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Hugh, Anne and Hector's Sailing Adventures
This is the Captain speaking
On this trip I have been reading "Two years before the mast by R H Dana Jr . In the book he describes sailing round Cape Horn in 1835 with clothes so frozen he couldn't move, scurvy, salt beef and mouldy bread and iron discipline etc so in comparison, this trip has really been quite pleasant!
In the first week the winds were really unfavourable and we had a rough time in the Irish sea with headwinds and big seas. Good sailing to the Scillies and on to France but as we crossed Biscay the wind was gentle and almost too favourable in that they were from the NE and forcing us to rock and roll on the run.
The boat is holding together and most of the kit is working. I call the autopilot Bob since Bob Suttie managed to turn a charred circuit board into a reliableworking system. The Raymarine chartplotter/radar is superb but makes crossing shipping lanes even scarier than eyeballing it (Its called Henry after Henry the Navigator).The NASA SSB receiver is great and produces weather charts on demand.
There have been a few shocks. Diesel in France is 1€ per litre which makes it about twice UK marina prices.
We are now in La Coruna having crossed Biscay from Douarnenez in three days and two nights with lots of motoring in calm conditions. Now that we want to go on to Lisbon, the wind has filled in with a stiff force 7 from the South so we will have to sit it out for a day or so.
The cat made a bid to jump ship in Bangor but I have clapped him in irons and thrown him in the fo'csle on bread and munchies until he comes to his senses. Dana's book is really rubbing off on me, the crew better watch out!
Cheers,
Hugh
Route so far: Rhu, Lamlash, Bangor, Howth, Arklow, Milford Haven , Iles of Scilly, Douarnenez, La Coruna.
950miles in 18days, no records under threat there !
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