Thanks Mike for letting us come with you on a canal holiday. Well it was fab. Even though it’s a boat, I don’t think there is much comparison with AF except being on water. The boat was some 60ft long and steered completely differently. The water ways were very narrow and very shallow. Running aground and trying to squeeze under bridges and not hitting things is the name of the game. It was more like a dodgems ride at the fair ground. On a few occasions you had to let your crew take a phone and walk ahead to let you know that the way was clear. The weather was very kind to us and we manage to get to the end of a canal to find that their was an international singing competition being held. The singing was like listening to angels. We arrived just in time to see the carnival parade. Tom Jones had performed the night before.
Travelling through tunnels and crossing large viaducts high above the tress really added to the experience and ticked off unique things to do in your life.
A big thank you again to Mike. We really enjoyed it and many hours of laughter was had.
Well our holiday in 2023 was to do a long travel to make good some promises. After Reiner had help me sail AF back to the UK he asked if we would come visit them in Sweden. I was so grateful for his help (and Mike) it made the trip an important holiday. Maritha and Reiner became apart of our family sailing many miles with us in the first few years. Such a special bond and we hadn’t seen Maritha since those days. The trip was also going to include visiting a few other special friends. George and Gabbi (living in Germany) whom we met in Licata and George had been fighting health issues. And another special friend for Jessica, “Foxy” an online friend from playing Call of Duty who lives in The Netherlands to whom she had never met. What a lovely family whom welcomed us so warmly.
I’m writing this in June 2024 as I have been lazy in keeping the blog upto date. The holiday was excellent and special with magical moments reuniting with such good friends. I am such a lucky man to know such amazing people.
So we are now living back in our home. Arctic Fern is on the hard in Ipswich. We moved back around September 2023 and time is flying past. Back into living 5 and 2. 5 days of the week and 2 days of the weekend and knowing what day of the week it is. On the boat, every day was a special day, a new memory, a new story but now the 5 and 2 becomes a new routine with very little memories and time flies.
The girls have just finished doing their 3rd round of GCSE’s. Hopefully Jess will have 9 GCSE’s and Olivia 7. Results come out in August. I am so proud of them both. So the following day after the final day we decided for a road trip to Scotland. An all round 1,700 mile road trip in the Audi with a fully overloaded car….. Just quality family time. I feel I may have only 4 years left of holidays before the girls may leave the nest..
Here are some of the photo’s. Oh did I mention we now have 2 dogs… When sailing I said that once finished they could have dogs so I kept my promise.
so 2022 began in the UK staying at the in-laws. Caroline still having a few health problems meant we didn’t want to carry on our travels until she was all sorted so we didn’t have problems abroad. It was lovely in Brantham, Suffolk (albiet we all got Covid but that passed with no real problems) but we needed to make a decision about the boat. Leave her where she was, sail onto Turkey just the 3 of us leaving Caroline in the UK or bringing the boat home so we have somewhere to live. Going on another 1,500 miles into the med didn’t seem a great option so coming home until Cas was sorted was the best option in my opinion. Then review things then.
The trip back was going to be a long one and further than say crossing the Atlantic. Cas had to stay in the UK to be sorted and the girls staying with her. I then looked at friends to help me sail back but most of the sailing friends were already committed to their sailing adventures or tied up in their lives with their own issues. I didn’t really give much notice to anyone but thank you to all that wanted to help. It was finally agreed that my brother and 2 other amazing friends, Reiner and Mike would help me. Reiner and Mike would join around mid July and push hard to bring Arctic F home as quick as possible.
My brother and myself arrived in Licata around 24th June to get AF ready as quick as possible and set off asap. We had around 1,000nm to travel and not much time to waste to meet the new crew. There were some great friends still in Licata which was great to see. AF hadn’t been touched since the previous November and so was covered in Sahara sand as I call it and needed a lot of checking. My brother also needed a lot of familiarising himself with AF and he was very keen and enthusiastic. So we set off on the 28 June after having to disable the remote anchor device as it was working on its own accord randomly. The first leg was only 50nm and took around 9 hours. Lovely weather and just a wonderful start. We anchored safely although swelly. We wanted to drop 2 anchors to help stop the swell motion but 2 boats came in and anchored on top of us meaning we couldn’t drop the 2nd anchor.
The next day we knew it was a headwind but just wanted to pop round the top west side of Sicily and anchor off one of the islands but the headwind meant we made very little progress. After a few hours we decided to just sail west using the wind and knowing it was going to turn to help us later to go more North. It was a great sail and straight into our first night passage. AF sailed beautifully towards our destination, the corner of Sardinia. We pushed her hard as it we were going to a new anchorage and it was going to be difficult to arrive before it was dark. AF did us proud, we saw the sun set and knew we only had about 30 mins max before all light was gone. The wind was starting to get up. Well we came in with full sails and engine at around 10 knots, dropping the sail very fast to get into the anchorage with only a little light. We dropped the anchor and the wind was now hitting 35 knots. Luckily the anchor held very well on its first drop. We were tired but it was great. I slept in the cockpit due to the high winds after a fantastic meal prepared by my Bruv. I do want to say the my brother prepared the food all the time and it was fantastic. He makes the most amazing Salads and a brilliant pesto Chicken dish. Thank you.
