through the Narrows, we continued on and found a settled anchorage in Loch Gair for the night.

Our aim the next day was to get to Inveraray, near the head of the loch. Its well-known castle is the seat of the Duke of Argyll – the current incumbent is the 13th – and it made an excellent visit after we had strolled past and taken in the views from the surrounding hills.

We then tried to anchor at the head of the loch, but finding the depths and holding uncertain, went back to one of the buoys off Inveraray for the night.

Having had northerly winds up to now, our passage back south meant we could deploy the cruising chute, and while the speeds weren’t great, the weather was fine and we enjoyed a gentle sail down the loch to East Loch Tarbert.

East Loch Tarbert is a beautiful sheltered port, where a new marina jostles alongside the fishing port, shops and restaurants surround, and hills and islands provide the required shelter.

The crew enjoyed the facilities and we filled up our water tanks before heading out and down the loch and around to Brodick, where we picked up a buoy and went for a long walk down to the point at which Lamlash and Holy Isle were visible.

That evening we were taken out by Johnny and Lucy to the Brodick Brasserie, which was excellent. Thank you both!

I had been to Holy Isle a fortnight ago with Crispin, but hadn’t had time to climb up to the top. We took the opportunity the next day, in fine weather, and having anchored by the shore much enjoyed the climb and consequent views.

Our final evening was back at Brodick, in calm conditions and warm sunshine. It’s a delightful spot, dominated by Goat Fell above.

Our final sail back to Ardrossan saw the wind climb to a heady 14 knots, and we enjoyed a good sail back. It was a great week of exploring, and we were blessed with the weather. We sailed each day, despite the calm conditions. We could have spent all summer there though, as there are may places to explore. I’ll be back. Thank you Johnny and Lucy for being such great crew!

The passage south begins in a few days, and I hope to be back on the south coast by the end of August. Crew who have sailed with me recently will be pleased to hear that Spellbinder now has a new autopilot and wind instrumentation, and all is working fine!

Neil and Clare arrived shortly after Crispin’s departure, and enjoyed a day in Belfast before we left the following morning. The Titanic Centre is excellent and gives a real picture of life in the docks in their heyday at the beginning of the 20th century.

Our first destination was Portpatrick, across on the Scottish side of the North Channel and on the exposed Mull of Galloway. Fortunately conditions were fair and we negotiated the tides to arrive in this charming harbour and tie up against the wall.

Portpatrick was remarkable for its neatness and sense of community spirit; the harbour is owned and run by the community itself, and staffed by volunteers. Good things abound – floral displays, information boards, helpful signage and facilities and so on. Also remarkable were the guillemots, which inhabit the holes in the harbour wall and feed off the little fish which seem to abound. Their acrobatics were a joy to watch and occasionally they would miss their nest and rebound of the wall, falling in the water or onto our deck.

We strolled above the town, visiting the ruins of Dunskey Castle, then settling down somewhat more prosaically to watch the football.

We then debated whether to head back to Northern Ireland, or go to the Isle of Man. We had filled in our proof of vaccination forms for the IoM, and the very efficient system gave us permission to enter, but on investigation learned that we must first land in Douglas, rather than Peel, which would have made for a longer journey. The winds were fairer for a re-crossing of the North Channel though, so we aimed for Strangford Lough and had an excellent cruising chute run most of the way there.

I had visited the Lough before by land, but coming in by sea is quite spectacular. The tides race through the Narrows between Portaferry and Strangford and timing is all. We registered some quite impressive speeds as we slid through and headed north up the Lough.

We aimed for a little inlet where Down Cruising Club have their pontoon and clubhouse, which is an old light ship. Unable to land on their pontoon owing to Covid restrictions, a friendly member lent us their buoy for a couple of nights and we enjoyed pausing in a very tranquil and beautiful environment, walking and kayaking and chatting to the locals. We were also joined by Charlie, an old friend and work colleague.

We headed out and picked up a buoy (kindly lent to us by another Down Cruising Club member Ivan) nearer the Narrows, in Ballyhenry Bay, where we had a BBQ and a quiet night, before heading out in the dinghy to explore Portaferry and Strangford itself. The latter was more picturesque, and we enjoyed a good lunch at the Artisan cafe.

That afternoon, to get out and make the most of the north going tide, we stemmed the last of the flood and punched out, riding the northerly set as far as Glenarm, a charming little town set at the foot of one of Antrim’s nine glens, arriving at dusk in the little marina.

The next day saw us stroll around the town, visit the lovely castle gardens and walk up the glen.

The final voyage of the week took us back to Scotland, to Lamlash in Arran. We had another good sail in fine weather, picking up a buoy as the light faded, and waking up to the fine view of Holy Isle, and the sail training ship Tenacious which occupied a central part of the anchorage. We strolled around Lamlash then motored over to Holy Isle, anchoring off and walking around the edge of it.

After lunch we headed up the Clyde to Ardrossan, where I will be leaving Spellbinder for a while, during which time she is due to have a bit of an electronic refit, with new wind instruments, autopilot and VHF to be installed. The originals date from 2006 and are coming to the end of their lives.

Thank you Neil and Clare for your company in what was an excellent week, in lovely weather.

This last week has been full of adventure and new places. I was joined by Crispin in Southampton airport and we took a flight to Glasgow and onward taxi back to Linnhe Marine, where Spellbinder awaited us, having enjoyed rather better weather than we had had in the South. Linnhe marine were excellent – thank you to Nick and his father for running such an excellent service. It’s a great place to leave a yacht.

Having checked all was well on board, we motored in very humid weather down to Oban, where we had a first meal out in the same restaurant I had enjoyed with Sue and Jonty a couple of weeks back.

The mussels were superb, but not as good as some we had the next day, as we were to find out. It was a driech start, and having done some shopping, we headed out into the drizzle to Loch Spelve for lunch.

Loch Spelve has a slightly tricky entrance, but having negotiated it we anchored off a mussel farm, and bought a 2kg bag for later consumption.

There then followed quite a lengthy motor down the south side of the Ross of Mull in improving weather, as we headed for one of the most iconic anchorages in the Western Isles, Tinker’s Hole. It is really just a cut in the rocks and a pool behind, but the setting is stunning.

There was just about enough room to anchor, and after eating our Loch Spelve mussels (deliciously sweet) we enjoyed an excellent evening with the crews of Ptarmigan and Seanachaidh, whom we joined the next day. Thank you for your hospitality and some memorable entertaining, most notably some fine singing from the young girls in Gallic!

After a stroll around the hills above Tinker’s Hole, we threaded our way out of the anchorage through some narrow, rock-strewn anchorages towards Iona, where we anchored to explore the ancient abbey and its surrounds.

Iona was delightful, and the weather superb. It is somewhat touristy though, and we were unable to tour the abbey for want of guided tour slots. We enjoyed our time there though, and enjoyed a good lunch in the St Columba Hotel.

An hour or so north of Iona is the wonderful island of Staffa, full of columnar basalt, tame puffins and Fingal’s Cave, a spectacular sea cave named after the eponymous hero of an epic poem by the Scottish poet James Macpherson. It also inspired Mendelssohn’s concert overture The Hebrides. Anchoring off the island, we dinghied ashore and explored all of this, enjoying the spectacular rock formations.

After a couple of hours on Staffa, we sailed over to the Treshnish Isles, spectacularly remote and with some more stunning bird life. Anchoring just east of Lunga, Crispin went for a run and we joined our new Scottish friends for another evening of general merriment.

After a calm night we headed over to Tiree, picking up a buoy in Gott Bay, and strolling around the local area. I’m not a great football fan, but felt that it was worth tapping into the zeitgeist and we found ourselves that evening in the newly refurbished Scarinish Hotel, clinging onto some slightly unreliable WiFi and watching the Euro semi final on my phone, with some somewhat ambivalent locals!

The next day we undertook the first of two quite lengthy passages. Up early, we motored out and headed down towards the south coast of Islay, some 60 miles distant. The aim was to visit a couple of the distillery bays. First was Laphroig, where the holding wasn’t that good, but we flew the drone and savoured the atmosphere, smelling the distilling process in the air.

Around the corner was Lagavulin, where we had about 30cm below the keel at low water, but given the calm conditions it was a perfect place to stop for the night.

Views of Lagavulin Bay, on a serene evening

We had a great little stroll around the Bay, although we had arrived too late to visit the distillery itself. We had a calm night though, before getting up at 5am and heading out towards the Northern Irish coast, aiming for Belfast, which we reached 12 hours later, heading up the Loch, reporting in to Belfast Harbour Radio, and into the channel right into the heart of the City, in the Titanic quarter, which has been recently developed to great effect.

Crispin and I had a final night in the company of Tony and Penny, old friends of mine, with whom we dined in the Titanic Hotel. It was great to catch up.

Spellbinder has another week with new crew Neil and Clare before I leave her in the Clyde and head back south. The weather looks set reasonably fair so hopefully we’ll have some more adventures in new places. This last week has been fabulous though, and everything I anticipated cruising the Western Isles would be. Thank you Crispin for being great crew again!

With younger son swapped for older, my crew change at Inverness was complete. Inverness wasn’t a bad place to do it, as the marina is just a short taxi ride from the airport, which both sons used. The disadvantage was that it was a fair walk into town, so I dug out my Brompton bicycle, which had languished deep in the cockpit locker for the last couple of years. It was none the worse for wear and I accomplished a decent shop. While crossing the Pentland Firth I had also put a call in with Majestic Wine, who kindly delivered to the marina to resupply vital lubricants.

Leaving Jonty to head to the airport, Tom and I headed round to the Inverness sea loch at Clachnaharry, where we were greeted by a friendly American member of staff who told us what to expect. The Canal was completed in 1922 and was constructed by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. 29 locks, four aqueducts, ten bridges and some 60 miles awaited us.

We soon got into the swing of it and adapted to the routine of going through the locks and waiting for bridges to open. Before long we found ourselves in Loch Ness. Often the prevailing winds make this an uncomfortable motor, but we had a fair wind for a while and managed a brief sail and a coffee anchored under Castle Urquhart. We also made good use of the drone to get some fine footage.

At the end of Loch Ness we ascended the locks up Fort Augustus, which seemed like a suitable place to stop for the first night.

After a quiet night we headed off from Fort Augustus, climbing up the locks until we met the mid point of the canal, from where we started to descend. For me this part was the most beautiful, as the canal wound through quiet upland countryside.

Once through the mid point, we headed down Lochs Oich and Lochy, past Invergarry Castle and eventually to Banavie, at the top of a series of lochs known as Neptune’s Staircase. The countryside changed, and Ben Nevis and its surrounding mountains appeared, with snow patches still clearly visible.

We arrived at the top of Neptune’s Staircase, and stopped for the night, enjoying the views and the engineering.

In the morning we took the first descent down the 8 locks, and moored shortly afterwards to allow Tom to run up and down Ben Nevis, which he did in a remarkably brisk time.

Tom’s rapid mountain bagging allowed us to head down to Corpach and exit the canal, with Spellbinder once more floating in salt water.

In increasingly poor weather we headed down Loch Linnhe through the Corran Narrows to the very friendly mooring field at Linnhe Marine, which is to be Spellbinder’s base for the next ten days. The next day the weather was foul, but we did motor down to Port Appin where we had an excellent celebratory lunch at the Pierhouse Hotel.

It was a really enjoyable transit, although very different from rounding Cape Wrath! I was impressed by the laid-back efficiency of the lock keepers and the general administration of the place. We were helped with sunny weather, which helped greatly, and the midges had not yet arrived.

Spellbinder will remain in Loch Linnhe for the next ten days while I return south, but her adventures will recommence in early July.

The passage from the lochs in the extreme north west of Scotland, around Cape Wrath to Orkney, is not an easy one. Unencumbered by the protection of the Outer Hebrides, the seas north of the Butt of Lewis are unconstrained, and the rollers have their origins in winds far out west in the Atlantic – from Canada even. In addition, in order to make the tidal gate of Hoy Sound – the western entrance of Scapa Flow – you have to fight the tide around the Cape.

We left Kinlochbervie at 4am, rounding the coast and entering a quite confused sea. The sun rises in the north east at this time of year, and we were greeted by spectacular vistas shining across a sea stack.

Once round the Cape, the Atlantic swell stabilised somewhat and we motor sailed a mile and a half off. Paul, a former Navy pilot, indicated a rocky island which he had bombed several times from a Sea Harrier, and which is still in use by the MOD for that purpose.

Arrival in Orkney went as planned, although we just squeezed through into Hoy Sound, and I should in retrospect have got up at 0300, as at one stage we had 1 knot of speed fighting the beginnings of the foul tide.

Once into Stromness, we were delighted to be joined by St Barbara V, the Royal Artillery yacht, which was skippered by regular Spellbinder crew Neil. The yacht is conducting an anti-clockwise UK circumnavigation. We even managed to fix their heads with a spare part I carried, for which they very kindly gave me a bottle of single malt, as their morale had been somewhat boosted by the repair!

The next day we hired a car and explored the mainland of Orkney, which expanded somewhat in the Second World War as ‘Churchill’ barriers were built linking some islands and in so doing cut off potential routes in to attack ships anchored in Scapa Flow.

Scapa flow is known mainly for the scuttling of the German fleet in 1919 and for the daring and successful attack by a German U Boat in 1939 which sank HMS Royal Oak. We learnt much about these events as we toured.

Having spent a while appreciating the history of Scapa Flow in the two World Wars, we then drove to some of the peninsulas and appreciated the vistas and geology. We also found a bistro at the southern tip of the mainland which not only served us a very fine and warming seafood chowder, but also afforded us fine views across the Pentland Firth, another notorious stretch of water which we would cross two days later.

The next morning Paul and Caspar flew out of Orkney and Jonty and I headed south to explore Scapa Flow by boat. Jonty caught several mackerel, and we ended up at Long Hope, sheltering from the west winds before crossing Pentland Firth the next day.

The next morning we headed out at the right time for the tides, and crossed Pentland Firth uneventfully. It can run up to 16 knots, making it perhaps the most fearsome bit of water in the UK (more so than Portland Bill) but we crossed at neaps in fine weather.

Destination for the evening was Wick, which has a well-sheltered harbour and, much to my delight, a fine French restaurant which has been in business for 22 years. Never one to turn down such an opportunity, I indulged in escargots and confit de canard in Bord de la Mer, reveling in the oddness of doing so in the far north east of the UK.

Our final passage was along the coast to Inverness, in a steady easterly breeze, which made for some enjoyable sailing.

We now have a couple of days of admin; Tom flies in and Jonty flies out. The Caledonian Canal, with Loch Ness, 22 locks and fresh water awaits us.

Having picked up new crew member Paul in Mallaig, we headed up towards the Kyle of Lochalsh but dipped into Loch Hourn for a night. A typical wide open sea loch at the entrance, it narrows a little and we found a wonderfully quiet anchorage to starboard, protected by an island with resident seals who watched over us.

After a quiet night we had to time our passage north through the tidal gate of Kyle Rhea, which sends you smartly backwards if you get the timing wrong. Sadly we saw no otters at the well known spot on the left as you go up, but we passed through without incident and passed under the bridge to Skye (I remember my first visits to Skye in the 70s and 80s when it was ferry only).

Once round, we had a good sail up past Kyle of Lochalsh and round to Plockton, our destination for the night. It is a lovely setting, with sub tropical gardens, a dominating castle and a beautiful anchorage. We picked up a mooring and explored. The photographs give you an idea.

In the morning it was a bit driech, but we headed off, aiming for Rona but with a potential further destination in mind.

On passage to Rona we were invited on the radio to skirt around some MOD testing which was going on, which we did happily. We anchored briefly in the delightful Arcarseid Mhor in Rona, but found it a bit crowded (although very beautiful) and so after a cup of tea decided to cross the Little Minch to Loch Seaforth, which is at the top of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. By now the wind had got up, and Seafort is known to funnel the wind beautifully, which it did. After negotiating a large salmon farm at the entrance, which appeared out of the mist, we hived off to port into the relative shelter of Loch Mharaig, to escape the wind and the driving rain.

The next day the wind continued to howl but we explored up into Loch Seaforth, encountering a gust of 44 knots as we motored back out. We hadn’t seen a great deal of the surrounding mountains either, given the mist, but got a glimpse on the way out.

We motored around to the next loch, Claidh, and found a wonderful anchorage which gave perfect shelter, with red deer waiting to greet us on the hillside. Eilean Thinngarstaigh is a special place.

The next morning the poor weather had passed over, and we decided to sail out to the lovely Shiant Islands, known for their beauty and bird life. They were stunning, and we took the opportunity to stretch our legs, having been rather cooped up at anchor over the previous 48 hrs. Landing at the foot of Garbh Eilean, we climbed up to get a view, and Jonty, Caspar and Paul ascended a ridge to get a fine view over the islands, and of the many puffins and guillemots, amongst others.

…admiring the stunning rockfaces and thousands of birds on the water and wing…

They were fabulous islands. Having enjoyed them we then had a broad reach on the other tack to Stornoway, where we were met by old friends James and Dorothy, who looked after us royally. Having entertained them on board the first night, James showed us around part of Lewis the next day and invited us to dine in their lovely house the next.

We enjoyed Lewis a great deal – many thanks James and Dorothy.

Our final voyage before heading up further north saw us cross the Minch is some quite lively conditions – a SW wind gusting regularly to Force 7, with two metre seas, with frequent rain. Not for the fainthearted, but entirely tenable when the wind is behind you. We had a fast, if rather damp crossing, entering Loch Laxford and finding a great anchorage in Loch a’ Chadh-fi, where we escaped the wind and swell.

After a quiet night Paul and I dinghied across and were delighted to meet some residents of this really remote place – the road head is a mile and a half away, and everything has to be carried along a steep and rocky path, or brought round by sea. We first met the remarkable Rita, who told us about her life here.

Rita, in front of her remarkable and remote cottage, where she has lived with her husband for 30 years, despite the huge logistical challenges

We then headed on and were delighted to meet John and Marie-Christine Ridgway. John was hugely famous in his time as a yachtsman and adventurer, and they have lived on and off in this remote place for 57 years, founding an adventure school which is now run by one of their daughters. They are remarkable people, and we much enjoyed our coffee with them.

After a wonderful morning we headed back to Spellbinder, and motored round to the last sea loch before Cape Wrath, Loch Inchard, and berthed at Kinlochbervie. Here we await an early morning start, to time the tides right to get to round the Cape and get to Orkney tomorrow.

Back in 1982 when the Falkland Islands were invaded we all reached for our atlases – for there were no Google Maps back then. Most assumed the islands were somewhere north of Scotland, and wondered why the Argentinians were interested. The same geographical ignorance was evident when it was suggested that I should visit the Scottish Small Isles (consisting mainly of Muck, Rum, Eigg and Canna). I had heard of them individually but couldn’t place them. On looking at the map it was clear that they would be an ideal first venture out with my new crew Caspar, and son Jonty.

On leaving Oban we needed somewhere to stay for the first night, and we headed back up the Sound of Mull, largely motoring in calm conditions and a bit of drizzle. Past Tobermory and to the right is the lovely Loch Na Droma Buidhe (more and more Gaelic versions of names appear to be used in the charts) where, coming around a corner, we were met with several other yachts sharing the tranquility.

To get up to the Small Isles necessitates heading up and past Ardnamurchan Point, a slightly totemic landmark for the cruising yachtsman as past it you are in the high north west of Scotland. When passing it on the way back tradition dictates that you append a sprig of heather to your pulpit, to signify your safe return.

Once past this slightly notorious point, and having tried to fish to no avail, we headed to the first of four islands, Muck, for a brief visit. We anchored in the small harbour, had lunch and strolled around corner of the island, flushing out grouse, pheasant, snipe and curlew as we did so.

It was a pleasant stroll, and the island is quiet, with few inhabitants. The next stop was Canna; the entrance into this island is quite spectacular, and after we had picked up a buoy we sat and drank in the view.

It was a beautiful evening, and we went ashore by dinghy to explore the foreshore, some of the buildings and the grand house and gardens.

A wonderful backdrop to wake up to

We had a great walk and drink at the community-run bar, and settled into a calm night surrounded by hills and beauty on all sides. Canna certainly leaves an impression on you, and I will be back.

The next morning we sailed round to Rum, into Loch Scresort and its spectacular surrounds. Like Canna, Rum’s history is interesting: various owners / lairds, some benevolent, some not, and fortunes rising and falling over the decades. These islands seem to be thriving at present, on a very small scale; tourism and fish farming seem to be the main industries and there is very much a sense that investment in the form of Ro-Ro ferry terminals have bought in some prosperity (although the Scottish Government is keen to attribute this to EU funding). There is also a strong sense of community ownership, decision making and cooperative organisation.

Rum is dominated by mountains and has interesting deer and other wildlife bought in by previous generations. You could happily spend a week walking its hills.

The final island to visit was Eigg. Dominated by a very distinctive cliff bluff, it was a pleasure to sail down. We entered its small harbour for a quick look around.

And so ended a brief tour of the Small Isles. They were lovely and next time I will dedicate more time to each, as the walking (weather permitting) is spectacular on each, for different reasons.

Spellbinder headed to Mallaig and to pick up one more crew, and to send Jonty up the mast to try and fix the wind indicator. We have now gone around the east coast of Skye, and plan to head north towards the Outer Hebrides in the coming days.

Having had a successful trip north, thanks to the sterling efforts of Alan & Alan, I was joined by Sue and Jonty in Whitehaven for a couple of days of family visits and reprovisioning. Jonty stayed with me for the next three days as we made our way up past the Mulls of Galloway and Kintyre to Oban.

We had a calm motor over to East Tarbert Bay, a little cove just in the hook of the Mull of Galloway. The passage north is all about getting the tides right, as they run quite ferociously through the North Channel. This meant taking the passage north in 6 hours blocks, which turned out to be 0600-1200 and 1800-midnight. Luckily at this time of year it is very light, and we made the most of it.

We had a very quiet, albeit rather short night and were up at 4am to the dawn, rounding the first mull and heading to our interim destination, Sanda Island, which served as a passage and lunchtime anchorage as we awaited the next fair tide.

Sanda was breezy, with a significant tide race to its south west, even in quite calm conditions. You can see why many people opt for the Crinan Canal rather than head up the Mull of Kintyre. Conditions were settled though, and we caught the first of the fair back eddy which took us close into the peninsula, and kept us heading north at a brisk pace.

By this time the autopilot, which has had a mind of its own so far this season, was starting the play the game, much to our relief. We carried the tide up past Islay to Jura, where our destination for another short night was Craighouse, which nestles under the Paps of Jura, pimple-like mountains which dominate the small harbour.

The usual mooring buoys had yet to be laid in the harbour, and despite its reputation for being a rather kelp-ridden anchorage we set first time and well, enabling us to blow up the dinghy and head to the Jura Inn for last orders, as well as to buy a bottle of Jura Single Malt. For me it is not quite as peaty as the Islay ones (although certainly of that ilk) and is slightly sweeter.

Another early start beckoned and we were greeted to a magnificent dawn as the sun rose behind the Paps.

Heading up the Sounds of Jura and Luing, we made fast progress in quite flat waters past the notorious Gulf of Corryvreckan to port and Fladda lighthouse.

As we approached Kerrera and Oban, Jonty cooked an immaculate scrambled egg breakfast and all was well with the world. We found a berth in the new Oban transit marina, which is much more conveniently located right in the centre of town. It was here that Sue was to arrive by train later.

The next day we sailed up the Sound of Mull to Tobermory, which brought back memories of the BBC children’s TV series ‘Balamory’. It’s a beautiful little town, with its signature pastel-coloured houses on the seafront. We enjoyed touring it and had a couple of enjoyable walks to the north and south of the harbour.

The next day saw us head to Loch Aline, a beautiful short loch which is enclosed by mainland Scotland. We anchored near the head of the loch, which is overlooked by Ardtornish castle and its 35,000 acre estate, into which Sue and I wandered in the afternoon, undertaking an 8-mile circuit which took us up into some remote Highland territory.

Fossils found by Sue

After a night on Aline, we headed back down the Sound of Mull to the north coast of Kerrera, where we sailed past an island full of seals and anchored in a quiet bay to get a walk of the island in. It was lovely – although just a stone’s throw for what counts as urban sprawl in the Western Isles, it seemed delightfully remote.

Somewhat tired after our walk, we repaired back to Oban, and went out to dinner in a rather good seafood restaurant adjacent to the marina. Sue departed by train this morning, and a new crew member, Caspar arrives this afternoon. We then head to the Small Isles and Skye…and the weather forecast is benign.

The early part of the season has seen Spellbinder engaged in some very sociable and local sailing in the Solent. Thank you to all who came and enjoyed the considerable opportunities afforded between Chichester and Yarmouth. Whenever I have been sailing elsewhere I’m reminded of quite how good and varied a cruising ground the Solent is. The photos below give an idea of what we enjoyed.

In addition to the sailing, I have finished quite a long list of maintenance tasks. The watermaker has been refurbished; a new stack pack made, and life raft cover; the LED bulbs in the anchor and tricolour masthead have been replaced; the engine serviced; buttons made and replaced on upholstery, and countless other minor jobs. It has been great to have time to do all these. Boats don’t like being left alone, and the pandemic and lockdown have not been their friend.

May 24th was the start of Spellbinder’s summer adventures. Crew for the journey north were the two Alans, who had accompanied me on Atlantic legs and knew Spellbinder well. Our start was delayed somewhat by the unseasonable depressions we experienced in mid May, but it was as the weather moderated that we headed out into a breezy Solent. The first day we managed to get to Studland Bay, where after a rest we continued into a still bumpy, and rather windy English Channel.

After a few hours’ break we headed off and made bumpy, wet, motor sailing progress to windward, finally pulling into Cawsand Bay, Plymouth for a rest and a night’s sleep. Rising at dawn, in still moderating conditions, we pulled into Penzance to refuel before heading off around Land’s End.

Once round Land’s End, conditions were calm and we had a good passage north. There was enough wind for a brief cruising chute run, but I will remember this part of the passage for the strong tides (we made 10 knots in a fair tide or 2 in a foul, when headlands seemed to stay out for hours) and wildlife. We saw many, many dolphins and porpoises, a solitary seal just by Longships lighthouse, and puffins, gannets and guillemots galore.

Five days after leaving Gosport we arrived at Whitehaven in Cumbria. It’s a modern port with a marina, though you need to time it well to pass through the lock. We arrived with an hour to spare, and even had a bit of a night out. It has been a while since I have gorged on poppadoms sitting at a table in an Indian restaurant.

Thank you to the two Alans for coming with me on what proved to be more of a delivery trip than a cruise. We are now well set for voyaging north, as planned: next destinations planned are Islay, Oban and the Small Isles, and the weather forecast even looks reasonable…

Now we are formally allowed back onto our boats for day sailing, I have been making the most of the opportunities to conduct routine maintenance. A bit of fine weather and some spring tides allowed me to dry Spellbinder out at Bosham in order to pressure wash her hull, reinvigorate her Coppercoat antifoul and change her prop anodes. Put on in 2017, the Coppercoat continues to give good protection from major fouling and it is only a question of taking off some base slime.

I was accompanied by Jonty and Charles, who did much of the hard work, and we were in the company of Peter and Anabel who did the same to their yacht Sea Jester, and who joined us for supper. Lifting off at the next high tide, we headed back glad to have got this necessary pre-season job out of the way in pleasant circumstances.

