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.

Friday, 16 July 2010

The Gannet - Day 2 - Aber

 -   Woke very late and after a long chat with Peter Moore on the phone, who had read the previous day’s blog; felt the need for another scalding shower (the call and shower arn't connected!) and then a wander into town; where vital stores were requisitioned at Somerfield’s and then stowed securely on board. A case of Speckled Hen being squirreled away in secret corners was on special offer – a real bonus! Mutiny over! The voyage may continue......
   A wander along the breakwater to re-evaluate my entrance into the harbour yesterday, was not as pleasant as it might have been due to a very fishy smelling breeze coming ashore over a granite coloured sandy beach that eventually led me up to the castle ruins and then on to a recommended restaurant ‘The Gannet’ at the top of the town. Pictures of Concorde and famous celebs on the wall suggested someone connected with the restaurant had a past career at British Airways. My waitress, the owner's wife, explained that it was her husband who was in most of the pictures and the man in charge of menus and recipes for all of Concorde’s food. Good omen, I thought. And I was right. I’ll be damned if I know how they remain in business having first a huge delicious smoked fish pie with cheesy mashed potato on top to start with (in a ramekin the size of a soup bowl and a peppered sirloin steak and locally grown vegetables to follow. A crying shame that there was simply no room left for puddings as those served on adjacent tables looked splendid. Two good sized glasses of wine and excellent fresh bread and unsalted welsh butter kept the meal company as did a cup of coffee. £12 the lot! No wonder the place was almost full.
   Having semi digested lunch; I got around to fitting the new water tank/bladder, at last, and have thankfully, dispensed with the huge plastic water carrier bought in Devon that I’ve shared the cabin with. I will not miss the sloshing noises at night that emanated from it one little bit; nor the way it slid dangerously around the cabin sole when sailing in a bit of rough. As part of the exercise, I turfed out the contents from all the lockers as one or two seemed to have got a bit musty; then gave the lot a good airing before re-stowing. It’s good to have a fresh idea of inventory too; having been at sea for 6 weeks now; I’d forgotten what was where.
    All this activity makes a growing boy hungry...
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