The first leg of the trip (1,000 nm) was hard due to being only 2 of us and that the wind was always good/strong so not having to use the engine much. This sounds good but it meant that just wanted to keep using the good weather and meant we just kept on going. The next morning we decided to leave Sardinia and do another night passage over to Mallorca. Again AF sailed beautifully. Wind on the beam (side) and good progress was made. We made anchor around 9.30 the following day in a beautiful bay full of boats of all sizes. We rested and swam around the boat but later we made the decision to up anchor that evening and sail through the night to Formentera. It was light winds and we would motor the whole night.
We were met in the morning whilst arriving to anchor by some great friends who had left Licata many months before us. Andrew and Shelly had us onboard their boat offering us drinks the second the anchor had set. A lovely couple who were bringing their Halberg Rassey back to the UK also. This bay was stunning. Its a shame to leave these places so quickly and I also would have loved to show my brother some of the amazing bays that we loved on our way down which we passed in the night. We stayed here a day so we could re charge our own batteries. The following day we set off early to Cartagena saying goodbye to our friends. Another night passage with winds generally behind us. As we approached the coast line of Spain we had to cross a shipping lane. This was very busy and kept us on our toes all night dodging large container ships etc. As many oy you know Cartagena is a place we loved and stayed for a couple of winters. We went into the marina to re provision some of our stocks. Our old marina wouldn’t answer the VHF nor the phone so went into the other marina YPC. This was a lot more expensive but just nice to be able to get off the boat. The town was the same and our trip to Davos bakery brought the owner to tears when I showed him pictures of the girls now grown up. We now started getting stories of other boaters who were going the other way of the Orcas attacks in the Atlantic coast of Portugal and Spain going all the way down to Gib.
We only stayed the one night in Cartagena and with marinas fees being at the summer rate we decided to do a short trip the next day towards Malaga and be on anchor. We were making very good progress to make sure we could pick up the extra crew. I know too well its very easy for the weather to turn against you and blow the wrong way and also boat issues can stop you for weeks . So we left before the midday deadline of the marina and headed down the Spanish coast. We soon had a submarine come very close to us and it was an enjoyable motor sail. The next bay was stunning again being Cala Bardina, a place I hadn’t anchored before. It took a few attempts to get the anchor to set as there was a lot of weed but my brother managed to hit the 1 meter square of sand with the anchor and she held well. It was a beautiful evening with my brother playing guitar. Just paradise.
Next day we left early to head for San Jose (51nm), mainly motoring as no wind. We arrived at 4.45pm. There was a swell in the bay but anchored in lovely sandy water and due to the nice breeze it kept Arctic Fern pointing into the swell so no problems at all rolling. Another fantastic evening with great food and guitar from my brother. Almerimar was now only 36 miles away, we left at 7:45 and arrived at 14:10. This marina I enjoy but not many do. Its a very cheap marina to stay in and is a real seaside tourist place that is quaint. We were now very close to Malaga and were a week ahead of schedule so I decided it was a good place to wait. We had a spot right next to the toilets and showers. The heat was very hot being July and getting jobs done in the morning when it was cooler was the better time. We was going to treat ourselves to a meal out but when checking the menus it was full of burger and chips, pizzas etc and no traditional Spanish food to be seen anywhere. What a shame. I was so enjoying my brothers cuisine that we decided to eat on the boat. After pushing to get the distance we had covered it was hard to sit and wait but we managed it. We met a single handed Swedish guy who had recently bought his boat and was sailing it back to Sweden. This guy wasn’t young at all and made me smile to think he was still really living.
So we left 6 days later and anchored off Velilla. My brother departed here to head home. It was a pleasure to sail so many miles with him and just loved the fun, stories and enjoyment we had together. I hadn’t spent that much time with him since childhood so it was great and he has the passion for sailing and the love of looking up the stars at night which makes everything feel so different.
So a short motor for me in the morning 21nm, to anchor off Valez, then the next day only 23nm to Benalmadena. A relief to have the first leg complete where I awaited for my good friends Reiner and Mike to join the adventure. I knew I had still a long way to go including dealing with the straights of Gibraltar, the Atlantic swell, Finnestair, Biscay and the Raz de Sein. The whole trip was very daunting and worrying for me. From the beginning I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and I many times I didn’t want to do it. I knew it would push me mentally and physically. I knew the boat is good and strong but anything can break at any moment. For me it was very hard.