There are some further jobs to complete in the next three weeks. Spellbinder’s watermaker has been out for refurbishment, and goes back in shortly; her life raft needs its three-yearly service, and I am having a new stack pack for her mainsail made, which will smarten things up (the old one lasted 15 years before UV light and chafe took its toll).

I intend to sail locally until around 20th May, when Scotland beckons, given that travel to the near continent looks unlikely in the near term. I have been helping out a firm called Imray by buying plenty of charts and pilot books! The plan is to head up to Oban or Mallaig for the end of May to explore Skye and the Small Isles, before heading up to the Outer Hebrides. I’d then like to do a circuit of Shetland and Orkney before returning to Fort William via the Caledonian Canal. I’d dearly like to take in Faroe but wonder whether that will be possible given the circumstances. After Scotland, Ireland beckons.

Spellbinder has been out and about in the Solent a couple of times, when lockdown has allowed. I was joined for one weekend by Alicia, Emily, Peter and Tom, Squadron Sailing Associates, who came sailing alongside the crew of Gladeye for a tour from Gosport to Cowes and Buckler’s Hard and back. We had some good weather, fine sailing breezes and good fare both in the Castle at Cowes and in the Master Builder’s at Buckler’s Hard. Just prior to the most recent lockdown, Sue and I also went out for a day with great friends Jim and Jo, to have a fine lunch in Cowes.

Fine autumn colours

The new marina at Buckler’s Hard: it has rather overtaken this tranquil spot, but there is now much more walk ashore pontoon

Tom, Peter and Emily enjoying traditional Spellbinder fare

Sailing down the Solent into a fine sunset

With Sue, Jim, Jonty and Jo, thrashing westward. We had a more genteel sail back to Gosport under genoa alone – as is so often the case

With the weather becoming less amenable, I plan a mini refit on Spellbinder over the winter. In addition to the routine matters of engine servicing, and safety equipment checks, I have removed the genoa / staysail travellers for servicing, I am having the watermaker overhauled, I have removed the material from the navigator’s seat to get new buttons made, I am having a new zip holder placed on the new spray hood to allow for a solar panel, I need to repair an LED on the engine panel to re-show engine hours, and I shall replace the stack pack. We should be good to go next March, Covid willing.

New bolts and rubbers for the traveller system…

…and new buttons have arrived.  I will need to get the navigator’s seat reupholstered in a suitable material, but I can now replace several of the saloon cushion buttons, which have corroded.

Spellbinder has returned to Gosport, a couple of months from leaving there in early July when we were finally allowed to cruise and stay aboard overnight. While not going abroad (I missed the window when we were briefly allowed to go to continental Europe without quarantining) it has, on the other hand, been an enjoyable time during which I was able to re-visit at length many of my favourite West Country cruising haunts.

I returned to Dittisham, where I had left her, and before the arrival of the next crew had an enjoyable time doing various boat jobs and walking and exploring, and anchoring upriver. I also took her round to Brixham to remind myself of the town and its fishing heritage.

One of my favourite views above Dittisham, overlooking Galmpton Creek and across to Greenway

Near Stoke Gabriel

The remains of a Brixham Sailing Trawler called ‘The Glory’

Spellbinder at a quiet anchorage near Bow Creek on the Dart.  A short dinghy ride up the creek is an excellent pub at Tuckenhay called ‘The Malster’s Arms’, once owned by Keith Floyd. The food there is excellent

Crew for the leg home were Alan and Rupert.  We met in Dartmouth, Rupert having come down by steam train from Paignton – a fine way to arrive. After a swift drink at The Ferry Boat at Dittisham – a classic Dart pub – we turned in for the night, anchoring in Parson’s Mud, just upriver from The Anchorstone. Parson’s Mud is a delightful anchorage, and it is not hard to fall asleep and wake up there to the sounds of the river gurgling by and the many birds.

Breakfast before departure from Parson’s Mud

Our first leg was to Weymouth, in light winds.  We had a good run, initially under cruising chute but then motor.  Rafting up being the norm elsewhere in The West Country, Weymouth Harbour has (in my view) been overly cautious in that regard and as a result there were very few berths available in The Cove and we had to go through the bridge and anchor in the marina.

Leaving Dartmouth

Not much for the crew to do except enjoy a good initial sail under cruising chute, and watch the dolphins, which were were plentiful.  I saw many porpoises on my way around to Brixham earlier in the week, and even thought I saw a tuna jumping…

On the waiting pontoon at Weymouth, before going through the bridge at 2000

The following morning we awoke to a fine dawn and the expected easterly breeze.  We decided to sail anyway, and tacked for several hours as we gradually neared Poole, our next destination.

0800 bridge at Weymouth, heading out

The extraordinary sight of cloud rolling off the Jurassic Coast – it looked like snow from a distance…

….and a sign of the times, with 6 large cruise ships anchored in the lee of Portland, awaiting better times

Eventually, with the tide against us, we motored around a bumpy Anvil’s Head into Poole, where we dropped off Rupert and headed round to Pottery Pier anchorage, which is ideal in easterly winds.  There we were met by Alan and Julie, who came out on their kayaks to meet Spellbinder for the second time this year.

It was good to see Alan and Julie again in Poole, at Pottery Pier, at the west end of Brownsea Island

The following morning we left before dawn to catch the tide, having an unexpectedly good beam reach in northerly winds which allowed us to sail almost to Hurst Narrows before the wind died.  Entering the Solent via the North Channel, we motored up to Cowes where we had an enjoyable lunch at The Royal Yacht Squadron before sailing up to Chichester, where we anchored in the Thorney Channel near friends Ed and Jeanna in their lovely Morris 34.

Dawn start, heading out of Poole

Aboard friend Ed’s lovely Morris 34, a small cruiser based on the Victoria 34, and fitted out by an American company

After a peaceful night at anchor, we headed round to Bosham Quay, as I couldn’t resist the opportunity to wash Spellbinder’s hull down, check the anodes and reactivate the Coppercoat, which I had failed to do properly earlier in the season.  It was lovely weather for it, and we achieved the aim, coming off at midnight, threading our way back down the channel with Alan operating a strong torch at the bow, and re-anchoring.  The following morning we had an excellent downwind run back into Gosport.

Spellbinder with a clean hull, in the evening sun.  There is rather less Coppercoat at the bottom of the keel than I would wish, after an encounter with a sandbank in Martinique 18 months ago

We might think of August as a month of indolent holiday, high temperatures and long, lazy days.  My experience is that in addition to the aforesaid characteristics, the month is quite capable of throwing up some really bad weather, as the sailors of the 1979 Fastnet found to their cost. So it was in 2020, with storms Ellen and Francis serving up the goods,  causing Spellbinder and her crew to modify their plans.

After our family holiday I had left Spellbinder on a buoy at Mylor marina, and during our absence I had a new stainless steel hoop made for the cockpit canopy,  which has improved things considerably. I also had some minor repairs undertaken to the Furlex foresail furler. I returned a couple of days before the next crew to carry out some minor boat jobs, during which time I hid from Storm Ellen by anchoring way up the Truro river, anchored in thick mud near Malpas. Despite the excellent holding up there, I nevertheless had one sleepless night as the storm passed over, maintaining my own anchor watch from 1100 – 0300 and recording 39 knots over the masthead, even in the shelter of the river.

Crew for the next trip was eldest son Tom and friend Crispin, who had accompanied me three times each during my Atlantic circuit and who know Spellbinder well. I met up with them in Falmouth while anchored opposite the Customs House Quay, a historic anchorage and one of my favourites in the UK, although now sadly increasingly hemmed in by the adjacent marinas.  It was here, for example, that Robin K-J  finished his epic round the world trip in 1969.

With the recent relaxing of quarantine rules for Portugal, we had been fully planning to sail for 4 or 5 days to Oporto, to allow me to sail down to Lisbon and overwinter there. The weather, however, had other ideas and although the decision was a tight one we reluctantly decided that discretion was the better part of valour.  We took our decision over some traditional fish and chips before settling in for the night and heading to Fowey the next day, enjoying an excellent broad reach and enjoying the cruising chute, accompanied by dolphins.

Fine conditions for a short sail up the coast to Fowey

Having been to Fowey a few weeks previously I expected it to be fairly busy, but in the end we were the only ones on one of the pontoons, for which one pays the same mooring fee as a buoy.  Tom and Crispin took the opportunity to run around the wonderful countryside and coastal footpaths which are a feature of this delightful harbour, while I prepared and cooked a BBQ for their return.

Views of Fowey and the coast from a memorable run by Tom and Crispin, and the skipper studiously cooking

Next stop was Plymouth. The storm clouds of Francis were gathering, and we felt it prudent to lock into Sutton Harbour Marina for a couple of days to escape it. We had time, however, to anchor for lunch in Cawsand Bay and to explore up river, heading past Devonport dockyard and poking our noses into the Lynher and Tamar rivers.  The former has a lovely remote anchorage called Dandy Hole, which I have never quite got to and this time, again, the tide precluded us from getting there.  The Tamar bridge is quite fun to sail under, and you are right on the border between Devon to starboard and Cornwall to port as you head upriver.

Heading towards and under the Tamar bridge

We locked into Sutton Harbour without difficulty, nestled right in the corner of it as Storm Francis blew over.

Locking in

A suitable berth for sheltering from high winds

We enjoyed Plymouth, and in particular the area around the Barbican, which has been developed sympathetically in my view.  It was certainly bustling, with most restaurants packed as people took advantage of the ‘eat out to help out’ scheme.

Once the weather had calmed down we sailed round to the Yealm, enjoying a short downwind passage. The weather had improved and we headed by dinghy up to Noss Mayo, where we had an excellent lunch at The Ship. My experience this summer is that many pubs and restaurants have gone overboard on the CV-19 regulations, putting up too many red warning signs and imposing unnecessary rules and regulations, and rather forgetting that from the customer’s perspective it is supposed to be an enjoyable experience. Others (more enlightened in my view) fully respect the government guidelines but do so in a low-key, undemonstrative way, pretty much mirroring the experience of the status quo ante. The Ship Inn in Noss Mayo is one such laudable institution.

Thank you to The Ship Inn in Noss Mayo for getting it right.  I’m much happier than I look…

Noss Mayo, looking towards Newton Ferrers

Newton creek, looking westwards towards the main river

We spent a pleasant evening with a spectacular sunset with fellow RYS members and then old Army friends who were moored adjacent to us, before saying goodbye to Crispin and heading out the next day towards Salcombe.

Good to have you on board again Crispin, and glad you had time to practise your instrument flying skills on your own portable simulator

The trip to Salcombe was one of the windiest and rainiest short passages I have ever made.  We got soaked, and were sailing in 2 – 3m waves and a F6 gusting F7.  We enjoyed it though, but it took a while as we gybed back and forth and we were grateful to get over the Bar (cf Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem) and into the relatively calm waters of the harbour.

Tom enjoying the helm on a blustery day…

…and while the camera always flattens the waves, a straight ensign is always an indication of a strong wind!

The need to go with the tides had dictated the time of our departure from the Yealm, and typically just after we arrived the rain cleared and the wind abated. We enjoyed a brief walk around Salcombe, having picked a buoy.

Salcombe after the rain had cleared through, overlooking Spellbinder on her buoy

The final destination on this part of the year’s cruise was Dartmouth, and Tom and I enjoyed another rolling downwind passage in the residual swell, which calmed down east of Start Point. We arrived in Dittisham, which we know well having had a house there for several years. It was good to walk around the village, have a pint at the Ferry Boat, and cook a BBQ for the crew of Stardust II, who rafted up and came aboard for the evening.

Looking downstream at Dittisham…

…where we found time to service all 7 of Spellbinder’s winches

Spellbinder will now remain in Dartmouth before her next adventures later in September.

 

 

After Scilly, we spent a day reprovisioning and restocking in Penzance before heading over to Falmouth, where Spellbinder has spent the last fortnight cruising the surrounding area.

I have always loved the Fal, and its continuation the Truro River. A classic Cornish ria, it is multifaceted and we enjoyed the many creeks and anchorages it offers. We also spent a fair bit of time in the adjacent Helford River, enjoying walks on both sides of the river, and kayaking up Frenchman’s Creek. Finally, we spent a couple of days in Fowey, eating, drinking and walking well. It was a very pleasant period of gentle cruising and immersing ourselves in a beautiful Cornish setting which was brought to life in several of Daphne du Maurier’s novels. Rather than give a blow by blow account, here are some photos which tell the story:

Spellbinder remains in Falmouth and we return to her at the end of the month for further adventures – destination uncertain, but Brittany looks likely.

Spellbinder’s journey west has continued and she has just enjoyed 9 excellent days in Scilly.

Having bade farewell to friends Charmian and Julian, we were joined by Tom and Tiger for the passage onward from the Yealm. After an uneventful passage we anchored overnight in the Helford River, off Duggan Point given that the winds were northerly.  There we were joined by Simon and Karen who were aboard their lovely Swan Questar.

A peaceful night anchored near ‘Questar’.  Great to catch up with you Simon and Karen!

From Helford we rounded Lizard in calm conditions and headed into Penzance, anchoring off to wait for the harbour gates to open. It’s a wet dock, where you jostle alongside supply ships for Scilly, fishing trawlers, and the odd visiting yacht.  Nothing very grand, and little in the way of facilities, but you are near the town centre and it’s good for a night.

BBQ at anchor just outside Penzance Harbour. The Scilly passenger ship, ‘Scillonian III’, is in the background

Entering the wet dock, which is open HW-2 to HW+1 approx

A modest but convenient berth against the harbour wall

Jonty and I said good bye to Tom and Tiger after a night out in Penzance, which seemed to be opening, with great caution, after the pandemic lock down.  We were then joined by Johnny and Lucy, who were to be crew for the next 9 days as we headed to Scilly.

The journey over – which can be difficult against the prevailing winds and is effectively in the open Atlantic – proved to be an easy motor in calm conditions. First stop was The Cove, between the islands of St Agnes and Gugh – a delightful spot, with a sandbar which uncovers and helps prevent the Atlantic swell from entering. It was where we first landed in Scilly, 10 years ago, in our previous yacht Kianga.

Views of The Cove, in ideal calm conditions

We spent a couple of nights there, walking around both islands, having lunch in the Coastguards Café, the UK’s most south western, and dinner in the Turk’s Head, which has the same qualification in terms of pubs.  Again, caution abounded as we were amongst the first guests of the season; over our stay people relaxed, and eating out has become a more normal activity.

Next stop was Porth Cressa, an anchorage south of the capital Hugh Town, on St Mary’s.  Often this anchorage is untenable owing to the prevailing winds, but it was ideal for us as the northern wind flow had continued.  It made it all a bit chilly, but we were well settled there and it was ideal base to walk around St Mary’s and to reprovision.

The flora and fauna this trip were excellent.  In terms of the former, here are a few Scillonian flowers, and some windswept vegetation for those who are interested:

After exploring the ramparts around Star Castle, we then left with the tide to go over Tresco Flats.  The pilotage needs attention, and at high water neaps Spellbinder only had 50 cm under her keel at one point. Once over, however, we were able to pick up a buoy in New Grimsby sound, from where we were able to explore Tresco and Bryher.  While the former is more developed, and has become a well-provisioned timeshare centre, Bryher remains relatively untouched and is one of the wilder islands.

A sign of healthy air: lichen growing abundantly on a bench on Tresco

Spellbinder on her buoy in New Grimsby Sound, under a Cromwellian castle.  More views of the Sound below

A view from Tresco, looking out to the Atlantic.  Scilly had a fearful reputation with mariners of yore, and one can understand why.  The Royal Navy had one particular disaster here, precipitating the search for a reliable means of attaining longitude at sea

A young seal at rest between Bryher and Tresco

Stone art, and (below) an artist’s studio on Bryher

Green Bay, Bryher, where there were also many bilge keel yachts, and others which can take the ground.  It’s a lovely spot.

We then headed round to the other side of Tresco, to Old Grimsby Sound, so we could take up an invitation from friends David and Patsy to have a family supper in their timeshare.  It was great fun, and after a bit of a bumpy night owing to Atlantic swell coming in, the next day we headed out into the Atlantic, and round into Tean Sound, picking up a buoy to allow us to explore St Martin and Tean itself.

St Martin’s is my favourite island as it is quite wild, but with a little helpful infrastructure.  As well as a shop there is a hotel, pub, bakery, vineyard, campsite and a few little other establishments selling things.  We enjoyed it hugely, having lunch in the Karma Hotel and the Seven Stones pub, both of which have fabulous views. Having walked around St Martin’s, the crew had completed a circuit of each of the inhabited Isles of Scilly.

St Martin’s Church

One of the many beaches on St Martin’s.  It could be the Caribbean – were it not for the small matter of air and sea temperatures…

We also joined forces with old friends Rupert and Jules and their family on board their yacht Wind Song, enjoying a BBQ on the beach below the hotel, opposite our moorings in Tean Sound:

Our final night in Scilly was spent in the Eastern Isles, which are quite remote and uninhabited.  We anchored near fellow OCC members Derrick and Ali, and had drinks with them after a stroll around Great Ganhilly and a trip to an uncovered sandbar, surrounded by azure waters.  There were seals everywhere.

Anchorage in the Eastern Isles, viewed from Great Ganhilly. If you look carefully you can see a couple of inquisitive seal heads…

Jonty thinking he was in the Caribbean, and (below) enjoying driving us around

Our trip back was a fine close reach, with the wind freeing up enough for a fast passage back around Land’s End, with the tide lee-bowing us nicely.  The highlight was an extended visitation from dolphins.

Johnny enjoying a good helm

Bottlenosed dolphins (I think) playing with us

Safely back in Penzance, we said goodbye to Johnny and Lucy – thank you for being such excellent crew! We had walked around every inhabited island, seen much flora and fauna, and had a healthy and sociable time.  Spellbinder will now remain in Cornwall, based out of Falmouth for the rest of the month.

The news that we would be able to spend nights onboard came as a welcome invitation to go cruising, and to develop firm plans for the summer.  Before departing, however, I was able to take Spellbinder out for 3 day trips to make sure all was working and ready to venture further afield.

First came Charles and Caroline, who are busy preparing to buy a yacht themselves and have some adventures.  Charles came with me from the Canaries to Cape Verde in November 2018 and therefore knows Spellbinder well.  We took a trip upwind with the tide in very warm weather to Langstone Harbour, picking up a buoy for lunch, before turning downwind to end up in Poole Harbour, meeting friends Alan and Julie who live there and who were able to come out to meet us in their kayak.  With the wind turning usefully back to a westerly, we were then able to sail back to Gosport with the tide, around the south of the Isle of Wight.

A strong tide in Langstone Harbour.  Being a bit of a free diver, Charles had no difficulty using it for a refreshing swim, hanging onto the boarding ladder

Long cruising chute run down the length of the Solent

Drinks in Poole Harbour

 

Thank you for coming to see us, Alan and Julie

I was also able to have elder son Tom on board for a very windy outing in the Solent, bringing with him his student housemates from London.  We deployed the main with 3 reefs, and a storm jib on the removable forestay, with back stays deployed. It was a bumpy ride, but a good experience, and after an hour or so we headed back downwind and into the relative calm of Portsmouth Harbour for a long lunch, but not before dipping our ensign to a passing warship, and having the compliment returned.

Thank you George, Sam and Yuyu for coming on board and experiencing the wind in your hair…

We then took Spellbinder to Cowes for a socially-distanced lunch with some other RYS members, which was an enjoyable day out.

I have also been undertaking a bit of routine maintenance, and one job which needed doing was to plane down the deck caulking, which had become rather too proud of the teak. To do this, I bought a Mozart tool, which is ideal for the job, and I spent a pleasant and rewarding morning in Gosport shaving the excess off.

The Mozart tool, and resultant caulking shavings

A smoother, less ridged feel to the deck

We got the go ahead to spend nights aboard from 4th July, and on the 6th I had a weather window to get west.  We left Gosport with the tide late morning, with my crew being younger son Jonty and friend Charmian. Beating gently down the Solent with the tide, we were pushed out strongly through Hurst narrows and had a fine sail to Swanage, where we anchored for supper and for me to attend a Zoom meeting. There then followed an enjoyable close reach down the coast, with the wind having just enough north in it to push us past Portland Bill and down into the West Country.

Fine sailing off St Alban’s Head, into the sunset.  Feeling back at home on Spellbinder.

After a great night sail we arrived at our destination, Dartmouth – one of my favourite river entrances, which I have seen many times whilst approaching in a yacht, and of which I never tire.  We then proceeded up to my old village Dittisham, where we took a buoy, had a pint in my favourite Devon pub, enjoyed a drink with friends, and enjoyed a BBQ.  It was great to be back in the the cruising lifestyle.

Fine sailing off the Dorset coast

Arriving in Dartmouth, with Britannia Royal Naval College before us, as ever

Jonty helming us in

The RAF flew over to inspect our masthead burgee at close quarters

Charmian making herself at home

Dittisham looking as lovely as ever

Nice of Joe and Sarah to pop by on their RIB – thank you for the drinks later on!

First pint since lock down, in a most suitable venue

Sunset BBQ

The next morning we anchored in Dartmouth to visit the chandlery and do some shopping, before heading out into a quite brisk westerly to get round Start and Prawle Points and beyond Salcombe, to find the relative calm of the Yealm, one of my favourite places in Devon.  Nestled on a pontoon, we slept well after what was quite a blowy and bumpy afternoon at sea. The next day we toured Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo, and had our first pub lunch for three months, in the Dolphin in the former village.

Spellbinder at anchor in Dartmouth.  Like in Falmouth, I enjoy anchoring in the middle of bustling towns

A misty, murky River Yealm entrance

Calm inside the Yealm

Reacquainting myself with comforts aboard!

The plan now is to head further west, taking advantage of an emerging period of calm to enjoy Scilly.

Lockdown and measures to combat CV-19 have meant almost 10 weeks away from Spellbinder. It is never good to leave a yacht for long, particularly when it is in the water, although external checks and latterly one internal check had been carried out on my behalf (thanks Phil and Brad).

The first trip out was with Rupert, and we managed to choose the first rainy day after the best part of eight weeks of delightful unbroken sunshine – what a Spring we have had. It was good to be on the water though. After checking all the systems were working, we motored to Cowes, which looked as if it was still in winter. Mooring alongside a midstream pontoon, we had a good lunch and then took the tide back to Portsmouth, beating into a freshening northeasterly. An unremarkable day’s sailing in normal times, but a great one in this odd period. I experienced a significant sense of release and freedom.

I had originally planned to take Spellbinder to scrub off at the end of March, but it never happened, for obvious reasons. This weekend allowed me an opportunity, however, and a quick call to the Bosham harbourmaster confirmed they were open for business. I was joined in Gosport by Neil and Molly and we had a pleasant sail up to Chichester in a developing sea breeze, coming alongside Bosham Quay at High Water Springs without difficulty.

People often ask me why I don’t just pay a yard to do this sort of work. The answer is simple: doing this puts me in touch with my yacht, and I get to know her better. It makes me a better sailor, and is, of course, far cheaper. But it’s also fun and sociable, and without the need to paint thanks to Spellbinder’s Coppercoat, an easy and quick process.

It took us two hours, and once done we were able to enjoy drinks with local friends. Lifting off without difficulty at High Water, we had an excellent reach back to Portsmouth in a light northerly, enjoying the greater speed through the water which comes from having a clean hull and prop.

After Neil and Molly departed, I completed some remaining jobs on board, and Spellbinder is now ready for her season. Original plans have obviously been much changed, and where she will sail will depend entirely on the easing of CV-19 restrictions and quarantine impositions. I hope, though, to range the English Channel, and visit the West Country and Channel Islands. Ireland is still a possibility, and I haven’t entirely excluded the idea of leaving Spellbinder somewhere warm for the winter…

Yachts, and particularly their engines, do not enjoy being left alone during the winter months.  I have never taken my yachts out of the water, winterising them and putting them on the hard; for me, the occasional foray during the off season can be both enjoyable and good for the boat and its systems.  I am also happier that a yacht is sitting in a bath of tepid salt water than fully exposed to the air and frost. Winterising – and in particular the removal of soft furnishings – can be a lengthy task. Instead, I run a dehumidifier and oil filled heater from November to April, and Spellbinder remains warm and dry, and in commission.

With these thoughts in mind, an opportunity came up for a couple of days of sailing locally this week.  The weather was cold but clear, with enough wind to sail well. With Julian as crew, we left Gosport and headed to Cowes, then over to Lymington for the night.  There are major redevelopments taking place on the Town Quay, which had been our planned destination – they are creating many more walk ashore pontoons.  We therefore berthed in Lymington Marina.  After a good night in the Town, the next morning we sailed up to and into the Beaulieu River, picking up a buoy off Bucklers Hard for lunch and then sailing out of the river and back to Gosport. It was a good couple of days, and Spellbinder seems fine, although the wind speed indicator is not working – a job to add to the list.

The photos tell the story:

Sailing out into the Solent – cold and clear conditions, with a light sailing breeze

Spellbinder alone at the RYS Haven

Julian was last on Spellbinder in the Azores.  A bit colder here…

Motoring into Lymington

Sailing in over the bar and into the entrance of the Beaulieu River.  We tacked out too, which was enjoyable

Sailing past the famous Gypsy Moth IV, moored in the Beaulieu River

A peaceful lunchtime spot near Buckler’s Hard

The joys of off-season sailing – no-one else around, except the odd sail training yacht

 

 

For those interested, I have written an account of my Atlantic circuit based largely on the blog entries.  It consists of a summary, a map of the voyage, chapters on the background to buying Spellbinder and how I fitted her out, and the various stages divided into chapters.  There are some reflections by way of a conclusion at the end, and an Annex giving Spellbinder’s technical details.  It is a bit long, with many photographs, but my crew might wish to view the chapters for the stages in which they were involved.

You can download it at this link:

A Sabbatical of 50 Atlantic Islands

After a family holiday and some home time, a few days ago I returned to Spellbinder to undertake some maintenance jobs. After her 10,000 mile cruise she is in remarkably good condition – a tribute to her build quality but also to an ongoing programme of minor maintenance. If things break I try and fix them there and then, and when you are on board for lengthy periods this gives you ample time to undertake what is required.

One thing that did need doing was an inspection of the hull and stern gear, a wash off of the Coppercoat antifouling and a change of the prop anodes. This can all be done easily and expensively by lifting out at a boatyard, but I have always liked to dry out against piles or a wall: it is cheap, fun and a social activity. Some followers of the blog will remember doing this with me on my previous yacht Kianga at Hardway.

I had always wanted to dry out against the quayside at Bosham harbour, and took Spellbinder there having booked in with the harbourmaster.

Passing through the submarine barrier outside Portsmouth. It’s good to be in home waters again, although I’m reacquainting myself with things like tides and cooler, stronger wind and rain…

Bosham quay dries at 2m above chart datum, so with my 2m draft I needed a spring tide well in excess of 4m. Happily high water springs at Bosham is around midday, so by tea-time you can be pressure washing away happily and in the nearby pub by apéro time. This is my kind of schedule. You can then head away at midnight on the next high water, or the following midday.

