Having finally been ‘blocked off’ ashore in Northney Marina after the machinations outlined in the previous blog, unfortunately, the saga didn’t end there. The Northney boatyard staff, seemingly disgruntled with the events as they unfolded, and unhappy about the safety of Hejira or any yachts bearing the slippery Silic antifouling, chose to escalate the situation... Continue Reading →

During the major refit 2 years ago, I had the opportunity to review the antifouling situation. (the coating on the hull to prevent the growth of weed and barnacles etc) The existing  ‘coppercoat’ treatment was both disappointing (maybe I expected too much) and coming to the end of its effective life, so I thought it... Continue Reading →

It has always seemed a good idea to catch fish from the yacht, why not… but my previous experiences have been mixed, at best. Over the years, I have spent fortunes on fishing gear but my sporadic efforts at fishing have amounted to little, not that I have actually invested much time or energy in... Continue Reading →

Having returned to Torquay by train, it was prudent to ‘sit out’ the next day while another weather front passed through. I confess to regrets at maligning Torquay in my last blog because, substantial walks contradicted my previous assessment. Initial impressions were tainted by the semi derelict Pavilion building adjacent to the marina which is... Continue Reading →

Having returned by train to Plymouth, there was only a modest target for the next 5 days, to transfer Hejira from the oversubscribed, QAB Marina in Plymouth, to the sister MDL Marina in Torquay for another period of ‘free’ berthing. It was a pleasure to welcome old friends, Peter Hoade and Jem Vercoe as crew... Continue Reading →

As one gets older, inevitably, one accrues more experience and certain niceties fall away in favour of expediencies. So it is with sailing, gone are the days when I am prepared to sail close hauled to windward for hours on end, beating into a lumpy sea, tacking back and forth, barely making any progress, getting... Continue Reading →

Firstly, I have to say that Richard’s contribution to the last blog was rather exaggerated and mostly ‘out of context’. I didn’t edit it as this would be rather akin to censorship and we are not in Putin’s Russia, so it remains as a tribute to the freedom and integrity of the blog, for what... Continue Reading →

Arriving in Stornoway after lunch on a Sunday proved to be  something of a challenge when intending to victual. It is a very pleasant place but closed on a Sunday. We did manage to establish that a basic shop, part of a petrol station on the edge of town, would be open until 4pm so... Continue Reading →

Hoy Sound lived up to its reputation and gave us a rollercoaster through the overfalls as we left Stromness bound for Cape Wrath. We made the small diversion to take a look at ‘The Old Man of Hoy’ and we were pleased we took the trouble, although the passage  along the coast was a gauntlet... Continue Reading →