Log

This is a nautical diary of the days when I am on the boat and doing boat things. It starts at the end of January two months before setting out on the 2022 round UK trip. For those that are interested and my amusement in my dotage. This a diary with the latest at the top so best understood by scrolling down a few pages and reading upwards. If that makes any sense. When you spot typos, spelling mistakes and the rest, let me know! I hate finding them later.

29th September 2022: 50 49.847 N 0 14.044 W: Shoreham

Day Log: 4.0nm. Total Log: 2654.1nm.

Jamie met me at the boat in Shoreham and we spent the morning removing the canvas and sails in preparation for the hoist out.

We caught the 13:00 lock out of Shoreham Port at high tide springs, there was very little difference in water height. High tide was at 13:45 so Jamie slowly motored up the River Adur to the Sussex Yacht Club.

When we arrived they were still in the process of launching a motor boat so we stooged around. The tide was still coming in at quite a pace so I was happy to wait a while although I didn’t want it to start going out as this would make getting into the lift more challenging. In the end the motorboat cleared off and we did a good job of driving into the slings with a slight cross tide to add some excitement. I knew it was going to be tight as the machine is 4.7m wide and EIVIVA has a beam of 4.45m. We didn’t touch the sides though.

She is now all chocked up in a cradle for the next six months. I will pop down next week and get the de humidifier running and prop up the mattresses for the winter. I’m not going to think about the list of jobs that have to be done before launch until after Christmas.

What a treat this trip has been, I’m glad to be back but sad that it is over. Can’t wait for my next adventure……How about Shoreham to the Azores across to Portugal, up the French coast and back to Shoreham. We shall see.

24th September 2022: 50 49.847 N 0 14.044 W: Shoreham

Day Log: 84.0nm. Total Log: 2650.1nm.

I set out today at 03:30 with some trepidation as the weather was still saying gusts of 35kts. I started the day making a horlicks of reversing off the pontoon. I managed not to hit anything expensive. EIVIVA really doesn’t do reverse, especially when there is a cross wind. It woke me up though, glad it was dark.

In the end it was one of the best days sailing of the trip. The wind was from the north so there was little fetch to create waves and it blew 14kts gusting 20. We flew through the Dover Straits with tide behind at 10kts, the fastest I saw was 11.4. I should have scrubbed the hull in the shetland islands, as it makes so much difference to the feel of the boat, from sluggish to sprightly.

I started out aiming for Eastbourne but we were there by 10:30 and as the sailing was so good I continued against the tide around Beachy Head and on to Shoreham. In the end the whole trip was 84nm and took 10 hours, a very respectable 8.4k average speed.

On Thursday she gets lifted out and life goes back to normal. I guess my last blog will be then.

23rd September 2022: 51 19.698 N 1 25.293E: Ramsgate

Day Log: 39.0nm. Total Log: 2566.1nm.

Well the wind wasn’t from the north today. It decided to blow from the SW or W when it was feeling nice. Never over 9kts and mostly under 5. Set out at 10:00 hrs across the Thames estuary, similar to crossing the M25 in rush hour with speed humps thrown in every now and then. It’s the second time I have done it with little wind. We sailed every now and then when the rain clouds brought the wind.

I made myself happy by making some lens covers for the boat binoculars from an old pair of socks.

We arrived in Ramsgate at five ish with an average speed of 5.1kts. I keep the engine revs down to help fuel consumption.

Tide towards Eastbourne runs from three tomorrow with a northerly wind and predicted gusts of 35kts, so it’s an early start. To make things better there is a 90% chance of rain all day.

22nd September 2022: 51 48.278 N 0 59.901E: Brightlingsea

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 2527.1nm.

Woke up to a beautifully still sunrise, everywhere looked like a watercolour painting, not a ripple in the water. After breakfast I headed into Brightlingsea to stock up on food for the next couple of days. I like this town, it still has small shops on the high street, a butchers, a bakers and a greengrocer. they were like the shops where I grew up. Unfortunately I only found this part of town after Tesco Express.

In the afternoon I managed a 6.7k run that looped past the beach huts and lido. Unlike the Shetland Islands there is no eye contact or cheery greeting as you pass people by.

The wind is going to blow from the north for the next 3 days so I am making a run for home before it goes SW for the foreseeable future. I was aiming for Dover and sent them an email. They replied saying that they were full as they are doing work to the marina. Very glad I checked as the next stop is Eastbourne and that would have been a long sail over night. I checked with Ramsgate and a very happy harbour master told me they have loads of room. It’s a 13nm shorter trip too, and I have never been there before, good all round.

21st September 2022: 51 48.278 N 0 59.901E: Brightlingsea

Day Log: 27.2nm. Total Log: 2527.1nm.

Alice is now in London starting the next exciting phase of her life. Comfortable Fulking to ethnically diverse Mile End, radical.

I arrived back on the boat Sunday evening on a direct train from Stratford to Ipswich, much easier than I thought it was going to be. Monday and Tuesday were work days, so I got my head down and got on with it. Today I took EIVIVA for a lift and bottom scrub at the Suffolk Yacht Harbour in Levington £120. (Plus VAT……something they forgot to mention on the phone).

Over the last 5 months the slime had built up on the hull. What a difference a clean bottom makes! I am now sailing to Brightlingsea in 8 kts of wind at 60 degree, doing 6.8 SOG with half a knot tide. This is about 1.5kt difference from before the bottom was clean. Happy sailor. Next year the hull will be cleaned every 2 months.

Brightlingsea is one of the few estuaries that has all tide access along this part of the coast as sand bars and shallows defend most of the river entrances at low tide. We arrived as the sun was setting and dropped the anchor in the river Colne opposite the town.

I took the dinghy over in the dark to Brightlingsea looking for a shop. The Shops were closed but the Yachtsman pub looked inviting for a couple of pints and some food. Will explore tomorrow.

12th September 2022: 51 57.012 N 1 11.024E: River Stour

Day Log: 8.8nm. Total Log: 2499.9nm.

I didn’t sleep well last night. There was a full moon and clear sky so I guess it looked like dusk for the birds and they sang all night keeping me awake.

We had a late breakfast and then headed out of the River Orwell past Felixstowe and around a short sail into the River Stour. Only a short trip as I am going to go back to home with Carol and Alice when the leave tomorrow. I can then help get Alice up to University in London on Friday. This means that we are going to go back into the Orwell tomorrow and pick up a mooring buoy at Lexington, Suffolk Yacht Harbour. After breaking free of the mooring in Falmouth at the beginning of the trip I will triple rope it this time!

11th September 2022: 51 59.773 N 1 14.264 E: River Orwell

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 2491.1nm.

Captain Carol and first mate Alice arrived at two. I spent the morning changing bedding and doing the hoovering so that everything was shipshape for the crew. I took the boat to Woolverstone marina and filled up the diesel tank for 611 quid. It was only half empty. Blame Putin. I topped up the water tank at the same time.

The tides are all wrong for going ashore to have dinner so we ate onboard and chilled out. Lovely.

10th September 2022: 51 59.773 N 1 14.264 E: River Orwell

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 2491.1nm.

I spent the week in a workshop in Miami. Tiring as they went on until 22:00hrs.

Today I cracked on with fitting a new Triton electric shower I purchased for £60 from Wicks last week. When I am at anchor for more than a couple of days the hot water in the tank goes cold and requires the engine to be run for an hour to heat it up. In the past I had to run the engine to charge the batteries. Now with solar and wind the batteries do not require the engine so no hot water. The electric shower runs on 240 volts. I now run the generator for the five minutes whilst I have a shower. Luxury!

I went for a 5k run along the banks of the river Orwell from Pin Mill. There is something quite charming about Pin Mill in an old world riverside boatyard way. Just point the camera and out pops a great photo. I can feel a watercolour painting of the last photo coming up.

Captain Carol and First Mate Alice are arriving tomorrow afternoon for a few days, I will be ready to pipe them aboard.

4th September 2022: 51 59.773 N 1 14.264 E: River Orwell

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 2491.1nm.

I wasn’t going to do any more blogs for a while whilst I got some work done. However this morning I was woken up at 06:00 by a honking noise, thinking it could be a goose roosting on the cabin top I snuck up with camera in hand. No gull but a seal in the dinghy! Cheeky bugger, how did she get up there!

Cracking dawn as well. Made coffee and watched it develop with my new friend.

3rd September 2022: 51 59.773 N 1 14.264 E: River Orwell

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 2491.1nm.

Yesterday was a chill out day. Woke up to the birds singing and popped my head out to be greeted by the rather beautiful River Orwell. I wasn’t worried about the anchor slipping after struggling to rescue my crocs from the mud last night, so I slept like a baby. Took the dinghy upstream to go to the chandlers and to Asda. Then timed the tide just right to get back to the boat. I learn from my mistakes.

Today was a work day so I got stuck into it and had a few satisfying ideas. I then replaced my Heath Robinson, milk container, waterproof cover to the 12 volt supply at the helm with a one that might work better. Then spent the rest of the afternoon fixing things in general.

Next week I have meetings every day and tomorrow I will have to work to prepare for them so the next blog is likely to be a week away. Nice place to have an office though.

1st September 2022: 51 59.773 N 1 14.264 E: River Orwell

Day Log: 159.1nm. Total Log: 2491.1nm.

30th August

The day after the sail from Lerwick was a chill out day. I slept like a log until Carol phoned me up to announce that she had fallen over and cracked a rib. She is sailing in Sardinia with the girls so there is not a lot I can do about it. I feel sorry for her as she was looking forwards to the trip and is now in quite a lot of pain. I moved the boat from Sturm Head to Hawkins Point which is 7nm upstream opposite Grimsby where I hoped there is 4G. There was, so I published the blog of the sail from Lerwick.

31st August - 1st September

Yesterday I decided to sail to the River Orwell. The river connects Harwich to Ipswich and is supposed to be very lovely. The tides were a nightmare to work out as it is important to leave the Humber on an outgoing tide as the word ’fierce’ is used in the almanac to describe them. Unfortunately this meant that two out of the three tides the duration of the journey dictated were against. We set out at 13:00hrs and arrived at 13:00hrs the next day, 1st September. Slower than I expected by a couple of hours but the tides were running at 2.5kts.

The passage was 152.1nm and an interesting navigational challenge as there are many windfarms and sand banks to avoid. The numerous shallow areas kicked up the sea into a boisterous confusion of waves. I wouldn’t want to do it in any more wind than the 17kt gusting 25kt we had. I Can’t imagine how you could navigate it without GPS. There are thousands of wrecks scattered over the seabed, so I guess it wasn’t that easy. I managed to sleep a bit on my other overnighters, but the route was just too narrow and shallow to inspire the confidence to not look where you are going for half an hour. So I am properly knackered now. I spotted a pub on the chart just upstream from the anchorage on the Orwell. I might have to pay it a visit as I haven’t had a pint of English Beer since the Scilly Isles.

Apparently one of the top ten waterside pubs in the UK. Beer was off the keg and the steak and ale pie was shortcrust and delicious. Had difficulty with the tide and the mud on the way back to the boat……

26-29th August 2022: 60 9.169 N 1 8.278 W: Humber River

Day Log: 484.5nm. Total Log: 2332.3nm.

26th August

Up with the seagulls to be met by the sun cresting the hills to the east of Lerwick harbour. After the obligatory cup of coffee, the lines were slipped and we engine out south until the harbour limits were cleared. With the sails trimmed to the forecasted 14kt wind we started or journey south. It was good to be on the water again after so many days in port.

End of day one, in the late afternoon the wind dropped to under 10kts and we are now sailing along on calm seas at 5kts. Very peaceful with the sun slowly setting over the North Sea. The wind direction is pushing the boat to the southeast, but not a lot I can do about that. Tomorrow it is predicted to go round to the north so I should be able to head back towards the UK. I have no internet out here so weather forecast unavailable. There are a few big fishing boats around and a coastguard helicopter flew over to check me out. The ever-present fulmars skimming their wings over the water and the odd gannet. Other than that, just endless sea all around.

