This thread could seriously bore anyone not interested in boats, sailing or the sea. Beyond this point severe bouts of yawning and sleepiness may be experienced..you have been warned...
To those who asked about my old boat, she was a 35 foot steel gaff cutter of about 12 tons, designed by the famous yacht designer from the 1950-60's, Robert Tucker.
He designed many classic yachts most of which were capable of being built by amateurs in marine ply, steel or ferrocement
I bought the plans from him and a Sussex boat builder renowned for building fine steel fishing vessels welded her hull for me. I painted her ( 5 coats marine epoxy) inside and out, fitted her out building the lockers, galley etc: I rigged her, prior to joining the services I had been a ship's bosun so was merely practising my old trade, which saved a great deal of money. I retired in 1999 and having sold the house I moved aboard.
I made 2 voyages to the Mediterranean each of 2 years plus, wintering in Spain, Sicily, Greece and Malta.
This photo was taken somewhere in the Greek Islands, the Cyclades. I usually anchor in isolated places, take my tent and gear and have a wander, often bivvying out on the beach in sight of my boat after a yomp round the mountains.
In 2006 I sailed from Falmouth to Portugal. The voyage had an interesting start! My plastic diesel tank split and put 50 gallons into the bilge as I enterd Brixham Harbour en route to Falmouth. 5 days later I had fitted a new tank and no longer smelled like an oily rag..
This was taken in one of the many anchorages along the Portugese Algarve after a rather grey voyage down, with a force 9 battering thrown in for good measure when off Cape Finisterre.
In September 2006 I sailed from Portugal down to Lanzarotte in the Canary Islands to await the end of the Hurricane season (Roughly July--end of October) that is changing and seems to be getting later over the years. The next photo is about reality! I awoke to see this moored opposite. 47 desperate people had tried to cross the 100 miles or so of open Atlantic from the West Coast of Africa in this, a converted skip. There were 22 aboard when the Spanish Civil Guard patrol found them. Hot sun, dehydration and despair had accounted for the rest.
My "winter" berth in the marina..
In January 2007 I sailed from the Canaries across the Atlantic to the French Island of Martinique and spent 3 months just wandering the islands, ending up in Puerto Rico. I'll add a few photos, although some have already been posted.
Leaving the Canaries, Gran Canaria through the heat haze.
Running hard down the Trade Wind.
West towards the sunset.
sometimes the days were grey and the big seas thunder up astern...and you feel small!!
Land Ho! 30 days and your legs feel wobbly when you step ashore...wonder if I can remember how to speak???
These people are "cruising" too but they inhabit a different world to me..
More "cruisers" from the USA visiting Puerto Rico, this is the port of San Juan.The yacht anchorage is right in the middle of the city!!
Home again now. Grand Daughter settled into her law degree at University, my new "old" boat. Easier to sail for a 65 year old, but a real ocean crosser. June will see me bound for Portugal to winter and then into the Med, East to Turkey and explore up into the Black Sea for a couple of years.
A long winded post, naff all to do with Bushcrafting, but the sense of being close to nature, of being self reliant, always learning something new and just stepping outside of the 21st Century for a while is about the same. wicca. sorry about the titles, you'll need to decipher them, I've yet to crack this pooter thingy...
To those who asked about my old boat, she was a 35 foot steel gaff cutter of about 12 tons, designed by the famous yacht designer from the 1950-60's, Robert Tucker.
He designed many classic yachts most of which were capable of being built by amateurs in marine ply, steel or ferrocement
I bought the plans from him and a Sussex boat builder renowned for building fine steel fishing vessels welded her hull for me. I painted her ( 5 coats marine epoxy) inside and out, fitted her out building the lockers, galley etc: I rigged her, prior to joining the services I had been a ship's bosun so was merely practising my old trade, which saved a great deal of money. I retired in 1999 and having sold the house I moved aboard.
I made 2 voyages to the Mediterranean each of 2 years plus, wintering in Spain, Sicily, Greece and Malta.
In 2006 I sailed from Falmouth to Portugal. The voyage had an interesting start! My plastic diesel tank split and put 50 gallons into the bilge as I enterd Brixham Harbour en route to Falmouth. 5 days later I had fitted a new tank and no longer smelled like an oily rag..
In September 2006 I sailed from Portugal down to Lanzarotte in the Canary Islands to await the end of the Hurricane season (Roughly July--end of October) that is changing and seems to be getting later over the years. The next photo is about reality! I awoke to see this moored opposite. 47 desperate people had tried to cross the 100 miles or so of open Atlantic from the West Coast of Africa in this, a converted skip. There were 22 aboard when the Spanish Civil Guard patrol found them. Hot sun, dehydration and despair had accounted for the rest.
Home again now. Grand Daughter settled into her law degree at University, my new "old" boat. Easier to sail for a 65 year old, but a real ocean crosser. June will see me bound for Portugal to winter and then into the Med, East to Turkey and explore up into the Black Sea for a couple of years.
A long winded post, naff all to do with Bushcrafting, but the sense of being close to nature, of being self reliant, always learning something new and just stepping outside of the 21st Century for a while is about the same. wicca.
sorry about the titles, you'll need to decipher them, I've yet to crack this pooter thingy...
