Photos

Home at last on Sunday after a good rest in the Canaries. Here are some of the many photos from the trip (videos best viewed individually and select the HQ option). Click either of them to get to the album.

Some photos are from the first week where we waited around for the start. (Also filled with interesting weather).


All the best
Colin & Louise

Thursday 12th November

We arrived in Madeira last night & having never been here before we're amazed by the taxi journey up and down hills, in and out of tunnels and the views of Funchal.

The spa hotel we are in is lovely and just the opposite of the privations of a boat at sea on a long passage. It's in a very pretty place (Santa Cruz) away from the capital and closer to the airport.

Very happy to be here and relax. Louise on the mend already, but has some work to do to regain all the lost weight.

It's been incredible to have tried this and a real challenge. Colin is glad to have escaped with only two skirmishes with sickness and really enjoyed the 2200 miles of sailing. Louise is pleased she was brave enough to try (twice) something that most leisure sailors don't experience - true open sea (and latterly ocean) sailing.

Thanks for all your good wishes on the way, see you when we get back.

Wednesday 11th November

Leave Phoebe B behind to the rest of her journey and hatch some plans to get to Gran Canaria by the 14th.

Essentially we'll get a ferry to Madeira this evening and stay there until we can get flights arranged by whatever route.

Tuesday 10th November

Arrive in Porto Santo (small island NE of Madeira) about 6pm. Not much in the port, but a nice town for a meal out and early bed after a much needed shower.

We both plan to leave here, as Louise can't continue and Colin wants to look after her (as well as being exhausted himself). For CJ it's been 2200+ miles at sea now and more than we planned to do originally. We're now 20% of the way across an Atlantic trip if this was the route taken.

Sunday 8th and Moday 9th November

Not much to report apart from more of the same. Lots of sun, 5 metre swell and the odd 30+ foot wave.

Louise again unable to raise herself much from her cabin as every time her head leaves the pillow she is sick.

Friday 7th November

Poor Louise starts to be seasick again and no amount of new drugs or ginger seems to help her.

Weather forecasts tell us and the office that winds up to storm force 10 await us if we continue south to the Canaries, and the only option if we are to continue is to turn west towards Madeira.

At least we are sailing 24 hours a day now with favourable NE winds in the vicinity (if we avoid the storms).

Bizarrely in the afternoon a Moroccan fishing vessel passes in between our two sailing boats, laying nets, and almost catches Tranquilizer. It's a mystery to most of us how we didn't end up spending the rest of the day diving and cutting away the nets, but we didn't and she escaped somehow.

Friday 6th November

Lots of hanging around avoiding the daily localised winds (30+ knots) before departing at 1730 for the Canaries with our storm jib ready rigged just in case!

The night sailing through the rest of the Gibraltar Strait was pretty calm though although extremely busy with large vessels entering and leaving the Med.

We went due south to avoid the large vessel traffic separation lanes and skirted the coast of Morocco for a while.

The photo is of Tranquilizer, an identical boat in every way, now we're sailing together.

Thursday 5th November

Having helped with loads of boat maintenance over the last few days and Louise's arrival we take a day off to tour Gibraltar. The unexpected 25 knot westerly wind (where have we heard that before) that delays our departure until tomorrow morning closes the cable car, so we decide to be stingy and walk up the roads and paths of the Rock to visit some of the attractions at the top. First stop was a cafe where we narrowly avoid having our lunch stolen by a Barbary ape which jumped onto the table between us, fortunately only managing to get away with an empty crisp packet. Then into St Michael's Cave, a spectacular cavern full of stalactites which housed an auditorium and "stage", which must make an amazing setting for some of the ballet and other productions put on there. Next stop were the Siege Tunnels, dug for miles into the Rock during the siege of Gibraltar from 1779-1780(ish!). A good look at the views on the way back down to Gibraltar town.

This might be our last post again for a few days, as the plan is to leave early tomorrow morning for the non-stop 4.5 day run to Lanzarote.

Wednesday 4th November

Colin's birthday starts with his wish for a climb up the mast coming true with 3 hours work strapping on protection for the sails ready for Phoebe B's trip across the atlantic.

Next up was a trip to Barry's villa just over the border in spain (where he's been hiding during our Gib stay enjoying a proper bed and showers) for a pleasant afternoon away from all things nautical and a tasty barbecue.

Louise insists on giving me a present of something all sailors of the high seas require (according to her). Words fail me so look at the picture.

Tuesday 3rd November

Provisioning the boat for the next leg and for the rest of its run to St Lucia - several hundreds of pounds spent in Morrisons here and 55 6 packs of 1.5 litre bottles of water!!!

