After months of planning and preparation our adventure is finally underway. Leaving Port Solent lock, we responded to the lock keepers enquiry of ‘when are you back’ with a jaunty ‘in about two years’ which was quite satisfying ! For this first leg to Plymouth, I had the very best of crews in Dave Cooke.... Continue Reading →
Blog
Winter Haul 2017/18
The winter programme of jobs is well under way with Hejira ashore for a 6 week period. I am always reluctant to lift ashore for the coldest months (this is only really possible in a marina situation) as the sea, perversely, is something of a ‘warm’ radiator and affords protection against freezing which is not... Continue Reading →
Adventures closer to home
2017 will be remembered as a compromised sailing year with Hejira spending too much time on her mooring. This was as a result of building an extension to the house (yes after the children have left home, we need more space……), the death of my wife’s father while she was away and several big family... Continue Reading →
Single handed insurance
Following my 'Change of plan' blog, the question of insurance cover for single handed sailing has been raised by correspondents. I had already discussed this with my insurers Pantaenius and their helpful and positive response follows:- Dear Mr Mines, It was nice to meet you at Southampton, and I hope you enjoyed the show. Thank... Continue Reading →
A change of plan
My original plan for the 2017 season was a cruise through Holland, Keil Canal, Swedish Archipelago, Gota Canal, over the top of Scotland, Dublin and back to the south coast. I was facing some adjustments to the plan as two of my regular and dependable crew have unfortunately ruled themselves out until further notice on... Continue Reading →