Benalmadena is a lovely tourist town full of Irish people on their holidays. I really liked it. I couldn’t wait for my crew to arrive. Greeting them both was just excellent. They had both given up their time to come and help me, to stop their busy lives to assist. That in itself is very humbling for me. They are both experienced sailors and we set off early next morning. Mike had us soon in the routine of allocating 3 hours on and 6 hours off and had it all scheduled for the whole trip. The importance of it I didn’t fully appreciate until a few days in where the benefits of keeping to the schedule where so important. The next morning we were underway to Gibraltar where fuel is cheap so we can fill AF’s tank. She holds 550 litres of fuel which does get you quite a way. We arrrived that evening but found although I had filled the fresh water tanks I had left a tap open when someone wanted a shower, turning the pump on meant all the fresh water wet down the sink and one tank was empty. This meant going into La Linear marina for the night so we could refil the water tank. No-one would let us just fill up with water. Whilst there I bumped into the solo sailing from Almerimar which was a nice to talk to him again. So early next day before sunrise we set off in the dark. The winds were strong behind us which gave us a good push through the straights heading for the Atlantic coast. This lasted for a few hours before we left the straights behind us and the wind died down. We then sailed for 3 days and 2 nights pushing across and up the Portuguese coast. I was struggling with the motion of the Atlantic and the nights initially were hard. The coast was full of lobster pots to avoid. If you get stuck on one you have to stop, dive in the really cold water and cut it free from the prop in seas that may not be flat calm. So that’s a fear to contend with. You were continuously watching for these pots and doing some very quick drastic turns to avoid them. They are very difficult to see, sometimes just a coke bottle to hold them up, or just a black stick. They are everywhere. Luckily we didn’t get stuck on any. The nights are not nice as the motion and the noise is deafening. The noise cancelling headphones were my saviour. The other thing which is impossible to tell is the amount of sleep you get. You have no idea if you sleep at all, if its 5 minutes, 2 hours etc etc. The droning and noise is just there all the time. Getting up for your watch is also not easy. Putting socks on, going to the toilet etc. As soon as we were in the Atlantic it was now cold at night and the water temperature significantly colder. The damp in the early hours of the mornings made the whole cockpit soaking.
We new that the wind at this time of year was predominantly on the nose and it was. We knew we just had to keep pushing forward into the wind. We stopped at Cascais and the waves and the wind on the nose meant we were making little progress so went for the anchorage. There really wasn’t a good window to leave for many days but the next day it felt calm in the anchorage so we went to leave and try and see if we could make progress. As soon as we popped out of the protection of land we could see the white caps and a not so nice sea. With the sails up we decided it wasn’t good and then noticed the tear in the mainsail quite high up. Not good news. So we returned to Cascais to find a sail maker to repair. After some running about there was one in Lisbon, a 30 minute train ride away. We now had to get the large mainsail off, into a tender, to the beach and get it to the train station. This took 2 of us to carry it and had to stop every 100 yards as it was heavy. The repair place looked at the sail and said it was ok to repair but would take a week….not good. After offering more money he managed to repair the next day. It wasn’t too bad as the forecast wasn’t good to push on. We collect he next day and had the fun job of getting the sail back to the boat from a crowded beach where dinghies were not allowed to land but the lifeguard found us a spot if we came in through some rocks in the dinghy we could do it. Luckily many tourists helped us. As the following day was a slight break in the weather we were keen to get the sail back on. We didn’t expect that we would be putting the sail back on in 35 knots of wind…… boats were dragging anchors around us but we managed it and spent many times laughing at the whole situation whilst doing it. The nights at anchor Mike would enjoy checking out the alcohol and spirits stock on board and many times we would be toasting to Caroline, then Laloline and when this became too hard it turned into Julie. Not sure who Julie was but at the time very amusing to 3 men on a boat….A lovely british Oyster yacht did come in one day and anchor right in front of us which was a lovely sight.
The next morning up early and back to the routine. Wind still on the nose but the sea was settled enough to make progress. A 2 day and 1 night before again we had to pull in as little progress was being made against heavy seas. The forecasts were very accurate we would push until the predicted winds came in and only then headed for a place nearby. Porta da Varzin was a small but lovely marina with very short pontoons to berth in. We got off the boat and I treated the crew to a well deserved meal out. It was delicious. Mike was keen on treating us to aperitif ( if that’s what its called but I think that’s before diner…never mind you get it) to finish off the night but we were so tired and knew we had to be early. We also nearly gate crashed a party that was happening on the quayside but decided to go back to the boat. Our fridge freezer was playing up so had to change pumps for the second time that evening. We didn’t want the food in the freezer to defrost. My super large portions of home made curry and Sheppards Pie were at risk…
Usual routine of getting in late when we have to stop and then leaving as early as possible to make the most of the days, especially the lighter winds in the morning when heading straight into the wind.
We were getting there, every day just eating away the miles towards home. Reiner and Mike were excellent at pushing at every opportunity. They were here to help and get AF home. They had lives to get back to and I wanted to be back for Jessies birthday on the 13 August. We were now getting closer to Finnestere, the corner before Biscay. We checked the forecasts every day to try and find weather windows for Biscay but never did it look great. It takes a few days to cross and really you don’t want Biscay to be rough anywhere along the trip due to the dramatic change the depth that makes Biscay so bad (4000m to 100m making the surface waves very high and short…)
The next day we had a good trip to Baiona to put fuel in the tank but straight off again to anchor in a Bay before heading for Finnestere. It annoyed me when the fuel was calculate in Euros, then they charged my in GBP which I didn’t notice until after I had put my pin number in. I had euros’ on the card, but little GBP but also loads of Turkish Lire ready for Turkey. The card provider therefore charged the fuel in Turkish lire once it couldn’t take GBP. So I caught 2 lots of exchange. aaarrrggghhhh I had more than enough euros on the card but hey….