I played ‘dodge the oil rig’ for a couple of hours last night. I was slightly confused for a while as the central rigs were very obviously illuminated but the wells that encircle the rigs had no lights at all. So I spent a nervous hour missing the unmarked wells until I zoomed in on one of them to see that it was 150m underwater.

Very clear night, I have never seen so many stars, the Milkyway is spectacular.

I am but a mote of sentient dust.

27th August

Day two started with a little wind and we sailed at slow speed to the south. Soon the wind decided to go against the forecast and become a weak southerly. After a few hours of motoring into wind I decided to close on the UK coast to get an internet signal so that I could update my knowledge of the weather forecast. By the end of the day we were sailing off Aberdeen. The weather is very light but hopefully will be coming from the east by morning tomorrow. Just now it is getting dark and there is 10kts of wind at 50 degrees, so the boat is moving south at 4kts SOG with 1.0kts of tide against. But it feels like the wind is dropping off as the sun goes down.

Its midnight, we are under engine and the sea is full of ships, all of them considerably bigger than EIVIVA. I had to check the collision regs to see who has right of way between two crossing vessels under power. Apparently, if you have the other vessel to your starboard side you give way to it. It’s working so far. I had a chat with the man on watch. I gave way.

28th August

Stuck my head out at 0300hrs to find us enveloped in thick fog. As the radar is broken, I am trusting that there are no idiots out here without AIS. It is obligatory on ships over 200 gross tonnes which most of them, but you still get the odd small boat. I am just hoping that they will not be in the middle of the North Sea.

I slept through the dawn having been woken through the night by Siri every half hour. The wind blew at 3 to 5 kts all day so I chugged along at low revs on the engine doing 5kts with slight help from the wind. Finished a book and chilled out in the sunshine on a totally flat sea. At 17:30 the wind picked up to 12kts and EIVIVA was off at 7kts. Blissful silence with no iron donkey rattling along in the background. Chicken stew in the pressure cooker for dinner.

29th August

Not a great night, had to run the engine for 75% of the time as the wind was fickle and the boat speed was dropping below 3kts at times with the sails slatting in the swell, not good for rest. I probably got 2 hours sleep in as I was hounded on AIS by the boats guarding the various oil rigs and wind farms that are scattered all over the place.

There was something making a noise in the rigging that sounds like Ebony barking in the back garden. Most disconcerting. I found it eventually. It was the steering wheel. WD40 did the trick, wonder if it would work on EBONY? Later on, I was happily sitting upstairs watching the sea go by when the whole boat started to rumble! DON’T PANIC! After rushing around wondering what the hell it was, I noticed that the generator had switched itself on. My phone had fallen off the chart table and hit the ON switch, an unbelievably difficult thing to do, the equivalent of a hole in one.  

I had in my mind stopping this trip in Harwich as I have been there before and know that the pontoon is reasonably easy to get onto solo. In the afternoon, I did some chart work and discovered that I would be rounding the Norfolk coast, with all it’s tricky sand bars, in the dark and against the current. Also, it was spring tides yesterday so and the flow was running fast. So, I turned right and headed for Grimsby and the Humber River, 50nm away.

The Humber is a vast river at its mouth and extremely busy with cargo and container ships. I was talked in by the harbour people between some big shipping and onto an anchorage called Spurn Head, which is so large it is like being at sea. A little bouncy too, but tonight I can sleep without Siri waking me up every half hour. Bliss.

Leftover chicken stew, a hot shower and asleep in seconds.

Total trip 484.5nm. Probably 75% under engine at 5kts as the wind was so light. 4 days, three nights.

25th August 2022: 60 9.169 N 1 8.278 W: Shetland Islands

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 1847.8nm.

I have been waiting in Lerwick for a favorable wind for a week now. It has been blowing unerringly from the south every day. Tomorrow there is a WSW wind forecast, then going northerly for a few days, so an 07:00 start with the tide is looking good. I am going to make the most of it and stay at sea for a couple of days so there might be another gap in these blogs. You can follow me on the Marine Traffic app. The wind is light so I might be drifting…….

Today I hired a Skoda Citygo and drove fro 150 miles around mainland Shetland. The countryside is like rolling Scottish lowlands with heather, peat, sheep and the odd cooo. Not a Shetland pony in sight. It was difficult to find a photo opportunity without power poles in the way. There are thousands of them leading to every isolated house. OK, they are made from timber but I think the people of Shetland should go without electricity so us Brits can take a good photograph.

Big shop at Tesco on the way home as boat supplies were getting low.

Very nice here in Lerwick but happy to be moving on tomorrow.

22nd August 2022: 60 9.169 N 1 8.278 W: Shetland Islands

Day Log: 4.4nm. Total Log: 1847.8nm.

Spent the last couple of days doing small jobs around the boat. Today we moved to Lerwick town quay as the wind is set southerly for the next week and I don’t fancy an into wind slog.

You can see from the Navionics screen shot an interesting moment when I had not checked that the auto helm was engaged and went onto the foredeck to sort out the anchor. I looked up and we were heading straight for the rocks! I can still move quite quickly. Nothing like an adrenaline boost at seven in the morning to set you up for the day.

Once safely tied to the pontoon I got on with a few more jobs needed doing. I re-bedded the chain plates in silicon sealant then went up the mast to replace the steaming light that had been knocked off when the radar went overboard in the Faroe Islands storm.

Very friendly here, every other person who passes leans on the sea wall to have a chat. I feel like a sideshow.

19th August 2022: 60 10.404 N 1 4.758 W: Shetland Islands

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 1843.4nm.

Dave Sharp told me to watch the BBC detective series Shetland. A lot of the footage is based in Lerwick and as the town looks very interesting I decided to walk the 2 miles to the ferry and have a look around. There are no roads from the anchorage to the ferry so I parked the dinghy in a small stream and walked up the hillside to one of the abandoned farm buildings in the hope of finding a track going in the right direction. The track was boggy in places but lead to the ferry. As I crested the last hill the ferry left for Lerwick, so I sat on the harbour wall watching the world go by.

Lerwick was well worth the visit with many old stone buildings and a comfortable and nicely proportioned historic feel to the center. There a few new buildings but they are mostly in keeping with the overall feel of the town. Everyone is cheerful and chatty and there is a relaxed pace to life that is most enjoyable. I will bring the boat here when the weather allows and have a proper look around.

I have just re written this page as I managed to delete the original in a moment of stupidity, annoying as it is difficult to repeat from memory.

18th August 2022: 60 10.390 N 1 4.793 W: Shetland Islands

Day Log: 15.1nm. Total Log: 1843.4nm.

Never found Wally, it was Willy anyway, Its the way they say it, not a lot in it. Managed to get the boat on the key wall without much stress at about 08:30. Went searching for Willy who is away on holiday, but his stand in man was going to be around from 10:00. The fishing boats got served first, then after an hour and a half it was my go. I wasn’t in a rush as the tide went south at 13:00. The stand in man announced that they only take cash!! As I didn’t have £250 lying around in the boat we both drove to the local shop. They would only give me £250 cash back if I purchased something! Four cans of beer, it is Friday after all.

The boat was being blown onto the key wall. Somehow I managed to eradicate myself in another nonchalant display of good seamanship. There was a gaggle of fisher folk watching, waiting to have a laugh. Sorry to disappoint. Phew.

Turned south and sailed into wind to Gunnista Bay on the island of Bressay. A quite surreal anchorage surrounded by rolling green hills that stop at the waters edge. A few sheep watched me arrive. A house we passed and a farm on a hill are the only signs of habitation, both now derelict.

Sun is up. Lovely surroundings. I have four cans of Brew Dog Punk IPA in the fridge. Happy days.

17th August 2022: 60 20.811 N 1 1.130 W: Shetland Islands

Day Log: 19.5nm. Total Log: 1828.3nm.

Today (I have caught up with the blog!) I wasn’t going to go anywhere. In the end, as the weather was very mild, I decided to engine south through the islands to Whalsay. What happened to the predicted southerly storm you might ask. Apparently, it is coming tomorrow so I made sure that the anchorage I chose called North Voe was protected from the south.

I popped to the local shop in Symbister, that sold everything from sparkplug brushes to baby sweetcorn, to restock the food locker. In the local harbour there are some serious deep sea fishing boats that must have been a huge investment for someone. There is also marine diesel at £1.20 a litre, so I will fill up. First, I must find a man called Wally, who works the pumps. I wonder where he is.

I asked a fisherman for his mobile number, but he said that Wally wasn’t the sort of man to have a mobile phone. I’m intrigued.

15-16th August 2022: 60 34.988 N 1 19.827 W: Shetland Islands

Day Log: 206.8nm. Total Log: 1808.5nm.

Lucy and John packed up and I took them over to catch the bus to the airport. What an adventure for Lucy, it feels like months since she arrived in Stornoway. Top crew and great company. It was also really good to have John along for the trip around the islands, fantastic to share the experience of this legendary and epic place.

I set sail at 14:00 against the tide for 7 hours so that I could hit a tidal gate around the first headland at the start of the trip and then another going through the lower islands where I know from experience the tide can hit 6kts. This meant keeping the speed at about 4.5kts between the two or I would get to the lower islands too early. I timed it about right and we were shot out through the gap between Streymoy and Sandoy and on the way to the Shetlands like a cork out of a champaign bottle. As the Faroe Islands receded into the distance I was rewarded with a dramatic orange sunset, a fitting end to a very memorable visit to these incredible North Atlantic islands. I shall return.

The wind on the crossing was a northerly between 15 and 20 knots and the sea was moderate on the beam. Not bad sailing conditions and EIVIVA made good speed mostly over 8kts and never dropping below 7.5. The AIS showed that there was no one else out on the North Atlantic apart from a few oil rigs that I would pass in the morning, I wonder why? So I slept below by setting Siri to wake me up every half hour. Then I checked the AIS and popped my head out to see if there were any lights about and that the sails were set to the wind. Then asked Siri to wake me up in half an hour and went back to sleep. It worked quite well.

We (me and EIVIVA again) arrived off the Shetland Islands at 19:00hrs after an uneventful passage over a blue grey sea in chilly air that was so clear that that made the horizon a brilliant hard line against the sky. The wind had picked up a bit and there were some big waves caused by the tides around the first headland. I decided to sail between two sea stacks and cut about an hour off the end of the trip. The gap looked wide on the chart but it is surprising how narrow 400m becomes when there is sea breaking on rocks either side of you and the boat is doing 8kts off the top of steep waves. Woke me up though. I was at anchor in Burra Voe by 20:00hrs. Asleep by 20:02.

The whole trip took 30 hours and was 206.8nm. The sail from Faroes to Shetland took 23 hours and was 180.7nm. A respectable 7.8kts average speed.

14th August 2022: 62 4.434 N 7 19.427 W: Faroe Islands

Day Log: 16.9nm. Total Log: 1602.0nm.

We had a restful night at anchor and left with the tide at about 10:30hrs ready for another day of epic cliffs, fulmars and puffins and wild seas on the headlands where the tide boiled over the rocks. I am very glad there has been little wind over these past few days as the seas in these areas would become very nasty if it blew. So we ran under engine for the four hours it took to get to the harbour of Sorvagur where we anchored off the small port.

Walking into town there was music playing and what looked like a small festival going on. When we got closer it turned out to be a socker game between this island and another. Good game, the local boys won with much celebration so it must have been a final of some sort.

I did some navigation and weather checking in a café with Wi-Fi and found that there were some storms coming through the North Atlantic over the next few days but there was a weather window tomorrow that might be more comfortable. From Wednesday the wind gets up to 30kts plus for a week and I want to be in the Shetland Islands by then. Tomorrow John and Lucy leave and so will get going early afternoon.

13th August 2022: 62 17.561 N 7 8.597 W: Faroe Islands

Day Log: 16.8nm. Total Log: 1585.1nm.

The tides rip around the Faroe Islands and are the determining factor when deciding when to start out. Today we left at 11:00hrs enduring the lumpy conditions of the anchorage for a few more hours. Lucy has invented the perfect sailing breakfast, bacon, mushrooms, onion, and egg all served with bread and butter. A kind of deconstructivist omelette. We need a name for it.

