Namur to Givet. 57.5 km And they’re off! Our first proper day cycling. Yesterday evening we met up with Sally and Joris, friends from way back (Cate and Sally met at Medical School in the, err…, 1980’s). They live in Antwerp, so have driven down to Namur to join us for the first couple of …
Just a very short entry for today, the first day of our trip. We have not really cycled – except to and from some train stations, but it has been a busy day. We set off from London, cycling along the towpath besides the Thames (hence Cate in the photo)), then took a tube to …
I am writing this from our hotel room in Barbados (and very nice it is, too!). The sailing season has come to an end and Merryn is safely tucked away on the hard at the Spice Island boatyard in Grenada. Even in the closing days, we have had a great time, including surprise encounters with …
28th May 2025: The Windward cruise comes to an end Read More »
Compared to the start of our Caribbean season, the winds have calmed down a lot and the seas are more settled. That has given us the perfect excuse to visit the Tobago Cays, part of the St Vincent and the Grenadines group, and a beautiful spot for some wildlife watching – both on land and …
On the 31st January at 12:20 local time, we arrived in Port Louis Marina, Grenada! A total journey of 20 days and 20 hours; 3256 nautical miles according to our log. It is hard to describe the mixture of elation, relief, exhaustion, and the adrenaline buzz that kept us awake and smiling as we downed …
13th February 2025: Our Atlantic voyage – the arrival Read More »
Land ahoy!!! We have arrived. It seems almost unreal, after 14 days and 5hrs, and a total of 2305NM (at least, according to our log), we have docked safely in Port Louis Marina in St. George’s bay, Grenada. And what a welcome! Oliver and Carlota from the Rally committee were there on the dock, as …
The weather continues to be our main concern. The forecasts had lulled us into a false sense of security, believing the worst of the weather to be over. The last 24 hours have proven us wrong. Overnight we had the strongest squalls yet – lasting well over an hour in the middle of the night, …
The last 24 hours have been the roughest so far: wind speeds consistently in the high 20’s and gusting up to 35 knots .The wind has been matched by the waves. According to our forecasts we should have experienced waves of 3.7m high, but in practice this allows for occasional waves even higher, as they …
Are we nearly there yet? Or, more relevant, are we halfway yet? It is surprisingly difficult to answer that simple question. The straight-line distance from Mindelo to Grenada is 2163NM, but our route, which took us south to avoid the worst of the weather, is 2285NM. In addition, we measure distance covered with the ship’s …
The countdown continues, with 1439 NM to go as at noon today. In the last couple of days the temperature has risen noticeably. Where before we could reliably catch up on sleep by dozing during the day, we now find that the interior of the boat is just too hot in the middle of the …