We came in as planned in slightly breezy conditions and settled in with a couple of fender boards to spread the weight of the yacht against the mooring piles. The tricky part is to ensure that when you ground you lean into, and not away from the wall. This is where the masthead spinnaker halyard comes into its own. Led across to a nearby secure point, the leverage is sufficient to ensure that the yacht settles nicely. I also move the boom across to add weight on the appropriate side. Luckily the road at Bosham cuts off at high water, so there is no through traffic. You also need to be careful with your lines, making them long to allow for the drop.

Halyard and boom deployed

There is a good 2 hour high water stand at Bosham, but then the ebb starts in earnest.

Spellbinder settling nicely on her keel

Once she was properly grounded, it wasn’t long until the pressure washer was out. The base of the quay is concrete so not too muddy. There was some weed around the waterline, but otherwise it was just slime and the odd barnacle. It didn’t take long to wash her down and we then changed the two anodes which protect the prop.

Job done

By 6.30 pm we had changed out of our waders and wellies, had a shower and were having a drink with friends Ed and Jeanna, followed by dinner in the Anchor Bleu.

I came off the wall the next day, which did mean a slightly interrupted night as I went through the halyard thing again at 3am! But it was hugely satisfying, and I noticed a significant increase in speed as I motored back in gusty conditions. Spellbinder scrubs up well.

My recent post reflecting on my North Atlantic circuit made mention of the many crew who came aboard and made it all possible.  This post recalls each leg and its crew, reflecting on the highlights for me.  It is written by way of  grateful thanks for those who made the effort to come aboard and share the adventure.

Gosport to Madeira (Tom and Tiger).  I knew from the outset that getting out of the Western Approaches could be one of the trickiest legs of all, and strong south westerlies could well have delayed us. In the event we were blessed with light westerlies against which we could motor sail, and once past Ouessant we had light reaching winds, with much progress made with the Parasailor and furling gennaker. Highlights were flying the drone while under gennaker; bathing in a calm Biscay in deep, cerulean blue water; learning modern vernacular (I now know what a ‘buff ting’ and a ‘peng sort’ are); listening to ‘banging’ tunes (and too much of a genre called London Grime), and riding scooters around Porto Santo. It was great to get Spellbinder’s first ocean leg behind us, and prove her systems.  Thank you Tom and Tiger for making the first leg so memorable – you were a joy to sail with!

Madeira (Sue, Tom and Jonty).  We had a lovely time exploring Madeira, and walking many miles along the Levadas. The Ilhas Desertas were lovely.  We celebrated Sue’s birthday in a lovely castle restaurant in Funchal. We had some of the strongest winds of the whole year (the only time the wind got over 30 knots on passage) coming into Quinta do Lorde, where we left Spellbinder for a couple of months. Great family time, and a memorable holiday.

Madeira to The Canaries (Paul and Neil). A very hasty departure as an unseasonable storm with hurricane force winds (Leslie) was threatening Madeira. It was an easy passage, during which we caught our first dorado, the first fish ever caught by Paul. Thank you Paul for showing us a bit of Tenerife, which you know well. We enjoyed visiting La Gomera too.

Canaries (Neil, Claire, Molly and Harvey.) Some great sailing around the western Canaries. Close ups with pilot whales, wonderful food, snorkeling, swimming under cliffs and stern-to berthing.  A pleasure to have the whole Wilson family on board!

Canaries (Sue and Jonty). We really enjoyed some walking amongst the volcanic landscapes of Tenerife, and touring the island, including visiting the highest point El Teide and the less developed north side.

Canaries (Anthony). Great to have my best man on board, although sorry you got a bit sick on a breezy crossing to Gran Canaria! Great discussions (Brexit included), and lots of good food and drink consumed.

Canaries to Cape Verde (Crispin, Charles and Simon).  A memorable trade wind trip, having picked up Simon from Gran Canaria. Highlights for me were Charles diving overboard to clear a rope caught between the rudder and skeg, and helping me sew up a rip in the Parasailor; catching a dorado; seeing the first blow hole from a whale; frying flying fish, and arriving in some very African islands. What a great passage – thank you all.

Cape Verde (Simon).  The Cape Verde islands were the ones I wished I had allowed more time for.  They are still relatively wild and unexplored, particularly by British yachtsmen.  Simon and I enjoyed some fine sailing and walking, and caught two very large dorado.  We hired a guide to go around Sao Nicolau, and had a memorable day. Probably my favourite archipelago.  Thank you Simon for teaching me lots about my own yacht and how to sail her better!

Atlantic Crossing: Mindelo, Cape Verde to Martinique (Alan and Neil). The longest of all the passages, and a wonderful fast downwind trip in good trade winds. We broke a couple of things (down to my own ineptitude) but nothing too important.  We had some great baking, and a typical heads repair episode (thanks Alan!) as a result of a curtain rail holder which found its way down the pan.  It was a wonderful, very satisfying crossing – thank you to both crew who were my ideal companions. After recovering, we had a lovely few days relaxing on the west coat of Martinique.

The Windwards (Peter and Janet).  After a very pleasant few days exploring Martinique we crossed to St Lucia and enjoyed the RYS cruise down to Grenada. What a great time we had: highlights for me were the many BBQs and early morning swims among turtles; an amazing couple of days on Mustique; cricket in Bequia and drinks high up on the island; Tobago Cays and rafting up in Chatham Bay. It was a very special leg – thank you both so much.

The Windwards (Sue and Jonty).  What a way to spend February half term.  Spellbinder retraced her steps, and enjoyed fine tropical sailing, swimming and snorkeling.  Highlights were walks above Chatham and Marigot Bays, lobsters in Tobago Cays, Wallilabou life and one of my favourite anchorages, Saltwhistle Bay.

The Leewards (Johnny, Lucy and David). Arriving in the rain at carnival time in Martinique, we squashed into the dinghy and then set off for some memorable explorations of Dominica, Guadeloupe and Antigua and Barbuda. I have some fine memories of partying in Portsmouth Dominica, riding electric bikes around Les Saintes in Guadeloupe, Lucy singing at the shrouds, and our visit to the amazing Barbuda. It was all great fun – thank you for your fine company!

Nevis, Saint Kitts, Saint Barts, and Anguilla (Patrick). We had a really enjoyable time sailing out from Antigua and exploring these mellow islands.  Fine Russian-inspired coffee in St Kitts, and old plantations which are now boutique hotels; old forts; amazing yachts in Saint Barts; a still destroyed Saint Martin, and the wonderful Anguilla, with its lovely people and laid-back life. Great to spend time with you my old friend.

BVIs (Crispin, Ann, Lottie and Tom).  We had a fine time sailing around these easy islands, enjoying many a cocktail and meeting a couple of knights of the realm en route.  Some fine running from Crispin and Tom, great snorkeling, drone flying and a full moon party at the end of a runway!

Anegada, BVIs (Tom).  My favourite island of the BVIs.  Lobster galore, diving down to pile rocks on the anchor, being driven by Tom for the first time, and the most azure of all azure waters.

BVIs to Bermuda (Neil and François). A touch of seasickness from the crew, who recovered and enjoyed a fine broad reach virtually all the way.  On arrival, horrendous shop prices, great scooter rides, the lovely Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and interesting history and museums.  Thank you both very much – I hope you remember the good bits best!

Bermuda to the Azores (Alan and Julian). OCC parties, bus tours and an opportunity for you to see some of the island before we headed off.  A wonderful passage full of long Parasailor runs, a broken autopilot, dolphins galore, fine dining and a great landfall in Flores. Terceira was an adventure too.  Thank you both for making this long passage so enjoyable.

Azores to UK (Crispin and Tom).  Both of you count as my most loyal crew – back for the third time! We had a great dinner in the Azores before a long passage, which dealt some weather-related challenges.  Fuel consumption and routeing dilemmas, the most wonderful dolphin and whale displays, a fine landfall flying the drone over Bishop’s Rock, a re-fuel and anchorage in Scilly and a great Parasailor run up Channel.  Lunch at the RYS was a fine way to finish!

Thank you all.  I final word of thanks to my friend Julian H – while I missed you on board, your emails and advice on weather and routeing were invaluable and greatly appreciated. Thank you my friend!

 

10 days after returning to Gosport after my year away sailing around the North Atlantic, I find myself in the Outer Hebrides on a non-sailing family holiday. It is a dreich day, and I am sitting in South Uist looking west out over the Atlantic through the mizzle.  It seems a fitting time to reflect on what has been an excellent and successful year, full of challenge, adventure and friendship.

Firstly, some statistics.  Spellbinder left Gosport on 16th July 2018, returning almost exactly a year later on 12th July 2019. During that time:

• She logged 10,083 nautical miles;
• Of that distance, she sailed approximately 7000 miles and motored 3000;
• She visited 50 different islands*;
• She had 26 different crew members, several of whom did multiple trips;
• She undertook 4 ocean passages** of more than 1000 nautical miles each;
• I spent 214 days on board: 152 were sailing days or on passage, and 61 nights were spent at sea.

It went to plan, more or less, thanks to lots of preparation, planning and thinking beforehand, the reliability of Spellbinder, the devotion and experience of her various crew, and plenty of good fortune.

From a personal perspective, it was the fulfilment of a long-held dream.  Having sailed my previous yacht Kianga on cross-Channel and coastal voyages only, the ocean was always going to call, and my experience in 2007 of being the mate on board a Challenge 67 yacht from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town (via Tristan Da Cunha) had whetted my appetite. The purchase of Spellbinder, and my decision to leave a career of 33 years and take a sabbatical gave me the necessary opportunity.

It was always going to be atypical; most people I met during the year were either groups in their early twenties or in their 60s and 70s, sailing as couples.  My circumstances required inviting friends and family to participate, necessitating the coordination of lots of people and the keeping to a broad timetable – so often the enemy of the cruising lifestyle, as weather and breakages can easily intervene. I was lucky on both counts. The weather didn’t really affect my plans – at worst delaying a couple of departures by a day or two. I suffered few breakages aboard which I was unable to fix straight away, or improvise around – in part due to having many spares on board, but also because I built in some time to the programme to get things fixed. My own ineptitude ripped a sail and bent a spinnaker pole during the first Atlantic crossing, but both were repaired in Martinique.  The only thing of consequence to go wrong was the Raymarine autopilot, between Bermuda and the Azores – luckily we could use the Hydrovane for most of the trip, even motor sailing. As far as crew were concerned, everyone who had committed turned up, and to them I am deeply grateful.

Spellbinder proved to be an excellent yacht for the purpose, and the ocean pedigree of Hallberg Rassy became clear to me. I was fortunate in inheriting a very well-maintained yacht, and the refit I carried out in Gosport over 2017 and early 2018 proved well worth the effort.  Life was very comfortable on board – the freezer, water maker, storage and tankage and hot water system making life particularly pleasant, allowing us to eat well and take daily showers. Communications worked well, with the SSB and Pactor modem becoming my principal means to send and receive emails and download grib weather files.  The SSB also came into its own for passage radio call-ins, which added to our safety and sense of an ocean community. The sat phone was for emergencies and the odd mid-ocean phone call.  Of the other equipment I would cite the following as being particularly useful: the Hydrovane, for many hours and miles of trouble-free and mechanical steering, requiring not a single amp; the Parasailor, which allowed us to sail dead downwind in light airs (7-12 knots) when otherwise we would have struggled or resorted to the motor; the Coppercoat on the hull, which in combination with a regular light scrub (something one can do in the tropics) kept the hull smooth and our boat speeds up; and the drone, which took some wonderful footage.  We were also very grateful for the fans which had been installed. On the electrical side, the solar panels proved a disappointment (a poor design had been installed) but after their replacement in the BVIs I found that in conjunction with the Aqua4gen (a water towed generator) I was fairly self-sufficient in the tropics.  The increase in battery power to 750 amp hours proved a wise move.  Finally, my new helm plotter, on a swivel in the cockpit and interlinked with the AIS and radar feeds, proved sufficient for all our needs and I didn’t even use the one which had previously been installed. On the sailing side, the new genoa and mainsail from Jeckells were excellent.  In the Caribbean, with more consistently strong winds, I found the working gib more than adequate. With the Parasailor (cited above) and gennaker – which was excellent when reaching in light airs – I found I had everything I needed.  Had we encountered gale force winds, we had the removable forestay and storm staysail which, in conjunction with a deep third reef, would have been ideal.  In the event we only encountered winds in excess of 30 knots once, and then only briefly.

I met some wonderful people during the voyage, of all nationalities.  The challenges of sailing binds people together (it might seem from the outside to be an idyllic lifestyle but in reality is quite hard work and full of challenge!) and Spellbinder’s guest book has many more entries.  We encountered no crime and the locals we met were on the whole extremely friendly and helpful. Joining the Ocean Cruising Club was a real pleasure, and opened the way to meeting a great group of international sailors.  I was surprised by the lack of young British people on yachts – there were many more French, German, Dutch and Scandinavian sailors in their twenties who had cobbled together to make dreams happen, sailing small yachts long distances while in the prime of their youth. Perhaps we Anglo-Saxons have lost the ability to do this – has life become too serious too soon? Do university debts impede this now, or are people too eager to gain employment or a mortgage? 

The geography and culture I encountered were as wonderful as expected.  I loved Madeira and the Canaries, but on another trip would spend more time in Cape Verde – they are wonderful, the people relaxed and friendly, and relatively unexplored.  I wish I had planned another week or two there.  Perhaps next time I will head to Suriname from Cape Verde. I had already sailed in the Windward Islands and they were as beautiful as I remembered, although increasingly crowded.  Martinique was new to me though, and I found the west coast a delight – Le Marin is an ideal landfall after an Atlantic crossing. Sailing north, the Leewards are great islands to cruise, but the effects of the 2017 hurricanes (Irma and Maria) have left their mark.  Dominica was the poorest of the countries we visited, but its lack of development is an attraction in itself.  It made me reflect on the various constitutional choices these islands have made in the last 70 years, and the consequences of those choices. Of the other Leeward islands, Barbuda and Anguilla stood out to me as being the most beautiful. The BVIs had also been ravaged by Irma but are bouncing back; I can see why they are such a wonderful cruising ground, given their closeness and the ease of sailing.  Anegada was the best of them. I found Bermuda expensive but quite interesting, and the Azores requiring a summer to be spent there – as with so many of the east Atlantic volcanic islands, the walking was superb.

By way of conclusion – it was a fantastic year, one I am already savouring in retrospect. I will continue to do so.  It was an excellent mix of challenge (the first days of a long ocean passage are full of uncertainty, and it invariably took me a few days to sleep well), adventure, beauty, fun and cultural delight. It has left me relaxed and happy, and ready for new adventures. On the sailing side, I suspect Spellbinder will remain in European waters for the next few seasons – western Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and the Baltic call – but I would love to do another Atlantic circuit one day.

A final word to all my crew, and to my family – thank you for all your support.  Without you none of this would have been feasible. I will shortly publish a further blog summarising each leg, to thank you more directly.

*Islands set foot upon:  Madeira – Porto Santo, Madeira and Ilas Desertas; Canaries – Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and Gran Canaria; Cape Verde – Sal, São Nicolau, Santa Luzia and São Vicente; Windward Islands – Dominica, Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent, Bequia, Mustique, Mayreau, Union Island, Petit Rameau and Baradal (Tobago Cays), Petit St Vincent, Sandy Island, Carriacou and Grenada; Leeward Islands – Terre-de-Haut, Ilet à Cabrit, Basse Terre (Guadeloupe), Antigua, Barbuda, Nevis, Basse Terre (Saint Kitts), Saint Barts, Saint Martin, Anguilla (including Prickly Pear island); BVIs – Virgin Gorda, Tortola, Cooper Island, Salt Island, Peter Island, Norman Island, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada; Bermuda; Azores – Flores, Terceira, São Miguel; UK – Isle of Wight and mainland Great Britain

** Ocean passages over 1000 NM: Gosport to Madeira (1345 NM, 9 days); Cape Verde to Martinique (2100 NM, 13 days); Bermuda to Azores (1659 NM, 12 days); Azores to Gosport (1400 NM, 12 days)

 

 

 

The final passage of Spellbinder’s Atlantic circuit was Ponta Delgada in the Azores to her home berth in Gosport, a trip of some 1400 nautical miles.  Normally I would expect to be in Falmouth after 7 or 8 days, but we were faced with an interesting routeing challenge, with a large depression forming over north west Spain.

The Grib (weather forecast) file showing strong northerly and north easterly winds west of Spain and into Biscay

We were therefore obliged to head north first, using some light southerly winds to get ourselves up to around 46 or 47 degrees north, before turning east and trying to find some fair winds and favourable currents to take us into the Western Approaches.

Crew for this leg were eldest son Tom and friend Crispin, who were each returning for their third time during this year’s voyage.  After preparations had been completed in Ponta Delgada, we refueled and headed off.

Leaving Sao Miguel

For the first few days we had fair winds, making good use of the Parasailor, motoring a fair bit and gradually gaining the required degrees north. Julian, my ever faithful weather adviser, kept us on the straight and narrow through nightly email exchanges and we had to make careful note of the engine hours used, as fuel consumption would be critical.  Eventually I made the call after 7 days to head east at 46 degrees 30 minutes north, and we cut the corner of the low pressure, motor sailing though the swell until we reached the other side.

Sailing with the Parasailor…

…and furling gennaker, when we had the angle. Sailing into the dawn, and away from the sunset was, of course, the exact opposite of our Atlantic crossing in December

We kept ourselves busy – reading, cooking, carrying out running repairs and for two of the crew, daily exercises.

The advantages of having a son studying physics at university – electrical and electronic repairs were effected flawlessly

Wholly unnecessary physical exercise carried out enthusiastically by two of the crew, while the skipper watched, glass of wine in hand…

…their exertions seemed to make them happy though

We baked five loaves, all them a disaster with the texture of bricks.  We think that the tropical climate wasn’t good for the yeast

Once through the low pressure system we had light winds and fair currents, and gradually made progress towards Scilly, where we needed to refuel. I had been concerned about fuel consumption, but having emptied the contents of the reserve tank into the main one, I was able to calculate it more scientifically.  Having kept the revs down, we had been sipping fuel at about 2.2 litres an hour, which gave us plenty in hand.

‘Hands To Bathe’…post exercise dip in the deep Atlantic

Motoring through glassy calms

We saw many dolphins, and many whales – particularly one evening, when all around us there appeared to be whale spouts, showing up white against the dark cloud which was in front of the setting sun.  You will have to take my word for it, as they were too far away to photograph effectively.

Approaching Scilly after 10 days, we flew the drone and enjoyed spectacular images and video of passing Bishop’s Rock lighthouse.

Approaching the Western Isles, Scilly

Sailing past Bishop’s Rock lighthouse

Retrieving the drone – always a slightly nerve-wracking experience

Once past Bishop’s Rock we went into Hugh Town on St Mary’s to refuel and Crispin topped us up with fresh food.  To await a fair tide round Land’s End and the Lizard, we  anchored in the Eastern Isles for lunch.

At anchor in the wonderful Eastern Isles.  We were lucky to have calm conditions

We had a good a good sail down the south coast, enjoying a spectacular Parasailor run from Portland to Swanage, before anchoring again in Studland Bay to await a window into Hurst Narrows and the Solent.

Parasailor propelling us along nicely, a few miles off Portland Bill

At anchor off Old Harry’s Rock – almost home…

Our night entry into the Solent was uneventful, and we tied up in Cowes in the RYS Haven at 0330. We thought we would have some kudos for sailing in from the Azores, but the neighbouring yacht had just come in from a Transat race from Newport, Rhode Island, and was turning around overnight to race to Saint Malo!

After a fine breakfast, we cleaned Spellbinder up and then had an excellent lunch to celebrate our arrival and the end of the year’s voyage.  My friend Peter had kindly ordered champagne for us – thank you for your thoughtful and timely gesture! After lunch Tom and I took Spellbinder back to her berth in Gosport, completing our circuit of the North Atlantic.   Thank you Tom and Crispin for your excellent company on this memorable trip.

Reflections on this wonderful year’s voyage will follow in a few days.

All dressed up for a celebratory lunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

I often seem to write my blogs at airports – something to do with the WiFi, no doubt, but also because I tend to be at them when there is a change of crew, marking the end of a stage of this journey.  And so it is today: Spellbinder has been in the Azores now for over three weeks, and is about to depart with new crew for her final leg of this Atlantic circuit, from Ponta Delgada on São Miguel back to UK.

From Flores, with the original Atlantic crew, we headed straight for the island of Terceira.  I would have loved to have visited Horta, a great mid-Atlantic crossroads for cruisers (a night at the Cafe Sport bar, and painting your yacht’s mural on the harbour wall are rites of passage), but it will have to wait for another time.  At this time of year it is very crowded, and the winds and time precluded a visit.  However, we found a snug berth in Praia da Vitória,  from where I was able to fly back to UK briefly.  During my absence Julian stayed aboard for a few days – a good thing, as there were 40+ knot winds one night.

The autopilot had broken a couple of days out from Bermuda, so I was keen to get it fixed.  Julian and I had done a good diagnosis, which was confirmed when I took it to David at Hudson Marine on the Hamble.  A new clutch for the drive unit was required, which we duly fitted.  I’m pleased to report that all is now well – a good thing, as steering while motoring through ocean calms is no fun at all!

Fixing the Raymarine autopilot drive unit

Once back in the Azores, I explored Terceira, hiring a car. It was fiesta time, and I joined fellow Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) members to watch the bull run in Angra do Heroísmo.  They block off a few streets, and let half a dozen bulls run rampage. Amateur matadors play with the bulls, and if you can touch their horns (thankfully protected with a soft end placed over them) the crowd roars in approval.  Beer and testosterone combine to make men do dangerous things, and every year people get hurt or worse.

Parade before the release of the bulls.  Olé!

Bulls on the run, Angra do Heroísmo…

A local matador showing off…

…but I think the bull rather got the better of him

Most spectators are safely sat on lorry beds, or up in trees, but we found a spot where a local said that in 61 years of watching it, no bull had ever come near.  He was wrong! Moray, a fellow yachtsman stood next door to me, took the following footage:

Luckily no-one was hurt, including the bull. It was a tad discombobulating though.

After an hour the bulls are rounded up and returned to their farms.  That evening there was a bullfight in the local arena, but although they place darts in the bull’s body it is illegal in Portugal to kill them.  It was difficult to envisage all this happening in UK: not the thing of Health and Safety and the RSPCA!  But in the Azores, it is part of the very cultural fabric, as much as cricket is with us.

Terceira was lovely, for its architecture particularly.

Ornate architecture, dates of construction clearly shown

Churches in the same style

Statue of bulls in Angra do Heroismo

Ugly silos spruced up with vibrant depictions

Street in Angra do Heroismo, ready for the fiesta

Looking south from the island: a typical Azorian patchwork of fields

My time on Terceira ended with a fun and international OCC gathering, kindly organised by Jonathan and Anne Lloyd (photo courtesy of the local OCC port officer, Lina Lane-Thornton).

The next morning the weather was set fair for a passage down to Ponta Delgada on the island of São Miguel.  It was to be single-handed, so I left the marina at dusk and anchored in the harbour, so as to get an easy start early the next morning.  The passage proved straightforward – I left just before dawn into a nice broad reaching wind, albeit with a 2-3 metre swell on the beam.  At 90 nautical miles, this was the equivalent of a Channel crossing and for me the longest single-handed passage I have undertaken so far.

On passage between Terceira and São Miguel, amidst seagulls

Heading down the São Miguel south coast 

After 13 hours I arrived safely in Ponta Delgada, found a berth and sorted out formalities in the morning.

Before the arrival of the next crew I hired a car and explored the island.  Like all of them there is ample evidence of EU money being spent: modern roads and infrastructure, and a system which seems to work.  São Miguel is, like many of the others, volcanic in nature and I explored two areas of great beauty: Caldeira des Sete Cidades and Furnas.

The former is a town right down in the bottom of a volcanic crater, with two lakes named Lagoa Verde and Azul (green and blue). It is a truly spectacular descent.

Caldeira des Sete Cidades and its lakes

Over in Furnas, there are thermal springs galore, where you can bathe and also eat the  local dish Cozido, a delicious stew.

Thermal springs…

…’Cozido’, geo-thermally slow-cooked for your delight…

…which required a geo-thermal bath to aid digestion

The flora on São Miguel is spectacular, with ubiquitous hydrangea and agapanthus lining the roads.

Delightful flora abounds

The north coast of São Miguel 

It’s a lovely island.  As elsewhere in the Azores, I found the people calm, polite and helpful, and English is widely spoken.  They know how to be kind and welcoming to tourists.  Prices are extremely reasonable (and a positive delight after Bermuda) and the cuisine delicious.  I have just tasted the Azores – and I will be back. Having crossed the Atlantic twice, the distance from Falmouth (7 or 8 days for Spellbinder, with fair winds) means that the Azores will continue to call me.

Tomorrow I depart with my new crew – elder son Tom, and friend Crispin – for the final passage back to UK.  This morning I filled up with fresh fruit and vegetables in the local market, and studied the weather forecast – not that favourable, with a round-about approach needed to ride the west side of an anti-cyclone and to avoid some north easterly winds.  It will take us a few more days than it might.

The market at Ponta Delgada

 

Bermuda was fun – we had good company with several fellow Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) members, it proved a good place to stock up (albeit at prices which would make the finest organic grocer in Belgravia seem like an Asda mega-discount store), and fine weather.  My crew for the return Atlantic crossing were Alan and Julian, and when they flew in we began to prepare Spellbinder for what would be a 1700 nautical mile passage to Flores in the Azores.

We had time to make the most of Bermuda as strong northerlies delayed our departure by a couple of days.  The crew toured the island by bus, we filled up with diesel, provisioned and generally got ourselves organised.

Informal OCC drinks aboard Spellbinder in St George’s Harbour – it’s a very international club

Delightfully illustrated Bermudan dollars

Waiting to fuel up.  With the prospect of light airs, we needed to fill every single litre of fuel capacity.  Spellbinder holds about 440 litres of diesel, enough for about 800 nautical miles of motoring

Final crew dinner before departure

We left Bermuda through the St George’s Town Cut at around midday on 27th May, heading out into light winds which allowed us to broad reach, firstly under white sails then under gennaker.  It was a perfect way of easing into a long passage, with fine weather and good boat speeds.

Leaving Bermuda

The rest of the passage served up lots of light winds, calm patches, enormous amounts of animal life, and one or two mechanical challenges.  For the most part we were either goose-winged in stronger winds (although nothing much above 22 knots) or flying the Parasailor, which proved invaluable in propelling us along downwind in true winds of 7-14 knots.

We had two long runs under Parasailor – the longest being 44 hours, all steered by the Hydrovane.  It made a real difference, as otherwise we would have drifted at 2-3 knots, or would have been forced to motor

Mother Nature served up some real treats on this passage. We saw many, many dolphins and porpoises, and several whales – although the latter proved extremely difficult to photograph, as by the time you get a camera out they tend to have dived, leaving a blow-hole if you are lucky.  We experienced dolphins swimming with us at night, leaving trails of phosphorescence like torpedoes darting around and under the hull.  We also saw hundreds of thousands of Portuguese Men O’ War, which filled the ocean rather like the Sargasso weed had done down in the Caribbean.