The scenery was even more spectacular today. More towering sea cliffs with fulmars, puffins and arctic turns wheeling around the boat. It is only when you see the birds as microscopic specs of white against the rock face that you realise how truly massive the cliffs are. John must have taken hundreds of photographs as the light changed and the clouds rolled over the peaks.

I chose our anchorage carefully so that it was protected from the tidal swell. An inlet on the west of the main island of Streymoy off a town called Vestmanna. John and Lucy went ashore to buy provisions whilst I tidied up the boat. Later we discovered a bar with Wi-Fi where we had a few beers and dinner.

An excellent day’s sight seeing.

12th August 2022: 62 17.561 N 7 8.597 W: Faroe Islands

Day Log: 36.4nm. Total Log: 1568.3nm.

Up early to have a look around Torshavn. It has a nice mix of old timber houses with grass roofs and modern Scandinavian style buildings. I found the harbour office and paid about £15 for last nights stay in the marina. The harbour master showed me where to download an app that shows the currents around the islands. They are as fierce as everything else here and can run at 6 kts through the fjords that separate the islands. He also showed me a couple of bays we might want to anchor in overnight. Tonight a bay where his mother lives.

The tides are good to go north at about 14:00 so I walked 1.5km up hill to a shop that sold camping gas. In Ireland I paid 60 euro for a refill. Here it was £45 for two.

We set off after a complicated manoeuvre to leave the berth and motored up the Lervig Fjord. Totally spectacular scenery with mountains all around. Towards the end of the fjord cliffs were towering over us and the sea picked up with 3-4m waves caused by the effect of wind over tide, or perhaps just tide over the seabed as there was little wind.

One particular sea stack looked like a woman with her daughter, but we later discovered that it was an Islandic giant and a witch that tried to steal the Faroe Islands. They did this at night because, as everyone knows, they turn to stone if daylight falls upon them. The Faroe Islands were more difficult to move than they thought and they lost track of time……..Tolkien’s trolls from the Hobbit.

We found the bay where the harbour master’s mother lives, very beautiful. The bay that is, we never managed to meet his mother. It turned out to be quite roly (rollie?) so getting ashore not at all easy. Luckily there is food and drink onboard, so we rocked the night away.

11th August 2022: 62 0.567 N 6 46.223 W: Faroe Islands

Day Log: 32.0nm. Total Log: 1531.9nm.

Yesterday was a washout. If anything it rained harder than the day before and the wind was still silly. Everything a little wet so we stayed on the boat and chilled out.

Woke up this morning to a sunny sky and little wind. I climbed the mast first thing to tidy up the wiring where the radar dome was ripped off the mast in the storm on Tuesday. Then we headed to Torshavn the capital of the Faroe Islands to meet John, resplendent with his new passport.

Nice sail, what a difference a day makes! When we started out Lucy was wide eyed in 20kts of wind. Today when we leant over in a 20kt gust she continued to read her book without looking up. Seasoned heavy weather sailor.

John was waiting at the quay side. Torshavn look lovely. We will explore tomorrow.

9th August 2022: 61 33.309 N 6 48.546 W: Faroe Islands

Day Log: 20.0nm. Total Log: 1499.9nm.

Weather Pro shows today as 99% rain all day, same tomorrow. When it rains here it really rains. As the town doesn’t wake up until noon we stayed onboard and listened to the rain drum on the deck above. Lucy read and I pondered the meaning of life, to no great effect.

When the shops opened we donned out wet weather gear and headed out into the torrential rain. We had lunch in the internet cafe and caught up with the rest of the world.

When we arrived back to the boat we decided to move around to the next bay about 12 miles away to the north. The wind was a force 4 from the south so easy sailing. Once we left the fjord the wind picked up to a force 6 gusting 7. Then without warning we had a north westerly force 9 on the beam, 40kts constant gusting 45kts. This blew for half an hour before it stepped up to a full blooded force 10 with winds constantly over 50kts. The highest wind speed that I saw was 56.5kts. By far the biggest wind that I have ever sailed in. It was very wild, the sea was totally white and the spray was like bullets making forward vision difficult. Luckily we were close to towering cliffs so the sea state was only a couple of meters, even if the cliffs were slightly too close for comfort. It had rained so much today that waterfalls of rain were roaring down the cliffs adding to the unreality of the moment.

What a second sail for Lucy! She was understandably quite scared but didn’t show it and did an excellent job of not panicking and superb seat of the pants navigation.

EIVIVA was magnificent! She lent over in the gusts but never rounded up. With just the staysail flying we were doing 9 plus knots down wind.

Then the wind changed direction and we were headed making our destination untenable. So we turned around in the storm and spent a worrying, but spectacular, two hours returning to whence we came.

We are now back at anchor with the wind whistling in the rigging, a glass of beer in hand, laughing at the enormity of the adventure. Very glad it is over.

When you burn a years worth of adrenaline in a few hours you deserve another beer…..or two.

8th August 2022: 61 33.309 N 6 48.546 W: Faroe Islands

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 1429.9nm.

Exhausted by the sail yesterday we both slept about 11 hours without waking.

Today we went exploring in the town of Tvoroyri. We discovered the tourist information office and a man who could take our passport details so that we were registered. Otherwise, the town is mostly closed in the morning. A bakery sold us some buns and a coffee which we ate sitting on the harbour wall. We found the supermarket and discovered that alcohol is only sold in government monopoly outlets, the nearest one was on the other side of the fiord.

We thought we could see the booze building so we set off in the dinghy. We moored alongside an old boat shed and having clambered over a number of fences and through someone’s back garden we arrived to find closed, it opened in an hour. So, we walked to the refurbished salt factory to have a look around, that was closed too. The sheep found it amusing. In the end we managed to get a few bottles.

Back at the boat we had a late lunch in the sun looking over the town, very pleasant. Next stop was the internet café where we drank coffee and posted the blog from yesterday. Then back on board for a well-earned bottle of red and some First Mate Lucy’s excellent spaghetti bolognaise.

Nice relaxing day, we needed it.

6-7th August 2022: 61 33.309 N 6 48.546 W: Faroe Islands

Day Log: 217.5nm. Total Log: 1429.9nm.

Lucy arrived at 08:30 having got up at 04:30. We set sail at 09:15 for the Faroe Islands. 217 nautical miles. The weather forecast was for 14kt southerly gusting 20kts on Saturday then almost no wind on Sunday. It started off with a 14kt south-westerly then as we cleared the end of Harris the wind strengthened to 30kts gusting 35kts, with 4.5m high waves on the beam, raining. EIVIVA was in her element once a reef or two were put in the sails. It was the biggest sea I have been in for some time, just as you imagine the north Atlantic could be on a day you would rather not be sailing. But kind of fun all the same.

First Mate Lucy started to feel queasy with about 25 hours sailing to go. I could see it in her eyes that she had worked this out and that it was going to be a long, long 25 hours. It blew hard for the whole of Saturday up until about 04:00 Sunday morning when the wind dropped back to about 20kts and the sea state became more reasonable. Nothing like the weather forecast at all. Lucy started to talk again, always a good sign.

Land Ho! The Faroe Islands rose majestically over the horizon, the sun peeped through the clouds, we were surrounded by sea birds, puffins bobbed in the water. Then a rainbow appeared to salute the moment.

Now at anchor at Tvoroyri on the most southern island in the archipelago, Suduroy. Dropped Lucy off to go to the shop to buy a bottle of wine. She came back with six bottles of 2.3% pilsner. Apparently, the Danes have decide to give up being Vikings and now sip weak beer from the great drinking horns of their ancestors.

What a couple of days! A real baptism of fire for the First Mate.

176nm in the first 24 hours, average speed of 7.3Kts, not bad cruising.

5th August 2022: 58 12.568 N 6 23.428 W: Lewis, Scotland

Day Log: 29.4nm. Total Log: 1212.4nm.

Got the video done. I will never look at it. One of the most stressful things for me to do. Back on EIVIVA last night with a couple of bottles of Joker IPA. Slept well for the first time in a few nights.

Up early this morning and found that the wind was blowing me onto the pontoon and the tide was from behind. As EIVIVA has a long keel she goes where she wants when going backwards, so I tried quite a few methods of getting off the pontoon forwards but none would work. In the end I rigged a bow spring and drove onto it until the stern was at 45 degrees to the pontoon. I then ran up to the bow released the spring, got it on board, and was back at the helm reversing out before the boat hit the one in front of me. Quicker than Usain on a good day. Nothing like an adrenaline rush in the morning!

Then a lovely sail with a 15kt wind coming over the island of Harris, so relatively flat sea. We passed the Eilean Glas lighthouse which is exactly how a lighthouse should be, red and white stripes with a giant metal fog horn at the base.

Coming into Stornoway I radioed up the Harbour to let them know I was approaching and spoke to a chap that was probably speaking Gallic or a hybrid version of English. Certainly undecipherable to me. In the end I just said. “Thanks, EIVIVA out.” and continued into the harbour.

Now tucked up for the night on a £40 pontoon in the Inner Harbour.

Lucy and John were arriving tomorrow for the trip to the Faroe Islands. Except John’s passport doesn’t have 90 days left on it before it expires so he cannot travel. Bummer for John. Looks Like it is just First Mate Lucy and me.

2nd August 2022: 57 52.471 N 6 42.036 W: Scalpay, Scotland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 1183.0nm.

Gusting 35kts today. At the time we wanted to leave it would be wind over tide and there are overfall symbols on the chart. Raining as well. Made the sensible decision to stay put in Scalpay.

I worked the day and Captain Maz watched the Commonwealth Games on TV.

In a lull in the rain we did a quick walk around the slightly uninspiring village. Most of the buildings are modern rendered boxes built for the salmon farming industry, before it moved elsewhere. The school still has an asbestos roof.

Tomorrow, Captain Maz is leaving for civilization from Stornoway. I am jumping in the taxi to the ferry with her, leaving EIVIVA on the pontoon. I have to do some video work on Thursday morning so my next log will be Friday night once I have returned to the boat and sailed up the coast to Stornoway.

Hopefully the weather will improve by then.

1st August 2022: 57 52.471 N 6 42.036 W: Scalpay, Scotland

Day Log: 31.2nm. Total Log: 1183.0nm.

Set off north at about 09:30 in mild 5kt southerly wind so engine on. Weather forecast predicting 15kts and didn’t disappoint. The spinnaker went up and we rocked along at 8 plus kts.

We arrived at Scalpay North Harbour early afternoon and put EIVIVA on a pontoon (all there was). Took the opportunity to wash down the boat and top up the water tank.

We went to buy some shopping in a building that had Cafe and Shop written on the side. It had been converted to a restaurant. Fully booked, but they could squeeze us in at 17:30. Fabulous food. Scallops and Salmon for me, scallops and pork belly for Captain Maz followed by fresh berry pavlova. Most unexpected. Require sleep now.

It’s only seven o’clock.

31st July 2022: 57 33.367 N 7 10.335 W: North Uist, Scotland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 1,151.8nm.

Bike ride today.

We took the dinghy up the Lock to a jetty where the bike chap was going to deliver our bikes. He has a nice setup where the bikes are classic post office bikes that have been refurbished. Every bike they buy one get sent to Malawi. They are also charged by solar so everyone wins.

We were told that the battery range was 30 miles and set out to do a loop around North Uist slightly conscious of running the batteries down on a heavy weight bike. So we were both in eco mode setting. In the end we cycled about 36 miles and both of us still had 75% battery left at the end. Captain Maz might have had more but there was no second party verification. I guess people just put them on full power so the bike chap plays it safe with the range.

Lovely ride down single track roads with passing places. North Uist is undulating with many sandy inlets surrounded by rocks and inland lochs surrounded by wild flower meadows., Highland coos adorn the journey.

Arrived back to the boat and spent 3 hours up the mast riveting the radar scanner back in place. Yesterday we noticed that it was flopping about as the bracket had been pulled off the mast by the new slightly larger stay sail.

Then England won the Soccer Euros! Girl Power!!!! Fantastic. Just the best result for the future of everything.

