UK on Merrimac

The last bit of Scotland

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 20:34:42 +0200

I hadn’t realised it was such a long drive from Peterhead to Lossiemouth. Mark had to be in Aberdeen anyway, but it was still quite a trek. We took the lovely quiet roads along the north-east coast of Scotland, through cute little fishing villages and beautiful countryside. Wim had never been here before and was pleasantly surprised.

Out and about with Pelagia

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 06:57:37 +0200

This year’s sea miles kick off with a short passage to Scotland. I’m sailing as crew on Pelagia, a Contest 46 of the good old-fashioned kind.

Loyal readers may remember that last year I bumped into my very first boss, Wim Korte, in the Azores. What a remarkable coincidence! Because we got on so well, and he also knew Marion from our days at Oracle, Mar and Wim came to stay with us for a weekend afterwards, and we in turn visited their lovely spot in Driebergen. Their sailing plan for this year turned out to be a lap around the UK. As we were leaving, I mumbled something about being happy to help sail the boat to Inverness. And so it came to pass…

Southern England and home again

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 17:59:16 +0100

Phew, it’s December already and we still haven’t updated the website. Better do it now, if only so that in 10 years’ time we can read back what on earth we got up to this year.

The view from Tresco

Back to last summer… After a night at anchor off Tresco and a night on a mooring buoy in Hugh Town on the main island of St. Mary’s, we found two more anchorages off St. Martin’s. The weather was perfect for some proper “hanging out”: not too much wind, sunny and a very pleasant temperature. We also had some lovely walks on St. Mary’s and St. Martin’s.

Scalloway, Shetland

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 23:00:00 +0200

It had been clear for a few days that the weather would improve on the 14th. So where there had been 4 sailing boats in the morning, by midday we were on our own. The English boat La Contenta left for Fair Isle. We also waved off the English and Canadians of Kealoha V, who were heading for the Faroes (we knew them from a rather late night out together). We wanted to leave early the next morning, so that evening we took the cover off the mainsail and got the boat ready.

Westray, Orkney

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 16:57:45 +0200

Last Tuesday we were ready for a change after the metropolis of Kirkwall and all those stones. So, sails up and off to the “Northern Isles”. After trying to anchor in Fersness Bay (too much swell), we settled for the mooring in a bend between Eday and Calf of Eday.

Mainland, Orkney

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 16:00:00 +0200

On Saturday we could finally pick up the car from J D Peace. We handed over four bottles of Brouwdok, but there was so much staff around and not the one gentleman we’d promised them to. Rental cars are in short supply everywhere, so we could have a car from half past one on Saturday afternoon until half past four on Monday, but that means you pay for 3 days… Makes sense, right?? Anyway, we had a car, which made us one of the few (the only sailors in the harbour, at any rate). I have to say, a fine little motor, a VW Golf TDI, 45,000 miles on the clock but truly spotless.

Kirkwall, Orkney

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 17:56:12 +0200

It’s been a whole year since the last update appeared on this blog. All winter long the moment to finish writing up the Atlantic loop here kept slipping through my fingers.

I’ll try to make up for that quickly and write it after all, for nobody in particular really, but at least then it’s done.