Dolphin school approaching…

…and one of the daily displays they treated us to

Portuguese Man O’ War.  They were everywhere, wrapping themselves in our fishing line and towed generator.  They seem to move along in the current, blown by their own ‘sail’

A day out of Bermuda the Raymarine autopilot failed – a bit of a blow, for while the Hydrovane will steer us effectively at all wind speeds and angles of wind, when it was calm we were obliged to hand steer.  Fortunately these periods were quite short, and we learnt to use the Hydrovane to steer us when motoring or motor sailing too.  The diagnosis is a broken clutch on the drive unit, which I hope to repair in the UK shortly, to allow us to use it for the final leg back to UK.  Everything else worked though, so we enjoyed daily showers thanks to the watermaker, and good food thanks to the freezer.

Dismantling the autopilot drive unit

Life on board was good – we ate and drank well, established a very workable watch system and enjoyed some fine sailing in calm seas, with swell generally less than 1.5m. The SSB HF long distance radio came into its own, with daily OCC nets where we could talk to each other even when several hundred miles apart. Quite a community grew up. There was also a more formal evening check in with an American organisation which tracks yachts crossing the Atlantic, and also daily met broadcasts from the redoubtable American meteorologist Chris Parker, which proved very useful in planning our route. My good friend Julian would also email me regular weather routing advice, so we were well served.

The skipper relaxing mid-ocean.  Fishing was a complete disaster though!

Washing day

Photographing one of the many fine sunsets

Midday beers on the fore deck, under gennaker

We sighted Flores, the northernmost island in the Azores, about 50 nautical miles out.  Arriving in the outer harbour about 5am, we anchored and waited for daylight, before heading into what is a cramped harbour with a major hazard in the entrance.  A while back a lump of jetty fell into the water (it had been poorly constructed, and was un-reinforced). It is marked by a green starboard-hand marker, which is difficult to see in the dark.  For a tired American sailor, used to buoyage the other way around (‘red right returning’) it could prove disastrous – we saw a UK yacht almost come to grief.  Luckily we were aware of it.  We had logged almost 1700 nautical miles, and the passage had taken 12 and a half days; of that we had sailed 9 of them, and motored the rest.

Talking on the radio as we approached Flores

Once tied up, we strolled up into the village, had some celebratory beers and flew the drone, mixing with some of the international crews who had recently crossed, some of whom we had been talking to on the SSB. It was a public holiday – no-one was about, and most things were closed, so we decided to head out the next day for the islands in the centre of the archipelago.  The next blog will recount Spellbinder’s cruise of some of the Azores.

Flores harbour, as seen by the drone.  You can make out the dangerous lump of jetty right in the entrance!

Saint’s Day parade in Flores

 

 

 

Spellbinder is currently making good progress on her passage from Bermuda to the Azores.  She left St George’s on Monday 27th May and at 1415 UTC on Monday 2nd June was at 38 50N 47 22W. This position is 900 miles out from Bermuda with some 750 miles to run to the Azores.  At the moment the nearest land mass is Newfoundland, 500 nautical miles to the north.

All is well on board and the sailing has been good, with only 16 hours of motoring required so far. The wind has been behind the beam throughout, and a combination of goose-winging, broad reaching and in the last 24 hours Parasailor alone have allowed her to maintain her heading without recourse to diesel. The Raymarine autopilot has been playing up, however, which may mean any extended motoring may have to be done by hand; the Hydrovane has, however, come into its own and has steered us most of the way.

The weather has been fairly cloudy until recent days when the arrival of high pressure has brought fairer skies, calmer winds and flatter seas.  The passage requires careful monitoring of the developing weather systems, less to avoid gales but more to find wind. The position of the Azores High is critical in this endeavour and we have been getting nightly GRIB (weather) files each night through the SSB long range radio.  There has also been a very useful radio net run each morning by the Ocean Cruising Club, where a number of yachts making the passage check in informally.  There is also a more formal check in each evening with a net sponsored by the American Seven Seas Cruising Association (the net is called the ‘Doo-Dah’ net) which tracks progress of yachts on passage. There is also a twice daily weather bulletin by a sailing meteorologist called Chris Parker, which is useful.

We have seen porpoises, plenty of storm petrels and thousands of Portuguese Men-of-War floating by with their little blue- or red-fringed sails up.  There is a bit of shipping (which stays well clear) and some other yachts in the vicinity.

We are currently heading north to try and get around to the top quadrant of the Azores High, and profit from its westerly winds.  Expected arrival in Flores, Azores is around Sunday 9th June; we intend to spend a night or two there before sailing down to the middle islands, visiting Horta and Terciera.

Having left the British Virgin Islands in good time, we have had a good opportunity to explore the wonderful island of Bermuda.  After conducting our Customs and Immigration obligations, the day after arrival we headed around the north of the island to Hamilton, where we berthed at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.  From there, we hired scooters and had a most enjoyable couple of days exploring.  It brought back memories for me, as I had stayed with a friend here for a couple of weeks back in the early nineties.

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, which charges $4 / foot to dock, is easily the most expensive marina I have ever berthed in.  That said, the facilities are smart and excellent, we were made to feel really welcome, and the Club is full of yachting memorabilia and history. We split the costs and it made a great base.

A properly royal club…

…which was hosting a top level international keel boat regatta during our stay

There was a good set of royal yacht club burgees, including that of my own

There were sumptuous surroundings in which to relax…

…and when in Bermuda, wear Bermudan shorts when talking to the members!

The first day we headed over to Dockyard, where there is an old British Naval base which features traditionally robust Nelsonian-era architecture.  It has been somewhat marred by the proximity of the cruise ship terminal, but there was an excellent museum in the Commissioner’s House, which occupied us for a couple of hours as we learned about the history of Bermuda from the earliest settlers – who were shipwrecked – to the present day.  Bermuda’s geographical isolation has in so many ways influenced its history.

The Commissioner’s House

Naval ramparts, looking north

Bermuda hosted the America’s Cup in 2017 – the US entry, Oracle Team left their yacht on display

We visited a cemetery en route to the Dockyard, with the graves of several dozen Royal Naval personnel from World War Two

View of Bermuda , looking towards Hamilton from the lighthouse

Welcomed back to Hamilton by the statue of  Johnny Barnes, a resident who stood and waved at traffic every day between 1986 and 2015

The second day we re-visited Saint George’s by land, enjoying some great beaches on the way.

Church Bay beach

The team on their scooters – note the state-of the art helmets!

Saint George’s.  Bermudan business attire is fairly widespread still – shorts, long socks and sometimes topped with a blazer

Danish sail training tall ship in Saint George’s

View from Ordnance Island, Saint George’s

Another beautiful American yacht. I liked this one as the skipper has his or her own cabin, companionway entrance and private stern deck to enjoy, while the crew sail the yacht

Bermudan roofs – universally whitewashed, and with a unique rain-catching gutter which funnels all the rainwater into storage

View of the Town Square, Saint George’s

We headed back to Hamilton and the next morning said goodbye to François.  Neil and I then sailed back to Saint George’s, where I had negotiated a mooring.  It was a good passage, and we almost managed to enter the Town Cut and go into the harbour under sail.

Sailing through the Town Cut

We enjoyed Bermuda immensely.  Spellbinder is now based here awaiting her next crew to take her to the Azores, with a departure planned for towards the end of the month.  There are quite a few yachts gathering here, including the ARC return leg, and several fellow members of the Ocean Cruising Club are inbound.  It should be a sociable time.

 

 

 

 

The passage from the BVIs to Bermuda is about 850 nautical miles, and the pilot book advises that for the first few hundred miles, the south east Trades should help you along. As you near Bermuda, however, you are liable to meet calms.  And so it transpired – 4 days of steady winds between 14 and 22 knots just behind the beam, followed by a brief gennaker run as the winds lightened, followed by 24 hours driven by Mr Yanmar.  We arrived after a 5 day, 8 hour passage averaging 6.5 knots.  Crew for this trip were Neil and François.

My stay in the BVIs had been made greatly more enjoyable by the team from Penn’s Landing, the little 12-dock marina which made me feel very welcome and which provided Spellbinder with an excellent base.  Thanks to the marine manager Justin and Rick in particular, who were great. We left Penn’s and headed over to Virgin Gorda to check out of the BVIs, before raising the sails and starting our passage.

François and myself preparing to leave Penn’s Landing

Farewell to the BVIs

The winds were strong enough to push us along well, but also kicked up moderate seas which gave my crew early bouts of seasickness, from which they thankfully recovered after a couple of days.  This was a trip which proved perfect for two bits of kit which had yet to come into their own. I had used the Hydrovane a little during the Atlantic crossing, but directly downwind the Raymarine autopilot proved more accurate and faster.  Across the wind, however, the Hydrovane came into its own and steered us straight and fast for 4 whole days, keeping the wind just behind the beam and on track, without using a single amp.  The other bit of kit which proved useful was the Aqua4Gen – a towed propeller generator which put in a steady 5 or 6 amps. I had used it when crossing the Atlantic but lost the propeller due to metal fatigue after the first day. Luckily I had a spare, and having repaired the generator in Martinique I found that in conjunction with the solar panels the two kept on top of the electrical demands, meaning that I only ran the engine every 3 days, mainly to get hot water.

Hydrovane and Aqua4Gen in action

The passage was full of delightful sunsets and sunrises, a few flying fish and the odd squall, but few other yachts.

The Raymarine Quantum radar, when switched to weather mode, proved adept at picking up squally showers

The skipper catching up on his sleep…

Neil surveying the scene

A somewhat recovered François…

…who provided saucisson with the apéro – a Spellbinder specialty

Coming back up into the yacht after clearing the Sargasso weed from the Hydrovane rudder – the weed proved a real impediment, and precluded fishing as the lure would always catch it.  I estimate 5% of the seas’s surface was covered in the stuff

As the winds died we enjoyed our gennaker for a few hours

After our 24 hours of motoring, we were called up by Bermuda Radio as we approached, and they guided us via the ‘Town Cut’ into St George’s Harbour.  It’s a great entrance and landfall. One in we tied up at the Customs and Immigration dock, where we went through the formalities required and were dealt with very efficiently.  We spent the night across the way tied to the quay, and with the ‘Q’ flag down (formalities complete) we were able to go into town and enjoy a couple of drinks.  It was a fun passage, not without its challenges, but with a great sense of accomplishment.

Entering the Town Cut at sunset – good timing!

Docked the next morning opposite Customs and Immigration, Ordnance Island, St George’s

Arrival drinks.  Thank you to Neil and François for your crewing duties!

We are currently exploring the wonderful island of Bermuda, and another blog will follow shortly.

 

 

I have spent the last few days on Spellbinder with my eldest Tom. We visited Anegada, a small island which is part of the BVIs and to their north.  It proved to be a very special place, meriting its own blog post.  We also spent a bit of time preparing Spellbinder for the next phase of the adventure, which will be a see her undertaking three long passages to return to UK in July.

Anegada is a coral atoll, no more than a few feet high.  Only 250 or so permanent residents live there and there is little significant modern development.  It was pretty much flattened by Hurricane Irma but has bounced back.

We had a good close reach up there in 15 knots or so of wind. Since arriving in the Caribbean I have had just a working jib as a foresail, as the breeze is ever present and a genoa would often need reefing.  It has worked well, and was new out of the bag as Spellbinder’s previous owner barely used it.  The trip to and from Anegada was a great example of a perfectly balanced rig making 6-7 knots without fuss.

Anegada has some of the most azure of azure waters:

You only see Anegada from a short distance off – it’s very flat, and the trees are the first things you see

The anchorage was at Setting Point, and we crossed the reefs with barely any water under our keel – I knew it would be tight, as we were at springs, but I reckon we had about 20cm under the keel.  It was too shallow to pick up a buoy so we anchored off in hard coral sand, digging in the anchor as best we could then doing something definitely not taught in the RYA syllabus – diving down on the anchor and piling rocks and stones over it.  You can do that when you anchor in 2.5m in tropical waters!

Setting Point anchorage – pretty shallow!

On arrival Tom and I hired a 4×4 and toured the island.  It was the first time I had been driven by Tom, who coped well with a beat-up (no passenger side wing mirror) left hand drive automatic car driving on the left hand side of the road.  Rental cars are easy on Anegada – cash, no deposit, few details required – you can’t go far!

My very casual-looking chauffeur for the day!

We saw many fine beaches, snorkeled on one (Loblolly) and had lunch at the Anegada Beach Club on the north side.  We also visited Cow Wreck Bay, and saw pink flamingos in the distance from a vantage point.

Pomato Point, the other anchorage, which is more remote

Anegada signs

Tom went for a run in the evening, cooled off in the sea and that evening we ate lobster – which seems ubiquitous – at a restaurant called the Lobster Trap.  It was delicious.  The lady who runs the restaurant and the Anegada Beach Club told us she orders 700lb of lobster a day – it seems the seas can sustain this level of fishing.

Sunset run, and cooling off in the sea…

…before a lobster fest

Before leaving back for Virgin Gorda and Tortola we had a couple of boat jobs to do.  Nothing significant has broken on Spellbinder so far (except that which I have broken myself) but I was looking in the engine bay and saw that the water pump had sprung a leak.  Fortunately I had a spare on board and we swapped it over quite quickly.  I also noticed that the calorifier had moved on its mounting as a nut had come undone – this required us both entering the engine bay and despite the cramped surrounding achieving the fix.  Sweaty job though…

Trying to find the source of the leak

We had a good passage back south, had a night in Gorda Sound (Leverick Bay) and Tom, seeing a mountain, duly ran up it.

View of Leverick Bay from above

After lunch in Cooper Island, we headed back  to Tortola to our berth. The final evening was spent preparing Spellbinder for long distance cruising – jib down, genoa and furling gennaker bent on, and a trip up the mast to inspect the rigging and replace a block.

The view taken by Tom from the top of the mast.  I do look small down there…

Anegada was wonderful, and a fitting final sail to the cruise of the BVIs.  I have thoroughly enjoyed it here, and can see why it is such a popular cruising destination.  It was also great father and son time – thank you Tom.

Next stop Bermuda – on current plans we depart Sunday.  We should have some nice easterlies but a dropping high pressure means I suspect we’ll motor the last bit…

After a brief trip back to UK to catch up with family and domestic life, I returned a couple of weeks ago to Tortola to await the next crew. Crispin, Ann and my god daughter Lottie arrived and were joined a few days later by eldest son Tom.  Together, we have just spent a wonderful few days sailing around this excellent, sheltered and benign cruising area.

Benign, that is, outside of the hurricane season. Hurricanes Irma and Maria (September 2017) hit the BVIs in common with the neighbouring islands and the damage caused by them is still very obvious.  The islanders are recovering well though, and despite a lack of greenery and many destroyed buildings and boats, life has resumed.  It will, however, take many more years for a full recovery.

First stop for us was Virgin Gorda, and Gorda Sound. Some of the iconic yacht bases (Bitter End, Yacht Club Costa Smerelda) are still rebuilding but Leverick Bay has been reconstructed quickly and appears to be benefiting from good trade.  We motored up there into the prevailing wind, picked up a buoy, and met the local Cruising Association Honorary Local representative and had drinks with Simon and Nichola, the crew of another yacht, Parati, we had previously met in Madeira.

Leverick Bay

The next morning, after a motor around the Bay to see the state of the repairs, we headed down to The Baths on the leeward side of Virgin Gorda.  We swam ashore with our stuff in a big waterproof Ortleib bag, and enjoyed the boulders, snorkeling and views from the restaurant at the top of the hill.  Our destination for the night was Salt Island, an uninhabited spot which provided us with a tranquil anchorage in company with a couple of large yachts.  I took the opportunity to fly the drone, and we swam the next morning over the wreck of RMS Rhone, which sank in October 1867 after another hurricane.

Anchorage off Salt Island.  A rather larger yacht (and ensign) belonging to another Squadron member behind.

Stroll up to a peak on Salt Island – photo taken by the drone

Crispin diving down to inspect the wreck of RMS Rhone…

…which is still fairly intact.  You can see much of the superstructure, masts and even the propeller

After Salt Island we returned to pick up Tom, and headed back across to the southern BVIs to visit Norman and Peter Islands, sailing around both in a clockwise direction to enjoy the wind and Atlantic swell. On Norman Island there is a ship called ‘Willie T’ which attracts many to its bar and location.  It’s quite a party place…

Tourists jumping off Willie T.  You might recognise the famous figure stood on the left – a well known resident of the BVIs, and  knight of the realm…

We didn’t fancy a full-on party so instead motored over to Peter Island, where we found a delightful anchorage (Little Harbour) where the yachts and boats were anchored in a semi-circle with lines taken ashore.  We took ours to a pontoon, and enjoyed a tranquil evening and night with turtles swimming around and rays fanning over the seabed beneath us.  As I inspected the anchor, a ray with a long tail was passing over…it seemed like a good omen.

Little Harbour – a tranquil place on a deserted island

As the winds tend to come from the east, our bow usually lies in that direction, and we view the setting sun from the stern.  With a line ashore, in shelter, this time the opposite was the case 

This used to be a nice house on the tip of Peter Island…as seen by the drone

After this fabulous anchorage we headed over to one of the BVIs’ renowned snorkeling sites, called The Indians, by Pelican Island.  Picking up a buoy, here we had the best snorkeling of the week, amidst a myriad of fish and coral.

Snorkeling amidst the resident fish of The Indians

Next was Jost Van Dyke, an island to the north of the archipeligo. Here we entered White Bay, where there was little water but we managed to anchor first on a short chain, then were offered a buoy by a parting catamaran.  I looked at the previous owner’s blog from 2008 and we had a very similar experience, just touching the sand in one place as we maneuvered about.  One day Spellbinder will get a skipper who knows what they’re doing! But out here sometimes these things happen, particularly if you are adventurous and know that water will be tight.  What’s important is to have an escape route!

At White Bay we  visited the famous Soggy Dollar Bar – so called because of the wet nature of the notes which are often brought ashore by cruisers. We enjoyed the cocktails, beach games and a wonderful rising moon over the beach.

A Soggy Dollar ‘Painkiller’.  Never have a third…

Full moon rising

In the morning Crispin and Tom went for one of their morning runs, enjoying the views from the hilltops over Jost Van Dyke.

A quick trip to Great Harbour followed, to visit the famous Foxy’s Bar – Foxy is well known in the BVIs and was recently awarded an MBE.  We didn’t see him though, but the place certainly looks as if it has hosted some great parties.  After a coffee and a breakfast for the runners, we headed around to Little Jost Van Dyke and Diamond Cay to have lunch in a lovely beach shack called Bee Line, where we enjoyed the relative isolation of what was little more than a beach shack.

Beach games at Bee Line.  Lottie and Tom comparing juggling skills.

Our destination for the evening was Trellis Bay, for the famous Full Moon Party. There were dozens of yachts already in place, but we anchored where we could and went in to enjoy the bars, music, artwork and braziers in the water.  It was great fun and rightly attracts a good crowd when it happens.

Full Moon Party Trellis Bay and a decorative brazier

We awoke slightly the worse for wear and headed over to a delightful little island called Marina Cay for a restorative fruit punch. This little island was also ravaged but is coming back, and another time I’d spend a night on a buoy here and enjoy the views.

Marina Cay.  Some coconut palms survived Irma, and some didn’t…

Our final day was spent on a buoy in the Dogs, a small group of islands which are uninhabited but which are good for snorkeling and generally watching the world go by.  We had lunch, swam and flew the drone – a familiar combination.  We have been gradually scrubbing the hull to get rid of the growth of the past few months – not enormous, and the Coppercoat is largely doing its job – but necessary nonetheless as I look forward to three long passages ahead to return to the UK.

Spellbinder in The Dogs

Tom diving deep to scrub the keel.  Thanks too to Crispin for helping with this – we now have a relatively clean bottom!

And that was it – back to Tortola for a final dinner, and an early start for Crispin, Ann and Lottie to fly back to UK.  Thank you to all three for being such a great crew and company.

Tom and I now have a few days to explore Anegada, a beautiful coral atoll 13 miles north of Virgin Gorda, from where I write – a separate blog will follow.  Thereafter the passage home starts in earnest – to Bermuda at the end of the month, to the Azores at the end of May, and back to UK in early July, all going well.

Tom enjoying helming, although he hates the bimini, which restricts his ability to trim the sails…

Thanks Crispin and Ann… 

…and Lottie!  Glad you enjoyed yourselves

 

 

 

Spellbinder has spent the last 10 days exploring the northern Leeward Islands of Saint Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis, Saint Barthélemy (Saint Bart’s), Saint Martin / Sint Maarten and Anguilla.  She is now tucked up in a quiet marina in the British Virgin Islands while I fly back to UK for a couple of weeks to catch up with the real world, while wondering whether I will be entering an EU country and leaving one which has firm plans no longer to be so!  The more time I spend in the Caribbean, the less I care…

Crew for the last leg was my old Army friend Patrick, who flew from New Zealand via New York to join me. We had no particular plan other than to head north and explore_, and once we had readied Spellbinder we set out from English Harbour Antigua on a 50-mile passage to the very round island of Nevis.  It was a long day’s sail downwind, under working jib alone, enjoying the surfing waves as the giant round island got ever closer.  Once arrived, we anchored off the main town of Charlestown awaiting customs and immigration for the next morning.  Charlestown has an aura of colonial past – Nelson married a Nevis girl (Fanny Nisbet) while he was stationed in Antigua and Nevis people seem proud of their history.

Spellbinder off Charlestown, Nevis, with Saint Kitts behind

Nevis was once full of slave plantations of which the main reminders are old stone windmills, which were used for crushing the sugar cane.  Quite a lot of these old plantations have now been turned into boutique hotels, and our first stop was to flag down a bus and visit one called Golden Rock.  High up on the hillside, surrounded by beautiful gardens it was both beautiful and enchanting – but for me there was also a pervasive sense of the blood, sweat and harshness of those enslaved there who built the buildings now inhabited by wealthy guests.  Patrick and I had the most expensive coffee in the Caribbean before heading down via another bus to explore Charlestown more fully.

Tropical gardens in a boutique hotel made out of  former slave sugar plantation buildings

We couldn’t quite understand why the town was being spruced up with such un-Caribbean alacrity, but we learnt that HRH The Prince of Wales was due to visit a couple of days later. VIPs often comment that the smell of fresh paint follows them everywhere, and this was a good example. We visited some thermal baths and then the Nelson museum, which in addition to charting the latter’s life also had a good section on Nevis’s recent history and road to independence. This independence came via British-enforced federation with Anguilla and Saint Kitts, of which we learned more in Anguilla.

Our morning in Nevis was fun but in the afternoon we sailed over to White House Bay in Saint Kitts, one of the nicest anchorages of the leg. The snorkeling was good, including over the length of a sizeable wreck.  White House Bay is adjacent to a giant marina in construction, which already has room for several super yachts taking up part of a sheltered lagoon.  Once complete, it will become one of the largest bases in the Leewards, competing with the likes of Antigua. We had a great night in a beach bar called Salt Plage, talking to conferencing Americans, a Russian who had just gained her Saint Kitts citizenship (congratulations Maria!), and many others who had a story to tell.

The next day we went on a car tour of Saint Kitts, visiting a large Napoleonic fort called Brimstone built by the British, and having lunch on the windward shore by a beach protected by a reef.  We enjoyed the island for its natural beauty and history, but also for the great mix of people we encountered.

Brimstone Fort, built to defend Saint Kitts from the French, who successfully overran it in 1782, only for the island to be re-ceded a year later to the British by treaty.

Re-enacting locals in the uniform of the 4th West Indian Regiment

We checked out here…

We enjoyed Saint Kitts, but not the throngs of cruise ship tourists and the associated shops full of tat which had invaded the cruise ship terminal at Basseterre, the capital. On the right, one of the world’s biggest cruise ships.  A neat summation of everything I stand against in terms of never going on shepherded travel, although ‘chacun à son goût’

Saint Barts was next, and a great contrast. Our arrival coincided with the Bucket Regatta, an invitational competition for sailing yachts over 35 metres in length. Never have I encountered so many beautiful and ostentatious craft, most registered for tax reasons in fiscally-friendly nations, and others, for whom limitless wealth is just a state of life, flying their owners’ nationalities, often American.  They were an awesome sight and beautiful to behold, and I was struck by the power and noise as they sailed by.  Once again, they made Spellbinder look tiny.

The most beautiful, to my eye, of the big yachts in Gustavia Harbour, Saint Barts…

…and the most ugly, but the eye of the beholder is all. This one is Yacht ‘A’ owned by a Russian billionaire

The view over Gustavia, capital of Saint Barts

Spellbinder at anchor at sunset in the crowded harbour of Gustavia

We enjoyed Gustavia and the views around and over the harbour, and had a fine planteur (rum punch) in one of the bars in the harbour. St Barts exudes money, and has quickly recovered from the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017, unlike some neighbouring islands. The next day we headed to a beautiful bay called Anse des Colombiers where we swam with turtles, I scrubbed the hull and we strolled around. I have never encountered both wild turtles and wild tortoises within a few hundred yards of each other. Much less busy than the packed harbour at Gustavia, Colombiers was delightful.

‘Planteurs’, Saint Barts style

Having swum with wild turtles, we met wild tortoises

En route to our next destination, Saint Martin / Sint Maarten, we stopped at a wild bay between the islands which might have been in the outer Hebrides.

Saint Martin / Sint Maarten is an interesting island, as it is divided into a French side in the north and a Dutch side in the south. The story goes that in order to decide the boundary, a Frenchman and a Dutchman got drunk together and afterwards the Frenchman headed north along the coast while the Dutchman headed south.  Where they met would be the boundary.  As the Dutchman met a woman en route, the Frenchman covered more ground and they ended up with more territory…but I might have thought it would have been the other way round…

We headed round the south of the island past the airport which is directly past the beach, and the subject of YouTube videos where the beach-goers can virtually touch the wheels of landing aircraft, and can be blown away by those taking off.

We anchored in the northern (French) part in Marigot Bay.  Going ashore, we were struck by the impact of the devastation caused by Irma and how little the island had recovered, compared by Saint Bart’s. It was indeed a sad place and we didn’t linger.  Two things summed it up for me – the Palais de Justice still boarded up (one would have thought the French state would have acted quicker – the Dutch side appears to be making more progress) and a comment from a Frenchman to the effect that the next time the wrecks in the inner lagoon would be moved would be by the next hurricane.  The photos tell the story:

After Saint Martin, Anguilla: we had a cracking day’s reach up to this wonderful island, which made a great impression on us. A British Overseas Territory, Anguilla has a wonderful recent history of having been ‘invaded’ by the UK in 1969 when we thought that it was being overrun by gangsters and prone to sedition.  On arrival, the Parachute Regiment battalion which was sent to quell the ‘insurrection’ was met by islanders who just invited them to a party and to discuss things the next day. Or so the story goes, as related by Remy, our guide who showed us the island.  The events led to Anguilla gaining its independence from an enforced association with Saint Kitts and Nevis, while remaining under the British crown.  They are very proud of this story, but I can believe it, having met some very relaxed and amiable Anguillans.

Thank you for your informative tour Remy

After the tour we enjoyed the beachfront in Road Bay, and in particular Elvis’s Bar, a remarkable establishment run by the man himself.  Not only does this beachfront bar have the best WiFi we encountered in the Leewards (video calling my eldest son Tom while swinging in a hammock gave me great pleasure) it also has great service and lots of beach games anyone can play.  We had two excellent nights there and again met some great people.  Anguillans are laid-back, uncomplicated and friendly, and we much enjoyed our stay there.

