Mid-Ocean Live Update
16th Jan, 2017
Slower today, big discussion about sail plan. Cloudy. Four fish got away with the lures, grrrr. Everyone is just chilling. Playing games. SEND MORE WIND 🙂 (Sent by InReach satellite connection)Mid-Ocean Live Update
15th Jan, 2017
Second day out. A bit tired today, as it is a bit of an adjustment getting used to the sleep schedule with the night watches. In a few days we will all be fine (Sent by InReach satellite connection)Mid-Ocean Live Update
14th Jan, 2017
Fresh bread just out of the oven, melted butter dripping…yummy. Sailing fast – 8 knots, one reef, bright sun. No fish yet. Life is tough 😉 (Sent by InReach satellite connection)And We’re Off!
13th Jan, 2017
We left Praia very early, like 3:30 am, on Thursday to sail to Brava. The winds started as very light, as in zero at one point in the wind shadow behind the mountain, but then progressed during the day reaching a good force 7 gusting gale force 8 by the time we rounded Fogo island. (more...)No, We Are Not Quite On Our Passage Yet
11th Jan, 2017
The message we sent yesterday was sent by our inReach satellite SMS device as we wanted to test it out. As you can see, it worked well – we were able to send a message from the middle of the ocean and have it picked up and posted on our blog, along with our position (more...)Mid-Ocean Live Update
10th Jan, 2017
Caught some fish today – sushi for supper anyone? on our way from Mindelo to Santiago (Sent by InReach satellite connection)Happy 2017! Just arrived in Mindelo
3rd Jan, 2017
Our new year started with some serious hiking and awesome sailing. In Sao Nicolau we did a 15 km hike which seemed like it went vertically up and then vertically down. The scenery was spectacular, but our quads were certainly suffering by the end. When we got back to our dinghy at the harbour, we (more...)In Tarrafal
30th Dec, 2016
Had a fairly slow sail across from Boa Vista to Sao Nicolau and now having a great time here. Quite different scenery. Very mountainous. Had a nice tour around the island in a taxi. Now just chilling out by our private beach. Ben and Jess leave tomorrow, and then we have a week before Roger arrives and we are ready to set sail for Barbados.Just Arrived in Sal, Cape Verde Islands
11th Dec, 2016
Had a fast trade-wind sail. Blue skies, not to much  in the way of waves, but lots of speed. Did the whole trip in 66 hours – 6.8 kt average, door to door (well, anchor to anchor). We are now in Sal, and will be here for a week, as Ben arrives next Monday. Already got internet sorted out, so that is good. But I think we are anchored around a rock, so I guess I need to dive down and have a look at what is happening there. The party this evening is on the neighbouring Dutch boat, who arrived about half an hour after us. Sounds good to me 🙂On Our Way to Cape Verde Islands!
8th Dec, 2016
In the end we decided it was too much of a rush to visit the Casamance area of Senegal. So, instead, we are sailing straight to Cape Verde islands tomorrow. We are aiming for Sal, the upper right island, where my son Ben will be joining us in a week or so to stay for Christmas. As per usual, we will update you all once we arrive there AND get internet sorted out. Though we may also send a brief message at some point by our Satellite text message gadget. The trip should take us 3 days.Tips for Sailing The Gambia River
24th Nov, 2016
Cruising The Gambia presents a few challenges to the sailor that are a bit different from most other destinations. My hope is that these few tips might make it all a bit less daunting. They are presented in no particular order. Navigation Download our navigation package and install the GPX routes and Google Earth images (more...)Of Hippos and Chimpanzees – Cruising the Gambia River
23rd Nov, 2016
Banjul is a delightful contrast to Dakar. It might be the capital of this tiny country with its 1.8 million inhabitants, but it feels more like an over-grown African village. There are no high rises. in fact, there are barely any big buildings. Like all the villages, the roads are packed dirt, the stores are (more...)Cruising Dakar and Senegal – Do We Have Stories to Tell!
