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Mange Gaver – Loads of Presents
It is amazing how many little presents we have received on this trip. I am going to do a dangerous thing and list them but I am sure I will forget something so apologies just in case. A kind gentleman at Dunstaffnage gave us a book about Ming Ming, a small boat which sailed around…
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Fit for Purpose – Spinlock Clutches?
I don’t have a habit of buying cheap stuff. On a small boat you can’t afford the weight of carrying rubbish or risk a failure on a trip such as this. I am pretty fed up with some bits of kit. My Spinlock Clutches to control the tricing line have been a constant source of…
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Lovely Faeroes, but best approached on neeps!
Torshavn, Faeroe Islands. Overcast F2 Easterly. Well it wasn’t quite the milk run that we were hoping for. We managed to pick up on the east wind and we used it to make east of north so that when the wind backed to a northerly we could still sail on a starboard tack. However I…
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N60,50.48 x W005,09.32. Wind NNE F3-4. Sunny!
N60,50.48 x W005,09.32. Wind NNE F3-4. Sunny! The wind built up to force 5 yesterday with a lumpy sea. We ended up with two reefs and a reefed yankee still making 6 knots. We have been banking a lot of east as the wind is forecast to change to a northerly but fingers crossed it…
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Underway 09.15 GMT Friday 17th June
N59 x W005. Abeam the Rock of Rona. Easterley F4 We left Ullapool at 1400 Thursday 16th June and beat into a light wind and a foul tide. We knew it wasn’t the perfect time to leave tide wise but were eager to get underway. The wind died soon after and we motored past the…
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Sumara Departing North Today
Ullapool, Calm. Overcast Sarah arrived safely yesterday lunchtime and Thembi sailed in the evening after a cracking sail up the west coast despite the rather grim weather outlook before their departure. It was great to meet Dan and Charlotte (Watters) for the first time and to see Tim again. They looked very happy and full…
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Diversity Officer Resigned
As you all know Peter Mercer has been Sumara’s Diversity Officer for the past ten years. Sadly after an incident this morning Peter feels it necessary to resign the post. Peter has done some excellent work over the years and it is a shame that we are going to have to lose him at this…
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Preparing for the Faroes
Ullapool. F2 SE. Just started to rain. Torsten caught the bus to Inverness yesterday and Sarah will arrive this afternoon. Hopefully Thembi will sail in soon too. The expedition team is gradually assembling. Although there is a whacking great big depression working it’s way towards Ireland it looks like the winds up north will be…
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Portree to Ullapool via Acairseid Mor, Rona
Ullapool. NW 5-7, Raining.We had a pleasant morning in Portree. A lovely Finnish double ender picked up a buoy near us. I had a feeling these were very experienced sailors who knew what they were doing. The boat was called “Feshie of Caladh” and was owned by Malcolm and Moyra Stewart. We had a little…
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Ice Reports
Ullapool Scoresbysund is often blocked by ice even in the summer. In order to approach we need good up to date ice reports as a 26ft wooden boat isn’t exactly an ice breaker. We need to thank John and Phyllis from Morgans Cloud (excellent website for Arctic Sailing) for the method and also Gerry, Samantha…