Up again the next day to head for Finnestere, the wind kept changing from light to strong and back again. I haven’t mentioned dolphins at all yet but we had them all the time on the Atlantic coast and today we had loads of visits. I always love seeing them and I tell myself that the girls sent them to me to protect me and ensure I was safe.
We didn’t arrive at Finnestere until late and as we got there the seas and wind got stronger and bigger. We had planned to keep going but we couldn’t motor into this sea and was under sail. Sailing close hauled, which means the boat healing at quite an angle and pushing her hard so she can power through the seas was the plan. The wind was getting up to 30 knots and the spray and water over the front was a lot. The boat speed had increased but not in the right direction. We would have to do that zig zag thing called tacking which is not very efficient. New rips had appeared in the sail and the baby stay (one of the wires that holds the mast safe) now had 7 wires broke and was unwinding. We could of carried on but I got worried and asked if we could could head for shelter behind the Finnestere lighthouse. The only problem that we all knew is the forecast for the next few days was not going to be any different. We went to anchor and all decided as the next day was going to be worse to take the day off. Reiner wanted to treat us all to a trip up to the lighthouse which was excellent. We took the taxi up and walked back down. Really nice. Back to the boat where I was hauled up the mast to make temporary repairs to the baby stay to stop the wires unfolding any more. The day was ended by the other 2 taking a dip in a very cold sea. Usual evening drinks were also enjoyed if we were not sailing. At this point I would like to point out that it didn’t matter what conditions we were in Mike always ensure we ate very well. He always ensured he did something special with every meal and it was always greatly appreciated. Sometimes when very rough he would be hanging in the galley at some really awkward angle, held in by cloths designed to support him. Sometimes a few words were said when food went every where but he was amazing. I’ll also mention a few words about my other good friend Reiner. He was so in tune with everything on the boat, the rigging, the engine, the sails, the navigation and watching and reading the weather forecasts. His ability to tune Arctic Fern was significantly better than my skills. If he saw any part of any sail that wasn’t giving 110% he would adjust it. A true asset. Our personalities were perfectly aligned and kept for a good team. By the way I was the only one with fear and caution. The other 2 were rocks and 100% confidence in the trip which helped me a lot.
SO the next day we saw that if we kept very close to the shore we could possibly sneak around the corner keeping out of the strongs winds that were there off Finestere. All was going well, going very close in and a Catamaran going even closer. This was the first time we had a boat sail with us albeit for a short period of time. That’s when the Mayday came in. We had already heard of other boats being sunk from attacks a few days behind us but now a boat only 2 miles in front of us has lost all steering from a Killer whale attack. We could see the boat and we gulped. This is too close for comfort. They could be on us in minutes. It was our biggest fear. The coast guard replied swiftly and a lifeboat was on its way and would be at them before us. The advised routine is to cut the engine, disengage the autopilot and turn off most electronics. They say drop all sails and just drift but as they weren’t at us we along with Catamaran decided to sail off deep to the shipping lane. This is fine apart form the seas were a lot larger and the winds stronger by going out deeper. We preferred that the Orca whales. Arctic Fern look after us again but the tears in the sail were getting bigger and again we took a lot of battering and had to keep reefing in not nice conditions to keep us and the boat safe. After 5 hours we only managed 8 miles in the right direction. We decided to keep offshore and just push on. What choices did we have as there was no break in the weather for the foreseeable days. I went down for my rest and didn’t come back up until we cleared the corner. I was told that twice we dropped off some very big waves when AF more resembled a submarine rather than a sail boat and I remember laying on my bed hearing so much water run down the decks and filling every locker that was not water tight. The sound and noises are immense.
When back in the cockpit later that evening we decided to see if we could anchor behind what can only be described as a large rock. The wind was still strong but hopefully there would be some protection. The pilot book said there was only one small piece of sand to drop the anchor in and luckily we found it before sunset. We were protected more than I thought we would be although the rock wasn’t that high in places. We all slept well and set early alarms for the next day. That was a scary day and we were now round the top ready for the Biscay crossing. Since my new crew joined we kept watching Biscays weather to see if there was a good weather window. Still there was no break for a direct crossing. You need at least 3 days to cross at it was strong and on the nose for at least 7 days ahead. Most boats would wait at La Coruna just ahead but there seemed little point waiting there for a week with no prospect for the weather to change. So plan B was to sail along the South coast of Biscay and when the wind changed we could use the wind and sail as high as we could hoping for hitting the eastern side of Biscay around La Rochelle and then tack (turn through the wind) to then head for the Raz de Sein. This doubles the distance of an already long crossing.