30th July 2022: 57 33.367 N 7 10.335 W: North Uist, Scotland

Day Log: 26.8nm. Total Log: 1,151.8nm.

Lazy start today as the tide went north from about 10:30hrs. The wind was lighter than yesterday and we were sailing on the lee of the island so the water was flat. A nice change from yesterday. EIVIVA was going well, especially so when I went down below to work and Captain Maz took over sailing duties. I must tell her what to do more often.

A very chilled day altogether, with sun, seals, small dolphins and rain.

Arrived in Loch Eport around 16:00 and picked up a buoy similar to the one from last night. Looking on google maps I noticed that the buoys once tethered a fish farm. This probably explains the long bit of rope from last night. If you look at the picture from yesterday it looks like the rope was cut, perhaps sabotaged by the anti fish farm people?

Apparently we are going on a bike ride tomorrow. I insisted on E-bikes

29th July 2022: 57 8.575 N 7 16.424 W: South Uist, Scotland

Day Log: 27.0nm. Total Log: 1,125.0nm.

Up early for breakfast of toast and the home made Canna blackcurrant jam that we bought yesterday. The weather was perfect for a proper sail to the South Uist on the Outer Hebrides. Wind 15kts from the beam, sun shinning. Captain Maz in command and as always doing a good job of it.

With a couple of hours to go the wind was gusting over 20kts and a two meter sea had built on the beam and we were rolling merrily along at 8 knots. Not surprisingly Captain Maz was feeling slightly queasy in these conditions, I certainly would have done on my second day of the trip. But we reached South Uist in good time and took a mooring buoy with the longest rope I have ever seen.

The sky turned grey and rain threatened so we jumped into the dinghy to go to the local shop before it started. The local shop was closed so we set out walking on a 6 mile round trip to the Co-Op. After a mile the local bus lady took pity on us and and gave us a lift. On the way back we booked a taxi, then couldn’t pay as we had no cash. Who carries cash these days? Embarrassing.

What we have seen of South Uist so far is slightly uninspiring, but it is a big island and tomorrow we will be in another bay.

It started to rain properly and a gusting wind turned the anchorage a little bouncy, Captain Maz still feeling slightly green.

28th July 2022: 57 3.365 N 6 29.598 W: Canna, Scotland

Day Log: 26.7nm. Total Log: 1,098.0nm.

Up early and sneaked around until Captain Maz roused herself. Not a cloud in the sky and a sea like glass, probably the nearest I have seen to the weather reported from the south. We dropped the mooring at around 10:00hrs and engined back up Loch Nevis past Mallaig, on past Rum to the island of Canna. What a lovely place!

After I attended a work meeting in Miami we took the tender to shore and walked around the island. Carol is insisting on rowing instead of using the outboard. I see the other boat people looking at us and wondering what my secret is. It saves the planet too.

After we had walked around saying “wow” a lot we found ourselves sitting outside the refreshment building. I had a pint of weakish beer and Carol a pint of strongish cider. The midges came out in force and Carol glugged the whole pint of cider in one long and impressive glug. And promptly headed off to the dinghy to get away from the wee biting monsters.

We left at high speed with Carol rowing again, fortified by the cider, and aware of the onlookers she was producing a prodigious bow wave. After an impressive initial effort she was starting to flag.

“How much further?”

“Which direction would you like to go? Over here or back to the boat? I’m always helpful.

27th July 2022: 57 0.741 N 6 16.178 W: Loch Nevis, Scotland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 1,071.3nm.

Captain Maz piped onboard!

25th July 2022: 57 0.741 N 6 16.178 W: Loch Nevis, Scotland

Day Log: 24.1nm. Total Log: 1,071.3nm.

Yesterday was a grim day. It started raining hard at about 05:00 and never stopped. It was still raining when I hit the sack. Big work day as a result. Not worth writing about.

This morning I was woken up by the anchor alarm and wind screeching through the rigging. There are rocks all around me so I managed a peaceful sleep to on deck in my undies in 2 seconds. Not good for the heart. The anchor slipped about 20m before catching again. The wind was blowing seven gusting who knows so re setting the anchor was fun. I decided to leave Loch Eishort at 10:00, an hour before low tide to have a look at the rocks I passed on the way in.

The sail to Mallaig was wonderful. Once out of the loch I set the staysail and half the main and blasted along at between 8 and 9 knots boat speed. The sun had popped out and the guillemots were wheeling over the whitecaps. I found myself laughing out loud, it was a moment I had been waiting for.

Arrived in Mallaig around lunch and as there were no buoys went on anchor. An hour later the harbourmasters help told me that I was not allowed to anchor and that the marina was full. I went back out into the blow and headed up Loch Nevis to Inverie where I picked up a buoy. I shall explore tomorrow.

Captain Maz arrives on Wednesday, at Mallaig. I must work out how to get her here……….

23nd July 2022: 57 0.741 N 6 16.178 W: Skye, Scotland

Day Log: 15.5nm. Total Log: 1,047.2nm.

The wind changed over night and started to push small waves up the bay. The weather forecast said that it was not going to get any better so life here in Rum might become less comfortable. I decided to sail to Loch Eishort on the Isle of Skye as the entrance to the loch looked like it was an interesting navigational challenge. Lots of rocks and narrow bits. I would never have considered it without 5m location precision on a chart plotter as the channel is not marked. It kept me on my toes for half an hour.

Weather grey and raining, but wind on the beam for once so EIVIVA was scooting along at 8kts in smooth seas for the short crossing to Skye. The Cuillin Mountains loomed to port looking very Tolkienesque, hard to photograph. Tomorrow is another grim day but somehow the drizzle suits this part of the world, so long as you have somewhere warm and dry to hide.

22nd July 2022: 57 0.741 N 6 16.178 W: Rum, Scotland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 1,031.7nm.

I had a lot of work to do today so I decided to stay in Rum and get on with it. Not a bad place to have an office though.

Popped ashore to get some food from the local store which opens for a couple of hours a day. Everything you need, including a rather fine bottle of Malbec from Argentina. It is Friday after all.

Kinloch Castle was built as a private residence for Sir Goerge Bullough, a textile tycoon from Lancashire whose father bought Rùm as his summer residence and shooting estate. Construction began in 1897, and was completed in 1900.

Jim Crumley, a Scottish nature writer, described Kinloch Castle as "a monument to… colossal wealth and ego and acquisitive greed… It is a building without a redeeming feature….a loathsome edifice. It perpetuates only the memory of the worst kind of island lairds… a hideous affront, but nothing that a good fire and subsequent demolition couldn’t rectify"

I bet they say that about some of my buildings too.

20th July 2022: 56 37.716 N 6 13.412 W: Muck, Scotland

Day Log: 21.1nm. Total Log: 1,012.6nm.

Popped into ‘town’ for some early shopping, getting all the things that were on my shopping list that I left on the boat yesterday. Then headed off towards the small island of Muck. Called Muck because muc-mhara is a whale in Gaelic.

Head to wind again but just enough to keep the boat speed above 6kts on flat sea. I had all day as the strongest tide was 0.6kts against and the island was only 15.2nm away by the most direct route. In the end it was 21.1nm tacking into the tide. Apart for half an hour of no wind we sailed all the way. Perfect.

On the way I converted a non slip tray onto a device that stops my computer from flying off the chart table. It works very well, so far.

Will go for a run across Muck tomorrow as it looks flattish. Then possibly head north towards Loch Scresort on Rum. Or Eigg? Just going where the wind blows.

Auspicious day, passed one thousand nautical miles this trip so far.

19th July 2022: 56 37.152 N 6 3.781 W: Mull, Scotland

Day Log: 00.0nm. Total Log: 991.5nm.

Decided to stay the day in Tobermory. Jumped out of bed at 07:30 to beat the rush for the one working washing machine in town. Got it first. The early bird catches the worm. Whilst it was doing it’s thing I went to the shops to get food for the week. I also finally found a shop that sold a memory card for the replacement drone.

I pegged drying washing all over the boat then decided to drive to the pontoon to top up the water tank. Stupid really as I couldn’t see where I was going very well through all the pants and T shirts. Then it took me three goes to pick up the mooring buoy again for the same reason (at least that’s what I told myself).

Got the drone flying again which is great. I will not be taking off from a moving boat again though. Then to finish the day on a high note it started to rain followed by three hours of meetings on the Vancouver project.

A good practical day all in all.

18th July 2022: 56 37.152 N 6 3.781 W: Mull, Scotland

Day Log: 29.5nm. Total Log: 991.5nm.

Important meetings today from 15:00 so thought I would get to a town as there is always 4G. Set out at 09:00 for Tobermory with no wind forecasted. Chug chug. With a couple of hours to go I the wind picked up to 8kts from behind so I thought that a spinnaker might work. Set all the ropes, hoisted the spinnaker. Then the wind changed before I pulled up the snuffer. Took it all down again. Had a cup of tea.

Tobermory is just as it was when we drove through on one of our motorbike tours. Nice but touristic. I remember good fish and chips so doing that tomorrow, if I stay.

Band width worse than where I was this morning.

Decided to have a beer. Or two.

17th July 2022: 56 6.748 N 6 11.127 W: Mull, Scotland

Day Log: 22.0nm. Total Log: 962.0nm.

Set out after breakfast for Tiree. The predicted wind from the SE didn’t happen instead we had a 6kt head wind. So engine on and I settled down to finish off the presentation I am working on. One eye on the AIS and radar. Big rolly sea on the bow but smooth, I must have my sea legs working as the motion would have been difficult at the start of the trip. It’s like working riding a roller coaster.

Got bored of aiming for Tiree so took a detour through the Iona Straight that separates it from Mull. The approach to the straight is full of rocks and I wouldn’t go near it in windy conditions but today it was quite fun in an, I’m glad that over, sort of way.

Short tacked into an anchorage, not one of EIVIVA’s strong points but she did it in the end. Now holed up in Loch Na Lathaich. I wonder how you pronounce that?

16th July 2022: 56 6.414 N 6 11.058 W: Colonsay, Scotland

Day Log: 8.1nm. Total Log: 940.0nm.

The wind is forecast to turn 180 degrees today and blow from the south east. On the other side of the island there is a bay that looks like it could be sheltered. Initially the wind was from the northwest as it has been for a week now so I settled down to work on the presentation I have next week. By 10:00 the wind had moved so I dropped the bouy and engine the 6km around to the very beautiful Kiloran Bay. There is a little roll at high tide but other than that perfect. I anchored off the sandy beach in 5m of water the only boat here. I am never sure about being the only boat in an anchorage, is there something that I don’t know? As always within 2 hours there were another 4 boats around me. Comforting…..or are they just assuming I know what I am doing?

On the way I passed a strange floating structure that I later found out was a giant salmon farm. You could see them jumping in the pens, poor buggers. Apparently 73,600 salmon escaped from the farm after storm Brendan broke the holding nets in 2020.

Worked the rest of the day and broke the back of it. Decided to go on a run to get a photo of the bay from up high and explore inland. It really is a lovely island what a good place to have an adventure.

There are cows on the beach here. Why are they on the beach when there is grass to eat inland? Perhaps they are on holiday.

14th July 2022: 56 3.642 N 6 11.175 W: Colonsay, Scotland

Day Log: 34.6nm. Total Log: 931.9nm.

We, EIVIVA and me, are heading north to the island of Colonsay today but the tide through the channel between Islay and Jura does not go in the right direction until the afternoon. So I spent the morning cracking on with some design work and made some good progress.

At 13:30 we set sail with the wind behind then turning onto a broad reach with 17kts of wind. Perfect. On the way up the coast of Islay the distilleries were very obvious, painted white with their names in black letters on the side. Laphroaig was the only one I knew and probably one of the scotches I dislike the most, but there was also Lagavulin and Ardbeg.

The tide was running at 4kts when we entered the channel so worth the wait. Even in the wind shadow of the surrounding mountains we didn’t drop under 8kts and apart from one narrow section where the wind was on the nose we sailed the whole journey.

