December 2017
I’m pleased to report that we’ve done all we set out to this year. Statistics to follow shortly…
Monday 13 March 2017
The thing about cruising is that we can aim for an agreed time, or we can reach a place, but trying to tie the two together is like trying to herd cats, or catch rain with a fork…
The following is the roughest of outlines of our cruising plans for this season. It will be amended as the year unfurls, and at the end of 2017, we’ll review what we did when against this initial ‘plan’. As we found last year, on the very first leg of our journey, real life has a habit of redefining the best laid plans of mice, men and sailors…
Tuesday 14 March Depart Mayflower Marina, Plymouth for Fowey, Cornwall
Wednesday 15 March Falmouth – a few days exploring the Rivers Fal and Helford
Saturday 18 March Falmouth Inner Harbour Visitors’ Yacht Haven
Sunday 19 March Test sail
Monday 20 March Spring Equinox; wait for weather window to visit Isles of Scilly
Tuesday 21 March Skipper’s first birthday…aboard
Sunday 26 March Mothering Sunday; British Summer Time begins – clocks forward
Friday 14 – Monday 17 April Easter weekend
From the Isles of Scilly we intend to cross to SW Ireland, aiming to make landfall in Baltimore via the infamous Fastnet race route, again in a suitable weather window. We’ll then cruise gently East and North around Kinsale, Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow until
Friday 21 April Dublin – in time for a very special visit by the Second Mate’s brother and as-yet-unmet girlfriend between
Sunday 23 April St George’s Day – Thursday 27 April
We’ll then potter on Northwards to take in Carlingford and Strangford Loughs, and Belfast, probably crossing the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man in mid-May on our way to North Wales by
Saturday 20 May Conwy Marina We’re hoping for visits from family and friends in the area!
Thursday 1 June Fleetwood, Lancashire For the Mate to meet a new baby and friends
Sunday 4 June North for Scotland.
The plan is to cruise the Western Isles, visit Glasgow, traverse the Crinan Canal and generally explore and enjoy, making our way towards the Caledonian Canal sometime in September, where we’ll be joined by the Mate’s adventurous mother to cross Scotland to the East coast. We’ll then drop down some way Southwards to find a suitable crossing point for the North Sea, bound for Amsterdam for next Winter, including Christmas and New Year.
Watch this space!