Louise arrives back fit and well thanks to Mum & Dad's care & cooking - great news!

New crewmates Raj and Tom arrive.

November 2nd

A quiet day, mostly cleaning the boat after previous escapades & ready for new crew arriving.

November 1st

The mist has cleared overnight and after another confusing call to the Marina in Gib we now have a space. A very hasty set off with a no-show from Barry (asleep in his villa) and Adam in bed but hastily roused we get going in 5 mins flat.

I get to helm all the way around from Duquesa through the straits and up to Gibraltar marina - very happy indeed.

Moor up for the evening and get out for eats & drinks.

Sat 31st October

Motor all through the early hours & fog. Nice skirmish with an 800ft cruise liner overnight where fortunately he obeys the collision rules and steers around us.

First light brings lots of optimism about the fog here clearing by 10am (it doesn't all day). I wake to the sound of the radio wailing a 'pan-pan' alert for all vessels to look out for a small craft with 10 people on board lost at sea - not in our area so we cannot help.

Mid morning, skipper Matt spots a big target on radar and AIS which turns out to be P&O's massive cruise liner Aurora heading for a closest approach of 75ft (and they are travelling at 25 knots!) - a quick call on the radio produces a very cool response that they had already seen us and were due to pass 1 mile to our stern (coincidence?). We never saw or heard any of the 800ft(?)thing.

Mid-afternoon, the novelty of fog not disappearing in the Med wears off and we head off to La Duquesa, slowing to preserve the dwindling supply of diesel. The fog clears near land so no-one believes us.

Well deserved beers in the bar.

The picture is of the Costa del Sol

Friday 30th Oct

0800 start in the direction of Gibraltar, nice weather but little wind to start with. More dolphins visit us; no luck with the fishing even with a new weight to get the lure lower in the water.

Some choppy weather in the afternoon soon calms down and gives way to fog (yes fog) overnight. Radar and AIS on all the way. Night watches of 3 hours on and 3 hours off are more tiring than I realised.

29th October

Still in Cartagena. Today Abi left the boat as scheduled and Richard who joined on Sardinia to help with repairs and make up crew numbers left a little earlier than scheduled.

Prep the boat during the day to set sail avoiding today's headwind and ready for the southerly tomorrow. Plan to set sail 2100 or 2200 tonight non-stop to Gibraltar.

28th October

Still no favourable wind, so the fishing goes on and yesterday's is cooked to make a delicious lunch. Weather forecast is light winds until next monday now. At 0851 local time we crossed the Greenwich Meridian and later more excitement as 20+ dolphins come to play and swim under the bow of the boat. Not sure if the video will upload but here goes ...Arrive Cartagena at 1700 ish pretty tired now after the non-stop night watches. Amazing approach to the town and quite picturesque. Tapas and too much beer into the early hours..... oh dear....

27th October

Still no wind so motor on again to keep to the schedule for other crew.

'Biggles' the bird makes a brief stop for a rest on his way somewhere and in his excitement flies all the way into the boat and through an open hatch where we are stowing spare sails to disappear into the very back of the boat among the steering gear. A very hot half hour is spent chasing him back out again!

News from Louise about being checked out by the doctor and plans are laid for her to rejoin the boat on Gibraltar. :-)

Motor on through long night watches.

25, 26 October

Slip the lines at 0930 and start the 480 mile non-stop run to Cartagena in Spain. Mostly motor sailing in light or no-existent winds.

At last we caught a fish (a dolphin fish) so Barry a happy man & can't wait to get on and cook it.

Later on a school of dolphins 10 or more visits us amid lots of excitement, encouraging them by leaning over the side and banging on the hull of the boat.

Saturday 24th October

Probably the last post for a few days now. The plan is that Louise (better but still not right now the injections are wearing off) will fly home to her parents for some TLC and try to rejoin later (maybe Gib). Colin will rejoin Phoebe B at 1600 today as she has set sail from Porto Corallo for Cagliari to at least make some progess (40 miles) before sheltering from the next forecast gale (this is getting repetitive).

Not easy saying goodbye like this, hard not to miss out and hard to know Louise will be sad at not continuing, but it's for the best.

Friday 23rd October

A day in Cagliari for the two of us, trying to sort out arrangements for Louise to get home for some recovery at her parents, with the hope of coming back to joint the boat again for the later stages of the voyage.

Colin is reluctant to leave Louise to travel home alone after being so ill, but eventually we decide that he will stay here and rejoin the boat tomorrow when it is due to set sail for Cartagena. (The boat has fortunately had to hang around here too for the day due to storms to the south and west of Sardinia, so the option of rejoining it is still available to Colin.)