Arrived at Queens Bay in Colonsay to find some very smart new mooring buoys with pay at www.colonsay.org.uk painted on the top. I hooked up to a spare one and decided to support the local endeavor, unless it was silly money. £15 done. As the wind is right on the nose to the island of Tiree, my next stop, I will stay here tomorrow and finish off my design work . Saturday however, looks like a spinnaker run, much better.

‘Gentlemen don’t sail into wind’ or so I’m told.

13th July 2022: 55 37.634 N 6 12.899 W: Islay, Scotland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 897.3nm.

Had a great morning attending a three and a half hour virtual speed awareness course. I thought it was better than the others I have done over the years. Obviously works too.

Launched the dinghy and popped over to Port Ellen to get some food, do some laundry and buy a memory card for the drone. The Co-Op was closed for restocking. There was a Dutch couple who had claimed the washing machine in the harbour office with what must be a years worth of dirty clothes. And a memory card in Port Ellen? No chance. So good afternoon too.

At four I decided to go on a run so at least I achieved something positive in the day. Hilly 6k via the lighthouse but managed it quite well for me.

Got back to the boat energized so cleared some more of the work that is hanging over me at the moment.

12th July 2022: 55 37.634 N 6 12.899 W: Islay, Scotland

Day Log: 35.0nm. Total Log: 897.3nm.

Left Sanda Island at 09:45 at slack water so that the current around the Mull of Kintyre headland was slow. It is known for having nasty seas in wind over tide conditions which is what it was going to be. I timed it right as there was only a knot of current and the wind stayed under 15kts so no pop at all.

The wind dropped to 5kts on the nose just after the Mull and so the engine went on. I decided to put a fee bid together below. It is handy having the chart plotter right next to where I use the computer. With AIS showing most of the boats around and radar picking up everything that doesn’t have AIS I can happily work and keep an eye on what is going on around me without sticking my head out ever 5 minutes.

The sun came up and the wind shifted south so the last three hours was good smooth sailing. Very nice. I arrived at Port Ellen on Islay around four so not a quick trip but the fee bid is done!

11th July 2022: 55 17.163 N 5 34.950 W: Sanda Island, Scotland

Day Log: 30.4nm. Total Log: 862.3nm.

Started the next leg of the route to Stornoway, the step off point for the Faroe Islands. I woke up early and decided to get going even though there was little wind. A couple of miles off shore the wind died completely leaving a glassy sea. We turned towards the west and rounded Plada Island with it’s lighthouse on the way to Sanda, a small island with an anchorage that is sheltered in south and south westerly winds.

The wind suddenly switched back on blowing at 12kts gusting 20kt or so from an angle that was close hauled to Sanda. We blasted along with a couple of knots of tide behind making good headway. I was slightly concerned that the overfalls that were charted around Sanda might be troublesome so I reefed up. In the end they were not so bad and EIVIVA rode them with style.

We arrived at Sanda and anchored in shallow water off an old stone jetty. There was no one else here and the buildings on shore looked deserted. I am always slightly worried when I am in an anchorage on my own. What have I missed? Was the wind going to go round and make it untenable? Was it a plague island? In the end I discover why the Island appeared deserted. I was bought by a Swiss chap last year for £2.5m, he closed the hotel and booted everyone off. GET OFF MY LAND! Can’t stop you anchoring though. I might empty my poo tank in his bay before I leave.

Wind is dying down as I write this but still some strong gusts coming through. I hope they go away before bed time.

10th July 2022: 55 32.239 N 5 6.922 W: Isle of Arran, Scotland

Day Log: 24.0nm. Total Log: 831.9nm.

Delivered Lucy to Ardrossan to catch her train back to Glasgow. Took the opportunity to top up the diesel and put some water in the tank. I have used 200 liters of fuel since Cowes, this is about what I expected. Only £380!

I also picked up the replacement drone and a new set of dinghy wheels having lost one in the windy river trip to Waterford.

Now back in Lamlash Bay on Arran, not a cloud in the sky and the sea is like a mirror. Tomorrow I am heading for the Mull of Kintyre. Sing along………OH Mull of Kintyre, oh mist rolling in from the sea……

9th July 2022: 55 32.239 N 5 6.922 W: Isle of Arran, Scotland

Day Log: 11.2nm. Total Log: 807.9nm.

Had a great sleep, Lucy says she did too. The sun was up, what a difference a day makes. We were surrounded by spectacular scenery, mountains and sky reflected in smooth water. Unfortunately someone with a JCB pneumatic hammer was demolishing an old quay. Must be overtime on Saturday. Slightly tarnished the vibe. We zoomed ashore to get some petrol for the dinghy and some stuff for lunch the set sail for the island of Bute.

The wind was only 5kts so as we wanted to sail we changed the destination to a bay south of Brodick called Whiting Bay. We drifted along at a couple of knots, folded the bimini and snoozed in the sun. Perfect.

The anchorage was deserted. We rowed to shore and walked down the beach looking for a red shell or perhaps a piece of red sea glass to complete Lucy’s rainbow shellarama. After a mile or so we found a place that would quench our thirst.

Too many great photos of today to show them all. A bit of sun, great company, who could ask for more.

8th July 2022: 55 32.239 N 5 6.922 W: Isle of Arran, Scotland

Day Log: 13.4nm. Total Log: 796.7nm.

We woke up to low cloud over the anchorage. Lucy says this is summer in Scotland, kind of damp and chilly. After a hearty breakfast we decided to head north to a remote bay on Arran called Sannox Bay and go exploring.

Sannox bay is a wide sandy cove and apart from some holiday makers walking the beach in the drizzle quite deserted. Lucy spotted a Lion Main jelly fish in the water so we looked it up and discovered that it had quite a sting. No swimming here then. The weather lifted and we took the dingy ashore to do some beach combing and have a look around.

We could have stayed on anchor in Sannox Bay but the wind was starting to freshen and the bay would be exposed to any swell that came around the top of the island so we moved back to Brodick and went ashore for a drink and dinner.

It is great to spend time with Lucy like this, very special.

7th July 2022: 55 32.239 N 5 6.922 W: Isle of Arran, Scotland

Day Log: 10.0nm. Total Log: 783.3nm

Yesterday was very grim, cloudy and blowing 30kts across the anchorage. I stayed onboard and got a load of work done. Other than that not a lot to report.

Today Lucy was arriving so did a bit of cleaning up in the morning then motored around the headland to Brodick where the ferry arrived at 12:00. We put her gear on the boat then went shopping for provision in the town. After lunch we headed off down the coast to Lamlash Bay, a nicer place to stay the night.

We built a chicken curry for dinner then headed off to shore in the dinghy to discover the delights of Lamlash. After a few drinks we went back to the boat to chat, listen to music and chill. It really is very beautiful here and sharing it all with Lucy is very special.

At ten o’clock Lucy decide to go for a swim, rather her than me, she will still be shivering in the morning.

Great day.

5th July 2022: 55 32.239 N 5 6.922 W: Isle of Arran, Scotland

Day Log: 38.6nm. Total Log: 773.3nm

Relaxed start today alarm at 07:00, luxury. Even had time for breakfast before heading out at 0800 for the Isle of Arran. I have been looking forward to sailing around the western islands of Scotland and if today is anything to go by I am not going to be disappointed.

Under engine for the first hour then close hauled towards Arran. The newly tightened backstay seems to have helped forestay sag and we made good progress to wind in 15kts of puff. On the way we passed the monumental and uninhabited Ailsa Craig. Up until 2004 it was the only place in the world where curling stones were quarried, now the Welsh have found a similar granitic rock.

The sun broke out from behind the clouds and illuminated the approach to the Isle of Arran, I spent an hour sitting on the foredeck just watching it unfold before me, truly spectacular.

Now at anchor in Lamlash Bay.

Finished the day with a bunch of meetings.

4th July 2022: 54 57.776 N 5 3.859 W: Loch Ryan, Scotland

Day Log: 58.1nm. Total Log: 734.7nm

Alarm woke me up at 04:00hrs in time for dawn! Tide was high at Strangford so minimal current on the way out. I planned it this time! We were under engine until the headland cleared to port then a fresh 15kt WNW breeze filled in on calm seas and EIVIVA did what she does best. Fast, comfortable beam reach to Corsewall Lighthouse that guards the entrance to Loch Ryan.

As we rounded the headland the sea opened up to the Atlantic proper and the wind picked up to around force 6 and as a result some interesting 3m breaking waves swept us towards the mouth of the Loch. This had me concentrating for a while as the autohelm was unable to keep the boat on course as it couldn’t correct for the waves in time.

Now anchored up in The Wig, an anchorage in Loch Ryan. Its still blowing but we are nicely tucked away for the night.

First Mate Lucy arriving on board Thursday!

3rd July 2022: 54 22.752 N 5 34.134 W: Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 676.6nm

Sat out on deck watching the world go by, most unlike me. Beautiful here. At 15:30 took the boat into the lough proper to have a look around. I had intended to go under engine but there was a 17kt wind blowing once I got into the lough so up went the sails. Not taking any chances with the tides high tide was at 16:30 by which time I had reached the end of the navigable water. Perfect timing to be swept back to the anchorage. Good fun sail.

Tomorrow I cross the Irish sea to Scotland and once again it is a 4:30 start. I quite like an early start so that I get to see the sunrise, a very magical time of the day.

2nd July 2022: 54 22.752 N 5 34.134 W: Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 676.6nm

Decided to stay here over the weekend as it is picture postcard beautiful. I had a bunch of admin to do for work, what better place to do it. Popped across the river at low tide to Portaferry for some shopping then an hour later set off towards EIVIVA pointing way up current so that I didn’t overshoot. Not to worried as the dinghy does 12kts but still unnerving to be in strong currents in a small boat.

Spent the rest of the day working then went for a run through spectacular countryside. Kept stopping to take photographs. Alice would disapprove. On the way I kept passing Americans and Chinese people dressed in cloaks I guess they were on the Game of Thrones history tour.

What a good day. I love clearing work admin stuff and going for a run always makes me feel good. So, I decided to celebrate by having a Guinness.

Perfect. I hope the current is easy on me on the way back to EIVIVA.

1st July 2022: 54 22.752 N 5 34.134 W: Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland

Day Log: 53.1nm. Total Log: 676.6nm

Set out at a civilised 0800hrs in about 4kts of wind from the south so under engine but I put the sails up anyway. During the morning the wind picked up slightly but not enough to do any more than help the engine a bit. The tops of the Mountains of Mourne were blanketed in cloud which was a shame as yesterday from a distance they looked spectacular.

With about three hours to go the wind picked up to 12kts from behind so up went the spinnaker. It makes me happy this sail, it is big and scary but so far gentle and kind. I take it down when I first see 18kts on the wind speed instrument. Today I didn’t wait that long as the waves were picking up from the stern and we were starting to accelerate off them. Great fun with a crew….. It took about 20 minutes from deciding to drop it to having everything sorted away, by which time I felt like I had been down the gym for an hour.

I arrived at the entrance to Strangford Lough at exactly the wrong time. The anchorage was about 3nm up the Lough and the tide had just turned and was coming out. It took one and a half hours to cover the 3nm. At one point I had the boat travelling through the water at 7.5kts and the speed over the ground was 0.9kts. This is scary tide, just keeping the boat in a straight line was interesting as there were eddies and boiling patches of water all around. I noticed a sheep on the bank looking at me then ten minutes later I glanced over to the same spot and she was still there, we hadn’t moved. I’m sure she was smiling, cheeky bugger.

Obviously the next challenge was anchoring in a million knots of tide then staying put over night. I got to the anchorage that was slightly away from the main tide stream and it was as if the current just switched off. Excellent! There were a few buoys without boats so I grabbed one of them. I will sleep better not worrying about the tide dragging the anchor. Hopefully the owner will not come back tonight………

What a day. Arrived at 17:30 so moving for 9.5 hours, I will sleep well tonight.

30th June 2022: 53 35.066 N 6 6.869 W: Skerries, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 623.5nm

Lazy day today. Mended a few things that had fallen apart over the last few weeks. Built a plug for the exhaust outlet of the boat heater which is mounted on the stern and was letting water in when waves broke from behind. Then drained out the internal pipe and the heater works again.

