La Gomera – I found Heaven

‘Maria’ Contessa 32 for Sale in Portimao

Maria has been maintained yearly, spending 6 months in the water and the rest (winter) on land. Only last year the Genoa was replaced, the year before the main and a new single reefing boom was installed. She is complete with no outstanding projects, she has also undergone Osmosis treatment. See specs below for more […]

Before moving to Amsterdam

Accommodation: Room please! If you are looking to arrange a room before you move to Amsterdam you are better off spending the time learning to play the ukulele. I spent a lot of time trying to find a room using kamernet, I received no responses, facebook groups (search for ‘Amsterdam rent room / house share’) […]

Buying your first house, dealing with the detritus and gotcha’s.

Reputations are hard to earn but take a mere fart in the wrong direction to come crashing down, estate agents are so full of hot air I am surprised there are any houses left standing, they are truly the big bad wolf. While there is a stereotypical image of an estate agent I chose to […]

Final Voyage

  One dream, one ripped sail, three near collisions, one faulty engine, zero dry clothes, prevailing winds and sea, ten days, the final chapter. Why did it end … I went back to London to undertake a contract position which led to a job, there was however one remaining hurdle, getting my boat back to […]

Three events planned in London! Sail the boat for free in the Med!

Planning a pop-up restaurant on a boat with Bedouin Moroccan theme and for those who want to salute the morning sun we will be dunking soldiers into the orange yolky dawn for a Saturday Brunch club, finally a cocktail party with a twist. Will hopefully be repeating the Mexican Pirate night and dinghies down the Thames outing. Also creating […]

Join us at a free talk on the Thames about sea pollution and adventure.

Join Emily Penn and Dave Cornthwaite for an evening of water adventure stories and discussion at HC moorings http://www.hcmoorings.org/ at 7pm.  Register for the event @ http://wateradventure.eventbrite.com/ The speakers will inspire and amaze you with their adventures, from Dave Cornthwaite’s extreme record breaking sporting feats to Emily Penn’s impressive achievements in marine conservation. Emily, has taken on […]

Prior to departure visit the JobCentre!

Before I forget!! Lesson number one when going traveling: Sign up to the dole! No I don’t mean be a nonce and stroke the gland of social nectar till the tax payers cries in anguish at the injustice. Simply sign up this will mean they pay the stamp duty, you don’t get any cash / […]

RANT – bottles – water from the tap not cool?

  Why do people drink water out of bottles, what’s wrong with tap water, how did people survive before bottled water. What a farce, it’s more expensive than fuel and destroys the environment, what will people make of us in the future ‘Yeah, we don’t quite understand?! They had water piped to houses and drinking […]

Orphans & Asses

Curious case of Benjamin button today as walking back from the bakers I serenaded into a Orphanage. Surrounded by ex-pats come born again philanthrophists who never had their moment on the stage as the beauty pagent revealing which ailments they would cure the world of. Forgotten by their sired generation, they be dead, and remembered […]

London the home of a thousand glances, yet few smiles

Coming out of Liverpool street station wearing flipflops summer slacks and a brightly coloured hoody I was greeted by the evening stampede of commuters whose eyes rarely deviated from the floor, some so intent on their phones no doubt twittering their intentions to their unbeknown neighbour – that it was a miracle how spaces were not violated. […]

Going to London :: Gomeran’s don’t miss the Kings of Originality Zirkmir on 12th

  Need to earn some coinage, pirates mutiny when their is no gold, actually I have run out of instant noodles 🙁 Arrive in London on the 24th of October. One thing I am staying for is www.zirkmir.com performance, they are five fantastic and a little loopy Norse people bringing smiles to the world. Take a look […]

A month in Gomera – now time for Gambia – or ..

Puddles everywhere, wet ones too, persistent rain with undertones of dull and gloom are certainly not words to describe Gomera. It’s a very spiritual place with many people coming out to try and find if their inner self will resonate with the quartz left over from when Atlantis descended into the depths…. or something like that. I didn’t see anyone vibrate […]

El Cedro – 6 hour one way walk 1200m climb

El Cedro is paradise, it’s located a good hour or two by car from San Sabastian. There is a sailing school CanarySail.com with 5 boats in the marina, they are always busy and having seen the rest of the Canaries they certainly have the best spot …. through them I met a Dutch guy who wanted […]

La Gomera – I found Heaven

I would rate this place as AAA, and yes the A stands for awesome! I arrived in San Sabastian in La Gomera in winds between 40 and 50 knots, my windex clearly felt it I would be releaved not knowing wind speed over 48 knots. At those speeds water being whisked off waves feels like […]