The next day as always an early start at sunrise and off we went again. The wind and sea conditions were a lot nicer than the previous day but we were still wary of the Orcas. We passed La Coruna and was pushing onwards. At around midday, Reiner called the alarm of a killer whale sighting some 100ft away and we quickly switched everything off. A tense moment with us all being silent and letting Arctic F just drift. 40 minutes of watching the sea everywhere to see if we saw it again. We were lucky, started the engine and went underway again. That day and night was kind and we hit our waypoints as planned and then started heading up as the wind came in as high as Arctic F could point. Next day the seas started getting larger and the winds stronger and the skies greyer. It was not pleasant at all, difficult to do anything. Mike still always managed to surprise us with great food. Putting socks on, drinking, going to the toilet were not easy tasks. The great news in the higher winds was Arctic was going well under wind alone 7 – 8 knots and driving herself through the waves and the engine was having a rest. We had some worrying moments when we kept looking at the large split in the mainsail it it was getting bigger. At one moment we thought we may have to stop to get it sorted/ or bring AF back on a truck due to time constraints. This was hard but the time morning came and we had made it to near La Rochelle it was decided we should just tack and head our way back across Biscay. The weather was significantly nicer and AF was still sailing albiet damaged sails. Sprits were a lot higher all round and we could feel we were breaking the back of it. We had some maintenance to do, fix some leaking windows, swap out the fridge freezer pump again etc etc. All was good but in the back of my mind was the next hurdle of getting through the Raz de Sein…..From our progress we would get there at night fall and the timing far from perfect as described by the pilot books with winds also on the nose again at around 20 knots…not ideal. My crew had no issues but I was worried. We went for it and I had need not worry. Arctic F is a heavy displacement boat that is designed to be as safe as you can get. She was thrown about a bit but pushed through the gap between rocks and a lighthouse with tide with us and wind against us. This part took about an hour to get through and then headed onwards into the night. We had as a team looked at the weather and still on the nose against us and but we were going to keep on going. Later that evening I looked at our fuel levels and made a decision to head for Camaret Su Mer to refuel before heading for Roscoff. We arrived early hours of the morning and dropped anchor. We were to catch only a few hours of sleep then awake get fuel and set straight back off again. Once up we headed for the fuel pumps only to find out they had been damaged and were out of order. Luckily the local fisherman pointed to the old fishing port were we could get diesel from an automated pump. With Arctic’s tank full (550 litres) it felt good to get going again. This should and did get us all the way home. The weather was good and we turned the final corner and was now in the English channel, next stop – Roscoff. One issue we had to face on the route was the best place to sign out of Europe. It was very important to do this as you can be fined especially if you over stay your 90 days allowance. AF had been to Roscoff before and there was a shortcut down a narrow channel which saved an hour on the journey but is fun to navigate…..we decided to take it (me being more nervous, my crew were a rock and helped me make the right decisions when I was doubtful, it pushed me and I am grateful for that) but it was a good decision as it’s very scenic. It’s like boating on the broads…. with more accuracy on the steering. Its only about 1 – 2 miles along but the chart plotter had about 10 – 15 waypoints to make sure we were safe. Roscoff is a ferry terminal and the marina is nice and modern. It was great getting in there knowing that when we leave the following day we were heading for England. We had to make arrangements to go to the ferry port when the next ferry was due in to get our passports stamped. This went well early the next morning so we were good to go. The weather was still wind on the nose to go towards our target so sailing straight across the wind to head 90 degrees to England and then just push towards Dover and Ipswich using the motor. I kept my fingers crossed so that we could get to Ipswich before Jessies Birthday. It was good day to cross but the English channel is really busy with boats coming from everywhere. The VHF radio was chattering all the time. The lovely sound of the British accent from a female operator at the UK coast guard was great to hear. There seemed to be many Maydays and Pan Pan’s from both France and UK. It kept us on our toes. We did have to call up a NATO warship and ask if he could change course even though they was in convoy to which they obliged. Mike enjoyed wishing them onwards safe passage. It took the whole day to get through the thick of all the traffic. The shipping ranging from very very large container ships to fishing boats dredging. On my watch we even had the Queen Victoria pass within a mile of us running on a similar course. As night approached we started the heading up towards the Solent. We had put up our Q flag to signal that we were coming from abroad. We have to notify 12 miles out the coast guard by phone call/email. This is great in theory but its impossible to get a signal that far out to sea. We deliberately kept just outside the 12 mile zone so we could travel towards home without problems. The tides and currents now play a big part of your progress once in the Channel so sometimes you are lucky if we could make 2 knots and other time you could be going 8. Its a bit harder if on your watch you can only manage 2…. It did become a bit of a competition on who could get the best mileage on their watch. That next day we manage to push past the Isle of White before the evening came in again. Still against the wind but we were getting there. Daylight came in as Dungerness was in sight. Pushing towards Dover was now the game. Hoping again the winds didn’t get up too much. Once near Dover it is courteous to call up Dover Port control on the VHF to let them know you are coming through due to the amount of ferry traffic. It is always manic and we kept well off before turning the corner towards Ramsgate. This leg has many shallows but this is where Mikes local knowledge came in and he navigated us through the buoys marking the safe channels. We were getting near now and inside I was getting excited. We still had the Thames estuary to cross which itself has its own gems for navigation and tides to deal with. We were so close and it was important to still get things correct. We crossed one sand bank at very slow speed with only a meter or so underneath us. To pass the Gunfllet sands we only had to travel 6 miles but the wind was again on our nose and we could only manage 2 knots. Hence this took 3 hours but as soon as we we clear we could use our sails and we were now heading towards Felixstowe at 7 knots. I think Arctic just wanted to show us after many days of motoring that she could sail and that she did it well. It was late at night and we arrived in the Orwell. We picked up a buoy just outside Levington at around midnight. Mike didn’t want us to change boat time until we had stopped which meant that we could adjust the clocks then and have an extra hour. I cant tell you or describe my feelings. We decided to use the hour adjustment for having a drink to celebrate. We bloody did it. I can’t tell you how I felt. We were tired but I never thought this trip would come to an end. We did it and in time for Jessie’s birthday. My gift to her was me being there. Although tired it was just great to sit and drink with 2 good friends. Mike insisted we wake up an hour early to have breakfast and give the boat a good clean so when we arrive to see the family Caroline wouldn’t be too upset with us….hehehe. Well up the river slowly to go into Ipswich Haven where the welcoming committee was waiting with flags and balloons. I think I had cried nearly every day when missing everyone so not sure how I was going to be but luckily I held back the tears and was so pleased to see everyone. I did feel very proud of the achievement and the memories I would cherish for years.