Went for a wander around Skerries, It is a lovely piece of countryside with a group of uninspiring buildings plonked onto it. I have found this before in Ireland, it is the most beautiful country let down towns and villages that don’t make you want to get a camera out of the bag.

Went to the supermarket to get provisions for the next few days. Tomorrow travelling north past the Mountains of Mourne to Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. All sounds like something out of a Tolkien adventure.

29th June 2022: 53 35.066 N 6 6.869 W: Skerries, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 37.8nm. Total Log: 623.5nm

Another 04:30 alarm, I thought that the tides got an hour later every day. Not here apparently. The weather god obviously only has a two way switch. Either too much wind or not enough. 7kts from behind is not enough, I put up the spinnaker but even with the tide to help we were only doing 5.5kts SOG so on went the iron donkey. The wind stayed mild but went onto a beam reach and we managed to sail for four hours.

I thought it would be a great idea to take some drone pictures as there was not much wind and the sea was flat. The pictures I took were very expensive as the drone went for a swim. What I hadn’t thought out was landing a drone on a moving object. The reason I can fly a drone at all is that if you let go of the controls the drone hovers. So this becomes the default panic action. Landing it back on the boat requires the drone to be travelling at boat speed, about 7kts at the time, and this means you have to hold the joystick all the time with forward power. At the same time side slip the drone over the boat. After a few practice runs it was all going well so I went for the landing. As the drone was over the deck it got very close to the boom so obviously I let go of the controls so that drone would hover. MISTAKE! It hovered nicely exactly as it should. But not in relation to the boat which promptly overtook it and the drone hit a back stay and flipped into the water. The photos had already uploaded onto my phone so at least I got something.

In the evening I went for a beer and left the dinghy on the beach tied to a mooring buoy with an incoming tide. I had thought this out but still ended up having to take off my trousers and wade out to it resplendent in M&S pants. I could see the dinghy from the pub window so I guess the other patrons had a laugh at my expense.

28th June 2022: 52 59.112 N 6 2.333 W: Wicklow, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 49.0nm. Total Log: 585.7nm

Alarm woke me out of a deep sleep at 04:30. Cracked the hatch open to see what was going on. Lots of wind, no rain yet. Good enough. As the wind was coming from behind I decided to just unfurl the Yankee. The spinnaker didn’t even cross my mind. Just as well, once we cleared the headland that we were sheltered behind it was blowing 30kts gusting 35 from 165 degrees. That’s a force 7 gusting 8. EIVIVA accelerated up to 9kts and was having a great time of it even if I was a little apprehensive. The sea state was quite big (by my standards) running 3m waves that overtook the boat and saw her surf down a few. I saw 12.8kts SOG at one point. Surf is the wrong word for EIVIVA as she doesnt realy get unstuck and plane at all. I spent some time thinking of the right word, swoop might be better…..

The journey was 49nm and EIVIVA covered it in 5 hours and 15 minutes. Anchor to anchor. An average speed of 9.3kts, not bad for a heavyweight.

Wicklow has a harbour but mooring is up against a concrete wall. Didn’t fancy that, so opted for an anchorage that is very rolly, so much so that I had to put out a lee cloth to stop falling off the sofa when I had my afternoon snooze. The wind is dying off now and tea is staying the cup. Exhilarating day, thankfully tomorrow is forecast to be gentle.

27th June 2022: 52 15.473 N 6 21.743 W: Rosslare, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 34.1nm. Total Log: 536.7nm

Yesterday the wind howled over Buttermilk Bay all day testing the holding power of the anchor. The previous owner installed a German made 25kg Wasi anchor with a power-ball swivel and 60m of heavy stainless steel chain. You don’t see many Wasi around, probably because the anchor alone costs 1,800 euro. Seems to work fine. I spent the day in the warm, out of the wind, getting some work done.

Today the tide set east at 05:00hrs so alarm at 04:30 and out into the North Atlantic that I feared would be horrible after so much wind. It turned out to be a lovely sunny morning with a mild 10kt wind from behind and only a meter swell.

I read somewhere that the best eating plate for when you are sailing is a dog bowl. I got some before I left and they work a treat!

Tried out the whisker pole for the first time and goosewinged my way to Rosslare where I dropped anchor alongside the small ferry port. In by 12:00 and crashed out for a couple of hours. The weather is going to blow 30kts again tomorrow and rain all day but I am going to run north to Wicklow. Another 04:30 start. Might be so nasty that I stay here, see what I feel like in the morning.

25th June 2022: 52 15.786 N 6 58.918 W: River Suir, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 502.6nm

Took the dinghy six miles to Waterford. I phoned up and spoke to the marina to see if I could use a pontoon to go shopping. Super friendly lady said it was no problem at all and to phone her if there was anything I couldn’t find. Lovely people in Ireland so far.

Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland, founded by the Vikings in 853. They obviously decided that they didn’t want to live in muddy hovels and eat potatoes (probably no potatoes either in those days). Today there are many blue plaques saying that they are placed on the site of a Viking building but now replaced by modern stuff. Big industry in the past but Waterford Crystal went bust a few years ago as part of the Wedgwood Group. It’s now back in action under new ownership but I never liked their product, so not for me. There is some good modern architecture scattered through the city, nicely integrated with the 18th century backdrop. Best part was the tree with eyes. I think all trees should have eyes.

Had lunch in the Bishop’s Palace, a grand building next to the cathedral. I wonder what the carpenter’s son that lived in bronze age Palestine would have made of it? I think he would have been horrified that his teachings resulted in palaces for his supporters.

On the way back the wind had picked up and the tide was coming in fast resulting in wind over tide on the river with two-foot breaking waves from behind. White water rafting for the beginner! Some years ago I would have found it exhilarating but today I was very happy to get back to the boat and have a well-deserved beer with my pals, Travelling Ted and Man Over Board Ted.

They say “Hi” by the way.

Wind now constant 32kts over the anchorage and EIVIVA is moving around quite a lot. The big blow is arriving later. Will sleep with the anchor alarm next to my head tonight.

24th June 2022: 52 15.786 N 6 58.918 W: River Suir, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 31.1nm. Total Log: 502.6nm

Looking at the weather over the weekend coming up I decided to leave the slightly exposed Ballynagal anchorage and head further east to the Suir River and Waterford.

What a difference a day makes! The North Atlantic was grey and lumpy and it rained on and off the whole passage. I have been using Savvy Navvy to automatically plot my routes as it combines wind and tide and gives the best departure time. It works very well. On a coastal passage with rocks to avoid it plots a route a couple of hundred meters away from the rocks. This is great if there is little wind. As I came up to Swines Head in a heavy sea with an onshore wind I noticed that there were a lot of breakers ahead throwing water vertically. I had a look at the chart and saw that Savvy Navvy was guiding me within 200m of the Falskirt Rock, what could possibly go wrong! Don’t panic! A quick tack out to sea please. Checking all computer routes from now on before I start.

As I arrived the weather lifted and the sun popped out. I found a nice anchorage on the river Suir just around Buttermilk point. Beautiful countryside all around except for the power station. I guess the local planning authority knows what it is doing.

Looking at the weather map I might be here for a few days!

23rd June 2022: 52 3.397 N 7 33.338 W: Dungarvan Harbour, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 46.7nm. Total Log: 471.5nm

Carol left to go home early birds yesterday. We had a great dinner in the Bulman Pub the night before, celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. I spent most of both days feeling less than good as the shingles is uncomfortable saps energy.

This morning the weather was forecast with no wind and as there has been no wind for some days the sea was calm. I thought that I would try to engine east to Youghal 26nm away(pronounced Yaul apparently). As time has slipped away at the beginning of this trip and the wind is now forecast SW for weeks, I have decided to leave the west coast of Ireland for another holiday and sail north up the Irish Sea. Shorter and more favorable winds.

After an hour the wind picked up to 9kts from the SW so I decided to put up the spinnaker. I arrived off Youghal in good time and the going was easy so I continued to Dungarvan Harbour and anchored off Ballynagal. No one else here. I definitely have the anchor alarm ON as there are rocks down wind.

20th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

Woke up early leaving Captain Maz to slumber and recover from her arduous trip yesterday (I think is was Ian’s 60th the night before catching up). I got on with a couple of jobs including stitching up the wheel leather. I have been meaning to do it for sometime now.

We went for a walk around the same headland that I ran around a few days ago. It is a lovely time of year as the wild flowers are still fresh and blooming from the spring. Really good to have some company exploring.

19th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

Captain Maz arrived at three. Spent the first half of the day polishing so that EIVIVA was nice and tidy. Fabulous to have my lovely wife on board makes me realise how normal life is without her.

18th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

When we bought the boat there was a Loos Gauge onboard. This I discovered is used to measure the tension of the standing rigging (cables that hold up the mast). This morning I measured the tension in the cables 30-35 on the gauge. Checked in the owners manual should be 40. Spent the whole day getting them tensioned properly. Being an Island Packet and belt and braces there are 2 backstays and 10 mast stays. Most boats have 1 back stay and 4 mast stays. They are tough to get to 40! My arms feel like I have been down the gym. The backstays should be 42 (the meaning of life the universe and everything) so that there is no sag in the luff of the Yankee. They were 30 so we will hopefully point up better now as a saggy forestay is not good for upwind performance. We shall see.

Went to get fish and chips for dinner. I asked for cod and chips. When it arrived I received curry sauce and chips. It’s the way I say it. I told the girl that I ordered cod and chips and she said that they only do cod pieces and chips. Battered codpiece? I had haddock.

Captain Maz is arriving tomorrow so all hands on deck for piping aboard.

17th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

Woke up this morning feeling OK. The rash is still there and the tingling on my right side hasn’t gone away but other than that not bad. So I decided to run 5K around Preghane Point. On my running app it said ‘relatively flat’ but didn’t say relative to what. I guess the chap who wrote it had just climbed something rather big. Felt great though, bouncing along like a puppy even up the hills. Didn’t see anyone on the run except an Indian chappie with a fishing rod. I guess they are into cliff fishing in Gujarat or wherever he came from. He must have had a very long piece of string. (This is the sort of thing I think about whilst running).

On the way back to the boat I passed Charles Fort, this is the one they built after St. James’s Fort on the other side of the estuary. It had more guns to keep various European navies away. It has a quirky octagonal watch house that got me wondering how it was used. Does one soldier shoot out of one hole then if he misses jumps back reloads and has another go out of the next hole. Or are there a bunch of soldiers squeezed inside with a musket out of each hole. This would be a tight fit. It wasn’t me Sarge.

13th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

This is the last blog for a while until I start to feel better and get going again.

I find myself sitting at anchor in Kinsale feeling physically less than wonderful with this shingles thing. Carol is flying over on the 19th so I will pass the time between now and then getting better. If I am good by Saturday I will sail to Glandore to pick up Carol then back to Kinsale on Monday so we have a sail together. If not I will stay here.

Managed a walk to St. James’s Fort in the evening. Constructed in 1607 it was the original fort that protected the Kinsale harbour entrance. When the bigger Charles Fort was constructed on the other side of the river it feel into ruin.

12th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

Feeling crap with these shingles so I did the day of work that I was going to do tomorrow, today. Good to have it done and frees me up to do a little exploring if I feel slightly better in the morning.

Might go and discover a pint of Guinness as last night it helped numb the flu like tingles that come with the shingles……..

11th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

Slept well! and most of yesterday afternoon.

Before I set off from the Isles of Scilly I noticed that I had a rash on the right side of my torso. Carol thinks that it is shingles, and I tend to agree. I have a tingling fever along with the rash, this probably helps explain why I did not feel great on the crossing. One of the symptoms is mild nausea. Today is a Saturday and there are no doctors available until Monday .

Popped into Kinsale to talk to a pharmacist who had a look and decided that he didn’t know what it was. To be sure.

There are some bright buildings in town! I discovered that the Grey Hound pub is owned by an Irish cousin of Ebony.

In the evening I went to the Bulman Pub, had a pint of Guinness and watched Alice run an excellent 1500m PB in 4 min 24.6 seconds. The race was live streamed from Watford.