Mogan to Tenerife – 40 knot winds hooooraaa

Well I am sad to have left Mogan, had a blinding time met loads of people, frothy crotches; vidaloo bloody Mary’s; lost wives and spatulas were all fond memories that were whisked away as I got smacked in the face by a back hander that would have rendered any mother proud and adolescent adult forever […]

Leaving today – Too hot down South time for the Azores

Big slide show above, give it time to load. I am leaving Mogan, my favourite place in the Canaries at long last. Heading for the Azores, the south is too hot, Gambia has 80% humidity and 32C not my idea of enjoyment so I am going to beat into the wind and do some sailing […]

Photo’s of the last few weeks

Still in Mogan – update

Quite like the place, I am on anchorage. I personally love being at anchor the rocking motion of the boat is lovely, that said sometimes with the changing tide and the swell I do feel a tad nauseous. Few updates: – Nothing lasts in this heat, I threw away all of my bottled cheese. Bottling brie […]

I am Mogan

I have left Las Palmas some time ago, I have been working my way round what’s left of the Canaries. Can’t comment on any of it as it’s all pretty boring except for Mogan which is what I expected when I came to the Canaries. People here change from swimming trunks to shorts in the […]

Slight delay, was the weekend…

Got abit carried away, had a great weekend that started off with the local Marina night club, then the seediest late night club. The late club was a sailors place (from the many cargo ships here in port) with people from all over the world, working ladies everywhere and the stark contrast of well dressed […]

Corralejo – Las Palmas

I spent good two weeks in Corralejo, it’s a magical place! There is kitesurfing, surfing, a blues festival, great bars, transparent water and fantastic people. I had the best time in Corralejo and now that I have arrived in Las palmas I wish I was back there again. I was in the anchorage and rowed […]

Arrrgggghh!! – I be losing me marbles – Windvane troubles

The plan was to head of across the Atlantic as quickly as possible, I sailed to Los Palmas from Corralejo which was a 16 hour journey. The Navik self steering was destroyed at 0200 when I ran over some debris, the entire servo rudder knocked clean off, I know people have sailed around the world with […]

Graciosa – Araciffe – Carmen – Callero (shower time!) – Blanca

I am quickly making my way South stopping at as many places as possible, the wind has died down sadly but due to arrive again tomorrow hopefully allowing me to sail to Fuerventura. Callero was the first time I met people who could speak English .. it’s a thriving tourist hot spot with tonnes of […]

Video: First night offshore on the way to the Canaries

Been on the water for 7 hours, sun setting, excited to be on my way. Had great wind for two days … then nada … more to follow. Only excitement was crossing the shipping lanes, was amazed to see how the cargo vessels all kept to the specified routes. AIS rocks!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEy5KWU4cg&feature=player_embedded

Arrived in the Canaries

Apprehensively I set of on my maiden solo long offshore voyage, I would be lying if I said I was without doubt. I wasn’t worried, but it was the moment the talk became reality and it brought with it a sence of worry as I was truely on my own and miles away from the […]

Replacing the sanitary hose, smell you later.

Here is a job I wish I hadn’t started, the boat originally didn’t have proper hose which resulted in hose that smells. I found that when I pumped the toilet a waft would come from the areas where the plumbing can be found. Fragrant and not in the least pleasant, unlike the jasmine which is currently […]

Single handed sailing Bible

Fantastic book which includes details such as how to sleep for 20 minutes, life lines and how to minimise risks. By the Andrew Evans on Foolish Muse, wish I had an email address to send him my thanks. One most memorable instance, when I was on my knees pissing off the transom (still clipped in) and the boat […]

Ready to leave – so what have I been doing?

I have been plagued by a few problems and decided to bite the bullet and splash out on fixing them. Just waiting on a battery to be delivered on Monday and then I will be on my merry way. Although sadly I have missed a perfect weather window which would have been downwind sailing for […]

Cooking on a yacht

For special occasions the cobb cooker is the chief amongst the hot headed Indians …  it runs on charcoal bricks and puts my oven to shame! The food this thing produces has awed all those who have tasted it and it’s so damned efficient. On the left it’s opened up for Christmas dinner, with roast […]

Yarrrgh … we be grounded!!

I took  George and James sailing, two kickass brothers who I had beaten at tennis … mhmm … well I won the tournament. Had 9 knots of wind and made steady progress away from the coast. About two miles from the coast the wind dropped and we made slow progress back eventually turning on the […]