Other than a really big thank you to my Brother, Reiner and Mike, I just wanted to thank many people who wanted to come on the trip but couldn’t Vic and Christine and Joe. I had other supporters that were watching everyday – Keith & Gill, Tonia and David, the old Licata Mob etc. Theses were sending messages everyday trying to predict and understand what we were doing, giving advice and generally keeping my spirits high. And as always my family that I must of put through some stress.
I had decided on the trip I never wanted to sail on the seas again and once home we swiftly went off to house sit a friends for 2 weeks which was good time to get away from the boat. For the whole 2 weeks I woke everyday believing I was still on the boat. It wasn’t nice. The nights on the boats are as long as the days but just a lot darker. On land, the night is as long as a few minutes sometimes when you close them to sleep and wake many hours later.
So now we are living on Arctic fern again, our home. It took many weeks to remove all the boat stuff before we moved our stuff in. The boat raised at least 2 inches higher out of the water from the weight we removed. We are now doing lots of maintenance and repairs to get her to prime condition. Its now November and its getting colder. Gas bottles in the Uk are 5 x more than the Med. Not many would choose to live on a boat but I still love it. Surprising there is a good liveaboard community here, many being on our pontoon so life is good.
I wrote this straight from my head, it was supposed to be a quick summary of the trip. I have missed many hours and stories as each day has many stories but hopefully you get the gist of it.
So next, get Caroline better then …. then they are thinking of The Netherlands, Denmark or Sweden….lets see where destiny takes us.
Well it’s been a very long time since the blog has been updated. The reason being is we haven’t done much sailing or even seen our good friend Arctic for long in 2021. We returned to the UK at the end of 2020, COVID still being rife and Brexit with all its issues. Arctic Fern returned back to Licata in January to her home. I’m writing this in Feb 2022 in the UK and Russia has just started war on Ukraine which is worrying. One thing for certain that history tells us is that humans are always at war with someone. Life has little value sometimes….. I sit and think that humanity and people are so very stupid which is a shame as since we started travelling we have learnt that people are wonderful, kind and truly amazing. The people we meet everywhere are brilliant. A complete contradiction. Is it the few that wreck it for the many……no idea… but I hope our children keep safe.
Anyway enough of that, what happened in 2020? Well COVID, meant when we arrived you couldn’t even drive across counties in the UK. Fear of giving our parents COVID meant we didn’t want to stay there and an amazing friend, Mike Stanway offered us to stay with him who lives just North of Ipswich. Another touching moment for us all, as the kindest of friends knows no boundaries. Mike was living on his own and had plenty of space in his home. We got to talk with his family and Xmas was fantastic, full of games, laughter, great food and drink. What else could you ask for. Mike is someone who really pushed the boat out in making our stay so memorable. Making model boats, playing with steam engines, planting onions etc etc etc. Thank you Mike, words can’t express our gratitude.
In January, I went to visit another friend in Bedfordshire who runs a company that was involved in COVID testing. This ended up being a great opportunity for me in helping and contributing to the COVID pandemic. This only started as a temporary contract for a few months before returning to the boat but ended up lasting until September. Within a week I managed to get COVID myself, a bit worrying but wasn’t too bad. Luckily the company I was helping meant testing was easy. I was luckily away from the girls at that point but meant I couldn’t get to see them which was hard when it was Olivia’s birthday. After getting the all clear I could move the family to live temporarily with me. Another Big thank you to Mark Davis, my friend of many years who let us stay with him at his amazing home. Mark a friend with a huge heart. He has a farm in the middle of nowhere and more great memories for us all. One big problem was we all loved his home which meant it was hard to leave but we needed to let him and his family have their home back and have thoughts of returning to Arctic. For us it was 10 months away from Arctic, living on land again which meant we could reflect on what we were doing. Well a family meeting and yes we are all still keen to keep on travelling, although the wife keeps hinting on a motorhome/RV. Caroline loves the trip but the stress of living at sea pushes her a lot and it’s something that doesn’t get easier. Thank you Caroline for keeping us going when it’s not your favourite pastime….