9-10th June 2022: 51 42.241 N 8 30.658 W: Kinsale, Southern Ireland

Day Log: 136.0nm. Total Log: 424.8nm

On Thursday I had a day of rest as I had to be awake over night for the predicted 19 hour sail to Kinsale. At 18:15 we slipped anchor and EIVIVA and I headed out into a big and bouncy Atlantic Ocean. The waves were coming in on the beam in 17kts of wind. The weather over the last few days has been windy and a large storm had gone up the coast of the UK so the waves were around 2.5 meters to start. By the end of the trip the wind was 28kts and the waves 4 meters. The frequency of the swell was long so EIVIVA was not continuously interrupted making for good progress. 136nm in 17 hours, average speed 8kts. Saw 10.4 boat speed just off Kinsale in sheltered flatter sea, new EIVIVA record.

As the sun was setting a flock of gannets were dive-bombing a shoal of fish. There must have been a couple of hundred birds diving into the water from height, totally spectacular. Then as the shoal and gannets reached the boat so did a pod of dolphins that were after the same dinner.

I was feeling slightly fragile before I left, I think it was something I ate the day before. Debated to wait another day but decided not to. As a result I was feeling sick and sorry for myself the whole trip, its a long time 17 hours.

Arrived in Kinsale in a 35kt gale that made putting the anchor down challenging and burnt up the last of my energy.

First solo night sail.

8th June 2022: 49 57.529 N 6 20.864 W: Tresco Channel, Isles of Scilly

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 288.8nm

Still in the Tresco Channel although today is the last day as tomorrow I am going to head off to Ireland. A bunch of work calls today but in between I decided to go and visit the Tresco Abbey gardens that I ran past yesterday. Took the long route to the Abbey but was slightly horrified by the £18 they wanted to go into the gardens. So I walked on past. Lovely island when you take a while to look around rather than run past it all out of breath.

I visited St Nicholas’s Church and solved the blonde Jesus issue from yesterday. Apparently his mum was a blonde. Immaculate.

7th June 2022: 49 57.529 N 6 20.864 W: Tresco Channel, Isles of Scilly

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 288.8nm

Was anchored a little close to a French boat so first thing I moved over to give him some room. Typically he then up anchored and buggered off. Cheese eating surrender monkey!

I then took the tender over to Hugh Town on St Mary’s to get some shopping from the Co-op, had a look around the town and found that they worship the Anglo Saxon blonde Jesus here.

Swapped texts with Alice about her 1500m race this weekend. Inspired I went for a 6k run around the island of Tresco. Felt great! Cold shower after wasn’t so good, I expect my squeals could be heard on shore.

Finished the day with a 3 hour conference call.

6th June 2022: 49 57.529 N 6 20.864 W: Tresco Channel, Isles of Scilly

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 288.8nm

Day of work today so sat on the boat and got into it. Rainy day anyway. Moved a few hundred meters and went on anchor when a man asked me to pay £30 a night on the mooring buoy I had taken yesterday. Had the remains of spag bog for the third night in a row. That’s the problem with the stuff it goes on for ever, spag bog, then chilli con carne then, the same again…..Doesn’t help having a no waste thing going on either.

Great sunset that lifted the day.

5th June 2022: 49 57.529 N 6 20.864 W: Tresco Channel, Isles of Scilly

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 288.8nm

WOW! The island of Bryher is absolutely wonderful. I walked around the coastal path for about four miles. It was like walking through the holidays of my youth with rocky outcrops stretching into the blue sea and sandy paths that meandered through bracken and grassy banks. I kept expecting Merlin or some mystic druid type to pop out from behind one of the lichen covered granite boulders or perhaps walking down one of the deserted beaches.

My walk was interrupted by the local jubilee parade that consisted of a bunch of decorated tractors with trailers loaded with locals in various costumes and in various states of intoxication. The Miss Bryher 2022 was a bloke with a big beard wearing a party frock driving a quad bike.

Arrived back to the dinghy to find that the tide had gone out a long way again……….

4th June 2022: 49 57.529 N 6 20.864 W: Tresco Channel, Isles of Scilly

Day Log: 7.0nm. Total Log: 288.8nm

Woke up with a sore head, only four pints but that is one too many after a week of abstinence. Spent the evening in the Mermaid where I met a bunch of other explorers and swapped yarns. On the way back from the pub the tide had gone out a long way, glad I put wheels on the tender!

Grey day and raining for most of it. Moved the boat to the Tresco Channel as the weather forecast predicts south and southwest winds for the next few days.

3rd June 2022: 49 54.544 N 6 18.883 W: Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly

Day Log: 62.0nm. Total Log: 281.8nm

Set out at 09:30 having pulled up what appeared to be most of the seaweed in St. Mawes Bay on the anchor chain, much to the amusement of the kids on the boat next door.

Passed around Lizard Point under engine as the wind was only 5 kts from the north. Noticed on the chart that Goonhilly Earth Station is just inland from the Lizard. I remember the name as it was famously used to capture the first moon landing broadcast live from the moon to USA then by the Telstar satellite to the UK. Unbelievable tech for 1969! I remember watching in awe on our black and white TV.

Soon after the Lizard the wind kicked in as promised blowing 14kts on a beam reach and England vanished behind us at a respectable 8 plus knots. Sun was shining sea was calmish fabulous sail! Arrived at the Isles of Scilly and had the anchor down in Porth Cressa, on Saint Mary’s island by 17:45.

Its Friday night, will pop into Hugh Town for a celebratory beer. Must remember to blow by horn at 12:00 tomorrow for the Queens Jubilee.

2nd June 2022: 50 9.234 N 5 0.920 W: St. Mawes, Cornwall

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 219.8n

Day of work……..and still have another a conference call at 20:00.

Managed to fit the new bilge pump switch in the morning though. This one had two wires and the old one had three. Had to scratch my head quite a lot to sort out what was connected to what. It works.

Sailing tomorrow.

1st June 2022: 50 9.234 N 5 0.920 W: St. Mawes, Cornwall

Day Log: 1.9nm. Total Log: 219.8n

In the end I went to St Mawes as I recalled that last year the 4G signal was nonexistent up the Helford River. I have a bunch of conference calls tomorrow with Royal Caribbean so bandwidth is key.

The weather is looking good for Friday to head to the Isles of Scilly, not a lot of wind though. It will be the furthest I have sailed west, weirdly scary. Into the unknown.

31st May 2022: 50 9.557 N 5 4.034 W: Falmouth, Cornwall

Day Log: 0.0nm. Total Log: 217.9nm

Arrived back at the boat having taken the train from Hassocks. Set out at 10:00 and was onboard by 16:30, reasonably painless. Last week EIVIVA broke free of her moorings in a blow and hit another boat. I can’t find a scratch on the boat but apparently she hit the yacht behind and took out some stanchions and some toerail. Strange thing is, the rope didn’t break and I know I had it cleated on properly. Makes you wonder whether someone just untied her?

Bike trip last week to Morocco was super enjoyable with good friends. It was a guided tour through the fringes of the Sahara and across the Atlas Mountains. Haven’t ridden a bike for a couple of years but soon dropped back into it.

Tomorrow ashore for victuals then head for the Helford River to anchor over night. Can’t be bad.

17th May 2022: 50 9.557 N 5 4.034 W: Falmouth, Cornwall

Day Log: 40.8nm. Total Log: 217.9nm

Didn’t sleep that well last night so started the day feeling groggy. It was the zip on the spinnaker bag that I left on the deck to dry tapping every now again and waking me up.

Left the Yealm at 10:00 to catch the west going tide. The wind was SE 15kts as promised and we settled into a fast reach accross a smooth 3m swell. Almost like a tradewind passage except the sea and the sky were slate grey. The Navy were out in strength looking for Russian ships I guess. They announced live firing exercises on the VHF but I was out of range.

An hour out of Falmouth we were hit by a huge downpour that lasted for 10 minutes then stopped abruptly to be followed by a 35kt wind from the SW! That’s a force 8 right on the nose. A quick couple of reefs later we were slogging into it. Then the sun came out and the wind died. Engine on, cup of tea! Crazy weather.

Bilge pump switch is not working so it has been off for a few days. Discovered a lot of sea water in the bilge that was coming from the stern gland. Spent a happy couple of hours this evening tightening the stuffing box. It requires getting into a small locker and performing some complicated yoga poses.

Tomorrow I head home then to Morocco to ride bikes in the Atlas Mountains for a week, so this log will return when I get back.

16th May 2022: 50 18.700 N 4 3.538 W: River Yealm, Devon

Day Log: 42.1nm. Total Log: 177.1nm

Left Dartmouth at 11:00 expecting an easy sail to the River Yealm. Neptune had other ideas though. Spent the first three hours crashing into 25-28kt winds with a grey and breaking 3m sea running straight at the bow. The waves had a reasonable distance between them so boat speed was high. This made for quite a lively sail with a few big ones coming over the top of the boat. In Xoro, my last boat (X412), it would have been ‘quite exciting’ and a very wet sail indeed. Finally rounded Start Point and headed slightly more down hill, the sea still big but on the beam so more comfortable.

Happy to slide into the peaceful River Yealm and pick up the same visitors buoy as the last time I was here. Left over beef stew for dinner, exactly what I need. I feel like I have been down the gym for five hours pumping iron.

Weather forecast is good for Falmouth tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

15th May 2022: 50 33.216 N 2 27.255 W: Dartmouth, Devon

Day Log: 52.7nm. Total Log: 135nm

Great sail today! EIVIVA overtook 4 boats! They were tweaking like mad but to no avail. It must be hard to be overtaken by a boat that everyone has been told is slow. I can hear Carol saying that they were not racing me. But they always are.

Started in a reach to the tip of Portland Bill in 22kts of easterly wind. I was going to go 3 miles offshore to avoid the overfalls having read that they were the most dangerous stretch of sea in the UK, especially in an easterly. But it looked OK so I went for the inshore route, one cable south of the rocks (254m).

Then after a spectacular thunderstorm that was quite scary as the lightning was hitting the sea not so far away, the wind dropped to 10kts. EIVIVA doesn’t like 10kts especially on a run so up went the spinnaker. I forgot how big it was! Kept it flying all the way across Lyme Bay to Dartmouth. Saw 10.2 kts SOG.

I like Dartmouth, there is a shop that sells great tea towels, might have to go there tomorrow.

14th May 2022: 50 36.731 N 2 26.609 W: Portland Harbour, Dorset

Day Log: 2.5nm. Total Log: 82.3nm

Lazy day today as there is very little wind so going across Lyme Bay would have been on engine. Tomorrow it is apparently blowing 17kts from the east so a nice day for it. Although high probability for rain (and thunder).

Went to Asda for shopping. Then moved the boat to Portland Harbour as the traffic out of Weymouth harbour makes the anchorage quite rolly. Took the opportunity to drive the tender up the lake that separates Chesil Beach from the mainland. Chesil Beach is quite spectacular.

Going to watch Alice race on telly then have an early night. Big day tomorrow, around Portland Bill across Lyme Bay to Dartmouth.

13th May 2022: 50 36.731 N 2 26.609 W: Weymouth, Dorset

Day Log: 27nm. Total Log: 79.8nm

Got up and had an interesting leftovers breakfast of pan fried new potatoes, broccoli and bacon with an egg on top. Felt great sailing so this might be the secret! Left Swanage at 10:00 heading for Portland. The wind was as forcast 17kts gusting about 24kts from the SW so banging into it again. First tack off shore was into waves that had the same frequency as the boat length, so slow going. Then after and hour and a half we tacked towards Portland across the waves and EIVIVA picked up her heels and we enjoyed a great blast into wind. saw 9.6kts SOG*. Who said Island Packets are slow?

Anchored in Weymouth Bay next to an Island Packet 38 that I had seen anchored behind Brownsea Island a few days ago. Spent the afternoon doing boat stuff and then went into Weymouth for a beer, first one of the week. Good day on the water.

* SOG: Speed over ground, there was 1.5kts of tide helping so 8kts boat speed.

