During the first day of June 2010 I set sail in 'Equinox' my 24ft 6' Cornish Crabber from Chichester Marina and headed West down the Solent on a once in a lifetime adventure. Three and a half months later I completed my challenge; having sailed solo around the entire UK; visiting the Scillies, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and the Hebrides; going with huge trepidation over the top via Cape Wrath - the 'big right turn', before the next 'big right turn' heading south, at John o'Groats. This blog is my diary, written most evenings as I took stock of the day's progress; often with a huge lump of Cheddar cheese in hand and a pint of Speckled Hen to keep it company. Sometimes I was almost in tears; tiredness and frustration having taken its toll. Other nights exhuberant after breathtakingly beautiful passages along our stunning coastline with favourable following winds. It describes the ups and downs; the tears and laughter; the extraordinary kindness shown by complete strangers who offered a tired sailor in their midst refuge, solace, warmth and company; their generosity often humbling. My hormones were, I'm sure, in a mess making me perhaps rather vulnerble; as just six months earlier I'd endured the surgical removal of a cancerous prostate gland; laprascopically - a six hour procedure that left me physically weaker than before. You can read the background to the illness and the reasons for the challenge - to raise awareness of this terribe disease; that could have so easily have killed me elsewhere on this blog.

I am indebted to many; and recorded their names elsewhere; but as I reflect on the voyage many months later, I have not fully sung the praise of Cornish Crabbers, the builders of my sturdy little yacht and Roger Dongray the yacht's brilliant designer who drew upon a hull shape that had developed over hundreds of years by men who worked and fished at sea and whose very life depended on their vessel's seaworthiness. It's long keel, sail configuration and weight distribution in seemingly monsterous seas; quite incredible for a yacht so small. A Crabber 24 is not the swiftest yacht to be had for her size, for sure. But what she lacks in that respect she makes up for by her abilty to take heavy weather and harsh conditions in her stride. Built solidly without compromise, Equinox delivered me safely home after a voyage of well over 2500 miles in some of the most hostile and dangerously tidal waters you can find anywhere in Europe. In Wales, for example, the RNLI were phoned by an experienced commercial fisherman watching Equinox from his harbourside office; reporting to them, that a yacht was struggling in heavy seas and a F7 a mile outside the harbour entrance. By the time the lifeboat had been launched, I was tucked up in Aberystwyth marina; a little bruised and battered it has to be said, but safe and sound; I never even saw the lifeboat!

I've recently set up the blog so that readers can cover numerous diary entries in one go. To access earlier diary entries just click on the link 'Older Posts' at the foot of each page. Only a few clicks are needed to get to the entries at the beginning of the voyage and my preparation beforehand.

I hope you enjoy reading it; and if you do, or have done, please be kind enough to leave me a message. For which, in anticipation, I thank you.
The voyage also raised over £10,000 for the Prostate Cancer Charity - not my main goal but those who donated on my 'Just Giving ' page made a huge contribution too; as I was notified by email of each donation as it was made; each raising my spirits immeasurably. My main goal was to encourage 2500 men to get PSA tested - one for each mile sailed; and I beleive that goal was achieved too. And finally, I would also like to thank the growing number of men who have, both during and after the voyage ended, taken a PSA test, as a result of the publicty the voyage attracted; been diagnosed with the disease and taken the time and trouble to email me.

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Bideford Bar!

With Gina, safely shore side and mostly dry, in the choppy conditions; I had two hours to prepare Equinox before the flood tide made it safe to cross the bar. Then casting off, my first problem became apparent. The weed growth hampering performance alarmingly. Indeed, I could manage just 1.3 knots over the incoming stream. Gunning the engine to try and clean the prop, I inched out past the lifeboat and a then two miles with 18k wind, 3k+ tide and growing seas, right on the nose, making my progress torrid. The seas grew as I approached the bar, to the point that one mighty wave caused my hatch to fly forward on its runners with such force that when it hit the two rubber stops they shattered the fibreglass and flattened the handle used to open the hatch from within the cabin. Then the anchor dislodged itself from its cradle and threatened to embed itself in the hull, or fly loose on the deck, so an urgent run forward to replace it was made. The two retaining pins had bent, so securing the anchor with one bent pin, I returned with a hammer to straighten it and then repeated the exercise with the other; getting numerous soakings for my pains. Although harnessed, it hampered my progress to the point that I considered abandoning it; until that is, a huge wave nearly knocked me off my feet not once but twice. Scared? Yes, VERY!

The rough seas and lack of engine power made the exit a 2 hour affair and cold, wet and tired, I decided to head to the familiar Lundy Island and seek refuge in the lee of its huge cliffs. How I thought I would ever have made Milford Haven, I really don’t know. Conditions in Barnstable Bay were far worse than I had envisaged and I suppose, I really should have turned back.....but The Met gave me just a 48 hour window to get to Wales; and I though I would be strong enough to sail there overnight. As it was I didn’t get to Lundy until 5:30pm – a 7 hour sail to cover under 23nm!

Completely exhausted having pickled up a very welcome visitor’s mooring , I first wolfed down a bowl of soup then straightened out the mess below which included, not surprisingly, more water ingress and then dead on my feet, hit the sack to warm up both my aching body and bruised soul. My worse day yet.... yes, and by long way.
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