18th Nov, 2016
It was one small splash for a man – and a barely perceptible splash for Mankind. Ben Hooper waded into the water off the beach in Dakar, dived forward and started swimming. We were there on this historic occasion, as were Reuters and a handful of other reporters. And, in our dinghy, we motored alongside (more...)Canaries to Senegal – and a Personal Best
12th Nov, 2016
This crossing of 842 miles was like our Lisbon to Morocco crossing – but more so. We set off with very light winds which, unfortunately disappeared totally for a while overnight. We resisted the urge to motor, but when our speed went to zero and we lost all steerage it is hard to know what (more...)Good Morning from Senegal
12th Nov, 2016
Good Morning all Welcome to Senegal! We are so excited to post and tell everyone we had a great trip to the city of Dakar. Took us 6days and 5nights. I am sure Noel will be, very soon, telling you all about our trip here. For now, just want to make it quick (and not (more...)Leaving Tomorrow for Senegal
5th Nov, 2016
The internet Nightmare continues. We use 3G on the phone, with a portable wifi hostspot to the laptop. Works sometimes, for a few minutes. We go to a cafe, useless. We use the Marina wifi. Can’t even connect. So that is why you haven’t heard from us in a while. Finally, today, I put the (more...)Cruising The Canary Islands
4th Nov, 2016
Sorry about the delay but, beter late than never, here is our retrospective account of our time in the Canary Islands. Lanzarote We arrived in Arrecife which was a very nice town, not just touristic but good place to shop for all your provisions. Marina Lanzarrote, nothing special, but nice with shopping, tourist information office, (more...)Arrived in Tenerife!
28th Oct, 2016
Once again we had everything. First a fresh breeze that had us romping along at 7kts. Then, as soon as it was dark, the wind disappeared. So it was motoring through the night and through the next morning. Then, as suddenly as it had vanished, it was back again, and for the final four hours (more...)Leaving Lanzarote for Tenerife
27th Oct, 2016
The wind has been acting up the last few days. For three days we had big waves coming from the north, and strong winds coming from the south. So where does one go with those conditions? In a marina is the answer. So that is where we have been for the past three days, while (more...)Highlights of Morocco
19th Oct, 2016
Wow..it has been a busy 3 weeks.. Since we left Lisbon on the 25th of September, we have done 2 long crossings, visited Morroco and one of the Cannary islands. We enjoyed morroco very much. People were just so warm and friendly. Taking the local train was always a great experience with the locals. They (more...)A 500 Mile Beat?!
14th Oct, 2016
A 500 Mile Beat!? Well, that was definitely not what signed up for. We left Rabat with a forecast that gave us favourable downwind sailing until the final day when it would be a close fetch for the final stretch. We have no means of getting a forecast en route, so we had to rely (more...)Leaving for Canaries Tomorrow
9th Oct, 2016
After a whirlwind tour of Morocco, which we have really enjoyed, we are now ready to leave. We will put together the photos and blog in due course, but right now the forecast says go tomorrow – or wait another week. So, once again, it ends up with a bit of a rapid departure. We would have preferred to stay another day or two, but that’s how the wind goes. The trip will be about 470 miles, and should have some nice fast downwind stretches again. So we hope to arrive sometime on Thursday, assuming an average speed between 6 and 7 knots. We are aiming for Arrecife, on Lanzarote. Once we are there we will sort all that internet stuff again, and then will be back in touch. In the meantime, we will be off the grid for a few days. Have fun in the meantime!180 Miles in 24 hours
28th Sep, 2016
Wow, what a sail! With about 20 kts (true) of wind behind us, we set off from Lisbon with an average speed of 7.7kts. Far faster than our original anticipation, including one 24 hour stretch in which we covered over 180 miles which, I think, is a personal best. For the first 50 miles we (more...)On Our Way to Morocco
25th Sep, 2016
There is a gale about to blow easterly from the Gibraltar strait. That would make for an unpleasant crossing. And after that the winds are rather confused, for at least the coming week. So, we could sail down to the Algarve and wait for a week. Or we could go now. If we go now, we should be in Morocco before the blow sets in, and that gains us an extra week in Morocco. So that is what we are doing. Right at this moment we are exiting the Tejo River, and soon we will be flying downwind with an estimated journey time of 2 days and 11 hours to cover 315 miles or so. Â Of course that is all a guess. But in any case we hope to be in Rabat, Morocco sometime on Tuesday, at which point we will try and connect up with email etc. So, until then, have fun!Ready to Take off – and a New Destination?