12th May 2022: 50 36.812 N 1 57.240 W: Swanage Bay, Dorset

Day Log: 6.9nm. Total Log: 52.8nm

Had a day at anchor in South Deep. Spent the morning sorting and cleaning then went into town for some shackles so that getting the tender clipped on is less difficult. They work a treat. On the way back in the tender a larger than usual wavelet apeared infront of me so I backed off the throttle and the nose dived through the wave. Rarely have I been that wet with all my clothes on. Memo to self, keep the power on!

Tide was high enough to leave the Deep at 16:00 and I had a fun reach to Swanage Bay for an hour. EVIVA managed 8.9kts boat speed, not bad.

Tomorrow it’s tacking to Portland, forcast 18kts gusting 28kts so should be fun. Will make sure that I get up in time for a good breakfast.

11th May 2022: 50 40.532 N 1 59.767 W: South Deep, Poole Harbour

Day Log: 4.8nm. Total Log: 45.9nm

Once again up at dawn. Weather forecast for windy grim and raining all day. Decided to have some breakfast today, and felt better for it. Although the tide was falling I thought that I would try to get to South Deep in Pool Harbour. You can see the chain ferry that guards the entrance to Poole Harbour from Studland Bay so it is just a few miles engine. South Deep is only 5m deep, the reason it is called deep is that it is very shallow all around it. Neap tides today so less than a metre tidal difference even so I only had 0.9m under the keel at one point and on a falling tide there was no way back. The Deep was also narrow but after a few attempts got the hook stuck and enough depth under the keel.

Rained all day then at 19:00 cleared up and not a cloud in the sky now. Spent the day below working on a presentation listening to the rain patter on the deck. Then took the new tender for a trip to the Town Quay for some provisions. The tender took the 5 mile round trip in its stride, very stable and dry.

10th May 2022: 50 38.864 N 1 56.298 W: Studland Bay, Dorset

Day Log: 21nm. Total Log: 41nm

The waves caused by the changing tide woke me up at 05:30 to be greeted by a leaden sky and rain. A 20kt southwesterly was blowing so it was going to be a day punching into the wind. At least the tide was with me. Grabbed a cup of coffee and got underway to Studland Bay at 06:00. The rain stopped as we (me and EIVIVA in case you are wondering Carol) tacked past the Hurst Point Fort and on towards Christchurch going north around the Shingles. EIVIVA was blasting along over a sea that wasn’t as lumpy as it could have been with gusts of 25kts. I only saw one other boat and it was full of waving Sea Scouts that looked happy enough.

I should have had breakfast as my sea legs are not performing yet and I ended up feeling a little queasy towards the end. But that all went away when we were sheltered by the St Albans Head promontory. At anchor just after 11:00. Spent the afternoon sorting things out and sleeping.

9th May 2022: 50 42.534 N 1 30.228 W: Yarmouth, Isle of Wight

Day Log: 20nm. Total Log: 20nm

Jumped on a train from Shoreham to Burseldon at 08:30 and got to the boat at 11:00. A quick deck wash and fill up the water tank with 1,000 litres. Slipped the lines and managed to leave the berth in flourish of getting it right. Hope someone was watching. Wind was predicted to be a southerly but typically it turned into a 8kt southwesterly that is set in for the week. Why do I always have to tack down the south coast? The wind was soft and there was a 2kt tide against so slow progress. I eventually switched on the engine. The last hour was fun as the wind picked up to 14kts and the tide was less than a knot. Still getting used to the new sails but impressed so far.

Grabbed a buoy off Yarmouth and launched the tender to zoom into the town for provisions. Nice calm night for the first on aboard. I sent the drone up to grab a photo but cant remember how to download the images. Tomorrow i will work it out.

Day slightly spoiled by a £208 invoice from Premier Swanwick for 3 nights visitors mooring! Surely a mistake.

6th May 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina and launch.

EIVIVA was launched today. During the week I spent a day putting the new mast track up the mast from a Top Climber bosun’s chair. Quite an effort as there were 45 bolts to drill and tap into the mast. On Wednesday I went to Colchester to pick up the new tender. I was told that it wold fit into my van, but of course it didn’t ,so I had to drive around the M25 with the doors roped half closed. Looks good hung from the arch though. Will see how easy it will make things as I go.

David came over on launch day and we went out to get the new sails rigged and over to Cowes for diesel. New sails look great and seam to get the boat pointing higher and add another knot boat speed. Getting them rigged would have been impossible solo without a feeder. I don’t have one of those, on the shopping list now. Diesel in Cowes is £1.60 a litre as opposed to £1.90 on the Hamble. Go to the fuel barge past the floating bridge.

24th April 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina

Its been more than a month now since I have done anything to the boat. Went down to Swanwick yesterday to discover the usual chaos of bird droppings and air born dirt. Nothing that will not wash off. Managed to rig the dyneema guard wires which required getting sore hands whilst making 16 eye splices. Looks good though. Will keep an eye on them as there is the possibility of some UV degradation over time, although at 30% of the price of stainless steel I can change them in 5 years if required. The dyneema is 15 times stronger than the stainless steel so should do the trick. Replaced the rear rubbing strake a job that I was dreading as there were so many factors that could make it a nightmare. As it turned out I had the job done in a couple of hours. Sod’s law was obviously on holiday.

17th March 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina

Sunny today! Well impressed with the solar panel which produced 23 amps charge to the battery. Happy with that as the march sun is at a steep angle to the panel even at midday. 23 amps was created at 324 watts out of a potential 530 that the panel can make on the perfect day.

16th March 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina

Solar panels on and working! Big day in the lazarette. Only trouble is the weather. Miserable, overcast and raining continually from the moment I connected up the system. However, even with the panel covered with water and no sun I was getting 1.6 amps at the battery. Tomorrow is sunny again so it will be interesting to see how much is generated.

11th March 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina

Sailing plans have changed as Carol needs an operation on her knee that will put her out of action for 6 weeks. I have cancelled the launch on 21st March and delayed it to 6th May……...

Other than that it has been a good week on the boat with tangible progress. Next week I will put on the solar panel and wire it all up.

8th March 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina

Arch arrived today. Awesome quality from Stas at LatBros he arrived at one o’clock and had it bolted into place by five. Beautifully made and very strong. I decided to swing on it and there was no movement at all.

Happy! And I sold the MX5 today to cap it off. If I was drinking I would have a beer to celebrate!

4th March 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina

It continued to rain on me all week so I put Tom Clancy’s, Clear and present danger, through my headphones and cowered under my hood for a few days of hugely ‘enjoyable’ scrubbing. The rain finally cleared on Friday so I took the opportunity to bolt on the new yankee sail tracks. The old ones were very corroded as the stainless steel bolts had reacted with the aluminium track and they had been annoying me aesthetically! So far 90% of the work that has been done to the boat has been upgrades and maintenance and only 10% making it look good, so I can justify the odd indulgence.

Stern arch installation next Tuesday, hope it is right this time.

1st March 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: The Hard, Swanwick Premier Marina

Horrible weather this week rained all day today and 98% chance of it raining tomorrow and 90% chance Wednesday. Got the prop off with a £90 prop puller when the quote for an engineer to do it was £250. And removed the cutlass bearing as there was a bit of movement which was causing the prop to knock slightly at low speeds (I think). We shall see. Went to screwfix and purchased a waterproof top and axe murderers gloves so that I can clean the hull in the rain……..lovely work.

Thought for today

A crap day on the boat is better than a good day in Ukraine.

25th February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

Spent the week on the boat and got through quite a lot of the outstanding jobs including an engine service on both the main engine and the generator engine. The stern arch was going to arrive on Thursday but it wasn’t finished in time. We will now have to install it on the hard, this makes it more of a challenge as the deck will be 3 meters off the ground.

Today the boat was lifted out of the water so that the bottom and topsides can be cleaned and the anodes changed. Everything looked good. There was less weed on the bottom than I was expecting, and only one barnacle, must be genetically enhanced Superbarnacle.

Next week polishing……..can’t wait, might enlist Superbarnacle.

18th February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

Awaiting Storm Eunice to come through at lunch time so I continued to fit the rubbing strake, 100 screws each side. Very exciting work. Nice weather though……for a while.

Eunice arrived as predicted strongest gust 65kts which was enough to put the fenders under the pontoon. After getting some passing help I managed to get all the fenders deployed and saved the topsides of the hull from a bashing. There was a UK record gust of 122 mph at the Isle of Wight Needles, 20 miles away. Very glad it didn’t happen here.

When I arrived home the solar panel that goes on top of the arch had been delivered. Looks big in the hall!

16th February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

Dreaded diesel bug contamination in the fuel tank. Luckily the boat is equipped with an additional Racor 10 micron fuel filter that looks like it caught it before it got into the engine. Just purchased some Marine 16 bug killer that is used by the RNLI and Royal Marines so hopefully once treated the bug will bugger off.

Dudley and Eunice are starting to howl, must have 40kts in the rigging at the moment, heeled over on the pontoon! Inside it’s nice and snug, enjoying a cup of cocoa whilst the storm batters away. Glad I’m not at sea.

15th February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

New toy. This sort of gadget was science fiction a few years ago. Colour HD screen with camera on a 5m flexible stork. Got it so that I could attempt to find an oil leak under the engine. Found the leak in an almost impossibly difficult location to get to. Required tightening a jubilee clip, that took 2 hours. Second image shows a mirror under the engine which was the only way of seeing the clip. If you have ever tried to put a spanner on a nut that is upside down with your arm full stretch along the side of an engine whilst looking in a mirror. Don’t bother, the mirror makes it almost impossible, unless you close your eyes, as every movement is reversed. Fun!

11th February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

First fitting of the stern arch. Millimetric precision from the boys at LatBros. I think it will look good once it is finally fitted. Only trouble is I made a bad call when I was discussing the fabrication and it is not the same as the drawing. My fault, and although it all fits it doesn’t look right to me. Going to get it put right, I hope Stas at LatBros has a sense of humor…….

8th February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

Big day today. One of those jobs I have been putting off as it had a high probability of going wrong. As with most things on EIVIVA it is the first time you have ever done it so experience doesn’t help much. Bending and fitting 14m of stainless steel rubbing strake to the top of the hull. Definitely a two man job, thanks David, couldn’t have done it without you. Nice result in the end.

3rd February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

Visited Hailing Island on the way back home to see the progress that has been done on the stern arch. Stas of LatBros Ltd is doing the work. I met him last year when he was working on a boat next to EIVIVA in Emsworth, loved the quality of his work. Also, good news today, the new sails are finished, going to see them next Tuesday.

1st February 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

Slept onboard last night, couldn’t get to sleep, I think it is the decaf tea I had before I went to bed. Shouldn’t keep me awake but it does. Fitted the new inverter this morning and it works a treat. I can now run my PC from the house batteries via the inverter. This is a good thing as I purchased the only PC in the universe that does not have a 12 volt charger option. Draws too much current when worked hard, apparently.

When I was buggering around with the pushpit yesterday I noticed that the boat heater exhaust was wrapped around a bunch of wires and navigation kit. Today I tried to re-route the exhaust and found that the bit where it leaves the boat had broken in two. Another job for the list.

The 5m long stainless steel rubbing strake replacements arrived today. The last owner had a mooring berth between piles that had to be reversed into, he obviously bounced of the piles a few times as the existing rubbing strake is all scratched up.

31st January 2022: 50 52.890 N 1 18.082 W: Pontoon D42, Swanwick Premier Marina

We have 2 months before launch date and we get kicked out of Swanwick Marina. The end of the cheap winter berth, apparently summer starts on 1st April. I thought that I would write a log of days that I am on board and do boat things, a sort of nautical diary of the lead up to, and my trip around the UK this year. Today I removed the pushpit ready for the Solar arch install. A simple matter of dismantling the wind generator and undoing the 16 bolts that hold the pushpit. The wind generator was removed in an hour. The 16 bolts took 8 hours as the nuts inside the aft lazarettes were in horrible positions that required a contortionist to do the job. I kept having to remind myself that I was having fun.