The girls grew up a lot this year and the farming life was excellent for them. Bonding with Mark, his wife and his three lovely girls. Driving tractors, quad bikes and trailers, scramble bikes, learning to shoot, tending sheep, rearing chickens and of course the 5 dogs. Even paddle boarding at a local river was just first class. Our girls joined a local swimming club, the Huntingdon Piranhas, which they loved. This was at my old school and in an area I was brought up in, so a little different for me with many memories coming back of my own childhood. Having a kebab and chips after the swimming did it for me. It was great to catch up with old friends in the area, Tim and Dave and their respective families.
After leaving Bedfordshire, we stayed with my mother for a while before we returned to Arctic late October (all dates are guesses as I can’t remember the exact dates whilst typing). Thanks Mum for always being there for us all. Being home on Arctic was an amazing experience. I loved it. She was very dry and no boat smells. Just brilliant. Thank you Vic and our friends that looked out for her whilst we were away. She had taken a battering from the heat. and with decks probably reaching 50 degrees Celsius some minor repairs and cleaning were needed. It didn’t take long living on her before more things needed to be fixed. From earning some money I managed to buy some toys/presents for Arctic which included creating a new 12V system run from a lithium battery for all the USB points etc, a portable monitor and media system so I could watch TV without straining my neck. I may have enjoyed living on land too long….
We got to enjoy Licata for 6 weeks and the time was soon up. A lot of the people have changed so new friends made. One of the most amazing things that happened was we got to experience a Tornado that came through the marina. I’ll let the you tube videos show the size. I saw the one on the nose first then saw the mother one on top of us. Luckily no damage to us but what an experience. Right on top of us, the size and sound so magnificent….
18 December and back to UK soil. Great thing about the UK is being with family. Xmas was brilliant, with my younger brother and his family and my mother and step father. My niece and nephew keep growing like my girls. My mother always puts in lots of effort to make Christmas fun. The show that the girls put on was excellent and as always the great food that my sister in law cooks is always lovely, although not good for my waistline but who cares…its Xmas.
We had a separate day spent with my older brother and his wife and also had another Xmas event with the in-laws. Family is so important and thank you to you all.
Well although we didn’t have as many stories in 2021 it was another great year. Making lots of new friends at work and working with Mark Radford another Entrepreneur that inspires you with his vision and dreams. As mentioned the girls have significantly grown up, not many years now until they will have their own wings to be able to fly….. This year 2022, we plan to return to the boat in April and then sail onwards to Turkey to ensure we are out of the EU. We are having to learn the new rules for travel for signing in and out of countries. Shame we can’t be as free as we were but hey…
So now in 2022 and staying with the in-laws after a month staying at my mothers. Trying to spread our time between families and keeping the COVID risks minimal to all. For all us it is a good time to see nephews and nieces that are growing up and get to know their lives and for the girls to get to know them better. Even if it is joining together as a clan in Call of Duty Mobile…..Dad has realised that he is now too old to compete with the young ones but he still tries and enjoys trying to win….I don’t think it will ever happen.
Love to all that are reading this, you all have a special place in our hearts.
So after the UK decided to leave the EU and although the government making some statements that it wouldn’t effect any UK boaters abroad it ended that it will definitely effect UK registered yachts. After much discussion and talking with friends we decided it would be better to have Arctic sailed back to the UK so she was there for 31 December when the UK leaves the EU. We did have a year to sail her back following a change in the rules but we didn’t waste a year in our travels doing ground we have already covered and are that bit colder….. As a family, we didn’t want to be crossing Biscay etc late in the season so some friends volunteered to sail her to the UK on our behalf. Thank you guys. We stayed in Licata on a friends boat until our return to the UK late December. We were also forced to return to the UK as under the new rules we can’t stay in Europe more than 90 days in every 180 and we didn’t want to use those days during the winter months. So Arctic Fern set sail mid November with her new Raymarine chart plotter in place. The old one which was only 4 years old had screen issues. The replacement however was annoyingly not 24v nor was it NMEA compatible with some of our equipment. Supposedly if we paid an extra £1,000 it would have done both. I’m glad it didn’t die when I wired it up to the 24v that the old one ran on……So she did the trip without us and manage to arrive on the river Orwell mid December.
So we finally left Licata after Covid Lock down and headed for Malta. We plan not to travel too far due to the virus still being at large. The lock down for us in Licata was great as no one was allowedout and the marina was all ours to enjoy. Lovely, quiet and pieceful.
We had to get special permission to travel to Malta as they weren’t letting any English in but we sent loads of emails and finally got permission.
