Well, it’s time to ‘put up or shut up’ as I have now been banging on about my single handed challenge for so long it is probably very boring. Hejira is ready, she has been tested over many miles, crossed the Atlantic twice and her ‘kitting out’ has proved itself in spades for ocean passage-making... Continue Reading →

I guess the first explanation must be about the Hejira website which has been inaccessible since an attempt was made to delete it over Christmas. This is a long and complicated story but, thankfully, the attempt was thwarted and no real harm done. Hurrah! Diligent ‘backing up’ has enabled a phoenix to rise out of the... Continue Reading →

With the new Polyethylene (HDPE) water tank delivered by courier to the south of France, the task of fitting it has loomed huge and daunting in my autumn eyesight. Looking on the bright side, I am seriously blessed by the very kind assistance of John Coe who is a major technical stalwart who I am... Continue Reading →

So, on my return to the UK, there are a number of issues to understand and address. Among these, why does my propeller anode last less than a month before disappearing? A call to Bruntons to put them on the spot suggested, from their demeanour, that it is not a unique problem and it would... Continue Reading →

Having replaced the prop anode in Ibiza and tightened the screws with as much force as I could muster, imagine my disappointment when having a dip, to see that the anode was missing again ! So, the mission was to replace it with one of my spares before the prolonged period in Baie des Anges.... Continue Reading →

St. Raphael should have been a delightful stop over and apart from being in a goldfish bowl with every mouthful of our dinner inspected by the passing throng, it was looking good - until... When approaching midnight, the disco struck up seemingly 2 metres from our mooring! We simply closed the hatches, pulled the curtains... Continue Reading →

Reluctantly leaving Port Grimaud, we made our way through the manic St. Tropez bay under engine alone in less than 1 knot of wind. We had managed to secure a berth with the very polite and efficient staff in the Vieux Port at St. Raphael which had been recommended. On our approach, the port didn’t... Continue Reading →

Ever since I spent a summer month in Grimaud with a French ‘pen pal’, I have been fascinated by Port Grimaud. In 1969, (when I was 15 and fell in love with Chantal...)  it was still under construction and, it wasn’t finished until 1980. Since then, I have visited several times in various yachts and... Continue Reading →

Weighing anchor and heading east, the wind picked up as did the sea but as it was at our backs, the motion was not unpleasant – or so I thought… The Marina at Cavalaire-sur-Mer was not as dismissive as most and suggested we call on VHF as we approached to check availability. Not surprisingly, they... Continue Reading →