Elvis, the epitome of Anguillan cool.  Lest you are mistaken, he’s the one on the right…

We also visited a couple of the marine parks and had lunch at Crocus Bay, which was lovely.  There was an excellent live band and we subsequently learnt that the lead singer was Omari Banks, one of the few Anguillans to have played cricket for the West Indies.  He was immensely talented and I bought a CD of his reggae music which I hope will bring back some great memories.

Meeting Omari Banks.  Great cricketer, great musician

Off Crocus Bay

Sandy Island, one of the marine parks, surrounded by reefs.  It was an interesting dinghy ride in, and the solitude was spoiled by a large birthday party taking place.  Anguillans like to play their their music very LOUD

Anguilla’s beaches are magnificent

After Anguilla, we had a 90-mile overnight downwind and down swell passage to the BVIs, where Spellbinder now sits awaiting her next adventures.  It was good to be out in the Atlantic again. The BVIs call next, but thereafter 3 longish passages await to get Spellbinder back home via Bermuda and the Azores.

Only 3 courtesy flags left to fly…

The Leewards made for wonderful cruising; the variety is enormous, and the scenery stunning.  I hope these last two blogs have done them some justice.

Thanks Patrick for being a great crew and for all the craic!

 

 

After Sue and Jonty headed back to UK, I sailed single-handed back from Saint Lucia in a blustery F6/7 to Martinique to await the arrival of my next crew.  It was quite the roughest passage which Spellbinder has endured since leaving UK last July, but I managed it with just some minor repairs to make to the bimini.  I then had a few days on my own getting Spellbinder ready, which gave me the opportunity to catch up with boat jobs, and re-visit a couple of nice anchorages.

The next crew comprised David and Johnny and Lucy.  They arrived as Martinique was in full carnival mode.  It was quite windy and rainy – the rain inevitably followed by sun – but nothing could stop the people of Fort de France from dressing up Mardi Gras style and thronging the streets. Men dressed as women, women dressed as men – anything went in a riot of colour and loud music.  It truly was party time and we enjoyed the atmosphere, although it made getting back to the yacht with the crew’s bags all a bit of a challenge.

Carnival dressing up in Fort de France, Martinique

The carnival was centered around Savannah Park, just opposite the dinghy dock.  It also rather famously has a statue of the Empress Josephine which somebody decapitated a few years back, and which has never been replaced.  There is a slight ‘edge’ in the French islands about their history – particularly regarding the slave trade – a contention which runs on today in a slightly different way to the anglophone islands.  Josephine’s presence did, however, give the name to an excellent restaurant called ‘L’Impératrice’ which David and I enjoyed prior to Johnny and Lucy’s arrival.

A headless Josephine

Our aim of the next leg was to head gently north to explore the southern Leeward Islands. First stop on our cruise was Saint Pierre in NW Martinique.  This was my third visit and we enjoyed checking out of the excellent Alsace à Kay and eating by the beach on the terrace at La Vague. We also swam over the underwater statues.  It was a good shake-out sail but the next morning – after replenishing our stocks of fruit and vegetables at the early morning market – we headed for Dominica. This part of the Caribbean Sea is interesting in that in the days before longitude could be accurately obtained, ships sailed down the 16th degree of latitude, arriving between Dominica and Guadeloupe, and then turned either left to the Windwards, or right to the Leewards: it is a point of demarcation.

The passage across was quite boisterous and the crew ‘found their sea legs’ to use an appropriate euphemism.  The Trades had been quite strong for a few days and the swell therefore quite big.  However, once in the lee of the island, as is often the case, the sea flattened out completely, the wind dropped and we motored into the wide Prince Rupert’s Bay and the town of Portsmouth. Portsmouth and the rest of Dominica was ravaged by Hurricane Maria in September 2017 and the damage wrought was plain to see, with forests still flattened and many buildings still damaged.

Hurricane damage from Maria in September 2017.  Many of the buildings in Portsmouth were still uninhabitable

The people of this poor Commonwealth island are resilient though, and the Portsmouth residents have organised themselves to help visiting yachts.  The PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services) comprises a dozen or so men who help each other deliver various services including buoys, trips into the interior and beach BBQs. We were met quite far out by one of them called Alexis, who showed us to a buoy and came on board to discuss what we might do.  The next day, having checked in (and out) of Customs and Immigration we went by boat up Indian River, seeing iguana and a variety of tropical birds and crabs.  At the end was a bar where we were introduced to coconut rum punch, which was lovely, even at 1030am.

Thanks you, Alexis, for propelling us by motor then by oar up the Indian River

The rather beautiful ginger flower, which has medicinal uses.  Alexis swore by it and the benefits of coconut.  He may be right – the world’s most long-lived person died in Dominica recently at the age of 129

In the afternoon we headed into the interior of Dominica by taxi, visiting tropical rain forests and swimming in a waterfall.

It was nice to swim in fresh water for a change

Tropical rain forest, Dominica

Banana tree, showing a pod about to burst

That evening virtually all the yacht crews in the bay came together for a beach BBQ, which turned into quite a party and got the crew dancing.  The next day we opted to leave Dominica, although I am sure it has a great deal to offer.  We sensed that the population was doing its best, but couldn’t help wondering about the extent of UK DFID funding for this and the other hurricane-ravaged Commonwealth countries, which proudly use the East Caribbean Dollar with the Queen’s head on it.

Next stop was France and Guadeloupe.  Some Dutch guys in a Dufour 40 had challenged us to a race, but at the appointed time they did not appear (they did, however, visit us with some beer to apologise later in Guadeloupe – they had partied too hard…). A pity, as I had fancied Spellbinder’s chances. We did though have a good passage up and entered into Les Saintes, a group of small islands to the south of the mainland.  Not having tacked Spellbinder since July, I saw an opportunity and did so to approach the anchorage. Writing this reminds me of a time I met an Ocean Cruising Club member and asked him whether his yacht tacked well; he replied ‘my dear chap, I’m not sure as we only tend to tack on Tuesdays’.

The islands of Les Saintes  are incredibly beautiful, and well run by the French. Electric mountain bikes seemed the way to go to explore the main island. Never having ridden one, they were a revelation; all the pleasure of biking with none of the sweat and toil associated with grinding uphill in 30˚ of heat. I hadn’t appreciated that if you want more exercise, you simply dial down the electrical assistance, so you have the best of both worlds. I sense another purchase coming back in UK…

Lucy enjoying helming between the islands, watched by Johnny

On electric mountain bikes, near Fort Napoleon, Les Saintes, Guadeloupe

Views of Les Saintes.  They really are lovely islands, and part of the Guadeloupe archipelago

Sargasso weed piled up on the windward coast of Les Saintes, as on all the windward coasts of the Caribbean I have been to so far.  One species triumphing over Mother Nature.  In practical terms, the beaches smell and it is difficult to fish with a lure, but these are first world problems…

After our very pleasant stay in Les Saintes, which included a memorable lunch after our bike ride, taking another buoy beside the ‘Pain à Sucre’ (sugar loaf) hill, and a brief foray up the deserted Ile Cabrit to visit more ancient military fortifications, we headed over to the Guadeloupe mainland.

First stop was the Plage de Malendure, a nice but windy anchorage opposite a marine national park founded by Jacques Cousteau.  We had a lovely dinner overlooking the anchorage and then in the morning swam around Pigeon Island, which proved to be the best snorkeling of all our trip.  With large fish everywhere, it was like swimming in an aquarium.

Inquisitive fish inhabiting Pigeon Island

An otherwise unremarkable photograph, but I wanted to show the black shapes, which are the Pigeon Island fish: large, varied, and everywhere

Next stop for the night was Deshaies, on the north west coast of mainland Guadeloupe.  I wanted to visit for two reasons: firstly, it is easy to check out, and secondly, it is the place where they base the filming of the BBC’s ‘Death in Paradise (DIP)’ which – despite its formulaic nature – is strangely compelling.  Deshaies proved delightful – a small bay, quite sheltered, with everything a yachtsman needs in a compact place.  We visited the DIP film set, had a memorable sun-downer in ‘Catherine’s Bar’, and David visited some remarkable botanic gardens.

Memorable sun downer in Catherine’s Bar, as featured routinely at the end of each ‘Death in Paradise’.

On the film set of ‘Death in Paradise’

We left Deshaies after a nice breakfast in town.  Antigua beckoned, and a few hours later after another memorable sail we entered English Harbour and the delightful Nelson’s Dockyard marina.  Berthed stern-to, we found ourselves at the heart of 18th and 19th century Britain exerting its influence in the Caribbean.  Delightful architecture, great facilities, and a great base.  We toured the harbour by dinghy, visited Galleon’s Beach and the Dockyard museum (if only they had known about the role of mosquitoes in malaria and Yellow Fever) and generally sorted our lives out.

View from Boom restaurant, looking across to Nelson’s Dockyard

Superyachts and Georgian architecture.  Spellbinder was amongst the smallest yacht berthed in Nelson’s Dockyard…

Galleon’s Beach, English Harbour

A friend of a friend Bill and his wife Sam – residents of Antigua during the long Chicago winter – came on board for a drink and told us of Antiguan life and where to go. One place they had not visited, however, was Barbuda, which was to prove a memorable 2 day trip. 7 hours to the north of Antigua, it was devastated by Hurricane Irma, and the population was evacuated later when another hurricane beckoned.  It is recovering very slowly, but is the most magical of semi-deserted places, with an incredible 11- mile beach, by which we anchored once we had navigated our way in through the reefs.  Devastation, beauty, wildness – the photos tell the story.

It was nice to have lighter winds behind the beam – the cruising chute helped propel us to Barbuda and back.  I hadn’t used it since Biscay

The devastated, formerly luxurious Lighthouse Bay Hotel

Hurricane-induced breach into the main lagoon in Barbuda

The crew walking along part of the magnificent 11-mile beach – here at Low Bay, where we anchored

Sunset at anchor.  I am loving my drone, and its possibilities

It was a lovely stay overnight in a remarkable spot, seemingly at the end of the world. Real life did beckon though, and we sailed back to Antigua for the inevitable crew change-over.

We loved the southern Leewards and their diversity in particular.  Thank you David, Johnny and Lucy for being such great crew.  Next stop the northern Leewards, and onto the BVIs…

 

Following the RYS cruise,  Sue and Jonty joined me in Grenada to spend half term sailing back up the Windwards chain to Saint Lucia. As there is often a northerly element to the easterly trade winds, and combined with the current which sets west, more often than not we were quite hard on the wind.  That said, there was nothing too drastic and we spent a very pleasant and memorable week together with lots of swimming, snorkeling, walking and eating well. The itinerary for those interested was: Grenada – Port Louis, Dragon Bay, and Tyrell Bay and Sandy Island on Carriacou; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines –  Clifton and Chatham Bay on Union Island, Saltwhistle Bay and Tobago Cays on and by Mayreau, Admiralty Bay in Bequia, and Petit Byahaut and Wallilabou on Saint Vincent itself; Saint Lucia – Marigot Bay.

Rather than describe each and every event I simply leave you with some of the photos we took, with a little commentary under each.

Taken in Clifton. Feet in the ‘merde’ but always looking proud – the cockerel’s fate.  My French friends love the analogy, particularly when their rugby team is having a tough time…

We walked high up above Chatham Bay on Union Island to a ridge where we got great views over the anchorage.  A giant soldier appeared to have left his helmet here in the 1940s… 

We came across a hermit crab on this walk too

Views above and along Satwhistle Bay, Mayreau

Obligatory lobster tails in Tobago Cays.  We also swam with turtles and Sue had two large black rays pass underneath her when swimming.

I can’t quite recall which beach this was, but thought the photo was worth putting in the blog anyway…

One of the better-known local boats in Bequia.  Inspired by tobacco, perhaps?

Petit Byahout, a small bay on the western coast of Saint Vincent.  Utterly deserted and accessible only by sea, we had some of our best snorkeling here in gin-clear water. Photo taken by the drone.

One of the many boat boys / men who greet you in Wallilabou.  This is Zico, very proudly showing us his photo in Doyle’s guidebook.

Sunset in Wallilabou. We anchored off and ran a long line to a palm tree ashore.

Marigot Bay, Saint Lucia.  We walked up another high ridge through rain forest to get the view. It was a luxurious finish in a lovely spot.

Sunset in Marigot Bay…

…where I also had my haircut by this fine gentleman, who not only has one of the best-positioned barber shops in the world, but also cuts the Saint Lucian Prime Minister’s hair…

It was a memorable week.  After saying goodbye to Sue and Jonty, I single-handed Spellbinder on quite a boisterous passage north back up to Martinique, where I am readying Spellbinder for her next crew, who arrive this coming weekend.  We will be spending the first two weeks of March heading up the Leewards, all going well.

I returned to Martinique in late January and found Spellbinder in good condition after her Christmas stay in Le Marin. My new crew were Peter and Janet, old friends and themselves owners and accomplished sailors of a Hallberg Rassy 37, and they helped me prepare Spellbinder for her further travels.

In December I had set in train a number of post Atlantic crossing repairs – the mending of my bent spinnaker pole; fixing a leak on the high pressure side of the watermaker; repairs to our Parasailor downwind sail, and the replacement of the old Furuno radar with a new Raymarine Quantum model.  I was delighted to find all had been done – chapeau Le Marin – and the first morning was spent gathering up bits and pieces (including transporting my newly repaired, and slightly shorter spinnaker pole by dinghy through a mangrove swap) and paying bills. By the afternoon of the first day we were away.

Over the first few days I re-discovered Martinique with Peter and Janet – Sainte Anne, Les Anses D’Arlet, Anse Noire and Saint Pierre, all of which are covered in the last post.  We settled into a wonderfully relaxed rhythm of early morning tea, swims and short sails followed by more swimming or snorkeling, and sampling the various ‘Planteurs’ (rum punches) as we headed north.

First stop, St Anne, and a dinghy dock with sun loungers

Peter’s early morning swim given rainbow approval

More random beaches and sun downers.  No green flash spotted yet though…

Another mellow evening with Spellbinder anchored in Anse Noire, my favourite bay in Martinique

We checked out of Martinique in Saint Pierre.  The French have an excellent online self-declaration system and I was able to clear out Spellbinder and her crew at ‘Alsace à Kay’, a great Alsatian restaurant with apéritif in hand. The next morning we set sail for Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia to join the RYS cruise, which was gathering at Rodney Bay marina.

The RYS cruise took us down Saint Lucia to Marigot Bay, a wonderful little inlet where we had our first party.  There then followed a series of stops in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and eventually in Grenada where the 10 day cruise ended. We came and went with the rally, sometimes doing our own thing but generally enjoying the organised events.  Highlights were playing cricket in Bequia followed by a reception in Jack’s Bar, and the next day another party up in the hills in an ex-Prime Minister’s residence; a very privileged tour of Mustique, with a magnificent reception in a member’s house followed by a beach BBQ; lobster barbecued in Tobago Cays; a great long lunch in Petit Saint Vincent , and various other events, some impromptu and others organised, which together made for a very special 10 days. We spent most of our overnights at anchor.  I had been encouraged to buy a barbecue for Spellbinder, and Peter put it to great use. I also had great fun flying the drone, where it was allowed, and took some great footage.

A lovely evening in Wallilabou, Saint Vincent, where we christened the barbecue

A high standard of cuisine continued

Cricket in Bequia…

…followed by a reception high up on the island

Anchored in Tobago Cays

Saltwhistle Bay on Mayreau, my favourite bay in the Windwards. 

The same bay looking out towards Tobago Cays, with Spellbinder in the foreground

Another view of Saltwhistle…

…which has a great horizontally-growing coconut tree on which to sit for crew photographs

Great sign, but the owner had no need to thank the crew of Spellbinder!

Not a bad view from Petit Saint Vincent, as we prepared for lunch

Evening drinks rafted up in Chatham Bay, Union Island

We also enjoyed some great sailing in addition to the social agenda. The wind was very kind, and we raced downwind between the islands. Thank you to Richard, owner of the lovely yacht Titania of Cowes for the following photographs of Spellbinder enjoying herself:

It was an excellent and well-organised cruise.  We ended up in Port Louis, Grenada, where I will shortly be joined by family for the return trip north to Saint Lucia.  Grenada marks the southern extremity of this trip, and in effect the half way point.  So far, so good; the sabbatical is shaping up nicely, with much to look forward to.

 

It took us a couple of days to recover from the Atlantic crossing – a day just for ourselves, and a day for Spellbinder.  The latter included trips to a sailmaker, rigger and metal workshop to get various repairs in train, and a couple of inevitable trips to the chandlers to stock up on bits and pieces. Thank you to my crew, Alan and Neil, for their help and forbearance in turning Spellbinder around.  By Tuesday 12th Dec we were on our way, aiming to explore Martinique’s west coast.

It didn’t disappoint.  The mix of French first world investment and Caribbean culture is an enticing one: you feel as if you are in the Tropics, but enveloped in a comfort blanket of western European standards. I was even able to pick up a prescription from a French doctor in Besançon by producing my carte vitale (French social security card) – in seconds, the computer systems linking instantaneously to the homeland…

First stop was to Saint Pierre at the top of the island, passing by Ile de Diamant, once captured and commissioned by the British as ‘HMS Diamond Rock’ as it occupies a strategic position in the St Lucia strait.  The French and British contested the Caribbean for a long time, and while the French eventually won out in Martinique there were periods of British occupation.

HMS Diamond Rock, that was

Saint Pierre was known as the Paris of the West Indies until the local volcano destroyed all around (28,000 souls) in 1902, despite giving everyone plenty of notice of its intent. Thousands died, and among the single digit survivors was a prisoner in his cell, who had a rather better day. Today it is a small beach-side town which is more Caribbean than French in character, and we enjoyed the long beach and snorkeling over some sunken statues.  It was an ideal first stop, and Alan and I walked up to a statue of the Virgin Mary which dominated the bay to take some exercise and fly the drone.

View of Saint Pierre beach with the volcano sleeping peacefully

The same view as seen by the drone…

…which we also flew round us.

Nice anchorage too, and scene of the first ‘planteur’, my rum-based sun-downer of choice

We enjoyed Saint Pierre but the next day we had an appointment to keep with the commander of the French naval base, who had very kindly offered to show us around Fort Louis (formerly Fort Edward – see comment about shared history above). Damien and his colleague Yvan (who had single handed across the Atlantic to arrive in his posting – chapeau mon ami) very kindly met us as we moored up in the base and we had a very informative and enjoyable tour of the fort, which like so many French forts had taken inspiration in their design from Vauban.  We enjoyed the wild iguanas which roamed the fort, had a coffee in Damien’s office and – of course – shared champagne on Spellbinder by way of remerciement. Thank you my friends for your company and hospitality.

All three of us in uniform?

The view from Fort Edward Louis

A random iguana, now obviously French

We anchored back in front of the fort and the next day visited Fort de France, the island’s capital. Not much to report – a bit of shopping, and a nice enough city, but we were keen to move on and find some beaches off which to anchor.

We expected this type of market…

…but had forgotten that it was nearly Christmas. The juxtaposition of Christmas trees and tropical plants in 30 degrees takes a little getting used to.

There then followed a succession of anchorages off beaches – Trois Ilets, Anse Mitan, Anse Noire, Grande Anse and Les Anses D’Arlet for any that know Martinique.  All delightful in their own way – lovely sand, coconut trees, great swimming and snorkeling and the inevitable fabulous views at sunset.  My favourite was Anse Noire, a little bay where we were one of only two yachts overnight, the other yacht being Daaal II, from which Joss and Aurélie came over and had a drink. It was good to meet such a fine example of British-French co-operation!

Spellbinder in Anse Noire – ‘noire’ beacuse the sand was volcanic black, unlike the beach next door, by way of a strange geological quirk

Turtle’s head, filmed by my Go Pro…

…(s)he, and the symbiotic accompanying sucking fish, made agreeable swimming companions

We had a tranquil time in Anse Noire

Ok, I can hear you – that’s enough, give me more winter storms and Brexit!

We had a great trip, a just reward for the planning and effort of the Atlantic crossing. We finished our time in Saint Anne, just outside Le Marin where we had a gastronomic last lunch before heading back to our berth, cleaning up Spellbinder, having a drink with neighbours Sorin and Ana from Romania (who were very British, having an Oyster for a yacht and having berthed her in Limehouse for three years).  We then put Spellbinder to bed to await the return in January of her skipper and new crew, for further adventures.

Lizards and a washed-up ketch in Saint Anne

I have made a 5 minute video stitching together some clips which together should give a good impression of our crossing.  View it here:

Spellbinder and her crew arrived safely in Le Marin, Martinique at 1750 on Saturday 8^th December after a 13-day and 6 hour, 2100 nautical mile passage from Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde.  It has been a fantastic experience – challenging at times, but we all now have a real sense of achievement.

We enjoyed Mindelo and the taste of Africa it gave us.  Provisioning was a bit of a challenge and we bought a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables from the local markets, washing it all in Milton sterilising fluid to kill off cockroach eggs and any other unwanted infestations (so far so good). The marina was quite well set up and we enjoyed meeting some of the ARC + crews, although were glad we had chosen to be independent, most of all in terms of flexibility in our departure time.  I am also very independently spirited! We ate well in the local restaurants as well as on the marina floating pontoon. As it was, we left a few hours after the ARC + fleet, having re-fueled and having persuaded a testy immigration official to give me my ship’s documents back. Charm, extreme courtesy, a modicum of humour dosed with feigned obsequiousness worked in the end.

Views of Mindelo

The floating pontoon, Mindelo marina

Spellbinder’s berth at Mindelo

Fresh fruit and vegetables, washed in anti-cockroach egg Milton sterilising fluid

The crew before departure – from left to right Alan, Neil and me.  Alan arrived in the Caribbean considerably more facially hirsute!

Leaving Mindelo behind

Blustery conditions as we left Cape Verde

We were blessed with reasonably good conditions throughout most of the passage.  After a blustery departure through the wind acceleration zone between Sao Vicente and Santo Antão (which saw gusts well into the 30 knot bracket) we settled into what were well-established Trade Winds which varied between 12 to 25 knots, with the average being in the 17-22 knot bracket. The swell at times was significant – 3-4 metres at times although the average was 2 to 3 – but it was largely behind us and although we occasionally fell off a big wave and corkscrewed, for the most part it was an easy motion. We had sun every day with varying amounts of cloud, and the odd light shower, particularly at night. We overtook some of the ARC+ yachts in the early stages but quickly lost track of them.

We goose-winged on starboard tack most of the way, finding it a bit too gusty for the Parasailor until the latest stages of the trip, when it came into its own in lighter airs for a day before being caught out in a squall, necessitating a swift taking down and a future trip to the sailmakers. For the most part we had a reef in the main and genoa, and used the Raymarine Autohelm to steer us in windvane mode (ie keeping a specified angle to the wind) as it kept a straighter line and coped better heading straight downwind.  We varied its level of responsiveness until we found the right balance, and although we paid a price in terms of battery drain it served us very well. The Trade Winds served us well until the penultimate day, when they dropped to below 10 knots and we reluctantly had to motor for a few hours.

Fairly typical Atlantic rollers coming up behind us.  We got used to them and enjoyed the surge they gave Spellbinder every few seconds

We saw many sunrises astern…

…and many sunsets ahead.  No green flashes though.  On the horizon, one of the few other yachts we encountered

We settled into a good routine as a crew and took it in turns to cook lunch and dinner, breakfast being a DIY affair according to individuals’ wake up times.  We had an informal watch system during the day, with someone always in the cockpit, but at night formalised a ‘2 on – 4 off’ regime with me putting the boat to bed (2000-2200, during which time I used the SSB (HF radio) to write and receive emails, and get GRIB weather files), doing a middle of the night watch (0200-0400) and waking her up (0800).  I made sure I did a dawn and dusk ‘patrol’ of the fore deck to look out for chafe and anything untoward, as well as to pick up the self-sacrificing flying fish which greeted me most mornings! Alan and Neil filled in the watches between, swapping around halfway through the passage. Every three days we cleaned the yacht, and every 15 degrees traveled west we put the clocks back by an hour. We ate really well, benefiting from my shopping in Tenerife and the freezer – and we all baked bread and Neil cakes and scones, and magnificent Yorkshire puddings!  We ensured we had a drink and nibbles (soft or beer) before lunch and ‘sun downers’ to review the day and look forward to the next. Every 500 miles the gin and tonics came out to make another quarter of the passage completed.

Celebrating another 500 miles sailed

Some fine baking took place – here, bread and scones courtesy of Neil

A dawn patrol’s typical flying fish haul

As expected, we spent a fair amount of time mending things.  Early on my Aquagen (water electricity generator) lost its towed propeller due either to metal fatigue or just towing something it couldn’t handle – we obviously imagine it was a huge blue marlin!  We couldn’t fix this so were obliged to run the engine daily for 2-3 hours to service our electricity needs, which mainly went into refrigeration and autopilot. We also managed to bend the spinnaker pole slightly by tensioning the downhaul too tight, but not to the extent that it impaired performance.  We had a heads blockage caused by, of all things, a curtain clip falling into the bowl and occupying a key bend in the pipework (note to self – always keep the bowl shut).  I now understand my heads pipework much better! Our main VHF died owing to a blown fuse and me not quite having the right one to replace it (another note to self…) but otherwise it was a case of minor repairs.  I have decided that you can never have enough epoxy glue on board…

Pumping out the bilges

Sadly we didn’t see much in terms of wildlife – some distant pilot whale fins but no dolphins or whales.  We saw three types of bird in mid-Atlantic – petrels (supremely agile wave hoppers); shearwaters; and my favourite of all tropic birds, with long white tails. Other signs of life were few and far between – the odd yacht with whom we talked on VHF (including a French retired navy gang, and a somewhat ascetic German single-hander called Peter, who was struggling to make 4 knots (complaining about barnacles on his hull) and relied on catching tuna. I also spoke to a Dutch training tall ship called AMSTERDAM – when I talked to the watch officer I discovered he was from Shetland!  When you are just a small dot with a horizon of a few miles in the midst of a huge ocean, it is not surprising that you see little evidence of other human life. We saw other AIS ‘contacts’ on the chartplotter but they rarely came into sight.

Trade Wind rig

It was a great pleasure making landfall in Martinique, and we cracked open a bottle of champagne once moored up. We are certainly in the Caribbean, but also clearly in France – I had magret de canard washed down with a bottle of Graves last night to celebrate our arrival. We are now in recovery mode, having a day to ourselves before attacking various boat maintenance jobs on Monday. 13 days at an average of 500 steps (according to my watch) means we all need some exercise too! We plan to spend a few days from Tuesday cruising Martinique’s west coast before coming home to UK for Christmas. The temperature change will be a shock…

Arrival in Cul de Sac de Marin

There are advantages to arriving in France.  The real Caribbean can wait…

Daily distances through the water (left column) and over the ground (right). We averaged over 150 over the ground, at about 6.5 knots

So, a long-held ambition to sail my own yacht across the Atlantic has been fulfilled for me, and I am delighted.  I could not have done so easily without my excellent team – Alan and Neil were just what you need in terms of easy-going, resilient, flexible, reliable and resourceful crew.  Thank you to both; it was a great adventure.  The Atlantic circuit is now halfway complete.

