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.

Thursday, 22 July 2010

A short hop to Abersoch - July 22nd

The sun is actually shining as I prepare to leave Pwllheli Marina; so very good after three weeks of sailing in almost continuous overcast and wet conditions. A joy to feel its warmth; and a good time to open all hatches to air the boat fully and to get rid of the last traces of damp. Full marks to Pwllheli Marina; its immaculate – the showers and washing facilities, the best yet. If only it had a decent restaurant as part of the package.

    As I was emptying out the tender of rain water for the umpteenth time, a huge black rib with two 300hp Suzuki engine passes close by; the slim fit looking man at the helm vaguely familiar smiles an acknowledgment to mine. More for the fact that he was motoring with engines on tick-over – a very rare occurrence for most rib owners! Two small boys take the lines while his giant rib fills up with fuel, the engines still whispering. Then he manoeuvres the boat between the fuel barge and pontoon with practiced ease. Why does he look so familiar?
    A glorious sail to Abersoch just 6 miles up the coast turns into an 18 mile sail, as a phone call from Flossie informs me their ETA is now 2:30, so I’ve time to kill sailing in a wonderful 10K SW wind in shirt sleeves and shorts – such welcome freedom after sailing constantly in oilies. I head towards the dramatic mountainous coastline to the east, generating their own clouds, ensuring a relaxing reach back into Abersoch and a rendezvous with ’Katy’ an immaculate old Portsmouth built working boat lovingly restored to the highest original order with a splendid cuddy.
   After furling sails and anchoring I leap aboard Katy, as she draws alongside and meet the owners, Paul and Gay Murphy, along with Flossie and Neil, who both look bronzed and well, after some seriously hot months in their Alpine home.
  We motor off towards the two islands that guard the approach to Abersoch for a picnic. Both are havens for seabirds, mostly Shags and Cormorants, seals and.......the TV personality and youngest Britain to climb Everest, Bear Grylls who, I discover, owns and lives for some of the year on the larger of the two islands in a refurbished rather imposing house, beautifully painted in sympathetic colours, under the lighthouse. It was him on the rib, that I saw this morning, with his two young sons. Neil swims before we eat a fantastic picnic lunch, anchored in a tiny inlet out of the swell and in, and I still can’t quite believe it, bright sunshine. Facts about the islands that included an attempt to breed red deer, that eventually swam ashore, through lack of food, hermits and an owner who built a sort of Stonehenge facsimile that had to be bought in by Chinook helicopter; keep us entertained, as indeed did the seals that pop up nearby, seemingly unfazed by us. A short tour around the other island before heading ashore for a fish supper in the Sun Inn, an old haunt from my sea kayaking days, 39 years ago, ends a perfect day. By 10:30, as I row back to Equinox the sea has settled but the Navtex foretells of increasing winds during the night, so before I unpack a goody bag Flossie has put together for me, up-anchor and motor a mile or so, to moor up close to the old Lifeboat Station; a recommended spot for a quiet rock-free night. Once moored, I eat half a pound of Cadburys Whole Nut, one of the treats that includes strawberries, cheese, pork pies and more chocolate. I feel very spolit, as I drift off to sleep!
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