Category: Places
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It’s the end of 2023 Sailing Season
20th October 2023 – Ipswich and Titchmarsh It has been a great sailing season. I really enjoyed bringing Sumara through the Caledonian Canal, around to Edinburgh and then down the East Coast. Then I joined Will Stirling to sail through the North West Passage which was a brilliant experience. To finish off the season, just…
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North West Passage – Day 3 – Iqaluit
5th August 2023 We have arrived in Iqaluit on the southern end of Baffin Island. I refrained from buying a cool cotton tee shirt in Ottawa as I wrongly assumed that the temperature would drop as we move northwards. I am now roasting in my expedition thermals. This place feels more like Texas than Baffin…
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North West Passage – Day 2 – London to Ottawa
4th August 2023 A misunderstanding regarding check in times at Heathrow resulted in me booking a night in the airport Premier Inn ready for an early start. I met Dan in the bar where we remained until midnight. The flight to Paris was uneventful other than needing to queue for donkeys to check in oversized…
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Preparations for the North West Passage – One week to go!
26th July 2023 Rotherhithe Reading time: 5 Minutes The adventure seems to be attracting a fair bit of press. The Telegraph had this write up and PBO had this. Stirling and Son’s Facebook page has this amazing video of what I should expect and, although I have sailed on Integrity before, this looks like pretty…
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Sailing from Edinburgh to Walton on the Naze
Reading time: 15 minutes 30th June to 8th July 2023 Granton to Eyemouth 44 nm 30th June 2023 Granton Harbour is rather shallow, so it is wise to wait for a couple of hours of flood tide before heading off. Conveniently that meant a civilized departure at 09:00 GMT. The mixture of moderate to very…
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Inverness to Edinburgh
16th to 27th June Reading Time: Ten Minutes Inverness 15th June 2023 I met Ray at Inverness station, and we struggled to find a quiet pub because Scotland had beaten someone in football. We crossed the river and found the best of a bunch. After a few pints Ray decided fish and chips were in…
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Dunstaffnage to Inverness – via the Caledonian Canal
Departed 9th June 2023. Arrived Inverness Marina 15th June 2023 Log 1015 (fouled) to L1131 Reading Time: 15 minutes Tilman and I arrived at the boat after a week in the stunning countryside of Glen Lyon. I had a list of tasks that needed completing before we could set off for the Caledonian Canal –…
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A week in Glen Lyon, Scotland
End of May 2023 My friend Ali wanted to celebrate her birthday in some style. The splendid afternoon garden party in a fine London square wasn’t going to quite cut the mustard, so she rented a farmhouse and a lodge in the most beautiful glen in Scotland. I confess that I haven’t been to every…
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How long does it take to prepare for an Arctic voyage from the UK?
16th May 2023 – London Reading time: 15 minutes Clearly there is no straightforward answer to such a wishy-washy question. It depends so much on whether you, and your boat, have made previous high latitude voyages. Even the location of your boat in the UK could affect the timing. To stick my neck out, I…
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Three Forts Challenge Half Marathon
30th April 2023 Reading time: Two minutes It is called “The Tough One” but, to be really tough, you would need to enter the full marathon rather than the slightly wimpy half version that we opted for. It is without doubt a very hilly trail run but the hills are not quite as grueling as…