After a couple of days reprovisioning Spellbinder in and around the local markets in Mindelo, we set sail at 1550hrs local on Sunday 25th November into the blustery acceleration zone between Sao Vicente and the island to its north, Santo Anta.  Fortunately the rough swell and 36 knot gusts were temporary, and once out of the shadow of the archipelago we picked up the trade winds proper, which have been blowing at anything from 12 to 26 knots from ENE or ESE depending on their mood, with up to 3m swell breaking behind us.

We are making good progress and have now sailed more than 1000 miles in just over 6 days, and are just over halfway to our destination of Martinique, which we expect to reach some time next weekend.  Spellbinder and her crew are well. We have had the usual minor breakages, most of which we have managed to fix although the water electricity generator lost its line and looks like it has given up the ghost in a cloud of carbon dust.  Most days are sunny, so we can recharge using solar panels, but we usually need to run the engine to up the battery banks every couple of days, and to make water.

We have adapted a goose-winged rig as conditions have been too gusty and with rolling waves for the Parasailor.  Generally the set up has been one reef in the main (which has a preventer permanently fitted) set on a starboard tack, with the genoa poled out on the other side with an uphaul and a downhaul to keep her in place.  This rig seems to serve our purpose in most conditions. Self steering has been either by Hydrovane or Autohelm, the latter proving more effective downwind in these conditions when the level of responsiveness is correctly adjusted.

Routine-wise, we have adopted 2 hour watches – 2 on, 4 off – which seems to work.  We take it in turns being head chef. The weather has generally been kind – sunny most days, and no significant squalls, although the wind has surprised us in its ability to change speed suddenly by 10-12 knots and direction by 10-15 degrees.

We have seen a few other yachts and a bit of shipping.  When near a yacht we chat on VHF and speak to some surprisingly varied set-ups, including a lone German who is single-handed in a small yacht and expects to be at sea for another three weeks, and a crew of retired French Navy personnel. We have also seen a bit of wildlife – petrels far from land, and some fins which we think may have been orcas.

So all is well and we are enjoying the journey.  A full report with photos will follow after arrival.

Having said farewell to Crispin and Charles, Simon and I headed off from Palmeira, Sal on Monday 19th November to explore some of the northern (windward) Cape Verde islands.

There was considerable swell as we motored in light winds away from Sal heading south south-west towards Sao Nicolau.  The interval between the waves was quite long – perhaps 150m – but the waves themselves were 4-5 metres from peak to trough. Caused by heavy weather to the north and west (we were amazed to see the BBC footage from Tenerife of hotel balconies being wiped away by the waves) it was mesmeric to motor though, and not at all unpleasant.

It was a 45 nautical mile passage and we threw out the fishing line as is our habit – more out of hope than expectation.  We were richly rewarded, however, hooking two excellent and quite large dorado.  No sooner had Simon landed the first and filleted it, I had the second on the line.

Simon’s dorado.  They are beautiful fish, but lose their beautiful blue, rainbow-like sheen the moment they come out of the water

I’m sure mine was bigger…

Dorado are easy to filet, and we when cut up we ended up with 24 large steaks in the freezer, which my Atlantic crew will enjoy.  The meat is absolutely delicious

By the time we arrived at Sao Nicolau it was dark, and we anchored under some cliffs opposite a little village called Caracas. After a quiet night we took the dinghy over to the village for an explore.  It’s quite remote, and accessible only by dirt track, so coming in by sea was the best way.  We met a few of the villagers who were plying their fishing boats, using nets, spears and sticks with hooks to trap, shoot and winkle out the plentiful sea life around.  They were indifferently friendly, and we felt at ease despite the evident disparity of wealth and lifestyles.  We made sure we made a purchase at the small shop.

Dinghy landing at Caracas

Not a friendly dog

After strolling around the village for an hour or so, we went back to the yacht and headed further round the island to a big wide bay and port called Tarrafal, where we based ourselves for a couple of days to explore the island. Having anchored, we explored the town (the second biggest on Sao Nicolau) and arranged for a guided tour the next day.  Again, we found the people friendly and nonthreatening, and enjoyed meeting the boys who surround any arriving dinghy on the beach, eager to be paid a coin or two for the dubious service of watching over your dinghy.  Those that could say ‘God save the Queen’ clearly were rewarded the most!

Tarrafal harbour, with Spellbinder at anchor in the background

Bizarrely, we came across a wrecked Moody undergoing Cape Verdean renovation!

The next day began, as so many others, with a cup of tea in the cockpit watching the sun come up about 7am.  It’s not too hot during the day, but adapting an ‘early to bed, early to rise’ routine makes the most of the daylight and the cooler hours.

Another dawn cup of tea, well before colours…

We met our guide Aqualino at the café by the fish market, and spent a day with him exploring the island.  It was magnificent.  We first climbed the highest peak (Monte Gordo) – albeit with a major head start by 4×4 – and looked down at the anchorage far below, admiring the greenness of the ‘wet’ side of the island and the coolness brought about by the altitude.

 View from the summit of Monte Gordo (1312m) with Tarrafal far below.

We spent the rest of the day touring the island, including the capital Ribeira Brava, which is nestled in the hills – established there both because of the water source and also to give some distance and warning from invading pirates in decades past. We saw wonderful scenery, fine seascapes and learned much from our witty guide who loved to flirt with all the women he came across – in true guide fashion, he seemed to know everyone, and claimed to be the the only Aqualino in Sao Nicolau.  We ate in a local restaurant next door to the chief of police (a character straight out of Starsky and Hutch), visited our guide’s house (which he is trying to turn into a guest house by the sea), and met his Brazilian neighbour.  At the end of the day, over dinner, we reflected that the modest sum we had paid him had been well spent, as we had captured the taste of the island, and begun to scratch under its surface.

Portuguese canon

Our guide showing us his house by the beach…

…and his extensive garden, including pineapples and yams grown in unorthodox pots

The next day we left Sao Nicolau early, heading over to a little island called Ilha de Luzia.  It is a nature reserve (turtles come ashore in late summer and lay their eggs) – a barren uninhabited island with hills and a beautiful long white beach.

Ilha de Luzia

We snorkeled off a rock and went ashore to fly the drone and to enjoy the wildness of it all. By mid afternoon the wind had got up, and we enjoyed a breezy sail into Mindelo, one of the great ports of the eastern Atlantic. It is the only marina in Cape Verde and we were allocated a good berth from which to prepare for the Atlantic crossing.  The place is busy, with dozens of European yachts and there crews and a couple of rallies about to head west, including the second ARC + which ends up in the Grenadines.  I’m glad I’m an independent though, and have appreciated the flexibility it has given me.

We loved what we saw of Cape Verde, and it has made me glad that I took the time to explore some of it.  It has made me want to come back and spent more time here – next time we’ll head to the southern (leeward) chain and see what they are like.  Cape Verde is ruggedly beautiful, and the people friendly and on the up. The walking is amazing. I sensed positive vibes from it, and while you are clearly in Africa not Europe – the poverty is evident – the place is modernising and heading the right way, with little sign of undue western interference of vulgar development.

As I write this Simon has headed home and my Atlantic crew – Alan and Neil – are about to arrive at Mindelo airport.  We have a couple of of days to prepare Spellbinder.  The next blog, I hope, will tell the story of the crossing.

 

Spellbinder has arrived safely in Palmeira, Sal, Cape Verde after 5 and a half days at sea, having left Tenerife on Mon 12th November. We had a good passage, with a bit of adventure and many new experiences.

We left Tenerife having checked out with immigration, and found a nice beam wind to clear the immediate island.  A few miles off, however, the seas were confused with swell and winds crossing providing a bumpy few hours.  The wind was consistently behind us though, and we experimented with various sail sets as we tried to make progress.  The first night we goose-winged, with consequent rolling keeping us all awake, and self-stowing all my gear! The next day we pulled out the Parasailor and gave it a really good run.  It is an excellent sail, and I tend to fly it without pole or mainsail with two guys and two sheets, with one of each taking up the tension on each side.

The sail allowed us to sail virtually dead downwind and has the added advantage of lifting the bow which limits rolling.  We sailed fast and straight with it, and it is remarkably stable in anything above 8 or 9 knots of true wind. The difficulty comes when it needs to be taken down, and we got caught out in a squall on the second night at around 2am. All hands on deck as the wind speed reached 26 knots – the limit being 20, really.  Thanks to the determined efforts of Simon and Crispin, and a little help from the anchor windlass, we got it down but not without a 2 metre tear at the bottom.  I think I shall be much more reticent flying it at night, when the squalls come; dead downwind with it during the day, but bear away if necessary and broad reach with white sails during the night I think.

The middle period of the voyage was taken over by running repairs – to the Parasailor (excellent job with tape and the Singer sewing machine – thank you Charles for introducing me to the concept of thread tension), to chafe on the bimini (Singer again, I’m getting good at it), to a solar panel, a dive down to clear a broken sheet attached to a joint in the rudder (thanks Charles – always handy to have a free diver on board) and various modifications to our arrangements of sheets and guys as we learned what was best. It is certainly the most prolonged period of dead downwind sailing I have done and will be really useful experience for the Atlantic.

As we progressed south the temperature increased and the wind died away, leaving us to motorsail or motor the final 36 hours. Highlights were toasting our arrival in the Tropics; almost catching a large dorado but landing a smaller one; getting up to finding a dozen flying fish on deck, and frying them for breakfast, and seeing a whale spout. We settled into a good routine, and ate and drank well.

We made a careful night entry by moonlight into Palmeira and anchored outside the two dozen yachts which are here.  In the morning the swell had got up and we were a bit to close to the beach; luckily with a bit of help from a local we were able to weigh anchor and take up a buoy away from the swell, more in the centre of the harbour.  The surf is amazing in what are 4 metre swells caused by strong weather north of the Canaries. Two hours at immigration followed (we are in Africa, after all…) and a trip to the airport to bid farewell to Charles, who somehow will contrive to be on some Army ranges in west Wales tomorrow morning!  Crispin departs tonight and Simon and I will head west to explore the neighbouring islands over the next few days, before aiming for Mindelo, Sao Vicente for Thursday and a final crew change prior to the Atlantic crossing.

Here are the photos which try to tell the tale of our trip down here:

Leaving Tenerife – Charles (L) and Simon (R)

The skipper disproportionately happy with his new 12 volt rechargeable coffee grinder

We baked bread most days, and made yoghurt.  Crispin’s loaf (shown) and Simon’s rolls won the Great Spellbinder Bake-Off

Tropical Atlantic rainbow.  The weather was cooler and cloudier than I had expected

The Parasailor doing its stuff

Running repairs to the aforementioned Parasailor.  Thank you Charles for actually reading the manual and alerting me to the importance of Fred Tension…

Celebrating our arrival in the Tropic of Cancer.  6pm sun downers became a regular part of our routine as we reflected on the voyage so far

The big one that just got away – a beautiful, probably male dorado with amazing rainbow colours…

…and the one that didn’t.  A smaller female we think

The morning haul of flying fish – fried in olive oil, they made a delicious breakfast

As we neared Cape Verde we saw squadrons of these fish flying around

Sal sighted.  We had a cautious arrival, as the buoyage lights don’t always work and there have been many recent changes

Palmeira harbour. Spellbinder is the only yacht with a burgee, now that there aren’t any British yachts present! There is considerable surf in the background

Tuna market on the quayside – gory!

The editor at work

 

 

After a short break back in UK to catch up with family and the real world (I do hate November weather in UK though, and all my prejudices about it being too cold and wet were dutifully reinforced), I have spent the last few days gathering crew and preparing for what should be a 5 day trip downwind to Cape Verde.  We depart tomorrow, Monday 12th November, for Sal – the most northeastern island of the archipelago.

My good friend Crispin arrived on Friday evening and on Saturday we sailed over to Gran Canaria and Puerto Mogan to pick up Simon, who had been cycling on the island. Our trip across was quite fruity – a maximum of 24 knots true, but we were hard on the wind and swell for the best part of 5 hours before it stopped completely as we reached the lee of Gran Canaria. The camera does tend to lie when you take photos of fairly boisterous conditions (the seas flatten somehow) and the photo below doesn’t fully convey what we ploughed through, let alone the water we shipped – but at least the sun was out!

Once in the calm we anchored in a small bay in what proved to be terminal moraine – not the best surface for an anchor – but enough for us to have a quick snorkel and see some fish, before heading into Puerto Mogan, where I had been a few days before.  It is truly a lovely spot, albeit an artificially contrived one:

Spellbinder’s berth for the night in Puerto Mogan

There we met Simon, had a cup of tea (as we are British and it was time) and went out for a lovely meal.

In the morning I showed Simon around Spellbinder and we slipped and re-fueled – for the last time before reaching the Caribbean, I hope. Our trip back to Tenerife was in contrast to the previous day’s thrashing; once we eventually found the true wind, we were able to broad reach for most of the way, a lot of it under furling gennaker. Great sailing, with dolphins to boot (and a sailing blog can never have enough photos of dolphins…)!

Champagne conditions…

…being enjoyed by Crispin and Simon…

…and our friends at the bow.

On arrival back at San Miguel marina we berthed, and spent an hour preparing Spellbinder for her next long passage.  I went up the mast to check the rigging, we fitted the Hydrovane rudder and bimini solar panels, and readied the towed generator. Tonight I am meeting Charles at the airport, having handed back the hire car I have had for the last month or so (at £12 a day). The forecast looks fairly benign, and we look forward to a 5 day trip downwind, and down-swell to Sal in Cape Verde. I will report back, all going well, when we arrive.

Checking all’s well aloft…

Spellbinder has spent the last few days cruising Gran Canaria, the fourth of the Canary Islands which she has visited in my tenure.  I know she has been here before because the previous owner’s details still reside on some of the marina computers from over 10 years ago!  I was joined by my friend Anthony, and together we left Tenerife for the 7 hour passage across.

Leaving southern Tenerife in a light easterly – El Teide present as ever

The passage across was a typical one for around here – winds bending around the islands, creating both wind shadows and acceleration zones.  A grizzled French sailor told me the other day that everyone who lives here habitually goes out with one reef in their mainsail, as they will be sure to use it!  It was certainly the case for our crossing: sailing in a light easterly, motor sailing to make some northing, motoring in a calm, 2 reefs in the main when entering the acceleration zone near the coast of Gran Canaria, then motoring again as we hit the lee of the headland where our destination was…all in a day’s 50 nautical mile sail.

Our destination was Puerto Mogan. What used to be a small coastal village became a 1980s / 90s purpose-built development but done for once in rather tasteful style. Known as ‘Little Venice’, it is full of bougainvillea-strewn balconies, little canals and restaurants and bars surrounding the marina, echoing the likes of Honfleur and Saint Tropez. It has a few visitors’ berths and I was lucky to get one, as this is very much the high season with lots of yachts arriving here to head across the Atlantic, via Cape Verde or direct.  They were very accommodating and we were shown to a stern-to berth, and after I had completed arrival formalities we went for a stroll and enjoyed a fine meal in an Italian restaurant.  The following morning we explored some more and soaked up the sights.  It is the nicest marina I have been in for a while.

 

On leaving Puerto Mogan we had a quiet day anchoring in a couple of the bays around – the weather was sufficiently calm, and we managed some good snorkeling and, as ever, the brush came out to scrub the hull briefly.  We anchored in the afternoon in Playa de Tauro – a fine yellow-sanded beach, with crystal clear waters which allowed me to verify the integrity of the hull and prop anodes and to brush away a few bits of slime which I had missed the previous week. Hull cleanliness equals better speed and time gained on long voyages…

Our destination for the night was Puerto Rico – not as pleasant as Mogan but functional enough. We moored stern-to in what is now habitual style, and wandered into town and ate well.

Cacti at Puerto Rico

View of Puerto Rico

The following morning we had a good sail back to Tenerife – the best sailing Spellbinder has had for a few weeks, beam reaching doing 7 or 8 knots over the ground in 20 knots of wind in a fair swell across to the lee of the island, when the motor went back on.

Leaving Puerto Rico, heading for Tenerife before hitting the winds. A volcano to aim for… 

It was a fun three days, with my friend Anthony proving his expertise in the preparation of gin and tonics, tea and coffee, and confirming his status as formal chai wallah to Spellbinder.  At this he is rather better than in mastering the art of the clove hitch! But thank you for coming out to Tenerife Anthony, and see you on board again soon.

Fêtant la fin du voyage

It’s not all about sailing, and this week, being half term, I was joined by family for some walking and sightseeing around Tenerife.

It is a fantastic island to walk and explore; one just needs to avoid the tourist centres and venture inland to find Canarian culture and fine mountains, and along the coast to find secluded spots to swim and snorkel.  These activities have occupied the last few days.

With El Tiede and the adjacent peaks dominating the island, a rain shadow is formed and the geography of the south – which is almost desert-like –  is in stark contrast to the sometimes lush, and very green north side which takes the trade winds and their moisture on the nose.  The temperature contrast is also very palpable: routinely 26 or 27 degrees in the day at this time of the year on the south coast where we are berthed, and single figures above 2000 metres. Canarian lifestyles are therefore hugely influenced by altitude and which side of the island one lives on.

We trekked through volcanic debris and ancient lava flows, through pine forests where the trees seem to thrive in the mineral-rich sediment, and into deep ravines where cacti flourish and water management is key to agriculture.  We tasted local food, enjoying tapas and paella particularly, and swam and snorkeled.  It has been a great few days. I will let the photos and captions below do the talking.

Cacti in abundance, ready to prick the unwary walker.  A deep ravine, as in the photo above, is called a ‘baranco’ 

Water transport in the days before the pipe.  To the right, an ‘era’, a stone circular platform around which horses were drawn to thresh out grain

Walking around in the national park at the base of El Tiede.  Much evidence of phonolytic viscous obsidian and pahoehoe basaltic lava, and skeletons of magmatic dykes – honestly!

Firs seem to flourish beside the old lava flows – the lava here dates from a 1909 eruption

A chaotically mangled landscape

Good walking around a lower volcano – this one is called ‘Chinyero’

A Dragon Tree (‘Dracaena Draco’) – one of our favourites, and the natural symbol of Tenerife.  They are native to the Canaries, Cape Verde, Madeira and Morocco. This one was in La Orotava, a lovely town on the north side of the island boasting fine wooden balconies in the historic centre (see below)

Snorkeling with the GoPro

Having arrived safely in Tenerife, my crew were keen to take advantage of our earlier than expected departure from Madeira, and we spent the next day heading over to San Sebastián in La Gomera for a night, before returning to Tenerife the next day.  This gave me a taste of what was to come, as I had planned 3 separate cruises to explore the Canaries over the coming weeks. The first was with my good friends Neil and Clare and their daughter and son Molly and Harvey. They are great sailors and having picked them up from the airport we planned a 4 day cruise taking in parts of Tenerife and the neighbouring islands of La Gomera and La Palma.

Sailing in the Canaries is not necessarily straightforward: there are wind shadows,  acceleration zones and an omnipresent ocean swell to look out for. Good anchorages are not plentiful and marinas tend to be full at this time of the year. However, it has its rewards: generally good weather, lots of wildlife and some great winds.  We had all of these in our four days.

First stop with the new crew was La Gomera, as the winds looked fair for it.  We did get a good sail at times, and decided to anchor in Playa de la Guancha, just to the south west of San Sebastián, to go for a swim.  Clare swam ashore and I checked under the yacht to see the state of the anodes and how much fouling the hull had accumulated.  Fortunately the former were still in good condition and the hull, thanks to its Coppercoat, had just a layer of easily-removable slime.  While I was doing this a friendly German, who had anchored overnight and looked very self sufficient, offered us a barracuda he had caught – willingly accepted in return for some chocolate cake we had on board.

Soon filleted and into the freezer…

After such excitement, and a bit of rain, it was time to head into San Sebastián.  The entrance could easily be in Africa or the Middle East:

Arrival at San Sebastián, La Gomera

The place is perhaps best known for Christopher Columbus who had a mistress here and also used it as a jumping-off point from what was then pretty much the limit of the known world. It is a very Canarian town, a far cry from the tourist areas on south west Tenerife towards which it looks over 25 miles of water.  Once settled into the marina (Spanish bureaucracy takes a while, and everywhere you go ship’s documents, insurance and passports must be produced) we strolled the streets, climbed the ramparts and had an apéritif while watching the world go by.

Frescoes, a bit of dilapidation and a sense of permanent fiesta

After dinner on board we planned our sail further north, to the island of La Palma and its capital Santa de la Cruz.  Having got up relatively early, we headed off and in the harbour encountered a turtle which was partially wrapped in a fishing net.  We couldn’t help it but hope it managed to disentangle itself.

Once clear of the shadow of La Gomera, the south westerly wind made its appearance and we had some champagne sailing under furling gennaker, arriving after a great day on the water into a spanking new marina.

Champagne sailing, with the bimini up to provide shade

We had time for a delightful stroll through the streets of this lovely town which again seemed utterly unspoilt by tourism.  We ate out deliciously in a great restaurant on the seafront – tapas, fresh fish and paella washed down with some really quite acceptable wine from the island. Whether such wine will travel remains to be seen!

The crew looking well fed, the skipper looking well watered!

The following morning we were greeted by a fabulous double rainbow over the marina.

Our destination for the day was back to Tenerife, this time to Los Gigantes, a town built into pretty sheer cliffs which provide a fabulous backdrop. We motored to start with, and were shown an impressive – albeit short – dolphin display as we left La Palma.  The wind soon got up though, and having been dozing I was woken by the crew to 28 knots on the wind gauge.  Three reefs were rapidly put in both sails and we had a great close reach south east, progressively shaking the reefs out during the day until we returned to the shadow of La Gomera again and it was time to motor. Heading towards Tenerife you can often use a volcano to tell the helm where to steer…

At 3718m, El Teide dominates, when not in cloud

Los Gigantes is a truly magnificent place for a marina. While it is not really set up for cruising yachts, we had reserved and were shown to a stern-to berth with lazy-lines.  This was a first for me in Spellbinder and I am pleased to report that the manoeuvre in backwards was executed with apparent ease!

Berthed stern-to in Los Gigantes, with the stunning cliffs providing a great backdrop.

After a pleasant night on board, we motored out in the morning to anchor under the cliffs just off Playa De Masca, where we practiced our swimming / snorkeling / scrubbing the hull routines. It was a great spot for a few hours.

Three crew swimming; the photographer, the fourth, also excelled herself in the water

Great cliffs at Los Gigantes – 800m vertical in places

Leaving Los Gigantes

After lunch we headed off back to San Miguel, but en route had in mind that the stretch of water between Tenerife and La Gomera is known for its cetaceans. We weren’t disappointed, and while there was not much sailing to be had we had some very close experiences with some pilot whales, as the two photos below show:

Natural beauty against a backdrop of Tenerife’s worst architecture…

Thus came to the end a great four day cruise, which has given me a real taste for more.  Thank you Neil, Clare, Molly and Harvey for being such great crew!

As the date approached for flying back to Spellbinder, I began to take an active interest in the weather, as one does.  Expecting to be greeted by the usual northeasterly trades, I was surprised to find a tropical depression turning into a hurricane predicted to pass across Madeira, bringing some very strong winds and sea state.  Hurricane Leslie was inbound!  We had a decision to make: either go early, and risk motoring to get south and to the Canaries, or wait it out and enjoy a roller coaster downwind ride once it had passed.  Given that the marinas on the south coast of Madeira have had problems and suffered damage in the past, I decided after a brief consultation with my crew that the former option was preferable, and having arrived by taxi at about 1815, by 1900 we were slipping lines.  My crew were Neil and Paul – the ‘Northern Contingent’ – both of whom had sailed with me earlier this year as I was trialing Spellbinder.  Neil had spent the previous few days aboard with his wife enjoying Madeira, and had kindly got the yacht ready for sea.

Leaving Madeira

We headed out into a westerly Force 4 and had a nice sail through the night, passing the Ilhas Desertas to port and heading out into a light swell.  By dawn the wind had died and we motored for 24 hours, ever grateful of the nautical miles were were putting to the south.  There was a lovely 2 metre swell which evidently came from the hurricane area, but it was on our quarter and helped us along.  The wind came back to help us the following morning, so we gave the Yanmar a rest and sailed for a few hours as Tenerife approached. You can see the big Volcano Pico de Teide (3717m) a long way off – it reminded me of closing in on Tristan da Cunha a few years ago during an east-bound Atlantic crossing.

The impressive volcano Pico de Teide (3717m) viewed 30 NM out

As we were taking in the view the fishing reel whirled – for the first time in many hours of trying! On Spellbinder the rule is that the crew who gets to the rod first gets to reel the fish in – or lose it.  This time it was Paul – and although we didn’t know it was a fish until it was 15m from the yacht, it did indeed transpire to be a beautiful dorado (also known as mahi-mahi or common dolphinfish).

Paul doing his best to imitate Ernest Hemingway

We got it on board ok using a small gaff I’d bought and dispatched it.

I didn’t actually catch it but it’s my yacht and my fishing rod!

The lucky squid lure 

Within a few minutes Neil had done an excellent job of filleting the dorado.

Sharp work  – enough for 3 fillets for a fresh meal, three in the freezer for later.  Fresh fish is a delight on passage, and this was the first time we have been lucky to catch a pelagic fish on board Spellbinder.

After the dorado excitement we headed down the east coast of Tenerife, heading into Santa Cruz Darsena Pesquera to refuel, as we were a bit short (I wasn’t sure, but with the reserve tank empty, and the working tank on the edge of the red line, in fact we had 50l left).

Rickety Spanish pontoons.  Spellbinder is now 378 litres of diesel better off.

After re-fueling, we headed further down the east coast of Tenerife towards our destination, San Miguel marina on the south-east corner of the island. The waters seem to be teaming with wildlife, and in addition to dolphins we saw a small group of pilot whales nearby:

It was dark by the time we arrived on San Miguel marina, but we were met and rafted alongside another British boat.  A night in town ensued, to celebrate the end of an enjoyable passage, Neil’s birthday, and the fact now that Spellbinder is down here at 28 degrees North, the easiest way back to the UK is via the trade winds and the Caribbean…

Spellbinder’s current berth

You may be interested to read that Spellbinder and yours truly feature in the October edition of Yachting Monthly in an article about wind vanes. Will Bruton, the Sailing Editor, came aboard a few months back to sail with us while doing the research.

The article is on pages 48-55, and you’ll see us on pages 50-53, with me pretending to know what I was talking about.

Meanwhile preparations continue for the Atlantic circuit as planned, with the next passage from Madeira to the Canaries, stopping off in the Salvagens, scheduled for mid October.

On arrival at Porto Santo, after a proper ‘run ashore’ to discover the delights of its nightlife, the crew hired scooters and discovered the island.  Dry in comparison with Madeira itself (20 NM to the SW), it has a long sandy beach (unlike Madeira) and a dry but quite interesting interior.  A few decades back NATO came and built a long runway and other infrastructure, but the island has its own charm and the people at the marina were helpful and polite.  We ran on the beach, shopped, ate well and swam. Before we left we bought paint and, with a bit of artistic input from Tiger, created our own wall mural in the tradition of passing sailors.  We have enough paint left for Horta in the Azores, the other famous place where such harbour wall artistry is encouraged.