23rd Sep, 2016
We are now back in Seixal, Portugal, having had a month in Canada to welcome Allisen’s new baby boy, Behnam – grandson number 3! It was a good and busy time, as I also used the opportunity to do some more renovations on one of our rental properties. So now, after another quick visit to (more...)Where to Anchor in Lisbon
18th Sep, 2016
Having spent a fair bit of time around Lisbon, I thought it would be useful to put up a summary of the area for other cruisers who want to visit. Anchoring in Cascais There are no useful anchorages near Lisboa itself. However, there is a good anchorage at Cascais, with protection from the prevailing N (more...)Just Arrived in Lisbon
6th Jul, 2016
As forecast, the wind was light and from the south. This meant that we had to motor almmost the whole way from Cabo Sao Vincente, but that is better than having to beat into fresh northerlies, which is the normal Portuguese Trade Wind state of affairs. So, without much fanfare, and with a few large Atlantic Mackerel, but no Tuna, caught, we arrived at Cascais at about 16:00 hrs and anchored behind the seawall off the beach, alongside about 5 other yachts.On our way to Lisbon
5th Jul, 2016
It looks like we have some calm favourable winds over today and tomorrow, so we have decided that we are going to set off for Lisbon right now. Â If all goes to plan, we should be there around 3pm tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise it will be a matter of waiting for another weather window, as the normal winds at this time of year are from the North, which makes sailing North somewhat of a challenge.27 Fish and 36 Kite Surfers.
29th Jun, 2016
On Sunday we moved out of the marina to anchor in Portmao harbour. The next day we were minding our own business when we spotted a whole bunch of seagulls diving just 30 m from us. A fish feeding frenzy. Birds diving, fish leaping, we just had to go and join the fun. So we (more...)Our Uganda Safari – Lions, Hippos and Giraffes
22nd Jun, 2016
Here we are at the end of June, and we are only just back on board Life Part 2. So what on Earth have we been doing for the past 9 months? After Dad’s death in September cut short our plans to cross the Atlantic last year, we hurriedly put Life Part 2 into Portimao (more...)Thanks for Your Messages
8th Oct, 2015
Thank you all for your kind comments and condolences on my Dad’s passing away. We had a funeral service for him in Ottawa, attended by my Mum’s relatives and many long-standing friends of both. The body was then cremated, and tonight we fly to the UK with the ashes. We will have another memorial celebration (more...)BIG Change of Plans!
23rd Sep, 2015
Well, we launched the boat today and were getting all ready to sail to Madeira. But then I got a phone call that my Dad had died. He had been in hospital, but this was quite unexpected and sudden. I understand that yesterday he was laughing and joking, so if you have to go, this is the way to do it. He will be missed. Fortunately we were not already at sea. So we have decided to park the boat here in Portimao marina and fly to Canada on Saturday to join my Mum in Ottawa. After that plans are undecided, but there is a good chance that we will just leave the boat here for 6 months and return in April to resume sailing. It delays our Atlantic crossing by a year, but plans are made to be changed.Setting Sail for Madeira
23rd Sep, 2015
All the work is done. This afternoon the big crane will put us back into the water. Then, on Friday (all things permitting) we will take off for Madeira. The crossing is 470 nautical miles. The winds will be behind us, expecting 10 to 20 kts, and we will also have half a knot of (more...)Applying CopperCoat: What a Job!
15th Sep, 2015
Finally it is done. But what a job! The goal was to coat the bottom of Life Part 2 with CopperCoat. The reason? So we don’t have to keep finding boatyards to haulout the boat every couple of years. So what is it? CopperCoat is an epoxy resin that is loaded with pure copper powder. (more...)What a Difference an Ocean Makes
27th Aug, 2015
For three months we caught nothing. That’s nothing with a big fat ZERO, despite trying every combination of lures and speed in all sorts of weather. We tried a bird teaser. We tried squid daisy chains. We had diving plugs and spoons. We had up to four lines out. And we caught nothing. Then we (more...)Good Bye, Mediterranean Sea, Hello Atlantic Ocean
3rd Aug, 2015
It was four years ago that we sailed past Tarifa and Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea. Today we sailed in the other direction, leaving La Linea at 10am to catch the tidal stream out into the Atlantic. Two days ago we were sweltering in Motril, with air and water temperatures both at about 31 (more...)Beautiful Barcelona and stories to tell…
3rd Jul, 2015
I know…I know! We are back tracking a little bit here but we had so much fun in Barcelona and all through the coast of Spain that we have to share. Even though we did not feel so welcome on the first day arriving in Spain by an unfriendly Harbourmaster, things quickly improved, like they (more...)Brief Update
3rd Jul, 2015
We are now in Barcelona, Spain, about to depart for Ibiza. We have been unable to beg, buy, borrow or steal a decent internet connection, so this is just a quick update to let you know where we are and why there are no photos! Will update you when we can 🙂Au Revoir France, Viva España
2nd Jul, 2015
From St. Tropez it was time to head west and south, the goal being to get to Alicante, Spain by mid July. First stop was the island of Porquerolles. Just south of Hyeres, this island has no cars, so everything, including the pizzas, are delivered by bicycle. Pizzas delivered by bicycle! After a lively (more...)Internet Woes
22nd Jun, 2015
So far we have traveled through eight Mediterranean countries, and in every single one of them we have had problems with buying internet services. I don’t mind paying for the service. But when I do, I expect it to work. So why is it that every single time there is a problem? In Spain we (more...)Parked with Illustrious Company
20th Jun, 2015
Last night we were anchored with illustrious neighbours. In fact, we were by far the smallest yacht in the anchorage, the others all being 80 ft (or bigger) motor yachts. Some of our big neighbours at St. Tropez Where were we? Just outside St. Tropez harbour, and all these boats are the ones that couldn’t (more...)Two Great Weekends!
