BLUEMOMENT

Just wondering!

Our plans:

April/May cruising the Algarve and the Atlantic Spanish coast on Avy-J

June/July/August cruising NW Scotland, maybe Shetland/Norway on Fairwinds

September - Cruising the Algarve

October - Sail to Madeira

Early Dec - Sail to Gran Canaria

the usual west coast jaunts and perhaps a trip to Iceland with a friend on his boat (& back)
also want to finally get my yachtmaster ticket so doing the theory now and will log the necessary longer passages and night sailing this summer
Round Mull and a few other races sprinkled into to mix

Yes.

No.

Well I'm planning to persuade the mate to stay sober long enough to keep a lookout while our vessel makes its way to the western isles. She's got better eyes than me and sees the odd thing before we bump into it. Mind you some unkind people have been commenting about the length of my remaining teeth, pointing out that I will have passed into my ninth decade of causing trouble and finding hidden rocks and maybe I should be thinking about easing the burden on the rescue services.

Bodach na mara wrote: ↑Thu Feb 03, 2022 1:02 pm... easing the burden on the rescue services.

Its a burden they choose to bear. Blindness, inebriation and dotery are hardly reasons to stop sailing if you have a boat, can get to it and cast off the lines. Self imposed stranding ashore, is far more hazardous, I would warrant. Hope to see you on the water.

Bodach na mara wrote: ↑Thu Feb 03, 2022 1:02 pm Well I'm planning to persuade the mate to stay sober

How is that done? Can you give any tips?

Jacking it all in my arse.

I'm only 63 and the crew is significantly younger (29 she says), so loads of seasons yet.

Thinking of venturing south into the Irish sea and down to Wales or maybe beyond. But taking red diesel may be painful if we touch Southern Ireland so I don't know.

Johnson and Covid have complicated life so a cruise to Skye and beyond to Cape Wrath may be feasable, but getting home to tend to Mum will be harder than from Hollyhead.

Good to see sailing continuing, bit more importantly responses in BlueMoment!

Don't be too enthusiastic with the jacking aquaplane, as a visit to A&E may limit your sailing this year(-;

Sruth is ready to rock and roll once I put the sails on, which were dropped off a couple of weeks ago. Waiting on the wind to settle down.

As I am working, and will likely drive around Norway on my main break, I think it will the usual haunts this year. However, I may explore up towards Appin and eastwards as I have never sailed that way. I guess the Cuan and Luing tide gates will determine that. Anyway, more local.

No plans at the moment, other than an inclination to head for Stromness for the Orkney Folk Festival, always a great weekend, and then over to Norway, perhaps going further north this time.

On the other hand, at this time if year, reading Rob's and Nick's accounts of sailing in warm weather does make south attractive too.....

Either way, a few jobs waiting to do on the boat.

Went up to Craobh to check boat out, all is well. It was such a nice day that decided to bend on the sails. Thats me ready to rock and roll!

Just back from a planning weekend.

Plans made to
Launch in April and diddle about the Clyde. Younger daughter has significant birthday in early May which is 3 line whip.
Away for a cruise thereafter but maybe a 2 week trip out to Corfu on the good yacht Elysia.

Back and take grand weans away for a week when school breaks up.

Cruise up west coast but upto Orkney and Shetland is penciled in meeting friends on their way there. How we get there and back and where we leave Aja still to be determined.

August will be on the west coast then a final 2 weeks back out to Corfu late October for a cruise over to Brindisi - Montenegro and back. Skipper days he might have to check depths in Brindisi though (need 3 metres ) for depth.

I feel quite exhausted just writing this down.....

Donald

Launch mid-April on return from grandfather duties in darkest Africa. After that it depends on crew, weather and all other outside influences but may include SIPR, Scottish Series, Round Mull, Golden Wedding celebration (how did that get in there?), Hebcelt, West Highland Week with as much cruising in between as I can get away with. Still have a lot of to-do's on the list though.

The weather

Freezing and windy. Easter weekend is not looking much better. I look forward to the end of April warm spell, or have we had that late March!

I hope to spend more time at the boat this April as I have no business travel arrangements this month, May all hell breaks loose on my travel schedule.

Hope to see some of you at Craobh or Ardfern this year, and of course on the water.

I am easily recognisable, being short, bald and fat.

Alastair

Considering sailing back to Fleetwood this year come September.
Need to get some jobs done and the cost of fuel for the journey to Gods country and home again is beginning to look a tad high