Category: Expeditions
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Inverness to Dunstaffnage -Gearbox Problem – Scoresby Sund Expedition Leg 3
6th August 2025 Reading Time: Fifteen minutes Storm Floris was due to pass over Scotland on Monday 4th August. I was keen to check on Sumara which was moored in Inverness, but all the sleeper train tickets were sold out. The trains on Monday were all cancelled, although Trainline declined to tell me that, so…
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Whitby to Inverness. Scoresby Sund Expedition. Leg Two.
24th June – 8th July 2025 Reading time: Oh dear, it’s rather long! Whitby to Blyth via Runswick Bay – 51 nm Grit and I had just attended a funeral in Market Drayton and had to leave the wake a bit early to meet up with Ray who was already waiting on the boat moored…
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Walton on the Naze to Whitby – Gently kicking off the Greenland Expedition. Leg One.
June 2025 Reading Time: 15 minutes This is the first leg of the “expedition” to Greenland. We had taken Sumara for a little test sail to Pin Mill on the River Orwell a couple of weeks earlier and managed to cover the entire boat, the dinghy and the dog in East Coast mud. Nevertheless, everything…
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Scoresby Sund 2026 – it’s on!
30th January 2025 Reading time: 5 minutes I am going to have just one more attempt to get to Scoresby Sund in my little 26 foot wooden yacht. This time will be my 4th try and it will definitely my last attempt! Before committing to the expedition I needed to secure a seafaring crew for…
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The Humble Tin Can
9th March 2024 Here is a little piece based on an article I wrote for the Arctic Club Spring Newsletter I was reading Fergus Fleming’s excellent book “Barrow’s Boys” and my ears pricked up when I learnt than the very first tin cans were made just a short stroll from where I live in Rotherhithe.…
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The Arctic Club
December 2023 I am very pleased to announce that I have been appointed President Elect of the Arctic Club. It is a huge honour to be able to represent the Club. I will be following in the talented footsteps of Olly Sanders who has just retired as President, and Kevin Mansell who is the current…
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North West Passage – Days 46 – 48 – Nome to Home!
18th – 20th September 2023 We spent Monday working on the boat. My main task was cleaning the deckheads. The paraffin cooker and anthracite burning stove leave their grimy marks on the ceiling. In the evening we were invited aboard Que Sera as the Skipper, Antoine, was celebrating his birthday. The strongly built aluminium boat…
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North West Passage – Days 44 and 45 – Nome, Alaska
16th September 2023 – Day 44 – Nome Saturday We arrived in Nome at about 21:00. (Population 3,500)The downwind sail became a tad exciting as we approached the harbour entrance. It was hard to hold the course without gybing but we managed to get close to the entrance only to find a tug with a…
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North West Passage – Days 44 – Sledge Island towards Nome
16th September 2023 – Day 44 Saturday It is 05:00 and I am lying in my bunk having just come off my watch. Although it has been raining, it is hardly noticeable as we are sailing downwind so the rain falls on the back of your hood rather than your face. You only notice the…
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North West Passage – Days 42 and 43 – Cape Lisburne to the Bering Straight
14th September 2023 – Day 42 Thursday In theory, according to the original plan, we should have arrived in Nome today, so we are a little bit late but not too bad especially considering our long weather-bound period in a bay near Resolute. When the long trick is over we may have been the first…