Malta was a 10 hour sail approx. and the first night we had to go into a marina to ensure everything was ok. Valetta is an amazing town with one of the best sea entrances of the trip. Everyone speaking English is a shock and English food every where. Yippee Worcestershire sauce and salad cream for me…
We met up with our good friends Juliet and David on Reflections whom have a boat similar to ours and have sailed the world for over 30 years. A truly amazing couple which non stop telling us amazing stories. A true inspiration to us. They also enjoy a good game a Bridge so we are now all players..
Its hot here, we go to lovely bays but end up sitting downstairs in the cool.
One story is that we anchored in a remote bay and during the day you would get many boats but by the evening they all leave and you are virtually on your own but when Saturday comes all the locals arrive and end up all staying the night. We counted over 110 boats, all rafted up, small and large, playing music. It was a great atmosphere. I ended up sleeping on deck enjoying it.
It’s been a while since I updated the blog but as we are now in March 2020 being in lockdown for the Corona Virus it seems a good time to update. I will finalise last year then go into this year. So the last entry seems like near the end of June 2019….Wow some 9 months ago. Isn’t it scary how fast life goes past. Well July and August was mainly spent in the Ionian Sea. A beautiful area but very busy with flotilla yachts which always have us worry. 2 fold – 1) finding uncrowded anchorages or quay sides 2) some may not have the experience or same care when its’ not their own home they are sailing in…. August sees another birthday for Jessie who turned 11. We spent that on the quay side at Preveza where we met another great family. A wonderful young New Zealand family with 4 boys aged between 5 and 13. They were heading for NZ. Jessie said she had the best birthday ever considering she got 2 fly swats and 4 packets of different flavour Oreo’s and money. But as she shared her day with the boys she was very happy. We managed to pay a restaurant to fill up a dish full of chips as a special surprise. The NZ family also gave Jessie her own private Hacka which was brilliant. We had planned to winter in Caz in Turkey but as always things change. We continued to have maintenance with the boat, finally got the new dinghy and it was really sad leaving our old one on a quay side for the residents to use. I was surprised that when I met up with friends in the UK one of them showed me a photo of our old dinghy being repaired…..just shows you how small a world it is…. The new dinghy is called “Star” being a Zodiac fastroller 285. It was a lot more expensive but not as good as the old Honwave. We are hoping it will last a lot longer but one good thing is that it weighs a lot less so less weight on the davits. So soon after getting the new dinghy, the 6 house batteries all died and needed replacing. Within 10 minutes of fitting the new batteries the bow-thruster died. The bow thruster is a luxury that you can get used to and becomes an important part of the boat especially when steering in reverse…. Well after having the gearbox part replaced and the motor overhauled, 5 days later the solenoid of the bow thruster went which has been replaced recently. We found beautiful bays whilst sailing in the Ionian and saw many turtles and dolphins. We seem to still have to keep an eye on the weather and wind and found ourselves not moving too far away from safe bays as strong wind forecasts had you returning swiftly. Sometimes the forecasts were accurate and happy we returned to a safe bays other times there was no need for the retreat which was annoying but this is the life we lead. We try not to take risks at all when there are strong winds forecast. So we were heading towards the Corinth canal when we made a family decision to return to Licata. I could then fly home quickly. Our home being un-rented since May, issues with a Neighbour, quotes to maintain our home and boat maintenance costs meant this was the best decision. Being away from the girls will be hard as it goes against the principle of our sailing adventure but needed to be done. From the Ionian back to Sicily is about a week of long days of sailing. Getting up at sunrise and sailing all day and dropping anchor late afternoon. We did manage to bump into the boys again which was brilliant. We did have our almost first “knock down”. That’s when a surprise wind hits the boat and takes her on her side. She is designed to do this to keep us safe and instantly turns into the wind so she can be upright again. The water was high up on the decks with many windows underwater. Livvy shouted whilst on the loo, “Dad the water just touched my bum and I can see fishes through the window”… It made me laugh and Jessie enjoyed it but Mum wasn’t very happy. The following evening, our penultimate day of the season whilst at anchor we manage to save an Italian boy, approx. 13, from being swept out to sea. He was exhausted and when we called him over he hadn’t realised how far he had drifted….so far so that we had to lift our anchor to take him back to his family as it was too far for the dinghy…. We were last boat before it was just wind and open see for the boy. I believe when people have helped us on our trip that by helping that boy is in some way returning the favour. On our final day sailing of 2019 we did manage to get stuck on a lobster pot marker at sea which meant stopping the boat, jumping in the water and diving down to the prop with a knife and cutting it free. No sight of land. We then sailed onto Licata, which mean manoeuvring the boat without a bow thruster and I had forgotten to secure the swimming ladder after the lobster pot incident so when reversing into our winter berth Caroline ended up in the water as she used the ladder to hold onto…… Luckliy we were met with many old friends who swiftly got her out of the water… It feels like returning home when you go back to a place you have wintered. The safety of the marina is a relief. Another sailing season over.
Thank you for keeping us safe Arctic Fern. We love you.
It started as a young boys' dream, it became a family's reality and the reality was so much better than the dream…thank you world, thank you Arctic Fern.
