Our ARC safety inspection passed muster so it was on with more jobs and preparation. We decided to increase the size of the pin which prevents the Watt & Sea bracket from turning - up from 8mm to 10mm. The trouble was that 10mm drill bit broke and all the kit in the chandlers is... Continue Reading →
How to breathe underwater
This appeared in the June 2016 Yachting Monthly.
R & R (running repairs)
The improved weather revealed the delights of the British Virgin Islands with the blue skies, steady wind and varied scenery between the islands. There was a huge density of yachts but nothing like the Solent on a summer weekend. We almost regretted bringing our arrival into Nanny Cay forward with the improved weather and, when... Continue Reading →
Soggy BVI arrival
Dawn found us approaching Round Rock Passage as planned and we passed into Sir Francis Drake Channel between the main British Virgin Islands just as the heavens opened necessitating the donning of full wet weather gear for the first time since European waters. Unable to speak to the Customs on the phone, the marina assured... Continue Reading →
Lightning all night
We were keen to take a look at the prop before weighing anchor as we had experienced a ‘knocking’ from the prop area on passage from Antigua when we had started motoring. The noise had diminished when we ran the engine in astern then disappeared. An inspection with the snorkel revealed nothing untoward and we... Continue Reading →
St. Kitts – nearly
We had a good sail to St. Kitts with a fast broad reach all the way to the south of Nevis. Approaching Basseterre we heard ‘Torch’ calling the marina with no response and they chose to anchor off. We entered but the only space was to raft alongside a French yacht moored against the quay... Continue Reading →
Jolly good preparation
Having returned to the UK early from my Caribbean cruise to attend the England Counties rugby game in Scotland, I had ‘cashed in’ son Oliver’s flights to Bermuda and back from the Azores as his selection would have meant he was touring with the team to Canada during the period when he was to have... Continue Reading →
Just suck it up!
This article was published in the May 2016 Yachting Monthly and the process is also referred to in the Technical section of this web site under 'Rubbish Problems.
Bob’s Alumni Magazine
Bob who crewed on the ARC+ crossing was asked to write an account for his old school (Daniel Stewart's College in Edinburgh) Alumni magazine which, following some school mergers is now known as the 'Stewart's Melville College Former Pupils Magazine'. It seemed appropriate to include his account here:- Crossing the Atlantic under sail It’s the... Continue Reading →
Security Bars
The very helpful international web site for cruisers 'Noonsite' , the more specific Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN) and the Caribbean Security Index (CSI) carry advice and catalogue incidents involving cruising yachts. I guess if you read reports of crime from around the world, you would not travel and the cruising fraternity, with the advent... Continue Reading →