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Published: August 8th 2007
Crossing the Atlantic
Ahem... Self portrait. If you look closely there is something between my teeth...Hi all,
I have decided that the Blogging bandwagon is a good one to be on, I have been travelling now for quite a few years and don't have any record of what I have been doing or the places I have been.
The first couple of blogs will have a few bits and pieces of things I have been doing in the last few years, sort of bring things up to date. I apologise in advance if it gets a little bit heavy on things that float but those that know me will appreciate that there actually isn't anything more important than boats and ships. World peace and third world hunger being the obvious "politically correct" exceptions.
My superyachting experience started in NZ in 2003 when I managed to swivel my right knee 180 degrees and kick myself in the backside hard enough to go out and buy a ticket to France. I was in a little place called Antibes, near Nice, for five weeks before someone took a punt and gave me my first job. It was a 29 metre Farr sloop called 'Thalima' on which I was to spend the next two years. It's the nice blue
Party Time - round Britain race
Half way party at Muckle Flugga, northernmost point of the Orkney Islands Party Time - round Britain race
Party Time - round Britain race
Half way party at Muckle Flugga, northernmost point of the Orkney Islands
boat in the piccies.
It struck me as a good idea, after I had been on Thalima for the first season, to go and do some racing, instead of sedately plodding about Italy and France. I signed up for the Round Britain and Ireland Challenge which is pretty much what it says on the tin, a non-stop yacht race around the British Isles. We set off from Southampton clockwise around the coast and arrived about two weeks later tired and smelly but happy, (I had been wearing the same set of thermals for the whole voyage and had two weeks worth of chin fungus as well). We came second to last but had a brilliant time.
We spent two summer seasons in the Med cruising about the south coast of France and around Italy before it was time to pack up and head off to the Caribbean. It wasn't until then that I bought myself a digi cam so thats when the photo journalism kicks off.
The crossing was pretty good, we got
the crap kicked out of us in the Gulf of Lyon, we were intercepted and inspected by the Moroccan navy and we caught the
Lost Sailors
Lost Sailors
worlds smallest flying fish. It was quite an easy crossing once we got out into the Atlantic, we loped easily along with a nice north-easterly breeze allowing us to get the gennaker out during the days. We threw the fishing line out the back every afternoon and caught our dinner most days.
The Caribbean was very cool, we got some awesome sailing in and went to some wicked parties in Antigua. Rum punch has got to be at the top of the list of things to try in the Caribbean, it comes in 20 litre barrels and is pretty good knock-your-socks-off refreshment, but watch out for the nutmeg that is sprinkled on top, it sends you loopy. ;-) There are also a few good beaches scattered about the place so many a day was whiled away topping up the tan.
The guests only came out a couple of times in the whole season but we did get two good trips in the southern islands where the sailing was good and
View of the boat
Motoring along on a less than windy day mid-atlantic, I used my super powers to hover next to the boat and get this pic the seafood plentiful.
The Thalima chapter ended for me on Union Island from where I flew home for Groomsmans duties at Blair and Caras wedding. After a brilliant
View of the boat
View of the boat
Motoring along on a less than windy day mid-atlantic, I used my super powers to hover next to the boat and get this pic
month spent at home with mates and family it was back to France and back in the job hunt...
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Simon B
non-member comment
You suck
So you've spent the past couple of years cruising about on super yachts in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, fishing every day, eating gigantic lobster, getting a tan and drinking huh? Well I guess that sounds alright...