John Passmore The temperature in the cabin is 9°C. This morning it was 5°C – and that was after I unzipped the two sleeping bags (one inside the other) and released the fug within. It went off like a bomb. So the subject is cabin heaters – something that exercises the Facebook sailing groups almost as much … Read more
Some things on boats are just disgusting. I have written about the Joker Valve – an essential piece of the sanitary plumbing which must be replaced periodically. But if you think the Joker Valve is disgusting – at least the old one gets thrown away (hopefully sealed in a plastic bag). But what about the … Read more
There is so much discussion about Coppercoat anti-fouling I thought I should post my pennyworth. For non-sailors who would like to persist with this post, Coppercoat is a brand of antifouling paint intended to stop things growing on the bottom of your boat. It does this not by using the normal chemicals but copper powder … Read more
There was no escape from Lockdown 2. November 5th was not the time to stage a dash into the Atlantic like I did in the summer. Instead, I found myself anchored in Kirkwall Bay in the Orkneys, waiting for the weather so that I could jump to Peterhead which, being on the mainland, was a … Read more
It appears there are now many non-sailors following this blog (notice how I refrained from calling them land-lubbers). They are, of course, welcome. However, some have pointed out that a lot of the content seems to be written in a completely foreign language. What is someone who has never been sailing to make of cringles … Read more
In the farthest and dustiest corner of the attic, hidden behind the water tank and covered in cobwebs and bits of decayed birds’ nests, you might be lucky enough to find a battered old trunk. Prise it open and, just maybe, it will be filled with yellowing papers – letters, receipts, old certificates… Piece them … Read more
Since the number of followers of this blog leapt from about 70 to something over 500 virtually overnight back in July, it’s clear there a lot of people reading this who are not normally “into” sailing. That means they have no idea what is going to happen over the next ten days (and I don’t … Read more
This is Suilven, the extraordinary mountain sticking up out of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands. I first saw it from seaward on the way from Skye to Loch Nedd. That was supposed to be an easy day’s sail, reaching in a force 6-7 all the way. But it turned out the southeasterly of the forecast … Read more
For those who asked about the result of the rum taste test: Marginally, just on the palate, Lamb’s won – but there is more to it than that. If Lamb’s was going to be a permanent feature, I would have to adapt the bottle-holder to take the distinctive octagonal-shaped bottle. Also, there is the little … Read more
