John Passmore How did we get to talking about a subject like this? Honestly, wouldn’t you rather discuss the world’s most fabulous anchorages or who has seen the Green Flash or, heaven forbid, engage in the interminable anchor debate. But no, people keep talking about holding tanks. Certainly, there are some places where pumping the head overboard … Read more
It was reading the Ocean Cruising Club’s Facebook page that made the decision for me. On Friday, the Norwegian yacht Escape West posted: “We are in Curacao waiting for the morning light to go into our reserved space in the Spanish Waters. Then the coast guard call us and tell us Curacao is closed, we … Read more
Buried in Gmail’s “updates” folder, among the Amazon orders (milk-frother, earbuds) and the daily inspirational quotes which never get read, was a message from Samsara’s insurance company: “All signs are pointing to storms on the North Sea and Baltic coasts. Meteorologists predict that hurricane-like gusts of up to 160 kilometres per hour are expected from … Read more
So here’s the choice: Have a heart attack or lose the boathook. Not much of a choice really. It was a new boathook. There is a tradition that old sailors die on the foredeck – at least there was until someone invented the electric anchor windlass. If you saw my post on the subject last … Read more
A Facebook friend kindly asks to hear about more adventures. How about this one… I didn’t mean to be out in a Force 9. That sounds like something out of Arthur Ransome. But, honestly, in Blood Alley Lake round the back of Poole Harbour’s Brownsea Island, the forecast was for W 5-7 occasionally gale 8. … Read more
They’re talking on Facebook about mid-ocean weather forecasts. They’re always talking on Facebook about mid-ocean weather forecasts – Iridium and grib files and SSB modems and whatnot. The Old Man’s head is beginning to hurt. Actually, it put me in mind of a time, years ago, when I was talking to a fellow competitor at … Read more
I just reviewed a book for the Ocean Cruising Club – Happy Hooking: The Art of Anchoring by Alex and Daria Blackwell. It’s over 350 pages long – and this is the third edition! Clearly, if you want to grab a yachtie’s attention, just bring up the subject of anchoring. Take a look at the … Read more
Passing Through – The Scilly Isles (2,300 words) There is no closer bond than the one between the singlehanded sailor and his boat – until he rows ashore, that is. Then he wants to be joined at the hip to his dinghy. Mine was on the beach at The Gugh, the smallest and least-populated island … Read more
Back in the early 90’s when I used to write the Dogwatch column in Yachting World and had just moved aboard for what was supposed to be a life-long cruise (for what happened to that see “The Old Man’s Story” page) the then editor, Andrew Bray, came up with the idea for a second column … Read more