16th Jun, 2015
We made it to Sanremo in time to meet up with my old sailing buddy from university, Alastair McMichael. With him was his wife Judy, and their friends from England, Lance and Elie. On the Saturday we motored in a calm to Menton, thus entering France! Ah, the land of stinky cheeses! Love it! The (more...)Le Grazie, La Spezia and Cinque Terre
5th Jun, 2015
May 28th – June 5th: Santa Marinella to Sanremo Once Josh had gone, it was a mad dash north to meet with Alastair in Sanremo. Still the winds were flat calm, so it was a case of motoring 30+ miles every day, though sometimes in the afternoon the sea breeze would kick in and let (more...)How to Visit Rome by Yacht
28th May, 2015
The obvious thing to do is to find a marina as close as possible to Rome so that you can leave your boat there. It turns out that ‘obvious’ is not always ‘best’. In the area of Fiumicino, which is where the Leonardo da Vinci airport is, there are two waterways that flow east to (more...)A Celebrity Came to Visit Life Part 2
24th May, 2015
Wow, what a crazy couple of weeks it has been! We have been rushing up the West coast of Italy. Normally we wouldn’t do that, but there are reasons… So, here is the potted version of all the places we have visited – and some of the silly weather we have been having (and we (more...)Cariati To Salerno – A Quick Run Up The Tyrrhenian Coast
9th May, 2015
Wednesday, 29th April, 2015 After all the partying it was time to leave Cariati. The wind was perfect, so we had a fast downwind run to Crotone – even catching a nice big tuna on the way! Woohoo, sushi for lunch and tuna steaks for supper. Does it look like I wanted photos? I just (more...)Goodbye Cariati – Il Migliore del Mondo
29th Apr, 2015
It started with an invitation to go to town for some real Italian Gelato (ice cream). Giovanni is a local (Cariati) doctor who had his boat Gaia hauled out on the hard just opposite us in Cariati. And he speaks good English. So we went to town and had some ice cream that was, officially, (more...)What We Did All Winter
7th Apr, 2015
Today it snowed! Yes, when we arrived it was T-shirt weather. Then the clouds darkened and the rain arrived. But still we had a great visit to Alberobello, just south of Bari. There are two sections – the tourist part, and the quiet residential part. See if you can guess which photos are which. (more...)Back in Italy!
5th Apr, 2015
We just arrived in Bari, Italy where it is T-shirt weather! We will be hiring a car for a few days while we meander our way across the sole of Italy to Life Part 2 which is waiting for us in Cariati Marina. Once there we will be attaching a new flex-o-fold folding propeller before putting her back in the water to commence our travels. We had a great time in Canada and England, (including a fantastic canal boat trip through the Llangollen Canal in North Wales) – plus of course getting married at the last minute – and want to thank everyone for putting up with us. But it is good to be back in Italy and we are looking forward to a good year of cruising. Perhaps you will come and join us for some of it? We will put up some photos soon…Hauled Out and Batteries In – 4 Wheels on My Wagon!
20th Nov, 2014
Sorry about the long delay in getting this post up! Yes, we are actually now in Edmonton, Canada, and have been for almost 3 weeks. But you know how it is. Actually, how it is, is that each time we go back to Canada for the winter we seem to get sick. Usually a nasty (more...)