We have our very own team of weather girls keeping us  updated with the storms and forecasts on our travels…

Thankyou. we appreciate them and feel you in some way  with us on our journey.

These talented ladies who are new to the meteorlogical fraternity are Kimm Brook and Janice Martland.

They show great promise in this field and we continue to look forward to their weather information via Howard or Chris..

Cheers Lorraine xxx

Kimm Brook

Janice

Glad to leave Milford Haven we arrived in St Mary’s Island in the dark after a tiring 127 mile journey (18hrs) with wind dead on the nose.  this was our first long journey with night shifts included.! we did watches in pairs ( Chris M and me , Howard and Chris C) 2 hours on 2 hours off.

 I found  it much darker in the night than the Spanish night sails we did with Mar Menor School last year (http://www.marmenorseaschool.co.uk/). There was high cloud cover during the night with open patches when we could see the stars,  but trying to see the horizon and any obstruction in the water was disturbingly difficult! The experience of having to identify fishing vessels by their lights especially its length and speed was interesting to say the least! Luckily we have the fancy chartplotter which when using AIS picks up most things ( particularly the commercial vessels) when they get about 7 nautical miles away.

We sailed for some of the way but needed to put on the engine at times as the conditions dictated.

Howard felt ill  after a few hours but after a sleep did pick up and in his usual style and enthusiasm took to his role as cabin boy! In fact we all had a spell of nausea but no-one vomited thanks goodness  ( john Butterworth knew that feeling !)having to put up with an uncomfortable ride was rewarded with a visit from dolphins and  sighting of a Minke whale.

Anyway on to The Scilly’s…. When we woke after a catch up sleep following our arrival…. what a sight… the sun was shining and the view from the boat was like we were in the middle of a group of Caribbean islands!..  Bliss…

we spent a day ashore .. “note to Lorraine…. must come back here sometime and spend a week). lots of pretty walks . the gardens were full of flowers. and the hedgerow and kerbsides were glorious………..

………… need to dash… film about to start…..

PS…. lesson learned in the Scilly’s……. never leave your Dinghy on the beach so the rising tide can wash it out to sea!!!      an experience we never wish to repeat… luckily yacht TaiChi found it and took it to St Agnes island so we motored over to pick it up!…

Will Chris C ever trust us again??

Sorry Alison, but however much we may like Wales , at this moment in time we would really rather be on the way across the Bristol Channel to the Isles of Scilly.

The winds have been gusting to a max of 38.9 overnight so i think we made the right decision to stay put.

I was debating whether to omit a blog till we reached somewhere a bit further away and more exotic! I was chatting to a Margaret Fitzsimmons on facebook and she stated that she bet we were glad to be away from the British weather.. !! Was a bit embarrising to explain we were still in it!!

It probably doesn’t matter to Chris and myself in the big scheme of things , but I reckon Howard and Chris would like to get  somewhere where the native tongue is foreign to us

Now i have fingers on the keys I do need to say that i have only just found how to retrieve the comments that friends and family have written! There were 14 of them …gosh…..  thank you so very much, it was lovely to hear from you all. I didn’t realise i have to ‘approve ‘ them too.  Getting grips to this site is as challenging as sailing! …..I will also try to sort out the ‘MAP’ site too Clay.

I think this Blog will evolve as time goes by..

Howard hired a car for the day so we could get out and about.  ChrisC stayed on the boat as he had stuff to do on the engine( and preferred us out of the way!)  Chris M , Howard and i drove off to Pembroke Castle and wandered around this ancient site which has been occupied on and off for the past 12,000 years. There is a vast cavern underneath part of the castle which was a shelter for cave dwellers during the ‘old’ stone age. It sits on a peninsular overlooking the Pembroke river and despite the rain we popped in and out of each tower or keep , climbing steps and testing Howards’ uneasiness with heights, my stamina and Chris’s tolerance of having two ‘Brooks ‘ in tow!

For a late  lunch we drove on to Tenby ( i hadn’t been there since childhood) and enjoyed wandering the little streets, nooks and crannies of this lovely seaside town. i would definitely like to go there again sometime and spend a few days.

Tonight, Chris x2 and Howard have gone to the pub to watch the Euro footie and have a pint. I had a good chinwag with Petra on the phone and actually had time to blow-dry/straighten my hair in an attempt to look less like a bedraggled rat!  ( NB i did not get to the hairdressers!)

We are getting nearer to the school summer holidays for my Scottish friends so i wish them all a lovely holiday period and hope the sun shines for you all.  I wonder how Milly ( my niece ) got on with her last school exam?  and i am missing my boys very much.

I forgot to take my camera with us today which was a shame as a few pics not on the water would have been a change

toodle oooo

Lorry xx

On the 12th June

Chris did us all proud leaving the dock at Arklow, we had to reverse out after a difficult maneuver from between two boats at 05.45hrs. didn’t scratch a thing!! With a variable wind not much over 7knots we had to motor again for 5 hours of the 9 it took to get to Fishguard.