Tiger and Tom on scooters, trying (and perhaps succeeding) in looking cool

Our mural on the visitors’ pontoon, Porto Santo

After a couple of days we headed down to Madeira – an uneventful passage in light winds again, although we did managed to catch a seagull in our fishing line, although it escaped unhurt. We were ushered into the main port-cum-marina in Funchal, and given a temporary berth right at the far end of it, amongst the tourists and ideally placed to explore the city. After another ‘run ashore’ Tiger left for the airport, the rest of the family flew in, we hired a car and then had a more traditional holiday, involving walking along the levadas (water ducts which follow contours around the hills), sightseeing and generally relaxing.  It’s a wonderful island, with hugely varying geography and micro-climates, fascinating geology, great food and relaxed people.  We enjoyed ourselves hugely.  We also sailed one day to the Ilhas Desertas – 20 NM to the ENE – a marine reserve with one very controlled anchorage for which you need a permit.  We had a boisterous reach in the Portuguese trade winds but on arrival found it a delightful spot to spend a couple of hours.  We didn’t see any Mediterranean Monk Seals (an endangered species – the islands shelter a small remaining colony) but did pump up the dinghy, visit the wardens and go for a short stroll and swim in waters teeming with fish.

Madeira was delightful, and we walked, ate and drank Madeira wine aplenty. We spent a further seven days in a marina adjacent to the main port ably looked after by Rafael Costa, before heading up to Qunita do Lorda, a little marina resort in the east of the island, where Spellbinder resides, awaiting her future passage south. Below are a few pictures of our time in this wonderful island, to which I look forward to returning shortly.

Beautiful sub-tropical gardens above Funchal

A typical Levada walk

Anchorage below the cliffs in Ilhas Desertas

Climbing up near Madeira’s highest peak, which we reached as part of a quite physical 6 hour trek – despite the easy paths!

Clouds rolling in over vertiginous valleys

Plenty for the student of geography…

Street art in downtown Funchal

Swimming by remote waterfalls

Rafael, who looked after us well in Funchal

Quinta Do Lorde, Spellbinder’s current berth

The last blog contained no photos because we made a video of the trip.  At 5 minutes, it is a bit rough and ready in parts but I am new to the software (Davinci Resolve 15).  However, it does convey what we experienced and I hope you enjoy it.  It can be found here:

 

 

Spellbinder arrived safely in Porto Santo, Madeira at 2000 on Wednesday 25^th July, a journey of 9 days or 222 hours to be exact.  We covered 1300 nautical miles at an average of just under 6 knots, a speed which reflects the relatively light winds experienced over the passage – the maximum recorded gust being 18 knots, but the average being more in the 7-12 knots range.

We spent the first 40 hours largely motoring into light westerlies to get out of the English Channel.  We always knew that we were unlikely to have favourable winds for this part but were thankful that they were not too strong.  Rounding Ouessant 40 hours later, we headed away from the French coast and off the continental shelf, finally getting a sailable wind and for most of the Biscay crossing we were under Parasailor, steered by Hydrovane. The Parasailor is particularly good on a dead run or very broad reach and gave us stability and assurance that if the wind had got up, it would have coped.  Once on the level of La Coruna, we sought out the Portuguese current and sailed with both the Parasailor and, when the wind came forward sufficiently, the gennaker. Once off the latitude of Gibraltar, we had a period of calm and more motoring before a light NW reappeared, allowing us to reach into the Madeira archipelago under gennaker again.

Spellbinder served us well and I was particularly pleased with how her systems functioned on her first long passage in my ownership.  The Hydrovane will be great on long passages, and functioned well downwind with the Parasailor, but we also used the autopilot quite a lot too, as it steered a straighter (and therefore faster) line in light airs. The solar panels and towed generator did a good job at topping up the batteries but I think running the engine for a couple of hours every 2 -3 days will be necessary to make water.  The watermaker itself was excellent and allowed us the luxury of a shower a day, which was thoroughly appreciated. The SSB and Pactor modem allowed me to send regular emails and download met forecasts and GRIB files, although performance was best at night, as the propagation is better.  Throughout we connected to the Belgium Sailmail station, at various frequencies. The further away, the higher the frequency generally.  I don’t pretend I fully understand it! Finally, of note, having a freezer gives you many more options on the food front; as does the large capacity for storage on Spellbinder, which had surprised me.

We settled down as a crew very well and adopted a watch system which effectively started at around 1800 with a drink and supper together.  I tended to do the first watch at 2000-2200, writing and sending emails and getting weather information, and then we went into a ‘two on, two off’ régime with me doing the ‘graveyard’ shift between 0200-0400.  This allowed me to come back on watch at 0800, by which time I had had enough sleep and took over the morning, allowing my two crew to sleep in – something 18-year olds are very happy to do! After lunch we kept the afternoon informal, as all three of us were generally around. Once away from the Channel and well offshore all shipping had AIS – Automatic Identification System, which shows up on chartplotters. We could see everything around for 30-40 miles or so, including closest point of approach and time to it (CPA and TCPA) which was very reassuring, as was the fact that we transmitted on AIS too.

We took it in turns to cook lunch and dinner (and clear up afterwards) every three days, with breakfast being a ‘self-help’ affair depending on the time it was taken!  Highlights were Tiger’s Spanish omelette and pancakes and Tom’s pasta bolognese. We also baked bread, which went down well and improved with experience. Every 3 days we cleaned the yacht, taking it in turns to do the heads, galley and saloon.  In sum, I think 3 is an ideal number on long passages, although in poor weather it would have its drawbacks.

We saw plenty of wildlife – dolphins most days, lots of various sea birds, some amazing sea turtles (we sailed through a ‘field’ of them about 200 NM off Madeira but were so amazed we forgot to take a photo – we had initially mistaken them for human debris). Tom saw a whale early one morning.  We tried fishing with a variety of trolling lures and Tom’s home-made ‘teaser’ but to no avail.

Other highlights were flying the drone in mid Biscay, which gave us some wonderful footage.  Recovery drills need to be worked on though as we did have one crash landing and nearly lost it. Also, becalmed on the latitude of Gibraltar we threw a fender over the side and went swimming, leaving one on board, of course. Swimming in the deep, clear dark blue water was fantastic, and we used the deck shower to wash off. We donned a mask and checked under the hull, and generally enjoyed ourselves.  With 4000 metres below us we were definitely in the deep end.  We had watched the sea temperature rise from 18 degrees to 26 over the passage, along with the air temperature. Night watches needed no extra layer towards the end.

To occupy ourselves we read a lot, and Tom and Tiger set up a sort of gym to exercise most evenings on the foredeck. We did a few sun sights but I feel that astro navigation requires me to spend a concerted time reminding myself.   Lots of music was played through the Bluetooth speaker and I had to listen to a lot of what is called ‘London grime’. There was also a lot of ‘banter’ and I learned a few phrases of teenage vernacular which had hitherto blissfully escaped me.

Spellbinder will now stay in Madeira for the next couple of months before heading to the Canaries in mid-October.  I am still after a couple of crew for this leg which should be 36-48 hours downwind and may go via the Savage Islands.  It could be done over a long weekend (probably 12-15 Oct 18) so do let me know if you are interested.

Finally, I enjoyed merging drone and GoPro footage into some video editing software I have (Davinci Resolve) and while it is fairly basic I hope you enjoy the video of the passage, which is a neat synopsis of our adventure.  The video will appear shortly.

In sum – it was great fun and hugely rewarding, and I feel well set for the adventures ahead.  Thank you Tom and Tiger for being such excellent crew.

Spellbinder left Gosport on 16th July as planned, escorted out by RIB – thank you Mark! Faced with gentle westerlies for the first couple of days, we mainly motored and motorsailed out and 40 hours later rounded Ouessant and headed into Biscay. As I write this (0300 hours on 18th July) we are making 4-5 knots under Parasailor, steered by Hydrovane in a very gentle northerly airstream which looks likely to stay with us for the rest of our passage.  We have crossed the continental shelf and are properly offshore.

The crew – myself, Tom and Tiger – are well and settling into life on a long passage.  With the gentle weather we have been able to relax into it and now we are in Biscay we are enjoying the gentle swell and the lack of shipping.  Spellbinder’s systems are all working largely as planned, and we have used the watermaker properly for the first time.  The SSB Marine Radio is proving its worth for email and downloading weather forecasts, and the freezer, while power hungry, gives us lots of options food-wise.  We have taken some stunning drone footage which we will turn into a short film and upload to the blog, with photos, when we arrive. For now it is text only. We have seen a few dolphins and been treated to some magnificent astronomical sights under clear skies.

We hope to be off La Coruna Friday night or Saturday morning (19th / 20th July) and from there it is 600 NM to Porto Santo, a small island just north-east of Madeira, so another four days at least, with arrival around 25th / 26th July.

After getting back from France last night after an eventful day on the Champs Elysées, we have spent today doing final preparations with a view to departing down Channel with the tide tomorrow lunchtime, destination Madeira.

This morning I changed the water maker filters (3 paper and a carbon one), flushed the system and stored a whole load of personal gear, while taking a whole load of extraneous books and other things off.  There then followed a general sort out and a big shop – see photos below.  I was amazed at how much storage there is with the freezer and the fridge and the various cupboards around the galley.  We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the world cup final and then celebrating with some charming French sailors we had met in the pub, who kindly invited us back to their yacht for rum and whisky to celebrate. My crew (son Tom and friend Tiger) then got some food at a restaurant called MacDonalds…

The plan is to sail out into the Western Approaches into what look like gentle westerlies – which hopefully will have a bit of north rather than south in them – and then find the northerlies provided by the helpful anticyclone sitting to the west of the Continent. More to follow via SSB emails to the home base (thank you Sue) which should give you an idea of our adventures.  A full report with photos and hopefully video will follow once we reach our destination.

Two big trolleys required..lots of teabags…

…with a commensurate bill (Tom wasn’t paying)

Somehow it all fitted…

Final supper for the crew

This weekend, in excellent weather, I was able to sail Spellbinder in the Solent, and do some final sea trials and checks before we lift her out in a week’s time for some final jobs ashore. Our scheduled departure remains mid-July.  I had on board Alan, my future crew for the Atlantic crossing, Kyaw and Bethan who were coming along to gain experience (Kyaw was freshly back from his own Atlantic adventure from Puerto Rico to the Azores), and Will and Alice.  Will was on board researching an article for Yachting Monthly on wind vanes, and came along to see Spellbinder’s Hydrovane. With a bit of luck Spellbinder will feature in an article in the months to come.

Alan and I went across to Bembridge for Friday night to join our friends Peter and Anabel and their crew on Sea Jester.  It was a beautiful evening and we just motored across and enjoyed supper and drinks while moored alongside each other.  After an early departure we headed back to Gosport to pick up Kyaw and Bethan and headed with the tide down to Alum Bay for lunch, anchored close to the cliffs not far from the Needles.  We had managed the Parasailor as far as Cowes, but the wind then died.

A rare sight in the Solent.  Kyaw looks happy about it!

We found it flew with 7 knots or more.

After lunch we headed to Lymington where we picked up Will and Alice.  There wasn’t much wind about but we managed to get the Hydrovane working and showing its stuff.  The aim was to anchor at Newtown creek and have a BBQ, joining others from the ASA.  Despite the good weather we found plenty of room to anchor, close to the entrance.

Anchored, looking out of Newtown Creek.  Alan showing Kyaw and Alice the ropes…

It was a beautiful evening, and we pumped up the dinghy, deployed the electric outboard (Will had a good play) and thanks to Alan’s shopping we had an excellent BBQ in great company, watching the sun go down and then drinking and talking around the fire.  It felt very special, and reminded me quite how Newtown is the most unspoilt and beautiful place in the Solent.  The pictures tell the story.

The following morning we had breakfast at anchor, before sailing down to the Needles and around the south coast of the Isle of Wight, anchoring in Freshwater Bay.  I had never anchored there but with an easterly airflow it was quiet enough, and a pleasant place for lunch.

As the tide turned we headed back to the Needles, deploying the furling gennaker (it had recently been in for repair after a ripping incident…) to check that all was ok, before tacking back through Hurst Narrows to land Will and Alice back at Lymington.  The wind did get up in the afternoon, but from exactly the direction we wanted to go (oh how often that happens) so we motored back to Gosport before saying goodbye to Kyaw and Bethan. It was a great fun weekend.

Furling gennaker repaired and ready to go

Bethan learning that although Spellbinder is a civilised yacht, and coffee beans are ground routinely, it is a job for the crew, not the skipper…

Spellbinder is due to be lifted out at Hornet next Monday and is lifted back on 2nd July. Jobs include some routine maintenance to the Gori folding prop, a wash down, and the installation of a new calorifier as the old one is leaking and at the end of its shelf life. Once back in the water, all we will need to do is fill her with fuel, water, food and drink…and hope that the jet stream stays high, and the winds in the north or east…

I sat the Long Range Radio Certificate exam in the Hamble a week ago, following about 20 hours of online study and a 2 day preparatory course. I passed! It was quite interesting in the end, and I now know much more about how to use my SSB radio for long distance voice and data communications over MF and HF. I also sat the Inmarsat C module in order to be able to use the terminal on board Spellbinder, which I have now got to work. I expect to use the SSB for voice, listening to cruisers’ nets as well as the BBC World Service and Radio 4 / 5, but also to send text emails regularly and download weather forecasts, including GRIB (compressed data weather forecast) files. The Inmarsat (‘Sat C’) will provide further weather forecasts and emails (albeit expensively) as a backup. Finally, I have an Iridium fixed satellite phone for voice and emails to give further redundancy.

The course was run by the excellent Bob Smith of YachtCom / SailCom based in Burseldon. Bob is a real expert in this field and is a wealth of useful knowledge. He told me that only a couple of hundred of these certificates are issued in the UK each year, despite it being a legal requirement. There were two fellow students – one from the Isle of Man and one from the Netherlands. The course attracts quite a lot of foreign students. Below is a photo of Bob in the classroom:

The morning after the exam Bob came round to Spellbinder to check the installation of the SSB. It is quite complex – radio, transceiver, antenna up the backstay, antenna tuner, ground system, modem – but all is broadly in order and working as it should, although we need to make a couple of minor adjustments.

With that behind me, I was able to spend this weekend based out of Cowes undertaking some excellent sailing in fine conditions in the Solent, in the company of Wykehamists current and former, enjoying the Royal Yacht Squadron and its excellent hospitality, food and drink. The photos tell the tale. Spellbinder was dressed overall again – this time for the royal wedding. A big thank you to David Anderson who organised it, for the tenth time in succession.

The jobs list gets ever smaller: fix a leak in the calorifier (water heater); a sail repair; more gas bottles; minor adjustments to the SSB set up; Astro-Navigation pack; final lift out to wash down and change anodes. We are getting there…

The French have had two bank holidays this week – Tuesday and Thursday – so naturally most people took the week off, myself included!

It gave me the opportunity to join up with Neil and take Spellbinder offshore, to check her systems and to put her through her paces. It proved to be an excellent 3 days.

We left Gosport around 10am on Tuesday, heading into a calm Solent with little in the way of wind, shaping up for Cherbourg. We soon found wind off the Isle of Wight though, and it stayed pretty westerly at Force 5 or 6 for the rest of the passage, although a veer to NW had been predicted – which would have been nice!

It was quite boisterous mid-Channel but the Hydrovane steered us ably throughout. The secret is to reef down and get the yacht properly balanced, so that the self-steering has to do as little work as possible.

The Hydrovane doing its job

We had a good, if challenging passage which Spellbinder loved. We had a couple of hours night sailing, the latter part motoring into Cherbourg with Neil keeping watch with a searchlight to ensure we didn’t fall foul of a lobster pot again! (I have since brought a rope cutter to be installed at the next liftout). We got into Cherbourg around midnight, tired but happy.

The next morning we paid our dues at the Capitanerie, met some fellow Brits (and ASA members), and then strolled around Cherbourg, past my favourite restaurant Le Pommier which was sadly shut, although we did meet the patron Guy.

Go to ‘Le Pommier’ if you can…

…and feast on these delights.

We had time for a beer and the usual Moules Frites though, as part of what would be a gastronomic day.

Tropical Cherbourg…no ‘parapluies’ required this week

After lunch we returned to Spellbinder and had a pleasant downwind sail around Barfleur to Saint Vaast-la-Hougue, one of my favourite Channel ports. Hustling alongside the trawlers, the marina is tidal and you have to time things carefully, but once in you are in a most delightful little town.

Spellbinder moored in Saint Vaast, a delightful harbour

We arrived at apéro time, and that taken strolled around the port past the amazing shop run by M Gosselin to the absolute treasure trove of a restaurant called the Fuschias, which you approach by being led up up a garden path. The pictures tell the botanical and gastronomical story:

I introduced Neil to the delights of Pommeau and we both ate rather well, with excellent service to match. Please go there if you can!The return trip to Gosport was among one of the best cross Channel passages I have undertaken – a fast cross wind trip, better reefed and balanced than the trip over and taking us just 12 hours. Again the Hydrovane proved its worth and I am getting much better at using it. It’s a pleasure to see it do its work. We barely touched the engine, sailing all the way from just outside St Vaast to the entrance of Portsmouth harbour. All very satisfying. On arrival we cleaned up Spellbinder, did some minor jobs and then ate out again, UK style. We hadn’t eaten much on the way over as it was quite bouncy. In sum, I’m delighted to report that Spellbinder proved her credentials, and her jobs list is now getting down to manageable levels. My time on Spellbinder continues and today I took my best man Anthony down to Cowes for lunch at the RYS. Very civilised and pleasant, despite the slightly dodgy cap sported by my good friend:As I write this I am on board preparing for 2 days of Long Range Radio certificate training and an exam…back to school for me.

I had the opportunity to spend more time on the water with Spellbinder this weekend, this time with Neil and his daughter Molly. We could see that conditions were set to deteriorate by Sunday afternoon (as I type this, safely moored in Gosport, the true wind is building up over 25 knots to try and give us a late April gale) so we stayed in the Solent and visited some old haunts.  It was also an opportunity to sea-trial some new systems as I prepare for longer voyages.

Molly was preparing for an imminent day skipper course so we worked her hard at navigation, ‘man overboard’ drills and other sailing challenges.  She rose to the challenge and is already an accomplished helmswoman (if that is the right expression, which it may not be).  She is an experienced dinghy sailor, which definitely helps!

Molly steering a straight course, supervised by Dad!

We headed out of Gosport with the ebb to Alum Bay, enjoying light winds and (once into the less busy western Solent) practising some Man Overboard (MOB) drills under motor and sail, picking up an unlucky fender with remarkable regularity (but the conditions were calm). We then got out the furling gennaker, a remarkably versatile sail which deploys and fulrs easily, and is a great way of sailing downwind in light winds.

We then anchored and had lunch in the shadow of the Needles, in Alum Bay, waiting for the tide to turn in Hurst narrows before tacking back up the Solent and into Southampton Water, ably navigated by Molly.  The destination was Swanwick, where we berthed for the night and then had a lovely meal sitting at the prime table at the Jolly Sailor, which must be one of the most famous sailing-orientated pubs in the country (if you are old enough you may well remember Kate O’Mara in Howard’s Way, in which the pub featured prominently).

Sunday morning dawned and we made use of the building North easterly wind to sail back to Gosport before the stronger winds arrived.  We left with fleets of racing yachts heading out of the Hamble.  One thing I had yet to do on Spellbinder was to test out the removable forestay, a wire which runs from 2/3 up the mast down to the foredeck on which you can fly a cutter sail or storm gib.  We got the storm gib out and hanked it on on the way back, using the running backstay deployed to windward (sorry – it’s getting a bit technical).  But it was a good thing to do, and I am now happier about Spellbinder’s heavy winds configuration, which would be a triple-reefed main and storm gib on the stay, keeping the effort near the centre of the yacht.

Storm gib hanked onto the removable forestay, flying alongside the genoa.  In the first photo you can see the Tall Ship ‘Lord Nelson’ is in the foreground.

We arrived back in Gosport in good time to visit the chandlers and buy one or two outstanding things.  Thank you Neil and Molly – a great weekend!

I have just spent a week on Spellbinder on sea trials, testing the new systems installed over the winter and making sure everything was working after the winter break.  I was joined by Neil and Paul who came down to help me not only with the sailing but also to help me with a few boat jobs – thank you guys, much appreciated! They were in for an interesting time…

The first morning was spent going up the mast in a bosun’s chair to check the rigging and victualing and refuelling.  I realised that I hadn’t yet re-fuelled Spellbinder as last season we only used 300 or so litres of her 450-litre capacity.  So, some £300 lighter I now have full tanks, and I hope not to have to re-fuel until the Autumn at the latest.

300 litres takes a while to pump!

We left with the tide just before lunch, beating up the Solent in 12 knots and anchoring in Osborne Bay for lunch in time-honoured fashion.  We also took the opportunity to let out all the anchor chain, to check its condition and for me to ensure that the end of the chain was properly secured by rope, which you can cut in an emergency.  All was as it should be. After lunch we beat down the western Solent and had a cup of tea in Alum Bay in the shadow of the Needles, before going into Yarmouth for the night, and eating out in the Bugle, which I can recommend.  Neil had bought a bottle of cognac from near his house in France, while Paul had brought cake – both going down well over the course of the week.

The next day saw us take advantage of some easterlies forecast for later in the week by getting up at 5am and heading east to Brighton, a 50 NM passage which we did largely on a beam reach with strong spring tides.  With a couple of reefs in the main and genoa we made fast progress, passing south of Selsey Bill in some occasionally fairly rough seas, averaging well over 8 knots SOG (Speed Over Ground).  We arrived through a choppy harbour entrance for lunch and shared a well-deserved bottle of Muscadet.  A siesta was followed by some boat jobs – I wanted to fix a ‘Hatch Latch’ to the washboards, which locks them in place in bad weather and can be operated from inside the saloon.  Paul kindly supervised the drilling and put up a new clock and barometer while Neil replaced a faded decal (sticker) on the side of the yacht and fixed a fishing rod holder (see last blog post).  We had a quiet evening, watching the weather improve, the barometer rise, and the forecast easterlies begin to set in.

The crew hard at work

A smart new decal

The ‘Hatch Latch’ in place

Rod holder

Taking the ebb the following lunchtime, we headed back west in light airs, getting out the ‘beast’ sail (125 m² Parasailor) for its second outing in my ownership.  I had a learnt a bit from its first time out and this time rigged two guys via a block on the bowsprit, in addition to its sheets.  We sailed it without the main up. It took a while to sort out the lines but it proved to be an excellent, stable sail which needs about 8-10 knots when going dead downwind to be effective.  It also preferred to fly with a bias to one side or the other, and we flew it up to 18 knots true without difficulty.  We also tried to use the Hydrovane to steer, as this is the likely trade wind rig I will use.  The Hydrovane needed a bit of tweaking and we need to practice a bit more, but we had some good results.  We repaired into Gosport to our home berth for the night after an enjoyable sail.

The Parasailor making a steady 6-7 knots in 12 knots of breeze

The next morning the anti-cyclone had properly settled in and we motored around to Chichester on the tide, going up the 3 channels to Emsworth, Thorney and Itchenor, picking up buoys to have a coffee and lunch.  We then anchored off East Head and deployed the dinghy and Torqueedo electric outboard to go ashore and have a stroll.

Playing with the dinghy and electric and outboard off East Head

A happy looking skipper…

The journey back was eventful to say the least.  We had seen a lot of lobster pots on our trip to Brighton and back and were on the lookout for them – when sailing, with Spellbinder’s propeller folded, there is less of a chance to catch one but motoring is a different ball-game. We were motoring west into a setting sun….

…and missed one. We experienced a jolt and when I cut the engine the steering was heavy and floating from the stern was a grey plastic engine oil container attached to twine.  We were now firmly attached to the seabed.  We tried sailing off but there was no wind, so anchored and gave the situation some thought. We were not far off the main shipping lane into Portsmouth, not far from one of the Solent forts.  We cut the line, trying to push the line down and away, but remained firmly stuck.  I had a choice of asking for assistance or waiting for a day or two for wind – and unsurprisingly the former prevailed.  It wasn’t a ‘Pan Pan’ but a polite ask on Channel 67, but Solent Coastguard nevertheless quickly tasked the lifeboat which arrived and towed us in, eventfully.  This is the first time I have ever had to ask for assistance – and I regret not signing the Cruising Association’s petition against the menace of these unmarked pots. I do wonder whether it is lack of funding that prevents those that lay them using a more visible colour – or perhaps they simply don’t want others to spot their activity?  Something must be done…

The offending pot. Very sea-coloured – the Navy use the same colour to camouflage their ships!

We had got back to Gosport after an interesting tow in time to make a well-deserved curry and lick our wounds, reflecting on a week which had, on balance, been great fun and good experience. Thanks to the good people at Fort Blockhouse and Hornet, the following morning I was able to arrange a tow around to a travel hoist and lift Spellbinder to get the rope removed, which was firmly around the propshaft. Thank you to RNSA, HSSC and the JSASTC who all played their part. One silver lining to this unscheduled lift out was that I was able to check the state of anodes and note to my satisfaction that the Coppercoat had prevented any sort of fouling.

Neil stayed with me to get Spellbinder around to Cowes.  We moored in the RYS Haven and in the morning dressed Spellbinder ‘overall’ as it was HM’s birthday.  Neil departed and we attended the Camrose weekend, listening to various entertaining speakers and having a very sociable time.  In sum, a pleasing week which has given me renewed confidence in Spellbinder, and a clearer idea of the jobs which remain between now and our scheduled departure in July.  I suspect ground rush will now happen…

Spellbinder dressed overall in Cowes

One of the benefits of giving oneself time to prepare for a long voyage is that one can read and think about everything one might need, and make the necessary preparations. Over the last couple of weeks I have been researching fishing.

Providing fresh fish on board is a real pleasure. The usual method from a yacht on passage in tropical waters is by ‘trolling’ – basically towing a lure which stays just under the surface and attracts the likes of tuna, dorado and wahoo and other pelagic fish up to it. My research led me to consider what types of rod, reel, line, gaff hook, rod holder and lures might best suit.

After asking around I settled on a 4 piece Shimano Exage AX STC 6’6″ travel boat rod and a Penn Squall 50 lever drag reel. Nothing hugely expensive but apparently sufficiently robust and value for money. Line-wise, there is now a bewildering choice of braid, super braid and monofilament. I went for some 100lb breaking strain super braid which is made from Dyneema – hugely strong, and only 0.28mm in diameter, as well as some more traditional 200lb monofilament. Along with all of this comes an assortment of traces, crimps, swivels, and joins, and I spent a fascinating couple of hours recently making up the lures, learning a lot in the process!

Talking of which – I now have a variety of lures which resemble squid-like fish and which attract by their colour and movement. They all conceal quite large hooks and the key thing is to ensure that there is a wire trace leading out of their mouths, as the fish that go for them can easily bite normal line. See the photos below. Coupled with a telescopic gaff hook, and a rod holder for a stanchion, I think I am ready to go – watch this space!

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!

I was down on Spellbinder yesterday and overnight checking on her.  As is usual for the time of year, a few blows have come through Gosport, and one never quite knows what to expect when a boat is left for a few weeks.  The worst fears are leaking sea cocks, electrical wires shorting, sails flapping and ripping, ropes chafing…I could go on.  These are, of course, first world fears…

Luckily all was well, and she was looking good in the winter sunlight:

She was also warm and dry, thanks to the combination of a de-humidifier and small oil-filled radiator I keep running over the winter months.  The former drains directly into the sink and thence overboard.

