Categories

All our articles

 

San Sebastián and Bilbao
Read more

San Sebastián and Bilbao

San Sebastián was our next stop after sailing on the hottest day we've experienced during our sailing so far. The city welcomes its guests from the sea with a statue of Christ looking out towards the city from Mount Urgul. Incidentally, the name Urgul sounds like it comes from a Tolkien saga... The statue is not as magnificent as the one in Rio de Janeiro, but it was still visible from afar. Once ...

read
  • 10
Basque Country
Read more

Basque Country

The 24-hour sailing from Île de Ré was tougher, rainier and bumpier than planned and what the weather forecast had promised. We certainly got our fair share of Biscay's infamous waves! It was difficult to get any sleep between the watch shifts, but otherwise the crew was in good spirits and mightily impressed with how well the self-steering windvane worked. Now we could set it for a specific win ...

read
  • 4
French Bay of Biscay
Read more

French Bay of Biscay

When we left Bénodet, we accidentally ended up (again!) in the middle of a regatta. Many classic wooden sailboats of various sizes accompanied us a bit south escorted by a jury boat to the start of the competition. This time as well, the wind was non-existent and several of the boats were towed as they lacked engines. Many of the boats were very beautiful and resembled delicate seed pods with sai ...

read
  • 6
To Biscay!
Read more

To Biscay!

We remained in L'aber Wrac'h for four days because of the fog. There were hardly any boats that could get out of the harbor but the more that came in and waited for the fog to lift. Perhaps not so much fun for all sailors, but the harbor master was particularly pleased with all the jetties and the buoys occupied. Once the weather cleared we sailed to Île d'Ouessant, a beautiful island off the nor ...

read
  • 4
To Brittany!
Read more

To Brittany!

We left Padstow and anchored in St. Ives. Then we sailed to the Isles of Scilly. On the way to Scilly we saw Nessie! Hard to tell in the haze though...😉 After a night at the largest island of Scilly we crossed the English Channel and after 24h of sailing (and motoring) we arrived, quite tired, at the northwest coast of France and a small port at L'aber Wrac'h in Landéda, Brittany. The most dra ...

read
  • 8
Padstow
Read more

Padstow

Once the lock gate to Padstow marina was repaired and the tide permitted, we were able to get a place on the jetty during the evening. The weather was getting worse so it was crowded with an unusual number of boats in the harbor. The harbor master ran back and forth to direct the boats to their places. There was also a dinghy sail race going on with small boats with red sails (Redwing Dinghies?). ...

read
  • 3
Southwest of Wales and England
Read more

Southwest of Wales and England

In Wales we stopped at an island, Skomer Island, a bird sanctuary and paradise for seabirds and especially the Atlantic puffin. We anchored at a small cove and lay there for two nights just enjoying the bird life that swarmed around us. We didn't go ashore but kept a safe distance not to disturb the birds. Unfortunately, it was therefore difficult to take good pictures, but we carry the experience ...

read
  • 6
Dublin and the East coast of Ireland
Read more

Dublin and the East coast of Ireland

The first place in Ireland that we arrived to was the island of Lambay where we anchored for the night. It had been a calm sailing in light winds during the day so we were looking forward to an equally calm night at anchor. Alas, how we were deceived! If it's windy in Ireland, you can't escape anywhere! The windspeed increased in the evening and even though we moored on the leeward side of the isl ...

read
  • 12
Northern Ireland
Read more

Northern Ireland

Just after we left Islay we experienced, for the first time in our lives, those wonderful 2-3 m high but slow, long waves where the boat sails upwards and then down again. You get the impression the ocean is breathing. This was a hunch of how the Atlantic waves might be and we just loved it. We have now sailed through the east coast of Northern Ireland Most nights have been spent anchoring. Since ...

read
  • 12
Inner Hebrids of Scotland
Read more

Inner Hebrids of Scotland

The owner of the Corpach marina showed us around at the harbor after we paid the (rather expensive) fee. All the facilities were just not yet available for the guests but he was nevertheless very enthusiastic about his new establishment and excited about all sailboats in need for a berth. At the evening a band of younger boys ran around on the pontoons. They had managed to get into the fenced harb ...

read
  • 8

Latest articles

Categories

Quotes

" Only two sailors, in my experience, never ran aground. One never left port and the other was an atrocious liar. "