This was to be John’s last day sailing with us. He has got more confident and able with his crewing skills and been a big help, particularly with docking and casting off.

Today we dropped anchor using our new rochner anchor.

We had just seen dolphin before our approach to the harbour  giving us a statisfying end to the day.

We gave a fond farewell to john and awaited  the arrival of the 2nd crew….. my brother Howard and Chris Martland (his neighbour and sailing friend). They were making their way from Yorkshire and Slough to meet us this evening………… what a trek!

7pm…. welcome to Howard and Chris….. we celebrated there arrival with a delicious beef stew which Janice ( Chris’s wife) made for us…….. Thanks Janice it kept us alive for several days!!

The new crew settled in well and familiarized themselves with all things nautical !

Glad to hear  family news and that Matthews kitchen is looking good and mostly finished

For the first time i wasn’t cold during the night.. hope not to need anymore water bottles now!

14th June

We had a lie in on the morning of the 12th having already decided we would not be able to get across to the Scilly Isles in the weather to come… Gale force 7/8 forecast. we had a good sail though to Milford Haven and anchored in a cove just outside the harbour. We were blessed with a pod of Dolphin swimming along side us for about 5-10 minutes …. This is when i know i am in the right place ….   Following more of Janice’s Stew we watched Johnny English on the Tv/computer screen.. eating wilko mints and jelly babies…  The film was so funny…

Howard had a rough night  being in the foreward cabin with the noise of the water and general clunking all night!! I am so happy he is here to share a bit of adventures so very grateful for him putting up with any discomforts.

Chris and Howard were happy to be on board and Howard had his usual enthusiasm with learning something new and felt very proud wearing his ‘cabin crew’ hat given to him by friends! The sea was quite rough getting accross the bay to Milford HAven Marina and Howard absorbed a nice wave when hie went up front for a good view of the sea!  we could mostly keep fairly dry under the spray hood and bimini ( which is meant to keep the sun off us!)..

I am glad Janice came up to Scotland as i know she can imagine us all together  on Somoya. “Chris is behaving himself.. so far Janice!” He was singing on his Ukulele before i went to get some laundry done!

“Kimm, I know you experienced storm force 11 with us in Troon marina… and we certainly dont want to be out in anything like that!!

I am at the stage of nearly cropping my hair off to 1 inch long with scissors as it is getting in the way and i look absolutely gorgeous every morning!.. my curls are going crazy.. i look like Crystal tips !!     I may take a trip into Milford Haven and find a hairdresser tomorrow.. Tis rather hard to look  like a nautical beauty!

Think we are off out to eat tonight so better  pick up the laundry and be on my way ..

Hope family and friends are all well

Cheerybyexxxx

Since my last blog we did leave Bangor in a force 5 and southWesterly wind which tested us a wee bit as it gusted 25 knots at times . The sea was very ‘lumpy’ and not the most comfortable close hauled sailing!! Unfortunately John started feeling queazy and ultimately sick  He took sturgeron and lay for a good few hours. Chris also ended throwing up  on this journey too.. I had to keep a watchon my own… ( not for long) and  spent the time wondering what i would do if i had to go into the marina myself AND after a 14 hr sail.. Luckily they were both feeling much better by the time we got to Howth only to be told there was no room at the

Inn and had to sail another two hours to Dunlaghaire ( pronounced Dun leary ). John coped really well despite the sickness. I hope it didn’t put him off being aboard.  Ate leftover mince  with mashed tatties and some of the Ginger cake Janice and Chris sent us…. your goodies have been a lovely treat. Early night to bed . great to be learning new skills..

10th June we set off at lunch time to get to Arklow ( about 5 hrs) 35 miles averaging about 6 knots, mostly with the engine on as heading straight into wind . With the sails up we would have been tacking all day !  sunny at times but cool in the wind and shade of sails.  Arriving in Arklow was very interesting as it is in a river with moorings up the middle and a pontoon along the wall . (only place we could go due to our draft) not much room and had to ‘park’ in between other boats ( like parking a car on road). there was no room for error  but managed easily with help from a couple of old’ seadogs on the pontoon. Very entertainging watching others coming  onto the pontoon the next day ….. we jump off and lend a hand…. I do like the camaraderie  of sailing folk. In fact all the people we have met so far ,… in shops, marinas and other boats have been exceptionally friendly.

We spent the evening of the 10th June in an Irish Pub with a glass of Guinness sand watching the European  football ( Ireland v croatia )

Today we spent victualling the boat in preparation for ChrisM and Howard to join us and the departure of John Tomorrow whom has proved to be very easy to have on the boat and will leave with a few more skills… he makes a mean Bowline!  It has been sunny and warm all day .. even had a sunbathe with my shorts on !!

We will be anchoring in Fishgard tomorrow on the Welsh coast and i cant wait for the next part of journey… I promised Kimm we will look after her Husband. I will try my best ….xx