It does a good job, although one has to remember to block the yacht’s vents, or you risk trying to de-humidify Gosport’s whole atmosphere!

The radiator just keeps the temperature above freezing.  Some say that if a yacht is properly ventilated there is no need for these sorts of measures, even in the UK climate.  While it is true that circulating air does a good job, my experience is that a de-humidifier and small radiator do a much, much better job.  It was certainly warm and dry when I arrived.

I spent a comfortable night on board, sorting out a few things, running electricity through the wires and checking that all the lights and instruments work (I am not sure what good it does, but it is strangely re-assuring so to do).  Spellbinder also has a diesel-powered air heater and once fired up she was soon at a very comfortable temperature.  I slept to the usual sounds of creaking warps and thwacking halyards, but slept well, my dreams shaped  by some recent reading.  Plans for 2018 and the first few months of 2019 are shaping up.  The photo below gives you a clue.  I’ll shortly be posting more details, and outline dates, to encourage crew to sign up…subscribers to this blog will definitely get priority!

Yesterday I managed to get down to Spellbinder, now safely moored back in Dolphin Pool, Fort Blockhouse, to inspect the final re-fit work.

I started planning the re-fit back in June.  There were three main parts: the hull blasting and Coppercoating (covered in a previous blog), bending on a new fully-battened mainsail and furling genoa from Jeckells, and a series of improvements to Spellbinder’s energy, navigation and communications systems. It was this latter part which was the last to be completed.

On the energy front, the new batteries are now fully supported by 4 separate solar panels, which can be increased to 5 when the bimini is up. I no longer require shore power to keep the batteries topped up although may use it over the winter to help de-humidify and warm the yacht in the colder months. Two new 50w panels have been fitted over the old ones behind the traveller:

On the sprayhood, a solar panel now zips in and connects to a plug inside the cockpit, in a recess by the shore power input.

On the bimini, two zips have been sewn in to allow for two panels.  The final panel is a 90w one permanently mounted ahead of the mast:

The total power of the solar panels is more than 300w, which I hope will be enough to run the yacht’s systems for most of the time, particularly when used in conjunction with the wind generator and the towed generator on passage.  Each panel has its own charging controller, to maximise output.

On the communications front, the installation of the Icom M802 SSB and Red Box and Wi-fi Bat system is now complete.  The former is designed to give Spellbinder long range radio voice and data communications.  It consists of the radio itself, an AT 141 automatic tuner, and an SCS P4dragon DR-7400 Pactor modem.

The radio is mounted at the chart table – above is a picture of it tuned to Radio 4 (I dream of listening to the cricket, or BBC World  while crossing the Atlantic). The primary voice and data communications take place on HF.  The modem allows the unit to be linked to a laptop, and using specialist software by SailMail (Airmail 3) I should be able to send and receive basic text emails from anywhere around the world.

The unit is linked to a long antenna which runs up the backstay:

I intend to do the Long Range Radio Certificate course early next year to improve by ability to use the SSB (it is also a legal requirement if you want to transmit).  I will also have an Iridium and Sat C systems by way of a back up.

The final piece of communications equipment installed is a Red Box and Wi-fi Bat.  The former is a router, which takes various inputs (satellite, WiFi, 3/4G etc) and fires the signal around the yacht.  I will probably most normally use it for capturing Wi-Fi at distance – typically anchored of beaches etc, you can link into the WiFi provided by bars and hotels.  To do this I now have a Wi-fi Bat long range antenna, which should capture the signals, and route them via the Red Box, all controlled by a laptop.  Pictures of the two systems are shown below:

So, the major re-fit is complete.  Work over the winter includes getting to know the engine better (although I am quite handy I will pay for an expert to show me round, and service the engine for the first time – and to check I have the necessary spares), getting to know the new systems better, including commissioning the Water Maker in the Spring, and procuring the necessary charts (paper and electronic) for whatever adventure awaits!  To those reading the blog, please expect an email early in the New Year inviting you to participate in my plans.

Spellbinder’s refit is progressing, and while it is a week behind schedule we are about 80% there. Spellbinder is now back in the water, with a couple of electrical jobs remaining.

After the extensive preparation of the hull described in the previous post, five layers of Coppercoat were applied 10 days ago in a useful period of fine weather, allowing it to dry and bond properly.  Before it goes back into the water the colour is brown; after immersion it will gradually turn green as the surface interacts with the salt water. Below are some photos of the completed work as Spellbinder was lifted in. In the first is one of Carl Selwood of Yachtcare + at Endeavour Quay, who carried out the work for me in an exemplary manner. Check back in 2027 to see whether the Coppercoat will give us the promised 10 years of antifouling protection!

On the electronics front, Spellbinder now has a Raymarine Axiom 7 Multi Function Display (MFD) in a Scanstrut helm pod, connected to AIS B which will emit the yacht’s position, course and speed – a very useful safety feature. You will now be able to track Spellbinder on internet sites such as https://www.marinetraffic.com/ (just search for Spellbinder; there are three yachts of the same name but you should be able to see where she is).

The MFD should be of great use in close quarter navigation (pilotage) as the helm will be able to see at a glance the surrounding cartography, other yachts transmitting on AIS B, and instrumentation data such as depth, speed, wind speed and direction and tidal set and drift.

There is also cartography supporting a trip as far south as the Canaries. The system is Bluetooth and WiFi compatible, allowing us to update its software from the internet and relay its information to iPods and iPhones on board through the Raymarine app.

On the energy front, the domestic battery banks have been replaced with 6 Rolls FS 250 6v batteries, giving a total of 750 amp hours (aH). This is a significant increase on the previous bank which should give us more flexibility and endurance. The black battery at the front is the dedicated starter battery.

Supporting this, Spellbinder is having an upgrade of her renewable energy systems, notably an upgrade to her solar panels. She will have 3 independent sets of Solbian panels linked each to a Gensun MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controller: two new 60W panels behind the helm, a 90W panel in front of the mast, and 2 further 50W panels – one of which can be zipped into the top of the sprayhood, or both together in the bimini. This gives a total of 310 Watts, which I hope will power all the systems less the water maker, which may require us to run the engine every few days on long passage. We also have the water and wind generators to supplement the solar. Work is still in progress, but below are photos of some of the controllers and two of the panels:

To cope with tropical conditions, 6 Hella two speed fans have been installed – one in the forepeak, saloon, nav station and galley and two in the aft cabin. These should help with ventilation in tropical climes. A couple of photos below:

We also fitted two new sails from Jeckells: a fully-battened, three slab reef mainsail and a new furling genoa.

The final job to be completed was to replace the anchor windlass foot switches.

So, much progress made. Next week a WiFi booster system will be installed, which should allow us to pick up WiFi at distance and broadcast it around the yacht. Finally, a long range radio (Single Side Band) radio system will be installed. It is an iCom 802 with an AT 141 tuner and Pactor 4 modem, which will allow us to join radio discussions, receive weather information and send basic emails, in addition to the existing Sat C and Inmarsat systems. All the work is being professionally carried out by Steve Edwards of Marine Tech, Endeavour Quay. Here he is:

More to follow on the latter two systems when they are installed.

I took Spellbinder out for a nice sail yesterday to Nab Tower and back with friend Julian Hickman and his son (my godson) Arthur in some blustery conditions. The aim was to test the new systems and sails. All was well.

Spellbinder’s hull has now been blasted and the slow process of filling some voids (a defect in the manufacturing process) has now begun.  This involves painting a special epoxy sealant over the hull and keel (several layers – 5 on the keel), a job I expect to be complete by the middle of next week. Thereafter, a special copper-based antifoul called Coppercoat will be painted on (a further 5 layers) and the job will be complete.  This should, all going well, mean that no further hull work (save for the occasional scrub) should be required for 10 years.

Meanwhile the electrical refit starts next week: 4 new solar panels, a new helm plotter, AIS B (a transmitting automatic identification system), a wifi aerial and router, internal fans for the tropics, new domestic batteries and a long range radio (SSB).

I get to inspect the work on Mon 25th September and will report back!  Meanwhile below are photos of the hull and keel as they currently are today.

Below is a link to short, very amateur video which gives some idea of the excellent return trip we made from Guernsey – downwind for 14 hours, from St Peter Port to Cowes with the engine being used to get out and into our berths.  In particular there is footage of the Hydrovane and the water generator in action.  I do look rather grumpy in it but I was concentrating on not falling over mid-Channel! If only more sailing was like it…

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEcA8j-m3poOcNsgMgGiTw

The Hydrovane fitting went well, and having conducted the final commissioning tests I signed off the work, paid the bill and we slid back down into the water using the Boatworks + rail system, a very effective way of lifting boats in and out. Below are some photos of the final installation and the team fitting the gear:

After our lift in we headed over to Herm, a delightful island a couple of miles away from Guernsey. Negotiating the many rocks and shoals in the area, we tried out the Hydrovane in light airs with success. Anchoring in Shell Bay to the east of Herm, we dinghied ashore and walked around the island, which took an hour and a half. The weather was delightful so we decided to swim back to the yacht, and the boys took the Go Pro and dived down to try and photograph the buried anchor. Below is a photo of Spellbinder in what was a typical Channel Islands anchorage:

After a final night in St Peter Port I left at midday with Tom and Jonty (Sue having flown home to collect our car from Devon). We had an immaculate passage back – putting up sails and cutting the engine just 250 yards from St Peter Port harbour entrance, and dropping sails a similar distance from Cowes. All downwind, it made for fast and enjoyable sailing. We had a good push up the Alderney Race (timing is everything) as this screenshot of the plotter shows:

With a through the water speed of about 6.5 knots, we had about 4 knots of favourable tide (SOG = Speed Over the Ground). We were at Neaps, but with Spring tides I have known double the rate. 

During the passage the Hydrovane again proved its worth, steering us straight for most of the passage. We also tried out the water generator, which charges up the yacht’s domestic batteries by turning a torpedo-type propellor through the water. Tom did some press ups on the foredeck, and both boys cooked. Coming into the Needles by a cardinal buoy called Bridge, we had a period of boisterous wind over tide before edging into Hurst Narrows just as the tide was turning in our favour. 

We tied up in the RYS Haven at 3am, after 14 hours and some 90 nautical miles sailed, trying not to wake anyone up. After the usual 8am raising of the Ensign ritual we enjoyed the Castle facilities and had breakfast, which was superb. We were tired, but content. 

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As the title suggests, this is a blog of 4 animals – 2 fish, a mammal and a reptile!

We have had a great week at Dittisham, catching up with family and friends and enjoying our house September Cottage, while Spellbinder has been moored on a buoy in the river. The weather was that of a typical British August – sometimes fine, sometimes dull, sometimes rainy. We managed three BBQs but generally pudding was eaten indoors. I thought of my friends Julian and Karen, currently in Portugal on their Halberg Rassy, for whom such considerations will be distant memories. But we enjoyed the view from our terrace. 

We also enjoyed some walks and I spent some time buying and fixing bits and pieces on Spellbinder. The salt water foot pump now works (on long crossings water is a precious commodity, and it is good to have salt water  to cook and do the washing up). I also spent a delightful afternoon sewing on a new leather covering to the wheel, using a herringbone stitch some 500 times. Much patience and precision is needed, and I have a dearth of both, but the result was satisfactory:

A full picture will follow when eldest son Tom has tied me a Turk’s Head knot on the top, marking the centre point (straight rudder), as is traditional. 

We also fished from Spellbinder and Jonty caught many mackerel, filleting them and frying them up for a delicious supper on board:

The third animal arrived in a huge box. It weighs 20kg and a similar one kept me very stationary (as is its job) on my last yacht. I fixed it to Spellbinder’s bow and it has already proved its worth. It is a new style anchor, called a Kobra 2, and will give me peace of mind in the years to come. Below is a picture of it with Dart mud still attached:

While in Dittisham Jonty and I also motored round to a cove just east of Dartmouth called Pudcomb. We anchored at the foot of a beautiful National Trust property called Colton Fishacre (owned once by the D’Oyly Carte family, of opera fame). It was a nice day anchorage where we fished, practised rowing the new tender and had lunch.

Our time in Devon came to an end after Tom returned from a music festival in Cornwall. We motored across to Guernsey, leaving at midday and arriving around midnight. Although lack of wind and some rain made it a bit of a dull crossing (we discovered that our cockpit enclosure kept out the worst of the showers), the highlight was the fourth animal, in the form of dolphins who joined us a couple of times, playing under our bow for a while. I think they were bottlenose – quite large, and blunt at the mouth end. Perhaps someone can definitively identify them from the photos below.
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We arrived with the tide whisking us around to St Peter Port in the dark. Now in Guernsey for a couple of days, we are hauled out and a self steering system called a Hydrovane is being fitted. More to follow…

The summer holidays (part two – UK) began as we arrived on the Le Havre to Portsmouth ferry and drove around to the Gosport side. As Spellbinder was on a buoy up river, son Tom and I were dropped off to blow up an inflatable kayak, paddle out in the darkness, find the yacht and bring her to Dolphin marina where we could load our stuff and crash for the night.

The following morning was admin day – car servicing and house hunting – and we set off for the Isle of Wight later in the evening, driving into a southerly Force 7 and negotiating the entrance to Bembridge Harbour at around High Water. Once in, we managed to berth successfully in the 25 knot gusts and began an enjoyable 3 day, very sociable stay on the island. 

The passage west started on Saturday 5th August, into some unrelenting westerlies and the crowded Solent (it was Cowes Week). Once out of Hurst Narrows we had a boring and up and down crossing of Poole Bay, which I will remember for passing squalls and motoring in a choppy and lumpy sea. On arrival we found a lovely spot to anchor at the south end of Studland Bay, not far from Old Harry rocks, sheltered from the wind and fetch.

Calm having returned, eldest son Tom cooked supper (a rare but very welcome treat) and we got our heads down, waiting for the tide to turn. We left at dusk, heading west south west into a nice NW sailing breeze. While passing Swanage we were treated to a firework display, before we settled into a night routine with each of us doing two hours off, two hours on.

For the first part of the night the sailing was great – a close reach on the starboard tack, we raced past Portland Bill and south of the Shambles. At 3 am the wind backed and we had to furl in the genoa, and motor. Tom was treated to a wonderful pre-dawn, watching Venus rise and the sun, in russet mantle clad, walking o’er the dew of yon high eastern hill (thank you WS):

As the sun rose properly we neared the Mewstone rock off Dartmouth and headed into the river, having had breakfast. We followed a quick coffee with fellow RYS members Peter and Janet Melson (on a buoy awaiting engine problem diagnosis) with a trip up to Dittisham, from where we will be based for the duration of our time here. A great trip westwards, with Spellbinder showing her credentials again.

Thanks to Charles, one of my able crew for the June crossings to Normandy and back, there is now a short video clip available.  Charles also plays a starring role and it is he who is aiming the camera stick.  It is a good cross-section of the pleasant downwind trip over, a bit of lounging under the bimini drinking beer at the Port de Plaisance in Ouistreham, and at the end some fairly boisterous conditions (3 reefs in the main) as we neared the Isle of Wight on the way back.  The camera does tend to flatten the waves though!  Enjoy:

When I’m away from my yacht I find it relaxing to have things to do related to her, and bringing items back from her to fix, paint, varnish or toy with is a source of disproportionate pleasure!  And so it was yesterday I sat down in our home in Besançon, hundreds of miles away from Portsmouth (let alone the nearest bit of sea) and addressed my old Singer sewing machine.

I bought it a few years ago but it was originally made in Glasgow in the 1920s.   Very robust and very basic, it is beautifully engineered and a credit to its era and the Great Britain of the day. It was, however, definitely not aimed at the male market back then, as the blurb shows:

But I find it a thing of beauty, and it if you actually read the manual carefully and bother to thread everything as it should be, it is a very efficient way of repairing sails and making curtains and covers and so on.  I will definitely take it on long voyages. The job on hand was to make 3 new curtains out of material with backing, to prevent light from coming in under the hatches in the aft cabin and forepeak.

Three hours later the job was done.  I am no expert and improved decidedly as I progressed – but I hope future crew will sleep more soundly and for longer thanks to my endeavours!

The exeat weekend saw us drive around the Solent, reacquainting ourselves with various haunts from our Kianga days.  We left Gosport on the tide, heading westwards towards the setting sun on a very hot evening, and were surprised and relieved to get a place rafted up on Lymington Town Quay. This is one of my favourite places in the Solent – you are right up there amongst the hustle and bustle of the Town, and right opposite is a chandlers and a good pub – what more can one want?  We arrived at sunset and went for a stroll up the high street, before returning to what was a surprisingly quiet night.

The following morning the chandlers relieved us of some money.  We are at the stage of needing small things like cup and toothbrush holders, as Spellbinder now has pretty much what she needs. After picking up no 1 son from the train station (he wore a Saturday night party in Bath on his face), we headed over to Hurst Castle to anchor for lunch.  All very civilised, and Jonty blew up one of our inflatable kayaks and paddled around a bit, even taking a brief swim.  There is a transom shower attachment which even has a hot and cold water mixing arrangement – what luxury!  The water at this time of year remains cool though.  The two best swimming months in the Solent are September and October in my opinion – when the weather is fine, that is.

After lunch we took the tide all the way back east to Bembridge, wending our way in via the buoys at 30 minutes before high tide.  It being a Sunday night, things were quite quiet and we got an alongside berth.  During a stroll we came across the wonderful Baywatch on the Beach cafe – it looks fairly basic, but the seafood is excellent and we treated ourselves to whole sea bass, steaks and other delights.  It must be a great place for breakfast too, as it faces the rising sun. The service was great. In the morning we motored back to Gosport, placing Spellbinder on her buoy while Tom and I kayaked back down Portsmouth Harbour – quite an adventure, with all the ferries gadding about.  A few pictures tell some of the tale of a great fun, although windless weekend.  I managed to make the family smile while taking the photo by inviting them to say the word ‘flange’, which is a pretty horrid word!

 

After the battlefield tour we deliberately waited 18 hours to catch some wind. I had no desire to motor across the Channel and a slight pressure squeeze was predicted before the arrival of the high pressure system we have subsequently enjoyed. My crew, Charles and Adam, agreed with the plan.

They spent the afternoon buying food and I visited the French chandlers to buy one or two bits and pieces still missing – hose, anchor ball and dividers of all things.  We then got out the sails we hadn’t seen and looked at them on the pontoon. The working jib and storm jib are virtually unused, which bodes well for strong winds in the future. After a good seafood meal in a local restaurant we turned in early and got up for the 04.30 lock out, chatting to some French fisherman while in the lock who complained that ‘La mer est vide’.

The passage was in two parts. Early on, we had a W 3-4 which allowed for full sails. The wind even dipped behind the beam for a while and we raised the furling gennaker. The picture below sums up the first half of the passage, as I drank good coffee while sat on the ‘gin and tonic’ seat.

Thereafter the wind rose and we progressively reefed until we were in a westerly force 6, with 3 reefs in the main and half a genoa, close reaching. We had used the autopilot for most of the passage hitherto but for the last part Adam and Charles helmed to gain experience. Spellbinder was quite excellent, tracking straight and not slamming in the Channel chop, which was exacerbated as we closed with the Isle of Wight by wind over tide. As we passed by Nab Tower things calmed down and we sailed all the way up to Portsmouth Harbour entrance.

It was a great fun crossing – very different to the downwind one to get us to France but equally satisfying.  It was great to test Spellbinder in some more blustery conditions. We moored up and Charles and Adam cooked supper, before heading off. They were excellent crew – come and sail on Spellbinder again please! There is nothing better than the sight of crew arriving with bottle in hand, asking what needs doing, just as they did. Thank you both – it was a pleasure!

 

 

For the last 10 days Spellbinder has been in the port de plaisance in Ouistreham.  From 12-14 June I used her as a ‘floating HQ’ while running a battlefield tour of Normandy with my work colleagues.  Ouistreham is well positioned, being adjacent to the D Day beaches and not far from a lot of the actions which followed as the Allies attempted to break out of the beachheads and liberate the rest of France, before heading further east. For the cognoscenti, we explored Sword and Juno beaches (British and Canadian-led respectively), Hillman fort and the approach on Caen, then Omaha (US) and the adjacent and remarkable Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery (opening scene of Saving Private Ryan) and then finally the actions which lead up to the closure of the Falaise pocket, and the German counter attack at Mortain.  We finished in the excellent museum at Bayeux, and also took time to visit Pegasus Bridge and its museum.  The daughter of the owner of the café next to the bridge in June 1944 (Madame Gondrée) still runs it, and seeing my British uniform offered me and my driver some extra cake to go with our tea…

Entertaining allied officers on board

I took the opportunity to entertain the command group and also some British and German officers we had invited to accompany us.  The weather was fine and we also found and put up the bimini, which gave us some good shade from the sun.  Perhaps it will next be used in tropical climes…

The Command Group

Bimini in situ

A 0330 start was required to maximise the tidal currents around the Isle of Wight and to give us the best chance of making Ouistreham, 104 nautical miles distant, in time for dinner. For this first cross Channel trip on Spellbinder I was joined by Crispin, Adam and Charles, the latter two having driven all the way down from Catterick to help out.

And what a sail we had, with the wind ‘just behind the ear’ (broad reaching) for most of it with the furling gennaker, a big downwind sail, flying most of the time and giving us the necessary power. The sails went up just outside Portsmouth harbour and down again just outside the destination – very economical on fuel! We tried the towed generator (a torpedo-type device thrown over the stern, which is connected to a rope which in turn is connected to a generator to charge up the batteries). The skipper cooked a big cooked breakfast for all and we enjoyed Spellbinder’s power and stability in some ideal conditions, while breaking down into informal watches and catching up with sleep, as well as some dozing in the sun.

We finished by ‘goose-winging’ – the main sail on one side and the furling genoa poled out on the other – with the wind dead behind us. With luck on our side, we entered Ouistreham as the lock was opening, allowing us to go in and attach ourselves to the side wall of the lock as it filled up, then opened up to let us in. We celebrated with a glass of champagne and after finding ourselves a berth in the port de plaisance we wandered into town and had a fine meal in a nearby restaurant.  The following morning the crew departed on the Brittany Ferries sailing to Portsmouth while I chatted to the Hallberg Rassy Owners’ Club, who coincidentally were passing through on a rally.

In sum, I’m hugely pleased to have taken Spellbinder across and she proved her worth. We sailed 110 miles in 14 hours 30 minutes, averaging 7.5 knots. All systems appear to be working and I look forward to the return journey in a few days.

Adam and Charles enjoying the ride, mid English Channel

Spellbinder in Ouistreham

 

Four terms which didn’t mean much a few weeks ago, but which were very much part of recent days spent aboard Spellbinder en famille over half term.

Torqueedo is the make of Spellbinder’s new outboard.   It is novel in that it is electric – no more petrol, outboard engine or gearbox oil on board, and no more starting with a pull cord – you just twist the tiller handle.  It comes in three parts – shaft and propeller, battery and tiller.  Putting it together is simplicity itself and takes seconds.  Being able to break it down into its constituent parts makes it very transportable and light. The tiller has a built in GPS and computer which shows residual battery power and range.  Reports suggest that with the chosen battery, and  if you don’t go at top speed, you will get at least a couple of hours motoring.  Tom and Jonty certainly enjoyed using it in the Beaulieu river in the 3D tender, a French make which comes with removal black and white neoprene covers (useful for protection against the sun in the tropics). They found the combination very manoeuvrable with the outboard delivering instant torque.

Parasailor is a type of sail. Rather like a spinnaker, it is a downwind sail but unlike a spinnaker it doesn’t need a pole, and can be flown with two sheets (ropes). It is symmetrical in shape but the key feature is a large wing about two thirds up.  This wing fulfils three functions – lateral stability, lift and a place through which the power of sudden gusts can dissipate.  This makes it a really versatile, powerful and reliable sail. We had great fun with it, sailing between Yarmouth and Seaview at over 8 knots through the water in about 12-15 knots of true wind. A couple of other yachts took photos – it is quite a rare sail to see in the Solent, and is typically used for long trade wind passages.

Boracol is a treatment for teak – and Jonty spent a couple of hours painting it on the deck for me.  It gets rid of the inevitable greening and spotting which our humid climate encourages and after 10 days the teak is whiter and clearer.  We await the results!

Tom and Jonty playing with the Torqueedo, and the new Parasailor sail roping us along eastwards down the Solent.

It was a fun weekend, in company most of the time with the Hickmans, aboard Alberta  Rose. From Gosport we headed to Beaulieu, then Yarmouth, then back to Gosport via Seaview and a walk along the beach towards Bembridge. 

Recent work on Spellbinder includes new standing rigging, a new spreader, new running rigging, a new rudder bearing, replacement of several seacocks, new life jackets and harnesses and a full kit out of domestic niceties!

She will shortly have a new offshore life raft (6 man canister) with hydrostatic release mechanism, a new danbuoy and holder, CO and smoke alarms, a 12v hoover, a kettle and a guest book!

Immediate work also includes a full gas safety check. For the summer, I plan to haul her out, have her hull blasted and epoxied, and Coppercoated (a type of long-lasting antifoul). Thereafter, new sails, an electrical re-fit and a Hydrovane self-steering system beckon…

Following the delivery trip we spent a busy day heading to Sainsbury’s to kit Spellbinder out with crockery, cutlery and bedding, and other domestic essentials to get ourselves going. With a sort of managed chaos below, we met up with David Anderson and his friend Tim Wolfe-Barry, who had chartered a Vancouver 35 called Fusilier , and we sailed off to Cowes where we berthed in the RYS Haven. It was a downwind sail, with a F 4-5 right behind us and Spellbinder behaved herself impeccably.  We invited David and Tim aboard and drank to Spellbinder’s health, before heading off to a most enjoyable dinner in Cowes (DB’s on the High Street – we were lucky to get in there, as it is very small and like dining in someone’s front room. The food was excellent).

The following morning we headed to Hamble Point to join the Winchester College Sailing Club rally, and had a very agreeable couple of days based out of the Royal Yacht Squadron undertaking some gentle racing, with Sue, Tom, Anna Cockell, Eric Billington and Alec Prosper-Orr on board as crew.  Much to my surprise Spellbinder won line honours in some great sailing conditions but came third on handicap! The final sail on Sunday was with Tom and his friend Tiger Tellwright – back to Portsmouth to Spellbinder’s buoy.

I had a bit of a wait for Spellbinder, as following the survey a couple of technical issues had been identified which needed resolving. These included a new rudder bearing, the replacement of a few of the seacocks and the replacement of the standing and running rigging.  A spreader needed replacing and they found that the coaxial cables inside the mast had been crushed and new ones were required.

The day eventually came, after a couple of delays, and on Thursday 4th May 2017 I met up with the owner and his sailing friend Martin and went through a list of things I wanted to cover. Once complete, I signed the paperwork and we headed off on the delivery trip – a delightful trip with the tide round to Gosport, with a light northerly breeze allowing us to sail most of the way.  We had to put one reef in around Gillkicker Point and overall it was a fitting and civilised start to my ownership. Once docked in Gosport, we paused to take photos and Henry and Martin left me to it – with a bit of emotion, I suspect, as they had invested a great deal of time and energy into Spellbinder, and had kept her in great shape. A couple of photos show the moment.